Category: Professor's Classroom

Opposing The War Machine

Anti-war is a movement dear to my heart for I was a participant in the 1970s after I returned from Vietnam….it pains me to see just how compliant the American people have become to the nightmare of war….but there are some that will not look the other way because they are told to do so…..

Let’s revive the movement on a massive scale….especially now when the government is staring war after war with no clear reason other than their lies and misinformation.

Time for Americans to return to the days of confrontating the war machine….

The war resides mostly in the background here in the aggressor nation. Most of those who think about it at all tend to oppose it and seem to think it’s a task forced on the US by the zealots running Israel. Some take it even further, presenting an argument that blames the relationship between the mad rulers of Israel and the United States for the entire catastrophe. The argument varies, but its essence is that Bibi Netanyahu is the individual responsible for convincing the sundowning Donald Trump to bomb Iran for the sake of Israel. There are those who argue that the reason for this is because Israel’s Mossad has compromising materials on Trump and his escapades with Jeffrey Epstein, while others place Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner in the role of instigator. Of course, no one has produced a smoking gun for either possibility, even though both have a potential element of truth. It is likely that Epstein had some working relationship with Mossad and it’s an established fact that Kushner’s family have a long-term relationship with Netanyahu. Furthermore, Kushner is financially connected to Saudi Arabia and UAE’s monarchies. It’s an established fact that Israel, the Arab monarchies and the United States all oppose the Iranian government—its support of national liberation and anti-imperialist movements and its existence in general. Furthermore, all of these governments are more interested in maintaining the political situation in West Asia as it is and has been for decades. They are not interested in bringing popular democracy to the region, with some more than willing to maintain a constant state of war and occupation to maintain the current hierarchy of power.

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/oppose-the-war-and-its-machinery/

To build a sustained anti-war movement one must look to the past and its many failures….

Before discussing the strengths and failures of the last major anti-war movement, we need to step back and look at US history. What that history shows is that the inability to build and sustain an anti-war movement or mass presence is directly linked to the absence of what one might call an anti-imperial/pro-democratic foreign policy on the part of progressive movements. As a result, those who adhere to the notion of a need for peace and justice find ourselves in a Groundhog Day scenario on a regular basis, trying our best to ignite or reignite a mass movement against US aggression each time that aggression raises its ugly head.

https://www.thenation.com/article/activism/anti-war-movement-history/

The only way to make sure that there is always opposition to any worthless war we need a movement that will be there for the long run and not one we need to rebuild with every war the government decides it needs to fight.

We need this movement now more than ever…..we cannot turn our backs on the opposition to senseless violence in the name of our country.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Restore Religious Myths

As a political historian I find this whole affair a worthless waste of time and an affront to the Constitution and DoI.

Yesterday Donny plans to prayer vigil on the National Mall as part of the 250th celebration it’s aim is to restore religious fervor….

The Trump administration plans to stage a nine-hour prayer event on the National Mall on Sunday that organizers describe as a bid to “rededicate” the US to its Christian foundations. They’re using public money set aside for the nation’s 250th anniversary, the Washington Post reports. Billed as Rededicate 250: National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving, the gathering is being run through Freedom 250, a public-private partnership created by the White House. Although the announcement talks of unity, the program is dominated by Protestant speakers. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth and House Speaker Mike Johnson are scheduled to speak. President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio are sending recorded messages.

Religious historians say the scope and tone of the event stand out from presidential observances that have typically featured broad, nonsectarian invocations. Of the 15 faith leaders listed as participating, 14 are Christian, including seven evangelical leaders and two Catholics, per USA Today. The only non-Christian religious leader listed is Orthodox Jewish Rabbi Meir Soloveichik. Amanda Tyler of the Baptist group BJC argued that the administration is promoting a false notion of the US as officially Christian and blurring church-state lines. Supporters, including Regent University scholar Mark David Hall, likened the jubilee to a Thanksgiving proclamation and emphasize that participation is voluntary.

