Dark Money by Jane Mayer (Doubleday, now on sale) traces the actions of four very rich families, with extreme libertarian views, who are using their money to fundamentally change our country. These people—the Koch brothers, the DeVos family, the Bradley family, and Peter Mellon Schaife—believe that taxes are tyranny, government regulation stifles freedom, and social programs must end. If you […]
The Koch Brothers and Their Infamous John-Birch-Society Dad
The Kochs call themselves free-market, libertarian-infused conservatives. A quick translation of that wonky jargon means that most of us will not prosper in Kochs’ version of America. Most John Birch Society leaders are buried deep in the recesses of American history, known only to politics junkies, history wonks and me, a Birch kid. There is one exception […]
What Does “Take Our Country Back” Mean?
Starting in 2009, crowds of angry Americans burst onto the political scene ranting about debt, deficits, socialism, and healthcare reform. They waved copies of the Constitution, hoisted the “Don’t Tread on Me” flag, called the President a traitor, and vowed to take America back. In all of the chaos, many people, including the corporate media, neglected to ask the most important […]
Hate the President 1963. Hate the President Today
A Little Twitter Joke On Wednesday, November 16, 2011, Lauren Pierce, the president of the College Republicans at the University of Texas, Austin tweeted a little “joke.” “Y’all as tempting as it may be, don’t shoot Obama. We need him to go down in history as the WORST president we’ve EVER had!” I recoiled in horror […]
No Merry in Christmas Again This Year
Wake up, Americans! There’s a plot to take the “Merry” out of “Merry Christmas” Bill O’Reilly and his right-wing pals are beating the War on Christmas Drum, again. FOX audiences are reminded, almost daily from early November on that secular humanists, atheists, and other no-goodniks are plotting to kill Christmas. I laugh when I hear these dire warnings […]