May 15, 2025

In 2010, liberal political commentator Mark Shields and conservative political commentator David Brooks squared off in the Springfield Public Forum’s 70th season. However, if you were looking for a WWE, Texas-style cage death match where two people enter and only one leaves, you would have been sorely disappointed. This was 2010, after all, which seems like light years away. As it turned out, they had a civil exchange of ideas, and agreed on many of the subjects they covered. How quaint? This was not the “60 Minutes” Point-Counterpoint, bare knuckles segment featuring news commentators Shana Alexander and James J. Kilpatrick, who were themselves parodied on SNL by Jane Curtain and Dan Aykroyd.

They agreed that the United States will not begin to solve its political problems until “the me generation becomes the we generation.” Shields said that the old JFK line “Ask not what your country can do for you, but what you can do for your country “ was not in vogue. Brooks said Democrats lost the mid-terms because Barack Obama prioritized a national healthcare bill over jobs creation. In all, they debated the issues of the day from their respective points of view. They agreed on some, and disagreed on the others, but they didn’t attempt to villify or debase each other.

Recently, I enjoyed a cocktail with an old and dear friend. He had his Old-Fashioned and I had my whiskey. He would probably describe himself as a center right Republican, I would describe myself as a center left Democrat. Whether these are accurate descriptions or not is a discussion for another time. We agreed that there were still a lot of things we could agree on, and that Donald Trump was not the answer to any of our concerns.

We agreed that no one is for abortion. Because you are not “pro-life” doesn’t mean you are anti-life or pro death. Abortion is the unfortunate resolution to a very difficult situation. We both supported a woman’s right to make her own healthcare decisions with information provided by her family, her doctor, and her faith.

We agreed that transgender athletes pose some very difficult issues for high school, college and professional athletics. Neither one of us was comfortable with the current situation. However, we also agreed that it did not rise to the level of a national emergency where the President of the United States has to weigh in for what can only be described as nefarious purposes. These athletes do not deserve to be demonized. The Governor of Maine does not need to be threatened. The U.S. military does not need to be dragged in. There are more humane ways of dealing with people struggling with sexual identity.

We agreed that one of the biggest dangers facing Christianity is Christian Nationalism. Christian Nationalism is a form of religious nationalism that focuses on promoting Christian views in order to achieve prominence or dominance in political, cultural, and social life. Christian Nationalism prioritizes the welfare of its adherents over the welfare of all. JD Vance recently claimed that the teachings of the Catholic Church allow you to ignore the plights of people the farther away they are from your sphere of influence. Fortunately, Pope Leo XIV disagrees.

We also agreed that no one is for illegal immigration. This is a canard promoted by MAGA Republicans to claim that Democrats are soft on immigration. What differentiates the parties is how to solve the problem. People can agree that illegal immigration is an important issue that needs to be dealt with, but can have honest disagreements as to how to solve the problem.

Similarly, we agreed that serious people cannot dispute the fact that climate change is a scientifically-proven fact. However, we also agreed that serious people can have serious and genuine disagreements about what to do about it. Some people may favor mitigation, some people may favor reparations, some people may favor renewable alternatives, and some people may favor “drill, baby, drill.”

Lastly, we would both most-likely characterize ourselves as fiscal conservatives. I think we would agree that the fiscal path that the United States is on is at some point unsustainable. The Republican budget promises another $4T in debt over the next ten years. I for one am not opposed to looking at the social safety net and making changes where change is warranted, but I am certainly opposed to any changes if the other side is not willing to pay its fair share in taxes.

P.S. The Springfield Public Forum is the only remaining, free lecture series of its kind in the United States. In the spirit of full disclosure, we both served on the board of the Springfield Public Forum at one time or another, which is a terrific organization, unique to Springfield, and worthy of public support. Hopefully, that is something everyone can agree on.

May 1, 2025 (M’aidez, M’aidez)

When Trump authorized his masked thugs from ICE to pick up unsuspecting students on the streets of New York and Medford, I was outraged, but I knew that ICE was not looking for me. My papers are in order if I just knew where to find them. Like the vast majority of Americans, I am opposed to sending innocent people to foreign, one-way, torture prisons in El Salvador without due process. When Trump’s tariff policies blew a hole in my retirement account, I knew I was in good company because millions of Americans were impacted. I didn’t take it personally, but I do think about all the eggs I could have purchased at Big Y with the money that I had lost. However, now it is getting personal. Trump is going after my Alma Mater probably because his father couldn’t get him in like Jared Kushner’s father.