The event also will also showcase what organizers call a Freedom Truck, one of six mobile exhibits using material from conservative groups PragerU and Hillsdale College to promote a “pro-American, Judeo-Christian” story of the founding. “This is really an affront to the American religious community,” said the Rev. Paul Raushenbush, CEO of the Interfaith Alliance. “They are using an event like this, which could be the opportunity to showcase the incredible diversity of American religious life, which is so rich and beautiful and powerful … to rewrite American history.” Gates open at 9am, with music, military bands, and speeches continuing until 6pm.

Basically I think this is BS from a panty waste of a leader.

Thousands gathered on the National Mall in Washington on Sunday for “Rededicate 250,” a massive 8-hour prayer rally blending worship music, patriotic imagery, political figures and prominent Christian leaders in an event supporters described as spiritual renewal and critics viewed as another step toward the normalization of Christian nationalism in American politics.

The event, tied to upcoming celebrations marking the nation’s 250th anniversary, featured speakers repeatedly invoking themes about restoring America’s “Christian roots” and reaffirming the United States as “One Nation Under God.” Organizers, called Freedom 250, framed the gathering as a national rededication of the country to God through prayer, worship and public faith.

https://www.salon.com/2026/05/17/christian-nationalists-pray-for-a-return-to-americas-christian-roots/

As a political historian I find this whole movement to be utterly ridiculous.

After 250 years of a religious freedom Donny and his worthless christian nationalists are trying to make this country something it was never intended to be.

Those who insist that America was founded as a Christian nation run roughshod over the historical record. They use the words of the Founding Fathers to support Republican jeremiads on the moral decay of American life. If only this country could return to its Christian roots, they say nostalgically, everything would be okay.

And how do they demonstrate that America was founded as a Christian nation? By selectively choosing texts from the writings of the Founders without any effort to explore them in the context of the 18th-century world in which they were written. Just because John Adams and George Washington quoted from the Bible or made reference to God does not mean that they were trying to construct a Christian nation. Granted, the Founding Fathers were the products of a Christian culture, but most of them were never comfortable with the beliefs that defined this culture. Very few of them would qualify for membership in today’s evangelical churches.

https://www.hnn.us/article/is-america-a-christian-nation-what-both-left-and-r

The idea the this nation was founded on christian beliefs is a myth….more info for you….

https://www.au.org/about-au/history/is-america-a-christian-nation/

The Founders thought that government should be secular….not favoring one religious belief over any others….and that is where it should stay.

It is that simple and Donny and the Band of Toads are trying to make it more complex than that….with the use of lies and more lies.

America should stay the secular nation it has alwasys been….PERIOD!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

FYI: The Dark Web

It is Friday and I would like to end the week with some FYI.

Disclaimer:  I am by no means pushing the Dark Web on my readers this post is purely intended to be FYI.

I am sure that most anyone that uses a computer has heard of the Dark Web….but how many really know what it is unless you are a massive computer nerd?

The dark web isn’t something you can just stumble upon, and that’s a good thing. Although it’s often used for transactions and conversations that need to remain anonymous, sites on the dark web can host illegal activity, phishing links, financial scams, and malware. There’s also little to no recourse to be had if you encounter any trouble there, because the dark web is a decentralized collection of websites hidden from search engines. In short, it’s not for the faint of heart, and it’s definitely not a viable alternative to the clear web.

Even in an era of increased online surveillance, the average person on the internet likely has too much to lose to bet on their safety for curiosity’s sake. Heck, I’m one of PCMag’s resident security experts, and I’m not playing around on the dark web just because I know how to. That’s why I’m not going to provide links or detailed instructions for accessing the internet’s shadier side. That said, what you choose to do with your time and devices is solely your business (for now). I will help you understand the risks you face when exploring the dark web and offer you some suggestions for safer browsing.

