Cancerous Presidency: Donald Trump's Strange and Deadly Love Affair with Asbestos

by Nomad

Back in August 2016, Nomadic Politics featured a post on Trump's peculiar relationship with the carcinogen asbestos. The other day, I took a look at that post and decided it was time to update it.

Trump's Outlandish Claim

Of all of the Trump's absurd notions, one of the most peculiar is his ideas about the World Trade Center and asbestos. In his opinion, if only the world had listened to him, the Twin Towers would not have fallen.
Had, he claimed, contractors not been forced to use an alternative fire retardant, the World Trade Center would have been able to withstand the attack. If only asbestos had been used, the Twin Towers would still be standing today. 

How Gerrymandering Negatively Impacts the Economic Development of a District

by Nomad

We all know that gerrymandering as a tool to win elections has proved advantageous. Some critics have claimed that this partisan tactic has in recent years become more extreme and has begun to warp democracy.

In a search for the facts, researchers at Boston College decided to look a bit closer. They began by asking a simple question: How does gerrymandering affect the quality of political representation in a district?

Sanity Sunday - A Selection of Dream Pop Songs

by Nomad  

I've long ago given up trying to follow musical genres and sub-genres. It just seemed impossible but it does help you find the type of music you like.
After listening to some music I enjoyed this week, I learned that alternative rock and neo-psychedelia (another unknown genre) hooked up sometime in the 80s and had a love child called Dream Pop.
As a subgenre, Dream Pop is all about atmosphere and often features "breathy vocals and processed, echo-laden guitars and synthesizers." The lyrics tend to be short poems.
I think you will find this style soothing on the nerves.

A Nation of Suckers: How a 1947 Film Exposes the Truth about Trumpism

by Nomad

Released in 1947, this 23-minute film, "Don't be a Sucker" was produced by United States Department of War. Its aim was to educate the American public about the dangers of fascism, racism empowered by prejudice and discrimination.

The Guys Who Stay Up Nights

In a real awakening of right-wing extremism, the message of this film has found a new audience. I found it interesting (and timely) how rabble-rousers were portrayed as swindling con artists, rather than just power-hungry politicians. "There are all kinds of games and all kinds of suckers." 

Extolling the beauty of American diversity, the narrator points out that America is composed of..

..all kinds of people, people from different countries with different religions, different colored skins, free people. They can live together and work together and build America together because they're free, free to vote to say what they please go to their own churches, to pick their own jobs.

But, the film reminds us, "there are guys who stay up nights figuring out how to take that away from [us]."

Speaking is Difficult

by Nomad

Directed and edited by AJ Schnack, this short but powerful film is very simple in concept: a catalog of the 911 calls of mass shootings in America since January 2011.  In reverse order, the first call is by a young man from Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, Florida.

"Hate Was Their Handshake"

by Nomad

Recently I stumbled across a fascinating book called "Under Cover: My Four Years in the Nazi Underworld of America." One of the things you quickly learn from reading the book is that the techniques used in politics nowadays were used in the past- albeit primitively, by today's standards. The modus operandi never really changes.

In the years just before WWII, Armenia-American journalist Arthur Derounian (using the alias John Roy Carlson) went underground to investigate and to expose the various organizations that supported fascism and Nazi causes.

When it was published, the book served as a warning that fascism could flourish just as easily in Chicago and New York as it could in Rome or Berlin.

Sanity Sunday- Dulcimer Music by Ted Yoder

by Nomad

Goshen, Indiana resident Ted Yoder has been called "the master of the hammer dulcimer." Although Yoder grew up in a musical family, he received his first dulcimer as a wedding gift only 13 years ago. Yet the talented musician has since grown to become the 2010 National Hammer Dulcimer Champion.

Here are a few of his covers of familiar tunes.

Father Coughlin: How Christian Fascists in the 1930s Perverted the Term "Social Justice"

by Nomad

Last week, Rev. Grady Arnold, pastor of Calvary Baptist Church in Cuero, Texas, submitted a draft resolution demanding that the Southern Baptist Convention reject various forms of “social justice” philosophy. Arnold called the concept of social justice to be an example of Marxist ideology.

According to Arnold, social justice was an “evil" and not about rights and compassion but about “liberal theology.” In his resolution, he claimed that social justice activism is "a vehicle to promote abortion, homosexuality, gender confusion, and a host of other ideas that are antithetical to the gospel."

“This social justice is creeping down into local churches. If we start down this road today, where will it end?”

50 Years Ago, Civil Rights Leaders Spoke Out on Gun Control.. Today the Problem is Worse

by Nomad

A half-century ago, these two civil rights leaders spoke out for the need for sensible gun control laws in this country. Not long afterward, they were senselessly murdered by lone, deranged extremists with guns.

