Here is some news which is altogether of the moment but which I had missed. In fact, from what I can tell it’s received relatively little news attention at all beyond Richmond – and not terribly much even there. A state commission in Virginia is planning an anti-slavery monument which will be built in downtown Richmond, specifically on Brown’s Island. So far, nothing terribly remarkable. But one of the 10 figures to be honored in the monument is Nat Turner, who led the largest and deadliest slave rebellion in United States’ history in 1831. Read More
I’ve mentioned in several posts over recent weeks and months that we’re going to be experimenting with some new ways to cover the news, provide guidance in following the news and breaking down what I’ve called the ‘fourth wall’ of news. We’re going to start with what we’re calling ‘Editor’s Briefs’. Read More
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Yesterday I wrote about what I called President Trump’s ‘weaponization of military sacrifice,’ how he transmutes the guilt, admiration and vicarious horror of loss into rage at dissenters. I focused on a tweet Trump RT’d with a photograph of a Marine veteran who’d lost his legs in combat. Allegra Kirkland found retired Marine Staff Sgt. John Jones, the man in the photograph, and asked his reactions to being pulled into President Trump’s attacks on the NFL and players who protest.
Jon Chait has a new article about the definition of ‘white supremacy’. It caught my attention when I saw Chait and Adam Serwer of The Atlantic debating Chait’s argument on Twitter.
I wanted to share a few thoughts on the question. Read More
The German election, like the earlier election in the United Kingdom, leaves the country without a clear direction or mandate. Most of the post-election stories have highlighted the showing of the Alternative fur Deutschland, the rightwing populist party that by winning 13 percent has become Germany’s third largest party. That’s certainly worrisome, but I’d give equal billing to the revival of the Free Democrats (FDP), which could doom any prospect for economic reform in Europe.
Courtesy of the White House, here’s a photo (below) of a dinner President Trump held yesterday at the White House with what the White House press office called “grassroots leaders.”
Even from the best of politicians, ‘grassroots’ is the most abused of words. But these are the the most establishment leaders in the professional right in DC. Read More
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I strongly recommend reading this whole oped by Eric Reid, Colin Kaepernick’s 49ers teammate who joined him kneeling during the national anthem. But I wanted to quote these two paragraphs … Read More