To understand what the dark web is, let’s examine the onion-like layers of the internet:

…

Within the deep web is the dark web. As I mentioned above, the dark web is a decentralized, non-indexed network of web pages, and the sites don’t use standard URLs. The dark web is home to some horrible stuff; think illegal porn and snuff films, along with illicit activity in the form of financial scams, personal data sales, and other anonymous and illegal transactions. There are marketplaces where people can sell stolen credit card numbers, conduct illegal drug transactions, and scam people out of their cash and crypto.

There’s legitimate activity on the dark web, too, as activists, journalists, and whistleblowers use dark web forums for anonymous communication. These forums look similar to those on the clear web, but the content discussed and shared by the anonymous chatters can evade censorship and surveillance on public sites. The problem is that getting to those forums may expose you to safety concerns like those listed above.

https://www.pcmag.com/explainers/i-went-into-dark-web-so-you-dont-have-to-heres-whats-down-there

A very informative article.

To reiterate I do not condone nor encourage the Dark Web at all….this is purely for FYI…..

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

The Loss Of Voting Rights

SCOTUS has done so much to roll back any progress this country has made but their stupidity on voting takes the cake.

 

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/dismantling-the-voting-rights-act-sets-american-democracy-back-decades/

 

Some think it will take decades to recover but others think we could never recover from this betrayal of the American ideal by SCOTUS…..

What say you?

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

 

Are We Force-Fed “Facts”?

There is so much propaganda out there, not just the Donny years but for the last several decades, ‘facts’ that we all buy into that are not ‘facts’ at all…..

1. The idea that tax cuts or bailouts for the wealthy will stimulate the economy (aka “trickle-down economics”) is, at best, a failed experiment and, at worst, an all-out deception. The term “trickle-down economics” was first used in relation to Herbert Hoover and his economic policy during the Great Depression. However, Hoover’s oft-attributed commitment to laissez-faire free market economic policy is debatable, and he actually raised taxes on the rich.

2. The major modern player in trickle-down economics was Ronald Reagan, though the term he actually used was supply-side economics, which purports to boost economic growth through lowered individual and corporate taxes and regulations. His first major move toward such an economy was the Economic Recovery Tax Act of 1981, which, according to Reagan’s Office of Management and Budget director David Stockman, was really just “a Trojan horse to bring down the top [tax] rate” and essentially trickle-down in a trench coat.

The Act slashed the highest income tax from 70% down to 50%. Lower incomes also received tax cuts, but they were much smaller. It also reduced estate, capital gains, and corporate taxes. This massively increased the deficit to such a disastrous level that some of it was actually reversed before it went into effect just a year later in TEFRA, including a few of the tax breaks and slashes that had not gone into effect yet; it also closed tax loopholes and increased other taxes like the cigarette tax. However, Reagan’s Tax Reform Act of 1986 later provided further massive tax cuts, slashing the top income tax from 50% to 28%, and decreasing the corporate tax rate by 12 points to 34%.

All of this was purportedly done to boost the economy, which was in a recession when Reagan came into office. So, did it work? Kind of, temporarily. Unemployment dropped, finance (particularly stocks, bonds, and real estate) and technology expanded, and low-level positions (in addition to high-level ones) saw pay raises. However, Reaganomics also led to the income gap widening considerably, with the richest now able to lobby the government for further policy to support them. Oh, and Reagan massively increased the deficit…again.

There is so much more bullshit that was fed to the less intelligent among us

https://www.buzzfeed.com/hannahmarder/american-propaganda

All this was propaganda which equates to damn lies and yet voters flocked to the promise of a better America…..and how has that worked out for you?

Reagan among others have been pulling our chains and manipulating us to the point of us actually being the problems we face today.

For christ sake learn something…..for we have the power to change this assassination of our system by politicians….all we have to do is learn and vote for the change we need to right this country from the destructive course these politicians have set us on.

Do you want to continue on this journey of destruction or do you want the country we use to have?

It is your choice.