The Trump administration announced on April 11th that it would withhold from Harvard University $2.2 billion in grants already awarded and a $60 million contract unless Harvard permitted the federal government to control the university’s admissions and intellectual content. In response, Harvard is suing the government for violating the First Amendment and overstepping its legal authority under the guise of addressing antisemitism. The complaint notes the “arbitrary and capricious nature” of the government’s demands, and says, “The government has not—and cannot—identify any rational connection between antisemitism concerns and the medical, scientific, technological, and other research it has frozen that aims to save American lives, foster American success, preserve American security, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”

University president Alan Garber explained that the freeze would jeopardize research on “how cancer spreads throughout the body, to predict the spread of infectious disease outbreaks, and to ease the pain of soldiers wounded on the battlefield.” He continued: “As opportunities to reduce the risk of multiple sclerosis, Alzheimer’s disease, and Parkinson’s disease are on the horizon, the government is slamming on the brakes. The victims will be future patients and their loved ones who will suffer the heartbreak of illnesses that might have been prevented or treated more effectively. Indiscriminately slashing medical, scientific, and technological research undermines the nation’s ability to save American lives, foster American success, and maintain America’s position as a global leader in innovation.”

Harvard is suing the departments of Health and Human Services, Justice, Education, Energy, and Defense, the General Services Administration (GSA), the National Institutes of Health, National Science Foundation, NASA, and the leaders of those agencies.

Harvard did not sweep anti-semitism concerns under the table. Like many other universities who have not experienced significant student protests since the Viet Nam era, they were caught off guard. In response, Harvard commissioned two studies, one on anti-semitism on campus, and one on anti-Muslim behavior. The lengthy reports were just issued with a list of recommendations on what Harvard can do to address these issues to make Harvard a more inclusive and tolerant place for students and faculty of all persuasions. They also developed a “battle plan” for what is and is not acceptable behavior regarding student protests. Harvard is dealing with these difficult issues. What is Trump doing other than fanning the flames of anti-Semitic and anti-Muslim behavior?

Harvard has the resources to defend itself, and the ability to form a formidable coalition with other major universities to fight the attempted intellectual takeover by the Trump administration. This battle is not just about Harvard. It is a battle for the soul of liberal education, which has made America the preferred destination for the best and the brightest for generations. We are at risk of destroying the engine of innovation that drives American excellence.

But what about those who do not have a $53B endowment and generous alumni to help them out? It gets very personal when Trump, the schoolyard bully, comes after you, and you don’t have the ability to fight back. Recently, right here is Springfield, six AmeriCorps Fellows were terminated because of cuts from the Trump administration even though half of their cost was subsidized locally, which was a good deal for everyone. AmeriCorps serves underprivileged and under resourced youth in the Springfield area and throughout the country. AmeriCorps’ college access and success programs were shut down immediately with no warning. “There is no doubt in my mind that fewer students will go to college in the coming years if these programs terminate,” said one regional director. In addition, under current Republican proposals, student loans would cost more, and fewer people would be eligible for Pell Grants, which provide vital financial aid to lower-income households. This is Trump’s idea of affirmative action. For a whole lot of people, this is going to get very personal.

March 30, 2025

Someone once said, “We fight like hell and if you don’t fight like hell, you’re not going to have a country anymore.” Truer words have never been spoken. The strategy of this administration is to dominate the news cycle every day with a blizzard of mis- and disinformation to keep the media chasing the scandal du jour while Trump goes blithely about his business exacting revenge, deconstructing the government, destroying democracy, and personally enriching himself and his family. To date, Democrats attempts to counter such behavior have been anemic at best. Maybe the million or so people who showed up for the “Hands Off!” protests around the country is a start, but we need more.

Trump has done a very effective job of neutering many sectors of our society. The Associated Press was banned from the White House for not acknowledging the Gulf of America, and there was barely a peep from the rest of the press pool. Major law firms have had to agree to major settlements with the government under threat of losing their ability to try cases in Federal courts. Competing law firms have responded by trying to poach clients and lawyers. Columbia, Harvard and other universities have been under attack without much of a pushback from fellow administrators. Even the artful Dodger himself, Mookie Betts, couldn’t resist. He will be joining the rest of his team at the White House as they give legitimacy to a man, who would have no problem demanding that Major League Baseball expunge Jackie Robinson from its records because he was a D.E.I. hire. There are countless other examples, but the fact remains that people and institutions are afraid, and do not know how to appropriately respond without jeopardizing their organizations and their employees.

