history
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Living The Imperial Presidency In 2026
Arthur Schlesinger Jr.’s The Imperial Presidency was designed to be a warning flare fired across the bow of American democracy, but revisiting it as the new year started in light of Donald Trump’s actions gives it an even sharper edge. I first read this book when living in Sturgeon Bay, during President Reagan’s second term.… Continue reading
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Are We Still Uncertain Why Character And Leadership Matter In The Oval Office?
Last week, Donald Trump’s decision to amplify a grotesque and racist depiction of Barack and Michelle Obama was only the latest crude and offensive action taken by someone we are told to regard as the leader of the free world. Historians and social commentators will undoubtedly study this era for decades, trying to understand how… Continue reading
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Nation Cannot Survive At Shallow End Of Swimming Pool
Somewhere between rereading The Imperial Presidency by Arthur Schlesinger and the daily newspapers, I have been trying to place the lessons of the past into the constant absurdity and irrationality of the present. I am not sure I am making headway in my thinking, but I want to share where I am as of today.… Continue reading
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President John Kennedy’s Values vs. Gross Spectacle Of Donald Trump
The repulsive feelings we have for what is happening to our nation, and our utter disgust with those who allowed this to happen in 2024, go without my needing to write it here. It also goes without my needing to write that Donald Trump’s supporters were likely never aware of President-elect John F. Kennedy’s City… Continue reading
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1929: Greed Creates Public Crisis, Andrew Sorkin’s Masterpiece
As the New Year unfolds, I am reminded of how I wish to spend a chunk of my time in the next 360 days. Reading great books. Recently, I wrote rarely do I read a newly published book. My shelves and current book pile are filled with slices of history published many years and decades… Continue reading
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Character Matters In The Oval Office
The words during the 1912 nomination speech by Warren G. Harding, then an Ohio newspaper editor, for President William Taft at the tumultuous Republican Convention need to be considered this week. The following portion showcases a stark contrast between then and what happened this week when Donald Trump verbally attacked Rob Reiner just a few… Continue reading
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In Cold Blood: Truman Capote’s Book Viewed 60 Years Later
The main news over the Thanksgiving Holiday weekend was shameful. The collective retaliation by the Trump Administration against people from nations around the world who are now part of our national family, as he desires to halt all asylum decisions and remove millions who call this place home. It was chilling to learn that Defense… Continue reading
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New Doty Land Podcast: Christmastime In Hancock During Depression Years 1929-1932
A fire that destroys a large portion of Hancock’s Main Street, the career of Stanley Hamilton, the 33-year tailoring job of Gus Lowandowski who builds a house on S. Lake Street, the tragic death of Frank Sigourney, what is playing at the Hancock Theatre, a Booth family wedding, the trial of Elmer Huckins, local sports… Continue reading
