If Donald Trump looked at a demographic profile of his supporters, he would emit a dismissive sneer. They are disproportionally out of work or not seeking it. If they do have a job, they’re probably working with their hands, maybe something a machine will do better or someone overseas will do cheaper. A large share […]
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IRS charged with a mission impossible
WASHINGTON — The Internal Revenue Service has just released its latest estimate of the “tax gap” — the difference between what Americans pay in taxes and what they actually owe. For the years 2008 to 2010 (the IRS’s latest data), the annual gap averaged a huge $458 billion. It’s surely higher now. Gulp. If everyone […]
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Bathroom choice rules based on fears
Our question for today: What is the proper etiquette when confronted with an unexpected penis? That’s from Roz, a Baltimore-area reader who emailed me a few days ago. Roz describes herself as a left-wing progressive, a “long-time supporter of gay rights,” a feminist and a Democrat who worked for President Obama’s election. But Roz is […]
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Whom to blame for the rise of Trump?
Dr. Frankenstein created the monster that bore his name and if Dr. Jekyll had not conducted those experiments in his laboratory, Mr. Hyde would never have emerged to terrorize London. In literature, we know whom to blame for the monsters, but who is to blame for the rise of Donald Trump? Is he the “monster” […]
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More women will strengthen U.S. military
The following editorial appears on Bloomberg View: An attempt to undermine the Pentagon’s decision to allow women to serve in combat roles backfired spectacularly last week — and the U.S. will be safer for it. During a congressional debate on the defense policy bill, Rep. Duncan Hunter, R-California, proposed requiring all 18-year-old women to sign […]
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Rearview Mirror: Remembering a lesson from the past
Yom Haschoah, Holocaust Remembrance Day, commemorates the Nazi mass murder of nearly 6 million European and Russian Jews, including 1.5 million children, during World War II in a period lasting from June 1941 through April 1945. The Holocaust is deeply imbedded in my psyche. Born in New Jersey in 1947, I was removed in time […]
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Britain flirts with economic insanity
WASHINGTON — Countries usually don’t knowingly commit economic suicide, but in Britain millions seem ready to give it a try. On June 23, the United Kingdom will vote to decide whether to quit the European Union, the 28-nation economic bloc with a population of 508 million and a gross domestic product of almost $17 trillion. […]
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Trump doesn’t fit as typical candidate
When the Americans defeated the British at Yorktown, the surrendering British forces supposedly played “The World Turned Upside Down.” The song should be on the soundtrack at Donald Trump rallies. The mogul is marching toward the Republican nomination by trampling every single assumption about presidential politics, especially on the GOP side. Surely no campaign has […]
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Trump’s foreign policy speech embarrassing
NEW YORK — After Donald Trump’s “major” foreign policy address, the chairman of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee, Republican Bob Corker, announced that he was very impressed, extolling “the broadness, the vision” of the speech. The Wall Street Journal said it was “serious.” The National Interest’s Jacob Heilbrunn opined that the candidate was “more restrained.” […]
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Will Bernie nation get behind Hillary?
“And now, the end is near, and so I face the final curtain.” Those are, of course, the opening lyrics to Frank Sinatra’s immortal recording of “My Way.” They are also a succinct description of the state of Bernie Sanders’ presidential campaign. Last week, the candidate announced he was laying off hundreds of staff members […]