It is going to take collective, coordinated and unselfish actions by a lot of disparate groups to bring this government to its senses. John Lennon sang “Power to the People,” and that is what it will take. The government does not have unlimited resources. We can overwhelm the government’s efforts to fight battles on too many different fronts at the same time. Dictators and empires in history have lost wars and territory by over reaching, and outrunning their supply lines. The Roman Empire overextended its boundaries, and collapsed. Hitler tired to fight a war on two fronts.

Columbia University has been under siege for alleged anti-semitism. The Trump administration has threatened to withhold $400 million in funding. One of its students was picked up, and detained without due process. Other students have been targeted. The University President resigned. A Tufts PH.D. student from Turkey was snatched in broad daylight by masked ICE officers. Harvard is next in the crosshairs. Universities are being threatened with lack of funding for pursuing DEI initiatives, and not restraining free speech. Every university should feel threatened. There should be a concerted and coordinated effort by every college and university to deluge the Department of Justice with endless lawsuits. The DOJ needs to be brought to a screeching halt in the same way that Trump has abused the legal system his entire life. Students from all over the country need to protest. They need to create a national educational crisis because that is what we have right now.

Trump is effectively shutting down the Department of Education. The Department of Education oversees education policy, administers federal funding for education programs, and ensures equal access to education, including enforcing civil rights laws. There should be a national walkout by all teachers and administrators, supported by parents, until these actions are overturned.

Every law firm that has business with Federal government should support the few law firms that have been singled out. I think it is shameful that the biggest and most prestigious law firms in our country, with their thousands of the high-powered attorneys, are afraid of going up against Trump and his attorneys, who probably couldn’t get hired by those same firms. The firms should black list any attorney working in the Trump administration. They should file countless law suits until the administration cries “Uncle Sam.”

All members of the media should rally in support of the Associated Press. They should demand that the AP’s credentials be reinstated, or else stage a major boycott of White House events. All stockholders should demand that the CEO’s of the company’s they are invested in voice their displeasure with tariffs. Jamie Dimon of JP Morgan said Trump’s tariffs will boost inflation, and slow the U.S. economy. Michael Bloomberg has been a vocal critic. We need more CEO’s to step up. Other affected groups need to respond accordingly. And yes, Congress, the mid-terms are only 19 months away.

March 10, 2025

Now that Trump and Vance have thoroughly disgraced the office of the Presidency by denigrating a loyal ally, who puts his life and the lives of his fellow countrymen on the line every day in their battle for freedom and democracy, it is a good time to postulate how Trump would have handled other seminal moments in our history, and how his actions or inactions might have impacted who were are today as a country. Academics call this contrafactual history. For this exercise, I have asked Professor of Politic Science Emeritus from Mt. Holyoke College, Vincent Ferraro, to add his expertise, and keep this discussion and me from going off the rails.

Everyone loves a good, time machine story. The most famous one is “The Time Machine,” a novella by H. G. Wells, set in 1895, about a Victorian scientist, who travels to the year 802,701. Many episodes of Rod Serling’s TV series, “Twilight Zone,” dealt with the perils of time travel. Killing Hitler and stopping the Lincoln assassination are two, time-tested, time travel tropes. What-if’s beg the imagination. We are going to place Donald Trump in seminal moments in our nation’s history, and speculate, based on his words and deeds, as to how he would have handled these situations. This “What-if” analysis asks how history might have changed if Trump was making these key decisions, and offers plausible alternatives.

What-if Trump had been President in 1861 instead of Abraham Lincoln?  Trump once said “The Civil War was so fascinating, so horrible. So many mistakes were made. See, there was something I think could have been negotiated, to be honest with you. I think you could have negotiated that. All the

people died, so many people died. You know, that was the disaster.”   The Civil War was unquestionably a great tragedy, but slavery was an abomination. Moreover, slavery had been debated and negotiated since the founding of the Republic—it was enshrined in the Constitution.  What kind of deal would Trump have favored that others failed to see?  Would we all want to live in a society that considered some human beings to be nothing more than personal property?

But Trump is not necessarily a decisive alternative to some of American history. What-if Trump had been President instead of Andrew Jackson?  Native Americans would still have been forced to move from Georgia to Oklahoma via the Trail of Tears.  What-if Trump had been President instead of Herbert Hoover?  The Great Depression would have still occurred, but it would have been much deeper as Trump relied on “trickle down economics.”