Choose wisely.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Tolerance: Weapon Of Oppression

There are way too many people out there that have thrown up their hands and tolerate the destruction of a way of life and the country.  (Not something I would ever consider)

There is a paradox of tolerance at work….

The paradox of tolerance, a theory that challenges a society’s ability to defend democracy from within, is at the heart of the political turmoil plaguing the United States today. The idea, first articulated by philosopher Karl Popper, suggests that a tolerant society must be intolerant of intolerance itself, or else the intolerant will exploit that tolerance to dismantle the system from within. The United States is facing a stark test of this paradox as extremism and hate groups gain traction, exploiting the very liberties that protect democratic life.

The past few decades have seen the steady rise of groups that thrive on division, hate, and violence. From white nationalist organizations to conspiracy-driven militias like those associated with QAnon, these movements increasingly occupy the mainstream political conversation. At their core, these ideologies aim not only to challenge the social order but to dismantle the democratic principles of equality and justice. They are not just seeking to make their voices heard—they are attempting to redefine the terms of the social contract, eroding the shared values that have historically bound Americans together.

Consider the 2017 Charlottesville rally, where white nationalists, neo-Nazis, and other far-right extremists marched in the streets under the banner of “Unite the Right.” The violence that erupted, culminating in the death of counter-protester Heather Heyer, was a chilling reminder that these movements are not merely fringe elements but potent forces that can stoke real, deadly consequences. The response from certain political figures and public figures, including the president, was a horrifying moment in American politics. Rather than denouncing these groups unequivocally, there was a reluctance to take a firm stand against intolerance, allowing the seeds of hate to grow unchecked. In this moment, the U.S. was at the crossroads of the paradox of tolerance—its commitment to free speech and political expression directly collided with the need to protect democracy from those who would destroy it.

The question then becomes: How much tolerance is too much? Can a society truly remain open and free while it allows the propagation of ideas that actively undermine freedom itself? The answer is, unequivocally, no. When the principles of liberty are manipulated to spread hate and division, tolerance becomes not a virtue but a tool of destruction. The societal contract must be protected from those who seek to exploit it for their own gain, and that requires setting firm boundaries on what is considered acceptable within a democratic society.

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-paradox-of-tolerance-when-freedom-becomes-a-weapon-of-oppression/

Let me reiterate…..paradox of tolerance….The paradox of tolerance is a philosophical concept suggesting that if a society extends tolerance to those who are intolerant, it risks enabling the eventual dominance of intolerance, thereby undermining the very principle of tolerance.

You can see the paradox everywhere.

  • Online communities that tolerate every voice until no reasonable ones remain.
  • Workplaces where “all ideas are valid” slowly turn into echo chambers.
  • Governments that either over-police or under-protect, losing legitimacy both ways.

So is our tolerance of what is happening making all things worse?

Just wondering

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

Inverted Fascism–WTF?

For years now we have been having a conversation….well most sane people have been…..is a Donny a fascist or not?

His actions to me say he is…..and the actions of his sycophants say they are as well…..the tech bros are for sure…..but with all that what is this thing called ‘Trumpism”?

I argued that Trump is a fascist, but more specifically, borrowing from the language of Sheldon Wolin, he is an “inverted fascist.” Inverted fascism, like the fascist regimes in Italy and Germany, is animated by a totalitarian drive, but puts corporate interests above those of the nation state. The Trump administration’s war on Iran is the most extreme manifestation of inverted fascism that we have seen yet.

Inverted fascism is more than simply a collection of policies that are repressive and in the interest of billionaires. It could be understood as a condition in which popular input, at every level, has been usurped by corporate power. This condition is marked by media concentration in the hands of a tiny group of conglomerates facilitated by FCC-authorized mergers; social media owned by right-wing billionaires; lobbyists, campaign donors, and corporate-backed think tanks determining policy; and underfunded schools, mass deportations, and militarized police.