Sanity Sunday - The Music of Camera Obscura

by Nomad

The group, Camera Obscura, has been around for awhile. This  Scottish indie pop band from Glasgow was formed back in 1996. I have my own association with the group. Their songs offered me a good deal of comfort when I was exiled to New York City during a time of apprehension and anxiety.
But that's another story.

The band has shape-shifted somewhat over the years. It is currently comprised of Tracyanne Campbell (guitar, vocals), Kenny McKeeve ( guitar, vocals), Gavin Dunbar (bass), and Lee Thomson  (drums). If you would like to learn more about the group, click here.

The Incremental Steps Toward a Fascist State

by Nomad

First published in 1955, the book, They Thought They Were Free: The Germans, 1933-45,  dealt with a difficult subject in the aftermath of a national catastrophe. It is an examination of the lives of ordinary Germans who lived under the Third Reich.

Journalist Milton Mayer's goal wasn't to shame or berate or even to hold anybody accountable. Without moral judgment, without recriminations, he simply searched for answers: How could this have happened? Or more precisely, how could people let this happen?

Why Oliver North is the Perfect Choice for President of the Extremist NRA

by Nomad

Back in 2011, Nomadic Politics ran a comprehensive examination into the life, career and- most importantly, the extreme ideology of  Lt. Col. Oliver North. It was entitled Along Came a Hero: The Oliver North Myth. Since I wrote that long long article, it has been buried in the archives.

About three weeks ago, I noticed that this article was suddenly picking up a lot of attention. Traffic is always welcome but I was curious why.
The other shoe dropped when the NRA announced that North was to be their president. Obviously, it was time for a revisit.

Film Friday: Liberty Hill

by Nomad

For this Film Friday, I'd like to introduce you Karen Collins from Texas. Until the election of 2016, Collins admits that she took little interest in politics. 

"The election caught me off-guard. I did not really believe that Donald Trump was going to win. I couldn't believe that people could say those things about other religions, about other groups of people, and I was kind of depressed for a couple of weeks. And then, I got mad."

Top Negotiator says US Withdrawal from the Iran Nuclear Deal "A Major Strategic Mistake"

by Nomad

Prior to President Trump's decision to pull out of the Iranian nuclear arms accord, polls showed that majority of Americans (63 percent) said the United States should not withdraw from the agreement. 

According to the poll conducted by SSRS, an independent research company,  29 percent in the latest survey said the U.S. should exit, eight percent did not have an opinion.

Nearly half of those surveyed, 46 percent, said they disapprove of how the president is managing the nation’s relationship with Iran, while 37 percent said they approve. Seventeen percent said they did not have an opinion on the matter.

Sanity Sunday- First Aid Kit

by Nomad

Sisters Klara and Johanna Söderberg from  Stockholm, Sweden perform under the name First Aid Kit. They first came to the world's attention back in 2008 when they posted a YouTube video cover of the Fleet Foxes's song "Tiger Mountain Peasant Song." (In fact,  the pair were already well-known in their home country.)

Film Friday: Room for Change

by Nomad

A short film about passing the torch. 

Room for Change from Dan Fipphen on Vimeo.

Calling Out the Global Problem of Sexual Harassment on the Streets

by Nomad

Women as Objects on Display

Jen Corey was no stranger to being looked at and judged by men. The tall blonde was crowned Miss DC in 2009 and made it to the top 10 of the Miss America Pageant in 2010.
Ever since she was a teenager, Corey has encountered overzealous men. However, after an incident in a bar, she decided to use her beauty queen fame to speak out against street harassment.

Corey found that too often people she spoke with dismissed the subject as just part of life as a woman in the city. Cat-calls,  long looks, sexual comments were something women should expect, especially if they dress in a certain way, act in a certain way or walk through a certain neighborhood at a certain time. 

The Perplexing Case of the Nimer Murders

by Nomad

Back in 2009, I stumbled across this strange story about an investigation of a horrific pair of murders that took a bizarre twist.

A two-page article in the September 22 1958 issue of LIFE magazine relates the chilling and bewildering story of the Nimer murder case. The double homicide of Mr. and Mrs. Melvin Nimer of Staten Island, New York, was a sensation at the time. The reason?
The chief suspect in the crime was their eight-year-old son, Melvin Dean Nimer.

The Murders and the Suspicions

Sometime before two in the morning of September 2, 1958, Melvin Nimer and his wife, Lou Jean Nimer were apparently attacked by an armed assailant in their home.