What-if Trump had been President instead of Franklin Delano Roosevelt in 1939? Demonstrating her profound ignorance, Representative Marjorie Taylor Green described Trump as the “founding father” of the America First movement at the Republican National Convention in July 2024.  America First was the cry of the Know-Nothing Party in the 1840s–a movement to prevent the immigration of Catholics in the US.  It was further used by the Ku Klux Klan in the 1920s and was the basis for the Immigration Act of 1924 which restricted immigration. Trump was not even alive when the movement resurfaced in 1940 to oppose American participation in World War II and was populated by many antisemites who approved of Hitler’s racial policies.  If Trump had been President at the time, Hitler likely would have defeated Great Britain and all of Europe would have been ruled by ruthless white supremacists.  And perhaps Trump would have considered them all to be “very fine people”. 

In a debate with Republican Vice Presidential candidate Dan Quayle, Lloyd Bentsen famously said, “Senator, I served with Jack Kennedy. I knew Jack Kennedy. Jack Kennedy was a friend of mine. Senator, you are no Jack Kennedy.” The same could be said of Donald Trump. What-if Donald Trump was faced with the Cuban Missile Crisis? Given his inexplicable embrace of a Russian adversary and the comments he has made about Gaza, a case could be made that Trump would have ceded Cuba to the Russians and allowed nuclear missiles to be deployed in exchange for minimal concessions, perhaps beach rights, a golf course, and a few casinos in Havana.

Kennedy and his Vice President, Lyndon Johnson, ushered in the Great Society. The goals of The Great Society set of programs were to end poverty, reduce infant mortality, improve education, expand voting rights, end discrimination, protect the environment, and rejuvenate cities. Key programs were Medicare, Medicaid, and The Voting Rights Act among others. What-if Trump had been JFK’s Vice President. The entire Great Society platform would have been bottled up in Committee. Trump favors tax cuts for the rich, endorses non-immunization for children, supports the destruction of the Department of Education, refuses to support unfavorable election results, is expunging anti-discrimination efforts from all departments and websites, and wants to eliminate Obamacare and Medicaid, and reduce Medicare. And, I think it would be safe to say that there would be no Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts.

Lastly, it would be interesting to speculate What-if Trump had been President when Ukrainian President Vladimir Zelenskyy came to the White House in stead of Joe Biden or Kamala Harris. Rather than being welcomed with open arms as a hero, Trump would probably have used the opportunity to extort Ukraine for its mineral rights in exchange for dubious security guarantees. Some might call this a quid pro quo. Trump would have berated the Ukrainian President for not being dressed properly, castigated him for being disrespectful, accused him for not being grateful, slammed him for not saying thank you, accused him of being the aggressor, accused him of being a dictator, and then have him thrown out of the White House.

Arguably, the United States and the world would be a far different place today if Trump and his Project 2025 political philosophy had been in place at critical moments in our nation’s history. Unfortunately, we are seeing this being played out in real time. Hopefully, we won’t have to speculate What-if many years from now.

February 28, 2025

Everything about me screams three-quarters of a century except my right knee, which is brand new and just plain screaming. Fortunately, I got plenty of oxycodone from a Rush Limbaugh estate sale so I am managing the pain. (I know. You can’t believe I worked politics into such a joyous occasion. On the other hand, I can’t believe Donald Trump has stolen ten years of my life.) Anyway, anyone of my vintage, which went bad a long time ago, should feel free to sing along to…

They say it’s your birthday
It’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Ah
Ah
Ah
Come on
Come on

Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party
Yes we’re going to a party party

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Dance yeah

Oh
Come on

I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Take a cha-cha-cha-chance (Birthday)
I would like you to dance (Birthday)
Oh dance! Dance

They say it’s your birthday
Well it’s my birthday too, yeah
They say it’s your birthday
We’re gonna have a good time
I’m glad it’s your birthday
Happy birthday to you

Ob-La-Di, Ob-La-Da, life goes on, brah

February 20, 2020

He’s back. Trump has been in office for one month as of today. It looks like promises made, promises kept to me. Some people call this creative destruction, but they would be only half right. I guess you have to break a few eggs to make an omelette, but, with the price of eggs, who can afford to. Actually, it’s not the price of eggs that concerns me, it’s the availability. With that said, here is a recap of the first month if you are keeping score at home. Go Red Sox.

Trump pardons the January 6th violent criminals and others.