But inverted fascism is also a global condition. In their report on 2025, the first year of Trump’s second term, Oxfam found that billionaire wealth around the world grew by more than 16%, reaching a record $18.3 trillion. This while right-wing governments around the world have taken up different versions of inverted fascism. Benjamin Netanyahu engages in brazen genocide in Gaza and land grabs in the West Bank and Lebanon while hollowing out Israel’s own social services. Narendra Modi oversees unprecedented inequality while forwarding his own Hindu nationalism.

This order, however, is fundamentally unstable as made evident by the inability of the Trump administration to pry open the Strait of Hormuz, the reverberating economic consequences of the war, Iran’s remarkable success in its assault on US and Israeli targets in the region, and the reluctance of US allies toward participating. This war marks a major step in the decline of US hegemony. As that decline unfolds, the brazenness of the violence of capitalism becomes increasingly evident. The assault began with the bombing of a girls’ school that killed over 150, the vast majority of whom were between the ages of eight and twelve.

Decline has been a reality for US global hegemony since it reached its peak following WWII. In 1949, the Chinese Revolution succeeded despite billions in US aid to the Kuomintang nationalists and tens of thousands of marines working alongside Japanese imperialists endeavoring to defeat the Red Army. One letter from US ambassador to China, John Leighton Stuart, to the secretary of state relayed, “Killing, assaulting of peaceful Chinese civilians and raping of Chinese women and robbing of Chinese shops by American forces in China. One United States Marine in Tientsin had thrown 9 year old Chinese girl into river [sic].”

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/its-going-to-get-a-lot-worse/

Donny’s actions and policies smell suspiciously like fascism…..this point has been debated for years now….the Donny loyalist do not see it….those effected by these policies see it so very clearly….

I know this is all debatable….but I would love to hear you thoughts….good or bad….

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

As We Approach 250 Years

Soon we will be celebrating this country’s 250th year in existence (some say it may be the last celebration we have)…and since moist Americans are completely ignorant about our history I thought I would do my part to try and help them understand our history and why we did the things we did.

One of the best summations of our collective history was done by US Military Academy historian, Maj. Danny Sjursen…..I include his series here from the very early days to the election of Barack Obama…it is a lot to take in but it does give a complete background to the events that made this country.

If you truly love this country then I suggest to read these and see just why….

Part 1; Part 2; Part 3; Part 4; Part 5; Part 6; Part 7; Part 8; Part 9; Part 10; Part 11; Part 12; Part 13; Part 14; Part 15; Part 16; Part 17; Part 18; Part 19; Part 20; Part 21; Part 22; Part 23; Part 24; Part 25; Part 26; Part 27; Part 28; Part 29; Part 30; Part 31; Part 32; Part 33; Part 34; Part 35 ; Part 36.

There is also another source that makes for excellent learning…..Howard Zinn’s , A People’s History Of The United States, can be found everywhere and especially on Amazon.

I want everyone to know our history all the good, the bad and the ugly for all of it is what made us what we were.

Please let me know what you thought of the series.

Be Smart!

Learn Stuff!

I Read, I Write, You Know

“Lego ergo scribo”

Why The 2nd?–Revisited

I was bored today…..so I thought I would toss a grenade and see where the damage would be…..

With all the shootings lately I expected to see some sort of revival of the 2nd Amendment debate…..so far I have been disappointed….I guess it is up to me to get the engines firing….

Many years ago while the nation was in the middle of one of our famous gun rights debates I wrote a post that was the highlights of a longer article I wrote explain why I felt the 2nd was put into the BoR.

As history buff I am always interested in the opinions on defining moments in our history….

I re-post my original for readers to get a feel of my thinking…..

Why The 2nd?

I recently came across another article that looked deeper into the 2nd than the mindless twaddle that people try to use in the debate these days….

One mass shooting after another, one accidental child death after another tears through this country on an almost daily basis. Once again, lawmakers hide behind “thoughts and prayers,” while clinging to an amendment that has been twisted beyond recognition. But to understand why the Second Amendment exists at all, we must strip away the myths and confront a brutal truth: it was not written to safeguard freedom, but to preserve slavery.