According to their son's initial account, he was awakened in the night to find a masked man attempting to choke him. His parents rushed to his aid and, in the struggle, were stabbed in the struggle. Based on the boy's description, police issued a manhunt for a white male, wearing blue dungarees and a blue print-striped shirt.
But the police officers felt something was not quite right. Given the fact that he had just witnessed the violent deaths of both his parents, his calm behavior seemed suspicious.

Supreme Leader Kim Jong-un: Trump's "Honorable" Little Rocket Man

by Nomad

Recent surprising comments from President Trump calls into question his ability to judge the character of his adversaries.

Open and Honorable

Despite over a year of saber-rattling and the trashing any kind of negotiation with North Korean leader, President Trump recently did an inexplicable about-face. 

Just the other day, Trump declared that the dictator Kim Jong-un "has really been very open and I think very honorable based on what we are seeing." Trump also said that he was looking forward to meeting Kim "very soon."

Good News Round-up- April 2018

by Nomad

This month's good news round-up includes stories about technology making life better, health breakthroughs and remarkable people going out of their way to help others.

Sanity Sunday- Music by The Secret Trio

by Nomad

For this Sanity Sunday, I want to introduce you to three artists, each of them can be considered esteemed artists in their own right.

Here's Why Trump's Solution to the Opioid Epidemic is Foolish, Cruel and Bound to Fail

by Nomad

"This Horrible, Horrible Situation"

President Trump has never shied away from talking about the opioid epidemic. In October, he declared it to be a national public health emergency under federal law. He said:

No part of our society — not young or old, rich or poor, urban or rural — has been spared this plague of drug addiction and this horrible, horrible situation that’s taken place with opioids.

Twelve Russian Vetoes and the Failure of the UN Security Council

by Nomad

An Exchange of Vetoes

On Tuesday of this week,  April 10, Russia used its veto power at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to block the adoption of a resolution to condemn last week’s deadly gas attack in Syria and push Moscow’s ally, Syrian President Bashar al-Assad, to cooperate with international inquiries into the incident.

A Look Back at the Time Fox and Friends Called Mr. Rogers an "Evil, Evil Man"

by Nomad

Fox & Friends, the folks who the Washington Post described as "very much governing the thoughts and impulses of President Trump" has had a long history of spreading hate. But who remembers the time when they attacked one of America's most beloved icons, Fred Rogers. 

The Evil Genius

Back in May 2008, the producers of Fox & Friends turned the blowtorch of hate to one of America's best-loved and iconic figures, Mr. Fred Rogers. Mr. Rogers, children's television personality, musician, puppeteer, had died five years before and was unable to defend himself.
For this reason, Fox News must have considered him "fair game."

Sanity Sunday- The Classical Ukulele of Samantha Muir

by Nomad

Whenever I think of the ukulele, I see visions of Hawaiian dancers in grass skirts and hibiscus flowers in their hair. If I think a bit harder, there's image of a 1920s Princeton student with a pennant and a straw hat, wearing a raccoon coat.
After that, I draw blanks.

Musician Samantha Muir has opened my mind to the possibilities of the ukulele. Born in England, Samantha moved to Australia with her family at the age of seven.  Muir has studied at prestigious schools such as Sydney Conservatorium, the Victorian College of the Arts and the Royal College of Music in London. She has given solo recitals in England, Wales, Australia, and Spain.(You can find her complete biography here.)

How YouTube's Malicious and Insane Conspiracy Theorists Finally Came Home

by Nomad

One Sunday Morning in Texas

On November 5, 2017, 26-year-old Devin Patrick Kelley walked into the First Baptist Church in Sutherland Springs, Texas, armed with a Ruger AR-556 semi-automatic rifle. He was wearing black tactical gear, a ballistic vest, and a black face-mask featuring a white skull.

Within minutes, Kelley had killed 26 and injured 20 others. After a high-speed chase, the shooter was cornered by police and took his own life.
It was a story we have, unfortunately, become quite familiar with.

Today Marks the 50th Anniversary of the Assassination of Martin Luther King

by Nomad

Sanity Sunday - The Songs of Stephen Chalk

by Nomad

After the last post, consider this Sanity Sunday post a bit of a palate cleanser for the soul.

Chorister Stephen Chalk is a teenage Scottish soprano with an enchanting treble voice.
Since the age of six, he has performed at the renowned Paisley Abbey of the town of Paisley, Renfrewshire, west of Glasgow, in Scotland.
He explains:

"Singing makes me feel happier and uplifts my spirit. I want to share my music with other people and hopefully make them happy too."

He also adds:

"I am passionate about singing because it helps me express myself in ways I do not know very many others can." 