Trump discusses the relocation of 2MM Gazans to make way for the Trump Riviera.

Trump discusses annexing Greenland, and taking its valuable minerals.

Trump wants to make Canada the 51st state, leading Canadians to boo the National Anthem.

Trump wants to take back the Panama Canal because the Chinese are making inroads. I wonder why that is.

Trump is in negotiations to cede the 20% of Ukraine that the Russians illegally took in exchange for nothing. He blames Ukraine for the Russian invasion, and calls Zelenskyy a dictator. Europeans are calling him “Putin’s Poodle,” which does a disservice to poodles.

Trump wants 50% of Ukraine’s minerals as a quid pro quo. Sound familiar?

Trump allows Elon Musk and his DOGE team of twenty-year old racists to access extremely private information at the Treasury and the IRS.

Trump disbands USAID putting people all over the world in life-threatening situations.

Plane crashes in Toronto. Trump blames Pete Buttigieg, and then lays off FAA workers.

Trump lays off the IRS workers responsible for collecting billions of dollars in taxes owed by the wealthy.

Trump’s tariff proposals have created havoc in foreign governments and Wall Street.

Trumps shutters the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, the organization responsible for returning billions of dollars to consumers.

JD Vance aligns the Trump administration with far right, neo-Nazi parties in Germany.

Elon Musk celebrates the Inauguration with two Nazi salutes.

Trump nominates the least qualified cabinet in history, which Includes Gaetz/Bondi, Hegseth, Gabbard, McMahon, RFK, Jr., Noem, Patel, and Stefanik

Trump renames the Gulf of Mexico the Gulf of America. The AP is banned from the White Press press corps and Air Force One for not obeying. Mexico sues Google.

Trump seeks to eliminate DEI from every organization in America.

Trump announces major investments in AI actually arranged by the previous administration.

Trump family members benefit greatly from trading in cryptocurrencies. Small investors get the shaft.

Trump admits he can’t bring down prices. Eggs disappear from shelves.

Trump blames Gavin Newsom for California fires, and falsely claims he diverted water to SoCal.

Trump uses military plane to send migrants back to Columbia, a violation of an agreement that was already in place.

Trumps ousts independent Inspectors General without notice.

Trump promotes a Trump 2024 charm bracelet, and Trump crypto coin.

Immigrants stop showing up for court, work and school.

Trump assaults birthright citizenship

Trump threatens freeze on all federal grants, causing chaos.

Trump goes after transgender troops in the military, and transgender athletes.

Elon Musk says federal judges should be impeached.

FBI Agents sue over retaliatory dismissals.

Climate data is purged from governmental websites. Report on climate change is blocked.

Trump set to open more Federal lands to drilling, and kill renewable energy.

Trump makes massive cuts to NIH research funding, hurting Red States as well as Blue.

Trump suggests he may not leave.

The DJIA gets a 2% “Trump Bump.” Big whoop.

Trump makes a deal with Eric Adams to keep Adams out of jail. He then stops congestion pricing in Manhattan. Adams agrees to cooperate with deportations.

Just in…measles outbreak in Texas and New Mexico, or is that New America?

Donald Trump appoints himself Chairman of the Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. It will be renames The Grand Ol’ Opry North. The JFK Library in Boston closes, then reopens, because of threatened funding cuts.

Federal Reserve sees risks of higher inflation ahead due to tariffs, deportations, and consumer demand.

February 15, 2025

Unbeknownst to me, the Foreign Policy Association has been in existence since 1918. It is dedicated to inspiring the American public to learn more about the world. It aims to spread global awareness and understanding of US foreign policy and global issues by informing, inspiring, and engaging with the public in community and educational forums. In the words of Margaret Mead, “Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, committed citizens can change the world. Indeed, it’s the only thing that ever has.”

The Foreign Policy Association accomplishes its mission via its program, Great Decisions. It is America’s largest discussion program on world affairs. The program model involves reading the Great Decisions Briefing Book, watching a video, and meeting in a discussion group to discuss the most critical issues facing America today. The discussions are moderated by an expert in the field. They are open to all, and welcome all points of view as long as they are respectful. I attended my first discussion group recently, which was held at the Storrs Library in Longmeadow. The topic was “America at a Global Crossroads.”

American foreign policy faces a crossroads today. To summarize, “The world economy is threatened by rising economic nationalism and protectionism, and a retreat from globalization. Growing transnational threats, such as climate change and pandemic disease, call out for new forms of cooperation, but cooperation is halting at best. The liberal internationalist system of rules and institutions, underwritten for decades by the U.S. and other major democracies, seemingly triumphant at the end of the Cold War, has weakened and fragmented.”

