American voters need a more effective way to pressure the government to act more aggressively without resorting to disengagement or abandonment — For much of the last six years, I’ve been critical of the Democratic Party and its lack of a coherent strategy to move the country forward and combat the growing threat of theocratic fascism. I’ve not been alone. In all that time, my commentary consisted of admonishments for the party…

After 246 years, 21st-century America has outgrown the confines of an 18th-century document that was poorly and hastily drawn — “You guys desperately need a series of constitutional amendments to reflect the values of most 21st-century Americans,” wrote an Irish fellow to me recently. That might be the understatement of the millennia. As I began to briefly explain the inherent difficulty in passing any sort of constitutional amendment in today’s…

Requiring blind trust and absolute loyalty over critical thinking is how you end up in a cult or in jail — In the aftermath of the Supreme Court overturning Roe v Wade, there has been a lot of anger displayed towards all sides, casting blame and questioning how things might have gone differently. This is only natural. This is a matter of critical importance to everyone: from women concerned about their…

The striking lack of love and compassion in Christendom’s obsession with sex, marriage, and reproduction — You can imagine that in churches all across America today, there was at least a casual mention of the Supreme Court’s decision to overturn Roe v Wade, clearing the way for states to outlaw abortion. In the more politically active congregations, it was surely more than a passing commentary, as…

After decades of failed leadership, the Democratic Party has become an impotent vessel for failed promises and empty gestures — I’m a Democrat. Not that I’m always particularly happy about it, but it is what it is. I don’t believe in the cowardice of sitting on the sidelines, pretending that you have no dog in this fight. You have to choose a side and there are only two in American…

The single issue is preserving democracy (with a soupçon of go-fuck-yourself to the Republicans) in order to preserve America — I want the Republicans to lose. This isn’t a passing fancy or fleeting thought. It’s more of an obsession. Sometimes, I want them to lose more than I want to win. Not a little. But a lot. Of course, that’s illogical and nonsensical, and I would never put any serious…

A political strategy, cloaked in sham theology, centered around an ideology of deliberate purpose and inartful malice — In light of the past few years of chaos and turmoil, I can’t help but think of the old curse, “May you live in interesting times.” Throughout history, the most fascinating periods were those of great unrest and dynamic change. War. Famine. Pestilence. Civil unrest. Turbulence. Great migrations. Great progress…

The steady flow of crimes, obscenities, and cruelties perpetrated by the Trumpian Republican Party threaten to overwhelm us — There is no bottom. There is no last straw. There is no end. There is only one more day of yet another outrage that oversteps any previous boundary of civility or decency. I feel like I’m trying to bail out a boat with a shot glass while the Republican Party…

Trumpism has taken on a life of its own — a political philosophy without any ideology — populist by decree but elitist by design — The late, great Gonzo journalist Hunter S. Thompson once said, “In a closed society where everybody’s guilty, the only crime is getting caught. In a world of thieves, the only final sin is stupidity.” I’m not sure Hunter could have survived the Trump years, so it’s hard to know what…