Roseanne Barr, the Bomb-Dropping Darling of Trump's Base

by Nomad

Whatever you think about Roseanne Barr, there is one thing all of us would agree with. She certainly knows how to get attention. Clearly, she is devoted to the idea that there is no such thing as bad publicity.  

Good News Round Up- March 2018

by Nomad

This month's good news round-up is a real mixed bag. We have scientific breakthroughs, governments coming together to protect the environment, and two examples of unselfishness in action.

NATO Confronts the Article 5 Trigger in the Age of Cyber Warfare

by Nomad

In the face of Russian cyber attacks, the 29 members of the NATO are searching for solutions and answers. How can the alliance maintain its policy of collective defense against this new type of warfare? What is the appropriate response to Russian asymmetrical warfare without the potential for a runaway scenario? And most importantly, will the American president be willing to provide the kind of leadership that is needed to deal with this threat?

Accepted Dishonesty, Donald Trump and "The Way We Live Now"

by Nomad

My Escape

Like a lot of you, I often feel overstressed and despondent witnessing the daily tribulations in Washington. It's impossible to remain cheerful and glib in times like this.
No matter how much I tell myself that these grim hours will pass, that the nation in time will recover from all of the things Trump is doing and that we as a nation will be stronger as a result of this national calamity, it is nevertheless a depressing time.

From time to time, for the sake of our emotional well-being, we all need some kind of escapism. I am no different.

Gun Ownership: A Question of Second Amendment Rights over Social Responsibility

by Nomad

By putting profits over responsibility, the gun lobby in America has decided the rights of some are more important than the safety of all. That includes the lives and well-being of our own children.

Writer David Frum has a modest proposal when it comes to gun control. In the name of social responsibility, let's treat guns with the basic accountability they deserve. The same degree of accountability that we give automobiles and other potentially dangerous products on the market.

Sanity Sunday - The Pretenders

by Nomad

Before the music, a few notes on the band and its members.

English-American rock band, The Pretenders, was formed in England in March 1978. The band initially consisted of Chrissie Hynde (lead vocals, rhythm guitar), James Honeyman-Scott (lead guitar, backing vocals, keyboards), Pete Farndon (bass guitar, backing vocals), and Martin Chambers (drums, backing vocals, percussion).

Four Quotes by the Remarkable Stephen Hawking

by Nomad

The life of Stephen Hawking was indeed one of the most remarkable stories of our times. It went beyond a life dedicated to deepening human knowledge and unlocking the mysteries of the universe. .Hawking's genius was a story of survival against all overwhelming odds and seemingly-insurmountable obstacles.

Donald Trump, the GOP and The Dog in the Night That Didn't Bark

by Nomad

The Curious Incident

In his short story, "The Adventure of Silver Blaze," Sir Arthur Conan Doyle, literary father of Sherlock Holmes, first utilized one of  the most enduring plot "hinge." 

Holmes and a Scotland Yard detective are discussing a case of a stolen racehorse, Silver Blaze, and the murder of the horse's trainer. 

Gregory: "Is there any other point to which you would wish to draw my attention?"
Holmes: "To the curious incident of the dog in the night-time."
Gregory: "The dog did nothing in the night-time."
Holmes: "That was the curious incident."

At the core, as Sherlock Holmes explained, it is a question of an unaccountable deviation from normal or expected behavior. The dog didn't bark because the "midnight visitor" was a person it obviously knew very well. As a plot device, the silence of the guard dog has most likely worn out its usefulness.
Yet, on the political stage, the Republican Party has lately been breathing new life into this tired motif. 

Sanity Sunday- Enchanting Songs by Aikyo

by Nomad

The group, Aikyo, from Cataluña, Spain is something of a mystery. I really couldn't find out too much about the group. I can tell you that the band members include Ruben LLorach, Kampah, Marta Gonzalez, María Prado, and Joan Orench.

I hope you find the selection both enjoyable and relaxing. Have a soothing Sunday, my friends.

Despite Public Pressure, Florida Republicans Dodge a Bullet on an Assault Rifle Ban

by Nomad

How should state legislators react in the aftermath of not one but two horrific mass shooting events? Republicans in Florida struggled against public pressure to do something without offending the NRA.

How America's Inflexible Immigration Policy is Tearing Families Apart

by Nomad

Whatever your views on immigration, the story of the Pukri family is a tale of what happens when broad policy trickles down to a human level. 

Having left their home country for the US nearly two decades ago, the goals of the Vitor and Neta were to obtain their legal status to remain in the country they loved. At the time, with the civil order broken down, Albania was a dangerous place to raise a family.
Take a listen to this short podcast.