We are seeing this tension being played out in real time as we transition from a Biden administration that championed alliances and liberal democracies to a Trump administration that is all too willing to walk away from historic, international partnerships and organizations. Clearly, the Bidens and the Trumps have starkly different views of the world, and we really don’t know which view is going to prevail.

The Trump orthodoxy is “America First”, which is a slogan intentionally or unintentionally copied from a similar movement in the 1930’s. The “America First” movement can trace its history to the Ku Klux Klan, William Randolph Hearst, Henry Ford, and Charles Lindbergh. Lindbergh believed that Hitler was a revolutionary. America First offered up a deadly combination of racism, anti-Semitism, and xenophobia, leading to a platform of isolationism prior to World War II. They shut down their campaign after Pearl Harbor.

“America First” bases its view of the world on a stark reality. It could be called Realism or Realpolitik. Realpolitik is a system of politics or principles based on practical rather than moral or ideological considerations. In this theory of world affairs, everything revolves around the state. The goal is the defense of the state by any means necessary. The ends justify the means. Territorial integrity is everything. It is all about sovereignty, and political autonomy. In their view, international agreements, treaties, and organizations encumber the ability of the state to conduct its own business in the manner it deems best for the state. Trump and the current America First movement seek a sharp break with the American tradition of liberal internationalism. They seek to undermine NATO, the WHO, the IMF, the World Bank, the International Court, and the United Nations. They walked away from the Trans Pacific Partnership, the Paris Accords, and the Iran nuclear deal. They look to extricate the U.S. from Ukraine by ceding territory to the Russians. Taiwan may be on the table.

“America First” is vying for primacy with the current, liberal international order. In this context, liberal is not meant to be the opposite of conservative, but is an historic tradition that has its roots in The Enlightenment and the U.S. Constitution. The U.S. Constitution believed in the “inalienable” rights of the individual. The Enlightenment demonstrated that scientific discoveries could lead to political power. The three pillars that tie all countries together who believe in liberal internationalism are (1) representative democracy and the right to vote, (2) market capitalism, and (3) the rule of law. The “Biden Doctrine” essentially maintained that our success as a country was best served through strategic military and economic alliances with like-minded countries. It was simply reasserting old-fashioned liberal democracy.

What happens next? The values of the Enlightenment have weakened in an age of social media and fake news. The basic features of modern liberalism – openness, rule of law, freedom of speech, rationality and science are not as firmly fixed in place. As these foundational values and assumptions weaken, the opportunities for authoritarianism and anti-liberalism grow stronger.

February 6, 2025

Trump really stepped into again this time. Without any thought or consultation with his Secretary of State, his Defense Secretary, his Security Council, the Directors of the FBI, the CIA, the NSC, or the OMB, he suggested in an off-the-French cuff remark that the United States should take control of Gaza, expel all the Gazans, and turn their land into the Trump Palestinian Riviera. In a social media post, Mr. Trump said Gaza, “would be turned over to the United States by Israel at the conclusion of fighting,” after Palestinians had “already been resettled in far safer and more beautiful communities, with new and modern homes, in the region.” 

Mr. Trump’s suggestion that the Palestinian territory — part of the land that many people hope will eventually become an independent Palestinian state — be redeveloped into a “Riviera of the Middle East,” owned by the U.S.

I think the Gazans should be grateful that developer Trump is willing to invest billions of dollars of U.S. tax-payer funds to build big, beautiful Trump hotels on the Mediterranean, and staff them with Gazans. I am sure he already has plans for some great water holes along the ocean for his Trump golf courses. Hopefully, no one will be interested in erecting wind turbines anywhere in his sight.

But why should we stop with the Gaza? Trump’s thinking opens up a whole world of possibilities well beyond making Canada the fifty-first state, buying Greenland, and taking back the Panama Canal. Floridian Trump should get together with the Floridian Secretary State, Marco Rubio, and Ron DeSantis, the Governor of Florida, to compel Disney to turn Jerusalem into a version of EPCOT. EPCOT II (the Experimental Prototype Community of Trump), like EPCOT I and Trump himself, would be dedicated to the celebration of human achievement, technological innovation, and international culture. It would be a perfect representation of everything he stands for.

