Category Archives: politics

An interview with Noam Chomsky and why he signed the Harper’s letter

August 13, 2020 – 9:30 am

I’ve been remiss in following—or even learning about—Noam Chomsky. I’m not much into linguistics, and, truth be told, I couldn’t even recount his big contributions there beyond the concept of Universal Grammar, or how well they’ve stood up over time. I have read several of his political pieces, so I’m aware of his severe criticism […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in interview | Comments (57)

Andrew Sullivan’s latest lucubrations

August 8, 2020 – 10:00 am

Andrew Sullivan’s site is still free, but will shortly go to a fee scheme whereby you can pay $50 a year for full access (I’ve already subscribed). The format is still a weekly tripartite column, but with additions like his famous “The View from My Window” contest, in which readers have to guess exactly where […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in Andrew Sullivan, journalism, journalists behaving badly, racism | Comments (40)

Allan Lichtman, with a “perfect” record, predicts this year’s election

August 7, 2020 – 8:30 am

According to the New York Times video below, Allan Lichtman, a distinguished professor of history at American University, has had a “perfect” record of predicting the winners of election since 1984, and that supposedly includes Trump’s win over Clinton four years ago (but see the caveat below). Lichtman is a Democrat, but says that he […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in Trumpiana | Comments (79)

More heat than light: the Axios interview of Trump

August 4, 2020 – 11:15 am

Here’s a 38-minute interview of Trump by Jonathan Swan, an Australian journalist who works for the American news site Axios. You’re not going to learn anything new about policy or politics from this interview, but you will see what a blustering narcissist Trump is. But you already knew that, didn’t you? It starts off antagonistically […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in lunacy, Trumpiana | Comments (144)

Republican Senator appears to have stretched the nose of his Jewish opponent

July 28, 2020 – 12:00 pm

I resisted the claim, made in the Forward article below, that Republican senator David Perdue (GA) used a deliberate anti-Semitic trope to demonize his Jewish opponent in this fall’s election, Jon Ossoff, who interned as a high schooler with John Lewis. Click to read the article: In a campaign ad on Facebook, shown below, Ossoff […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in anti-semitism | Comments (50)

Readers’ non-wildlife photos

July 21, 2020 – 12:15 pm

Reader Joe Routon sent in some photos he took of demonstrations—a timely subject in the U.S. And although these aren’t wildlife photos, I found them sufficiently absorbing to give them a separate post.  Joe’s notes are indented; click photos to enlarge. All photos © 2019 Joseph Routon With all of the demonstrating going on in […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in photography | Comments (15)

Who will be Biden’s VP choice?

July 12, 2020 – 11:30 am

Traditionally the Vice-Presidential candidate is named in July or August, and that time is upon us. We know that Pence will be Trump’s VP candidate, and I hope both go down in flames. But who will be Biden’s? Joe has said he’ll name a woman as the candidate, and many Dems are also plumping for […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in pandemic, Trumpiana | Comments (118)

Five timely readings for the day

July 10, 2020 – 10:30 am

I have nothing to say, but it’s okay (Good morning!).  Actually, duck duties in the pouring rain (yes, I got soaked, but in a good cause), combined with overdue grocery shopping, has put a crimp in my day. But, mirabile dictu, I have five—count them, five—pieces that are worth your time to read. I’ll give […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in Authoritarian and Regressive Left, Authoritarian Left, pandemic, race, racism, Science, Trumpiana | Comments (45)

Results of yesterday’s election poll

July 5, 2020 – 8:30 am

We got a decent response to yesterday’s question about who will win the Presidential election in November. Here are the results as of 5 a.m. today. By a more than three-to-one margin, readers thought that Biden would take it, although 19% thought Trump would win. There was a good discussion, with some readers even suggesting […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in poll | Comments (74)

The Lincoln project’s latest anti-Trump ads, one in Russian and the other about Russia

July 4, 2020 – 12:00 pm

As you probably know, The Lincoln Project is a PAC (political action committee) composed largely of Republicans who oppose Trump’s re-election in November. They endorsed Joe Biden earlier this spring, and are known for their hard-hitting videos (collection here) that The Atlantic has criticized this way: “personally abusive, overwrought, pointlessly salacious, and trip-wired with non […]

By whyevolutionistrue | Also posted in advertisements, Trumpiana | Comments (46)