The Idle Chit Chat Game - Round Two

by Nomad

Last month, I tested out a diversion called the "Idle Chit-Chat Game. Its aim was to encourage a bit of discussion, outside the doom and gloom of the current times.
And I have to say I was really impressed with the results. You all put a lot of thought into your answers. The mini-discussions were fascinating and insightful.
I understand that a lot of nomads are stressed out by the possible outcome of the mid-term elections and thought you might enjoy another round.

Weekly Review (Oct 29 - Nov.4) and a Vintage Musical Sanity Break

by Nomad

Weekly Wrap-Up of American Politics
Here's a review of the events that happened in this the last week before the mid-term election. It is brought to you by WTF Just Happened Today? read by Joe Amditis.
Saturday's review is supplied by PBS NewsHour.

Persecution in East Africa: Light a Candle for a Gay Tanzanian in Hiding

by Nomad

This rather cryptic message was found on Reddit:

pray for us

there is an order from our RC (of the capital city ) that all gay people should be reported & will undergo medical test and if they are confirmed to engage in gay sex they gonna die in jail..some of the famous gays from instagram are already caught! being gay is illegal in my country but i never thought they would go this far! i've been single since forever & nobody knows that am gay but this has really broke my heart..it is the most talked topic at school to the point that am afraiding to go to school..pray for us yall.. and sorry for my english

edit: until now 12 suspected gay men are already arrested

Why America's Survival Depends on Rejecting Trump's Nationalism

by Nomad

(From Mad Magazine, 1968)

The Beneficiaries of Hatred

Blind hate has been around since the days of Cain and Abel. According to that story, Cain's hate caused him to murder his own brother and as a result, Cain was cursed and marked for life. In some respects, we all wear that mark. It sometimes seems as though humanity will never be able to extinguish it. People hating other people is just part of our DNA.

From the Archives: When Nazis Marched on the Streets of New York City

by Nomad

Back on November 21, 2015, Nomadic Politics posted an article about a historical event which, at that time, had received very little attention. 

After the election which saw Donald Trump rise to power, quite a few other news outlets recounted the event. Then came the incident in Charlottesville and Trump's attempt to equate Nazi thugs with the people who protested them. Those recent events brought more coverage of the events of 1939. 

In memory of the 11 victims of the Pittsburgh synagogue shooting on Saturday morning, I have decided to reprint this particular post. I hope you find it interesting reading.

Fascism Made in the USA: The Night Nazis Fought on the Streets of New York City

The United States has had its share of fascist groups that have come and gone. One of those was the American Nazi Party, the Bund Party. Here's the story of its 1939 rally and how it led to its collapse. 

A "Pro-American" Rally

On the night of 20 February 1939, something occurred that became an interesting footnote in American history. Today it is mostly a forgotten bit of the history of New York City. And for many, it could be a period they would rather not recall.

Putting this Week to Bed (October 22- 28)

by Nomad

Top Story

This week, unsettling news on a national level wiped clean last week's story about the gruesome murder of Saudi exile Jamal Khashoggi at the Saudi Arabian consulate in Istanbul.

Five Letters to the Editor from Red States

by Nomad

Scouring local newspapers around the nation, I found that even in predominately Republican-controlled states, there is still reason for hope. Many of the letters to the editor show signs that dissatisfaction with the current management of government is a bipartisan (or non-partisan) issue.

Dirty Lies: How Donald Trump Suckered Coal Miners to Win the 2016 Election

by Nomad

The story of how Donald Trump lied to coal miners to win an election and continues to lie to them today. 

UnBelievable Promises

All through the 2016 campaign, Donald Trump fired up his crowds with promises to revive the coal mining and restore mining jobs in places like Kentucky and West Virginia. In speech after speech, he pledged to end Obama's attack on the coal industry and in coal country, that's an idiot-proof way to get a standing ovation.

Weekly Review (Oct 15- 21) Plus the Sanity Sunday Musical Break

by Nomad

Weekly Review
The main story this week was, of course, the same one as last week- the appalling and gruesome murder of Washington Post columnist Jamal Ahmad Khashoggi in the Saudi consulate in Istanbul.
A timeline of statements from the Saudi authorities show repeated changes to their narrative- meaning, lies- ever since Mr. Khashoggi walked into the consulate and mysteriously disappeared.

Podcast: The Palin Interviews, 10 Years Later

by Nomad

It's really hard to believe that an entire decade has passed since John McCain's vice presidential candidate stepped up on the nation's political stage. So much has taken place since then. McCain has met his maker but Sarah Palin is holed up in Wasilla still flinging inane remarks via twitter and Facebook.