Hope springs: Strong-man rule got punched in the nose in late 2022. The world-wide trend toward autocracy and away from democracy and human rights has been paused. How so? And for how long? In the U.S., proto-autocrat Donald Trump came up a loser, big-time, when candidates spouting his absurd rigged…

Twenty-fourth in an ongoing series, Notes from a Plague-Time “Everybody will get it.” By now, deep into the third year of the COVID pandemic, we all know what is meant by “it”: “It” is the coronavirus that ignited a public health crisis worldwide. And the “everybody” who will get “it”…

Did America just break its MAGA fever? Did American voters in this historic midterm election just save American democracy from election-denying anti-democrats espousing violence? Did America just yank itself off the path to fascism? As the shock recedes and sense can be made, it seems, yes: American voters have indeed…

Fourth in a special series, Midterm Alerts Dear Independent or Undecided Voter: So, the midterm elections are next Tuesday, November 8. Whether you planned to vote or not, I hope you will hear out this pitch from a Democrat — a moderate one — asking that you do vote…

Third in a special series, Midterm Alerts [The following contains violent content. Voter discretion is sincerely invited.] The deadly assault on the husband of House Speaker Nancy Pelosi — second in the line of succession to the presidency — raises the level of dread all around in these already-fraught midterm…

Second in a special series, Midterm Alerts If you always suspected that corporate greed, while rewarding those in corporate suites, is bad for all the rest of us, Congresswoman Katie Porter just provided proof. She also provided a wowser “closing argument” for Democrats — about the killer issue of inflation…

First in a special series, Midterm Alerts Republicans would like us to believe that the coming midterm elections are strictly about inflation and crime. Well, they are, but not strictly. There is instead another overarching issue that Republicans would like us to ignore. But, yes, the latest inflation figures confirm…

Leave it to suffering humanity, suffering the unendurable, to articulate the bedrock essence for dignified human life. In this case — this revolutionary case — it is the women and girls of Iran who are throwing off their chains — their encumbering hijabs and chadors — in the aftermath of…

This jaded and cynical world is seeing something new: A tragic and traumatized nation — Ukraine — is creating its own New Day. Ukraine gives the lie to the Biblical pronouncement “There is nothing new under the sun.” There is something new: A people, heels on the abyss, their numbers…