Last week, the U.S. got news of an impending national disaster, a situation that could have “serious negative consequences for the budget and the nation.” The warning came from the Congressional Budget Office, a rare, nonpartisan federal agency. Almost nobody paid attention. The threat comes from ever-increasing deficits and an exploding national debt. It is […]
This year’s elections will be confusing and possibly corrupt. Voting used to be a routine process in which people had confidence. But the ways it is being undermined have only recently begun to be understood, raising real questions about just how “free and fair” elections really are. Begin with the obvious Russian efforts to undermine […]
People say they want change. Politicians promise it. Barack Obama offered change “we can believe in,” for fear of leaving the false impression that he meant to alter America democracy. Donald Trump offered change by making proposals that broke with traditional policies. It’s possible that he means to alter American democracy. Even if many, or […]
Americans love their Constitution, but most of us probably don’t fully understand it. That became evident this week in major news stories. They both show that we may miss two important facts. First, most of the Constitution applies to all people within the borders of the United States, even if they are not citizens. Second, […]
America is at war. You may not have noticed it, because the battlefields are almost invisible. But the signs are evident, and millions have been recruited to serve in that war. The Internet was essentially an American invention. In a fit of idealism, the federal government decided it should be like the airwaves, open to […]
The news is full of reports about skyrocketing electric bills across the country and numerous outages in the Northeast. Maine gets it share of both. Something is wrong when the complaints occur as often and as loudly as they do now. Utilities and their friends have come up with ready responses that squarely place the […]
Imagine you are the commanding general of your nation’s armed forces and head the national government. You decide that another country is getting “cute” and is harming your country. The only way to take on that country is to declare world war, even though your closest allies will be hit far harder than your intended […]
The mass shooting in Florida and the inevitable pro-gun and gun control reactions are about much more than firearms and their use. The issue is really about the nature of our society and government. The NRA makes sure we don’t forget that. After every shooting, it opposes gun control advocates by saying that what they […]
“Our job is not done,” said Gov. LePage told the Legislature in his State of the State address. He stressed that he plans to be an active, if not downright aggressive, governor until the last minute of his term at the end of the year. And he was right. We elect governors and presidents for […]
Most of the assets of the man reputed to be the wealthiest American president were in real estate, like those of one of his successors. Unlike that successor, he was moderate in speech and open to all views before deciding. He set a model for his country. On Monday, we celebrate George Washington’s official birthday. […]
