The Congressional leadership of the Republican party reminds me of a gang of suicidal men whose every attempt to do the deed fails because the single local bridge is only a metre off the ground. Adding to this is a Democratic party whose every public implosion, inadequacy and lack of originality is the proverbial net that keeps the otherwise useless Republicans on electoral life support.
The withdrawal of the Obamacare repeal bill from the House of Representatives has highlighted divisions within the Republican Party. It is clear that whilst all Republicans claim to oppose Obamacare, they are far from united on an alternative, and as of the time of writing it is far from certain they will ever agree on one.
As much as “liberal” has become a dirty word in U.S. politics, the word “conservative” has been ripped from all its honorable traditions and redefined as a dangerous form of radicalism, says ex-CIA official Graham E. Fuller. By Graham E.…Read more →
Donald Trump has long been a gifted practitioner of the art of clarity. After eight years of often confused Obamapeak, even Trump’s enemies don’t dare accuse him of being anything but frank and forthright.
But whilst Trump has been masterful at using this ability to attack fake news merchants, he has got to up his game if he is to ultimately win his very public showdown between himself and certain members of his own team, elements of his own party, the Democrats, msm as a whole and the deep state, particularly the intelligent agencies.
Donald Trump is under tremendous amounts of pressure from all sides.
Here are the top five things Donald Trump should NOT do if he is to win his many battles.
The war in Syria is often described as a holy war waged by Salafist Jihadists who want to impose a dark and frankly blasphemous version of Sunni Islam on the wider community of moderate Sunni’s, Shia Muslims, including Alawites, Christians, and secularists. But in spite of the declared Islamism of the opponents of President Assad’s secular, tolerant government, the war is all about power, resources, and money.
Donald Trump’s path to victory was eased by the fact that the Republican and Democratic parties were brittle, corrupt, hollowed-out institutions ready for cracking, but his tests have only begun, writes John Chuckman. By John Chuckman The chance for greatness…Read more →
There is a real possibility that the Democratic Party of the United States, has surrendered any hope of attaining the centre-ground for at least generation.
Throughout most of the 20th century, both major US parties attempted to appeal to different interpretations of the centre.
The Republicans were broadly centre right but shunned the far-rightism of organisations like the John Birch Society.
Likewise, the Democrats were centre-left whilst rejecting organisations of the far left; groups like Students for a Democratic Society.
Over the past quarter century, the national Democratic Party merged with the Clinton pay-for-play money machine and lost touch with American populism. So, what must be done and what are the party’s prospects, asks Lawrence Davidson. By Lawrence Davidson You…Read more →
The U.S. government lectures other countries about “democracy” – and finances internal opposition in the name of “democracy promotion” – but its own behavior falls far short of democratic norms, says ex-CIA analyst Paul R. Pillar. By Paul R. Pillar…Read more →