Trump could start with his specialty by building a big, beautiful wall, encircling all of Jerusalem. It would be designed to keep people in rather than keeping them out. Jerusalem itself would be partitioned into three, distinct amusement parks…Christian Land, Jewish Land, and Muslim Land. The three sectors would be connected by a monorail, which would move tourists from one Trump hotel to another.

Each sector would offer its own unique set of attractions. Christian Land would showcase the world of tomorrow, Jewish Land would have the world of today, and Muslim Land would have the world of yesterday. A world food tour is one of the highlights of Epcot Florida. In Christian Land, we could have Trump steaks and Trump wine. Jewish Land would feature a wonderful selection of unleavened breads, and Muslim Land would have no food similar to the current situation in Gaza. In Christian Land, women in the military would have to pay to get in while they would be given free admittance in Jewish Land. However, no women, military or not, would be allowed to enter Muslim Land. They would have to stand outside while their husbands had fun with the kids.

All profits from EPCOT II would go to fund the Trump Library, which is being planned for a wing at Mar-a-Lago. Any funds left over would be used to buy food for Muslim Land. What a great vacation? It’s only 47 miles from Jerusalem to Gaza. You could spend your days exploring all three lands at EPCOT II, and your evenings luxuriating on the beaches of the Gaza Strip. Could Disney World-Middle East be far away? To make that happen, however, Disney will have to walk back its commitment to oppose the DeSantis “Don’t Say Gay” agenda.

February 2, 2025

I recently got into a spirited discussion with a conservative friend of mine about whether Elon Musk was a Nazi or not. This was on the heels of Musk’s very controversial hand gestures at Trump’s inauguration. Readers can go on YouTube and decide for themselves as to whether Musk’s gestures constituted a Nazi salute, were Nazi-adjacent, or were nothing at all. Maybe it is in the eye of the beholder. My friend pointed out that people like me are quick to play the Nazi card. For the record, Naziism is characterized by authoritarianism, anti-Semitism, and extreme nationalism. He claimed, citing right-wing sources, that Hillary Clinton, Barack Obama and Kamala Harris had made similar gestures, but these claims have been discredited when their gestures were put into context. He said that there was no way that Musk was a Nazi. I agree with that, but my point was that you have to put his gestures in context because his gestures were not just random, one-offs by a Republican supporter. Context matters.

The most recent original sin of the Republican Party goes back to Charlottesville where Trump claimed that there were good people on both sides even though one side was wearing swastikas. Marchers displayed signs saying “Jews Will Not Replace Us,” “Blood and Soil,” and “The South Will Rise Again.” He refused to condemn the protestors. The Republican Party can trace its embrace of fascism, anti-semitism, and racism back to the 1930’s when the slogan of the party was “America First,” and its leading proponent was aviator Charles Lindbergh. Later, Ronald Reagan coined the phrase “Let’s Make America Great Again,” which multiple scholars, journalists, and commentators have called racist, regarding it as dog-whistle politics and coded language.

More recently, the news is replete with Republicans and Trump cozying up to would-be Nazis and white nationalists. The number one read in this genre is Russ Bellant’s “Old Nazis, the New Right and the Republican Party.” It discusses domestic fascist networks and their effect on U.S. Cold War politics. In a separate paper, Peter McLaren, Professor Emeritus from UCLA, states it very clearly. “…whether or not Trump is a true fascist, or he just borrowed some motifs and ideas from fascist leaders that he admires is not as urgent an issue as the fact that he has, without question, politically mobilized fascists and emboldened neo-Nazis, white nationalists, internet trolls, Groypers, neo-confederates, bikers for Trump, armed militias and sovereign citizens.”

A Texas GOP executive committee rejected in 2023 a proposed ban on associating with Nazi sympathizers and Holocaust deniers. Governor and presidential candidate Ron DeSantis has had numerous embarrassing stories come out about keeping company with Nazi sympathizers. According to The Washington Post, nearly half of Trump voters believe that overt appreciation of Hitler is acceptable. They go on to say that GOP rhetoric is similar to that of American Nazis from the 1970’s. NBC News reported that at the most recent CPAC meeting, Nazis mingled openly, spreading antisemitic conspiracy theories and finding allies.

