The above one is from the Times. All the red parts show people who continue to travel despite the pandemic. The not-red parts show people who are sheltering in place. The below map is from Colin Woodard’s American Nations: A History of the Eleven Rival Regional Cultures of North America. The red parts of the…

Pay attention to who’s doing what to whom.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. The voting age has always been more or less arbitrary. It was 21 before it was 18, the age an American can be drafted into fighting a war. The argument that grown ups are more rational, and therefore more capable and responsible, is pretty much defeated by the…

Incompetent? Yes. Arrogant? My god! But there’s more.

It’s not as crazy as it sounds. The voting age has always been more or less arbitrary. It was 21 before it was 18, the age an American can be drafted into fighting a war. The argument that grown ups are more rational, and therefore more capable and responsible, is pretty much defeated by the…

The rich get richer. The rest get whatever’s coming to them.

Why can’t reporters believe their own eyes?

He was tried for putting his interests above the nation’s. Why stop now?

Need help during a pandemic? First, kiss the ring.

I’m told my writing can be bleak. I suppose that’s true. That’s not my intent, though. My intent is to talk about politics and the political past plainly so we can take future action. Most often, we the people misunderstand our politics, and take the wrong action. American history shows us taking one step forward,…