Sanity Sunday Musical Break- Tribute to John Lennon

by Nomad

Unimaginable

Yesterday marked the anniversary of the death of ex-Beatle John Lennon. It is just impossible for me to believe that 38 years have passed since that senseless murder outside the Dakota Apartment Building on 72nd and Central Park West.

The Truth about Food Stamps and the Right to Access to Affordable Food

by Nomad

A Kentucky Congressman's tweet about food stamps demonstrates how detached the GOP is when it comes to the economic realities of hunger in America.

The Right to Affordable Food

The other day, I read that a Republican congressman from Kentucky, Thomas Massie, facetiously asked, if affordable healthcare is a right, whether Americans should also have a right to food.

The tweet was, our source tells us, "an attempt to combat criticism from Democrats of conservative lawmakers’ proposals to reform the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP)."

If healthcare is a right, is food as well?

— Thomas Massie (@RepThomasMassie) November 29, 2018

Even though Massie probably didn't realize it, he brings up a good point. Why shouldn't affordable food for all Americans be a right in the world's richest countries? Can't we as a nation afford to feed our poor?

And, while we're at it, why not a right to have access to clean water or clean air? Safe working conditions and job security?

Piecing Together the Trump-Russian Conspiracy Puzzle

by Nomad

Like an immense jigsaw puzzle, the full picture of the Trump-Russian conspiracy has often been hard to view in its entirety. There's a good reason for that. No doubt about it, it's extremely complex. But more than that, the relationship and the importance of each piece of evidence keep changing.
What seems inexplicable today can suddenly seem critical tomorrow. For an amateur investigator trying to understand what took place, it is a daunting task.
We saw that this week when Trump's former lawyer (and problem-solver) appeared in court.

Sanity Sunday Musical Break- Chill Mix

by Nomad

Time to kick back and mull over the events of the past week and to try and speculate what's to come. Watching the president helpless thrash and flail as the ship of state slowly begins to right itself is, in a strange way, entertaining and reassuring.

This week's Sanity Sunday Musical break is a pretty random mix of relaxing "chill" tunes. Hope you enjoy the selection.

The Truth about Donald Trump's Particular Kind of Lies

by Lee McIntyre, Boston University

President Donald Trump speaks to the media outside of the White House. AP/Evan Vucci

Recently, I heard an interesting remark by Russian-born journalist Masha Gessen. She compared three larger-than-life politicians, Vladimir Putin, Silvio Berlusconi, and Donald Trump. Specifically, she compared the manner in which they deceive the public and why they do so.

The way Putin lies, the way Berlusconi lies, and the way Trump lies are exactly the same. They all lie in a blatant way, you know... They do something that to Americans has been very difficult to absorb which is that they lie about things that are obviously not true in order to assert power.

Operation InfeKtion: The Worldwide War on Truth - Part 3

by Nomad

Taking Action Against Active Measures

When it comes to mounting a defense against Russian disinformation, targeted governments from Pakistan to Mexico, from the UK to the USA, have shown themselves to be woefully ill-equipped.

Sanity Sunday Musical Break- Stéphane Grappelli

by Nomad

French jazz violinist, Stéphane Grappelli, might not be a familiar name to many of you. Grappelli has been called "the grandfather of jazz violinists" and certainly has a distinctive style.

Throughout his career, Grappelli collaborated with my top musicians like Jean-Luc Ponty, Yehudi Menuhin, Yo-Yo Ma, and most famously, swing guitarist, Django Reinhardt. (For a more complete biography, click here.)

Operation InfeKtion: The Seven Commandments of Fake News - Part 2

by Nomad

Operation InfeKtion: The Seven Commandments of Fake News is part two of a three-part NYT op-ed series takes a closer look at Russia's highly developed disinformation campaign and why it has, so far, been so effective.

A Closer Look at Trump's Amoral Defense of Saudi Arabia's Murder of Jamal Khashoggi

by Nomad

Gangsters Defending Gangsterism

Yesterday's statement from President Donald J. Trump about the US stand on Saudi Arabia in the wake of the Khashoggi murder seems worth a closer look.
Never in America's history have we seen such an appalling repudiation of international law and order by a sitting president. In a word, it is a disgrace.

Operation InfeKtion: Meet the KGB Spies who Invented Fake News - Part 1

by Nomad

"If you don't know who to trust anymore, this might be the thing that's making you feel that way. If you feel exhausted by the news, this could be why. And if you're sick of it all and you just want to stop caring, then we really need to talk."

The Art of Deception

Supreme warfare is achieved by overcoming one's enemy without fighting. That's a fundamental precept from the Chinese military general Sun Tzu's "The Art of War.

All warfare, writes Tzu, is based on deception. And the most successful type of warfare is that where the enemy does not recognize the battlefield and the type of weapons used. The greatest victory is that which requires no battle.

Therefore the skillful leader subdues the enemy's troops without any fighting; he captures their cities without laying siege to them; he overthrows their kingdom without lengthy operations in the field.

A Cautionary Tale about the Danger of Saviors and Blind Obedience

by Nomad

History has all kinds of interesting lessons to teach us. Here is one I recently found. 

The Saviors that Failed

The ancient concept of the Messiah, (mâšîah, "the anointed one") once figured prominently in the Jewish faith. In its basic form, the prophecies foretold of a divinely inspired leader who will save the world, or at least the nation of Israel.