Sanity Sunday- The Music of Cat Stevens

by Nomad

For anybody who came of age around the early 1970s, the name Cat Stevens is bound to be wrapped up with quite a few personal memories. (The same is true for singer/songwriters like James Taylor, Carole King and many others.)

Regardless of whether you agree or disagree with his religious or political opinions, his music still sounds as fresh as it did back in that time.

How Decades of Fear-Stoking by the NRA and GOP Have Made Smart Gun Laws Impossible

by Nomad

Yesterday was a historic day. It was the day President Trump led the nation into an era of meaningful gun law reform and defied the all-powerful NRA.
That was the idea anyway.

If you had the stomach for it- I endured about 5 minutes- this exercise in suspending disbelief was both disturbing and fascinating.
With the cameras rolling, the president sat down with members of Congress from both parties. Calling upon the attendee to draft "comprehensive" and radical reforms, Trump declared "“It’s time that a president stepped up.”

• Expanding background checks to weapons purchased at gun shows and on the internet? Sure, why not?
• Keeping guns from mentally ill people? Sounds good!
• Securing schools and restricting gun sales for some young adults? Let's do it!

Our Benedict Arnold Presidency

by Nomad

When we examine the most infamous traitors of American history, we inevitably turn to Benedict Arnold? His crime was treason but specifically, what were the details of that crime?
For this discussion, a few historical details are important.

Sophie Scholl and the Conscience of the Nation

by Nomad

This 22 February marked the 75th anniversary of the trial and execution of  21-year-old Sophie Magdalena Scholl. Along with her brother, Hans, and her friend, Christoph Probst, Sophie was charged with and convicted of high treason against the Nazi regime.

Why Russian Opposition Leader Navalny's Recent Video Deserves a Closer Look

by Nomad

At the beginning of this month, while all of us were preoccupied with porn star pay-offs and Trump's tweets, the main opposition leader in Russia, Alexei Navalny posted a video on YouTube, outlining interesting accusations against the Putin administration.
His private investigation involves a wild cast of characters: an indiscreet escort, a philandering oligarch, and an extremely powerful, and possibly corrupt government official.

Florida Inmates Serve Time Caring for Abandoned Animals

by Nomad

In honor of National Love Your Pet Day, here's a short video about an innovative program at the Stock Island Detention Center in Key West involving abandoned animals and incarcerated inmates.

Christopher Hitchens' Banana Republic of America- Revisited

by Nomad

The term "banana republic" can be traced back to a collection of short stories by O.Henry a called "Cabbages and Kings." In that book, he described his observations based on the time he lived in Honduras when he was on the run for bank embezzlement. The portrait O. Henry drew was not a flattering one.

The bare-bones definition of a "banana republic" is a politically-unstable nation with an economy dependent on a chief export controlled by a single corporation, usually in foreign hands.
But there's more to it than that.

Good News Round -Up for Week Two of February 2018

by Nomad

In an endless search of positive news, I scoured the Internet, hunting high and low. and I managed to find these four stories for all my glum Nomads. 

Super Beans for Human Beings

Let's talk beans. Specifically, super beans. 

Developed by scientists at the National Agricultural Research Organisation of Uganda, in collaboration with the Colombia-based International Centre for Tropical Agriculture (CIAT), the Nabe 15 bean is better than your average bean. It's a fast-maturing, high-yield variety that drought-resistant. 

Sanity Sunday- The Music of Zach Winters

 by Nomad

Norman, Oklahoma-based artist Zach Winters has been described as "a multi-instrumentalist, a reader, a man of faith, a writer and a dedicated husband and father." According to his bio, Winters has had the honor to sing for Syrian refugees, laboring mothers, orphans in Mexico, and his friends, neighbors and family.

Insecurity on Display: Trump's Pompous Parade and Nixon's Palace Guards

by Nomad

Back in January 1970, then-president Richard Nixon took a good look at the White House guard (secret service uniformed division) and made a decision. The attire was not suitably fancy.

It would not do.

And so, he ordered an overhaul of the uniforms to match what he had seen in palaces worn in other countries.

From now on, the president ordered, the guards would be decked out in uniforms which featured a white, double-breasted tunic with gold shoulder trim and a stiff shako hat with peaked front.  

Trump and the Lessons of the Rise of Benito Mussolini

by Nomad

Comparing Donald Trump to some of the more infamous dictators of the past is pretty standard fare nowadays. However, without even mentioning Trump by name, one blogger, Quintus Curtius, in an interesting blog post has made a few fascinating points about the Italian fascist Mussolini and the series of events that put him in absolute control.