Conventional wisdom suggests Americans know little about foreign policy and care about it even less. Opinion polls regularly show that international issues take a back seat to topics more prosaic (economics, education) or provocative (culture wars, gun control). Next year’s presidential election, however, might be a bit different. Continued international crises could focus attention on … Read more
It is oddly appropriate that Henry Kissinger should have died in the year that commemorates the 50th anniversary of the 1973 military coup in Chile — the cataclysmic overthrow of its democratically elected president, Salvador Allende, and the end of a fleeting attempt to create a socialist society without resorting to violence, a first in … Read more
I have to hand it to the inimitable Charles Pierce of Esquire magazine. A few days after media critic Margaret Sullivan complained in the Guardian that journalists were not effectively conveying the dangers of a second Trump administration, the headline on his essay did not mince words: “Nazi-Curious Madman Currently Under Indictment For 91 Felonies … Read more
‘Bye, George! Rep. George Santos, the cartoonish New York Republican, compulsive liar, alleged fraudster and Ferragamo-fancying Botox buff, reiterated Monday that he won’t resign. So two-thirds of the House will likely cast a historically rare but well-deserved vote to expel him, perhaps this week. The fabulist also known as George Anthony Devolder won’t go quietly … Read more
I went to John F. Kennedy’s funeral parade. My father was a lawyer and had an office that looked out on the route. We arrived early in the morning, and my mother spread a blanket on the carpet for us to sit on. My sister and I ate fried egg sandwiches wrapped in white paper … Read more
Earlier this week, President Biden celebrated his 81st birthday. He jocularly pardoned a couple of Thanksgiving turkeys on the White House lawn. Later, on Instagram, he joked about turning 146, and on Threads, he posted a photo of himself sitting with a blazing cake. “To the workers at the birthday candle factory,” he wrote, “I … Read more
Last Thanksgiving, Donald Trump had just announced he was seeking reelection, yet his political stock was low. He was blamed for Republicans’ unexpectedly bad showing in the 2022 midterm elections. “Toxic Trump in MAGA Meltdown,” the Drudge Report headlined, while the front page of the Murdochs’ New York Post declared newly reelected Gov. Ron DeSantis … Read more
It’s time to talk turkey. As we prepare for Thanksgiving, our national holiday of gratitude, we should know that millions of these birds endure unspeakable cruelty, confined to factory farms. Each year, approximately 46 million turkeys are slaughtered for the Thanksgiving holiday, and this year the suffering of these smart and socially sophisticated animals is … Read more
Pourquoi certains juges de la Cour suprême des États-Unis ont-ils tant de mal à dire non ? Croyez-moi, je comprends la tentation. Les chroniqueurs ne sont peut-être pas des juges au sens traditionnel du terme, mais nous sommes est Juge au tribunal de l’opinion publique. De temps en temps, j’ai été doué en échange d’un … Read more
Tired of Congress’ repeated partisan standoffs every time a big fiscal deadline approaches, like this week’s? Weary of the breathless cable coverage of looming government shutdowns or debt defaults, knowing the partisans (almost) always come to some 11th-hour compromise, as they did Tuesday? Or have you tuned out by now? Opinion Columnist Jackie Calmes Jackie … Read more