Scholars tell us the belief originated with the exiled Jews in Babylonia in sixth century BC. It was practically a mania six centuries later when Israel fell under Roman rule.

As the long-awaited Messiah, Jesus of Nazareth represented only one candidate. Many others appeared before and after the Christ and drew large followings. The majority of them were religion-obsessed lunatics or outright charlatans.  

How Roger Stone's Trump Campaign Timeline Spells Trouble for the GOP Dirty Trickster

by Nomad

Yesterday, right-wing conspiracy theory-monger, Jerome Corsi, said in an interview that he expects to soon be indicted by Robert Mueller as part of the Russian collusion investigation.

According to NBC News, Corsi is just s one of several associates of Roger Stone who have been called by Mueller to appear before a grand jury.

The Weekly Review (Nov 5 - 11) and Sanity Sunday Musical Break

by Nomad

Even in the face of a mid-term victory for patriotic Americans, it was still a horrible and stress-filled week. After the good news, there was literally one shock after the other. The week then closed with Trump making an embarrassment of himself on the world stage.
We have a lot of ground to cover so let's hop to it.

When MSNBC or Fox News Airs in Public Places, How Do People React?

by Frank Waddell, University of Florida

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.

Why the Trump Administration's Attack on Public Libraries Should Worry all Americans

by Nomad

From Page to Ashes to Dust

Apart from genocide or the intentional extinction of an animal species, nothing, in my opinion, is sadder than the destruction of a library.

The Search For My Grandfather in the KGB's Ukrainian Files

by Bernie Neufeld, Guest Contributor

One of our nomads, Linda, recently asked me if I would be interested in posting an article written by her brother in law, Bernie Neufeld and his quest to learn the facts about his grandfather's fate. I think you will find his story engrossing.

Jared Kushner, Son-in-Law and Trump's Hidden Genius

by Nomad

Nikki's Non-Sarcastic Remark

A most extraordinary thing happened this week. Oh, I know. You are saying, "But Nomad, you say that every week." Every week I mean it, too. It is usually something extraordinary mixed with a dollop of ridiculousness combined with a whole septic tank of nastiness.  

When U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Nikki Haley announced her resignation, she lavished praise on the president's daughter Ivanka and her husband, Jared Kushner. But that wasn't the extraordinary thing.

After all, sucking up to this president is a full-time job. That and swiping documents off his desk, coming up with the appropriate lies to explain the inexplicable, and finding a way to tell the man there is a tiny bit of you-know-what stuck to his heel.

Halley said

"I can’t say enough good things about Jared and Ivanka [Trump]."

That pithy remark has remarkable pivoting power if you cared to analyze it. Enough good things? Claiming Jared and Ivanka are well-washed and smell nice is probably sufficient for any half-way honest person.
Ambassadors, as we all know, are trained to say the most absurd things without blinking and Nikki, as incompetent as she is, has picked up that talent along the way. She added:

"Jared is such a hidden genius that no one understands."

Repost: With One United Voice: The First Stirrings of the Women's Rights Movement

by Nomad

(This post was originally published on December 5, 2015.)

When the Founding Fathers declared that a government earns its true legitimacy from the consent of the governed, they hadn't counted on women taking it to the next logical step.

The 1850 Women's Rights Convention

Recently I uncovered this interesting quote by an early American reformer/activist named Frances Dana Gage. Ring any bells? Probably not. Her name isn't as familiar to the general public as it should be. Even among modern feminists, she is a largely obscure figure. 

I think that's a pity.

A Nomadic Diversion: The Idle Chat Game

by Nomad

With all that went down this week, all of it low-down and unbecoming a nation that was once so proud, I really didn't think you were up for a weekly review. I don't know about you all but I feel like a wet rag that been rung out and put on a clothesline. Enough already, say I.

So, after having consulted my experts, I decided that a proper diversion was in order. 

The Slow Death and Unexpected Rebirth of Civic Duty

by Nomad

What is a "civic duty" and why has the idea become so important in recent days?

A Quaint Old Fashioned Phrase

When Professor Christine Ford sat before the Senate Judiciary Committee, she must have anticipated that her motives for reporting her accusations against Supreme Court nominee Kavanaugh would be treated with suspicion.

Some on the Republican side were very interested in who might have paid for her travel expenses and polygraph, implying she was being supported by enemies of the administration. Others -perhaps those who have spent decades wallowing in the Washington swamp- were simply unable to imagine anybody without sinister ulterior motives.

Special People: Why Listening to the Disabled is One Way to Combat Bullying

by Nomad

I hope you won't mind that I decided to take a small break from politics in order to share a recent YouTube discovery. I have literally spent hours in the last week, watching video after video, sometimes laughing and sometimes with eyes full of tears.

I feel enriched- for want of a better word- as a result of meeting some pretty awesome people. If you have the spare time to watch some of the videos, it will be worth every second.

How to Enable Bullies

For many of us, as jaded as we think we are, it is still difficult and depressing to understand that we live in a world in which bullies (and villains) often go unpunished.
It offends my sense of justice.
We live in a world where such people can even become presidents and still worse, where their perverted and intolerant notions can become public policy.