Tag Archives: America

Picking A Speaker

As 2023 starts we are reminded of the popular definition of insanity wrongly attributed to Albert Einstein. Doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. We’ve seen that at work in Washington this week. In many ways the American political system is broken, and constructive change is beyond the political will. Those […]

Thoughts on America

Is it a failed state, as many seem to think these days? Or does it remain the best example of democracy and a hope for the world? It seems appropriate on July 4, as Americans celebrate Independence Day, to give some thought to the state of the United States in 2022. Are things as bad […]

Reflections on 9/11

Twenty years. A defining moment. You probably remember exactly where you were when you heard the news. So many lives lost. Not just that day but in the wars that followed in Afghanistan and Iraq. Thousands on September 11 in the US, more than a million, according to some estimates, in the violence that followed. […]

Chicken or Egg?

A judge in Californa has overturned the state’s ban on owning assault weapons. He expecially noted that the AR-15 assault rifle is “a perfect combination of home defense weapon and homeland defense equipment.” Wikipedia tells me the AR-15 has been the weapon of choice for many American mass murderers because it is lightweight, accurate and […]

Trump Free

After more than a hundred days of the Biden presidency, Donald Trump seems like a faded memory. Or perhaps a nightmare we have all woken up from. It is amazing how quiet he has been since his banning back in January by the social media platforms he was using. Maybe traditional media is finding things […]

How Many More?

I had decided to skip the anniversary this year, to not re-post anything about the 1970 Kent State killings. Then last night I changed my mind. The deaths of four student protestors at Kent State University in Ohio, USA, at the hands of the American National Guard on May 4, 1970, changed me. More than […]

Does It Matter?

The second impeachment trial of Donald Trump is underway in the US Senate, and all the experts are saying he will be acquitted. Not because he isn’t guilty, but because most Senators will vote according to political loyalties rather than the evidence presented. Because of that I haven’t been following the proceedings beyond reading the […]

Inauguration Day Reflections

Some random thoughts as Joe Biden is sworn in today as President of the United States. I’ve been thinking about the day, and the challenges the new president faces. Each paragraph is a stand-alone today – read as many or as few as you like. Joe Biden assumes office as President of the United States […]

This Is Amerika

The politicians and commentators wringing their hands at last week’s coup attempt in Washington were for the most part united in their protestation that “this is not America.” They were wrong. This is what America has become. The ideals are there, perhaps, but the reality is a nation divided with no end in sight unless […]

Cultural Assimilation

Back in 2016 I wrote about the way the American shopping frenzy know as Black Friday had crossed the border into Canada. I didn’t see it as a good thing. For Black Friday to become part of the Canadian shopping experience I can understand – the two countries are so close. But why has it […]