Nick Fuentes is a far-right political pundit, activist and podcaster, who promotes white supremacist, misogynistic, and antisemitic views. He has promoted antisemitic conspiracy theories against Jews, called for a “holy war,” and denied the Holocaust. In November, 2022, Fuentes and Kanye West had a private dinner with Donald Trump. The New York Times described it as “what might be the most discomforting moment in U.S. history in half-century or more.” Tucker Carlson may have reached a disturbingly new low when he hosted a two-hour podcast with Darryl Cooper, a Nazi apologist. Among his many false claims, he claimed that Churchill, not Hitler, started the Second World War, and that the Holocaust was essentially an accident.

In 2024, Trump told Republican donors that President Biden was running a “Gestapo administration,” which was another example of Trump employing the language of Nazi Germany. Previously, Trump had called political opponents “vermin” and said migrants were “poisoning the blood of our country,” rhetoric that echoed Adolf Hitler’s statements during his rule of Germany. In his defense, Trump said, “I know nothing about Hitler.” Right-wingers have tried to downplay and sane wash Trump’s Hitler talk by offering myriad excuses and outright lies to explain Trump’s reported desire to have generals as loyal as Hitlers.

So, was Elon Musk giving us not one but two Nazi salutes? Maybe they were just unfortunate and awkward gestures in the moment as he was feeling the thrill of victory and the love of the crowd. Maybe he was just trolling the rest of us. Given the distant and recent history of the Republican Party, the burden of proof should be on them to explain how Musk’s gestures were not Nazi salutes, and not on the rest of us to prove that they were.

January 24, 2025

By signing this executive order, I, Donald Trump, decree that I am the smartest, richest, most compassionate, best golfer, and best looking man throughout the land.

I also decree that, from this day forward, the scarecrow will have a PhD degree from MIT like my uncle to prove that he thinks deep thoughts; the Tin Man will receive one of my Trump commemorative watches in the shape of a heart; and the Cowardly Lion will receive a Presidential Medal of Freedom like Rush Limbaugh.

I order that the sky remains blue, the grass remains green, especially on my golf courses, and that the earth is flat. I have repealed the laws of gravity and thermodynamics as examples of over regulation.

I order that the national colors of the United States be changed to blood red and blood orange. I have appointed a commission headed by Melania to design a new, American flag with the “Make America Great Again” slogan festooned across it. There will be stars recognizing only the states that voted for me, and red and orange stripes representing however many original colonies there were, except for the ones that didn’t vote for me.

I declare that global warming is a hoax perpetrated by the media, pointy-headed academics from Harvard, Democrats, globalists, and the Jews. All thermometers must be recalibrated by the end of 2025 to show that the earth is not getting warmer. All robins arriving early will be rounded up by the migration service, and sent back to where they came from.

All students entering schools must exchange their cell phones for guns. We will have them in all sorts of fun sizes and colors. Any student accidentally shooting another student will get detention. Any student purposely shooting a teacher mentioning alternative lifestyles will get an A.

I decree that women will no longer have a place in our public life. They must be fired if working, discharged if serving, or arrested if voting. They will not be allowed to own property. In fact, they will be property. They will be issued drivers licenses for the sole purpose of driving children to soccer practice. Sexual assault and domestic abuse will no longer be considered crimes. Want an abortion? Fuhgeddaboudit. Happy Mother’s Day.

By executive action, I decree that January 6th will no longer be considered The Epiphany. Gaspar, Melchior and Balthasar will be expunged from all Christmas celebrations. January 6th will now be celebrated as the day that I rose from the dead thanks to our fellow patriots and hostages. On my website, you will be able to purchase special, commemorative items made from gold, frankincense and myrrh.

I declare that the state of California is a royal pain in the ass. They didn’t vote for me, and they are asking for a federal handout to repair the wreckage from the wildfires. If they had vacuumed the forest as I said, this never would have happened. I am going to work out the greatest deal of all time. Denmark gets California, and I get Greenland.

By executive order, I officially give up. I am going to let the states do everything so I can play even more golf than I was going to. If states have natural disasters, they can just ask other states for help. States will have the right to impose tariffs on each other. Each state will have a standing army. Texas will have to defend itself if Mexico decides it wants it back. Red states will have to support themselves without handouts from the federal government or blue states.

I hereby authorize the General Services Administration to erect statues by the Reflection Pool of some of my heroes like Hannibal Lechter, Roy Cohn, and Al Capone. I will also direct the GSA to erect a statue of me that will be bigger than the statue of Abraham Lincoln.

Just for fun, illegals from Colombia will be returned to Venezuela. Venezuelans will be sent to Panama, and so on. Maybe I will deport residents of Martha’s Vineyard to Nantucket, and residents of Nantucket to Martha’s Vineyard.