history
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Donald Trump At Supreme Court vs. America
It was perhaps the ugliest scene yet from the second term of the Donald Trump administration. As the Supreme Court prepared to hear oral arguments in one of the most unconstitutional cases in many terms, the originator of the undermining of the 14th Amendment left the White House and sat in a front row seat,… Continue reading
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Wisconsin Journalist Shelly Kittleson: Truth Tellers Must Not Be Silenced
The news of Wisconsin journalist Shelly Kittleson being kidnapped in Iraq is unacceptable. News reports place her hometown as Monticello, Wisconsin. Her work as a journalist specialising in the Middle East and Afghanistan is published in international, US, and Italian outlets. Iraq’s Ministry of Interior said that security forces have launched an operation to track… Continue reading
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Sordid Money Dealings, Unchecked Narcissism, Outright Lies, Abusing Military Assets, Just Another Day In Donald Trump’s Absurdity
Just another Tuesday afternoon in Donald Trump’s world of absurdities. I jotted down a few notes as I meandered my way through the news today. It feels like norms, adherence to rules, and common sense have departed from a huge swath of the Trump White House and this administration. Defense Secretary Pete Hegseth’s broker at… Continue reading
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Book Journey Through History
Every summer, since the mid-1990s, I have selected a topic to read and explore. One year, it was Catherine the Great, then Russian history, and another year, Mao Zedong consumed my attention. This year, I am not sure which direction to head. So, over the past couple of weeks, I have spent time on the… Continue reading
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Chaos In The Republic: What President McKinley’s Assassination Revealed About A Fractured America
Eric Rauchway’s Murdering McKinley situates the assassination of President William McKinley within a nation deeply divided by the forces of industrial capitalism. I probably did not need to pull another book from the shelves this weekend, but I was in the mood for something different, so the slim volume of just over 200 pages fell… Continue reading
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Why Luke Joseph, Candidate For Hancock/Coloma Waushara Cty. Bd, Must Not Be Elected, Public Health Matters
While reading a series of questions and answers to the candidates for the Waushara County Board, one name stuck out as a person more connected, at least in my mind, to Dane County. Luke Joseph is seeking election as a supervisor from the Hancock and Coloma area. Once I read just a few sentences into… Continue reading
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Reestablish American Elm Trees In Wisconsin, Your Help Requested
“Remember those two beautiful elm trees out there? When I and Biff hung the swings between them? … Yeah, like being a million miles from the city.” — Arthur Miller (Death of a Salesman) As a boy, I recall elm trees everywhere. Like so many other people in our state, I was sad to see them… Continue reading
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Islamophobia Embraced By Republican Party
When it comes to racism, bigotry, and prejudice in modern-day politics, the Republican Party holds the disdainful distinction of being the prime user of such slurs and actions. The 2024 GOP presidential campaign was riddled with derogatory remarks about Brown people, and the stoking of hatred for transgender Americans. It was stunning to witness. What… Continue reading
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Alexander Butterfield: The Quiet Man Who Changed The Course Of American History
I was not your typical kid growing up. That is a very understated way to write it. I was in a rural environment where my grandparents, along with an aunt, were my neighbors, with not another boy my age for miles around. There was no television in our home until I was in the 6th… Continue reading
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Violent Rhetoric, Like Dan O’Donnell On WISN, Undermines Democracy
The political climate in the United States is reaching a level of volatility that should alarm every citizen who values democratic stability. This past week, Milwaukee radio host Dan O’Donnell of WISN‑AM demonstrated just how dangerous reckless rhetoric can be. In a now‑deleted post reacting to U.S. military action abroad, O’Donnell wrote: “Now take out… Continue reading
Caffeinated Politics 