The militias it enshrined were never about defending homes from tyrants abroad but about keeping human beings in chains at home. Until America reckons with this history, we will remain shackled to its bloody legacy.

So, let’s clear a few things up.

The real reason the Second Amendment was ratified, and why it says “state” instead of “country” (the framers knew the difference—see the 10th Amendment), was to preserve the slave-patrol militias in the Southern states, an action necessary to get Virginia’s vote to ratify the Constitution.

It had nothing to do with making sure mass murderers could shoot up public venues and schools. Founders, including Patrick Henry, George Mason, and James Madison, were totally clear on that, and we all should be too.

In the beginning, there were the militias. In the South, they were called “slave patrols” and were regulated by the states.

In Georgia, for example, a generation before the American Revolution, laws were passed in 1755 and 1757 that required all plantation owners or their male white employees to be members of the Georgia Militia, and for those armed militia members to make monthly inspections of the quarters of all slaves in the state. The law defined which counties had which armed militias and required armed militia members to keep a keen eye out for slaves who may be planning uprisings.

https://znetwork.org/znetarticle/the-second-amendment-was-created-to-put-down-slave-revolts/

Please let your thoughts be known.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribo”

A Lesson To Be Learned

Welcome to Cinco De Mayo…..

Most of my long time regulars know that I am fascinated with World War One….the carnage and the dumbass decision made by leaders….one of the biggest bone head decisions was Churchill’s attack on the Dardanelles at  Gallipoli…

A little history to help with the understanding of where I am going….

The ongoing deadlock on the Western Front led the Allies to formulate plans to attack Turkey, an ally of the Central Powers. If the Turkish capital of Constantinople (now Istanbul) was attacked via the Dardanelles Straits, it might relieve the pressure on Britain’s ally Russia. It could also open a supply route to Russia through the Black Sea and at best knock Turkey out of the war altogether.

Plans were made for a naval expedition to seize the Dardanelles in February and March 1915. Given their strategic importance, the straits were well defended by minefields and fortifications. There were also many Turkish gun emplacements on the Gallipoli peninsula to the north and the Asian coast to the south.

When the naval attacks failed to destroy these defences, it became clear that troops would have to seize the peninsula and destroy the guns and minefields. Only then could the Royal Navy force the straits and push on to Constantinople.

However, the naval operation had alerted the Ottomans to the danger of an attack in the region. Any Allied landing had now lost the crucial element of surprise.

https://www.nam.ac.uk/explore/gallipoli

Just a little background because Donny is still thumping his chest about sending in ground troops in and around the Straight of Hormuz….but will that be the disaster that Gallipoli was?

The Iran war reminds us small strategic moves can mushroom into expanding military commitments. The United States decided to blockade Iranian ports by controlling access to and from the vital Strait of Hormuz, as a response to Iran’s asserting control over it – which it had long threatened to do if attacked.

In its list of conditions to end the war, Iran is for the first time demanding recognition of its sovereignty over the waterway – considered the world’s most critical energy corridor. The Strait of Hormuz is one of the world’s key maritime choke points: strategic corridors where large volumes of global trade pass through extremely limited space.

A heavy price has often been paid for assuming this type of operation will be over quickly and easily.

America’s allies might wisely consider this history now – particularly as the April 25 anniversary of the disastrous Gallipoli campaign, which aimed to open the way to the Black Sea during World War I, approaches.

https://theconversation.com/gallipoli-has-4-lessons-for-the-strait-of-hormuz-crisis-280723

Just like Gallipoli the Straight is about the flow of trade and keeping the lanes open.

Gallipoli was a mind numbing disaster and I feel that the Straight and Kharg Island will meet the same fate.

Do we want such another failure on our all but stellar record of war?

I say screw it!  Time to end this stupid non-productive war and recall all our troops and ships and let diplomacy (if they remember what that is) do what it was designed top do.

I Read, I Write, You Know

“lego ergo scribol”