Jeffrey St. Clair, co-editor of CounterPunch, and several other writers were asked by the Toni Morrison Foundation to do exactly that. Below is a slightly expanded version with 331 words. Jeff's original version appeared in the fall issue of Ishmael Reed’s new magazine, Tar Baby. Knowing that every word counts, what would you say, dear reader? … Continue reading “Describe the Present US Predicament in 250 Words or Less.”
authoritarianism
These Beautiful Flames
Here's one of the latest results of my ongoing experimentation with AI. This is DeepSeek's upbeat version of a song about the US as a metaphorical dumpster fire that I promised to share with you in this 10 October 2025 blog post, The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire. It's not bad, but it's not … Continue reading These Beautiful Flames
The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire
Gemini created this straightforward image in response to the following prompt: Create an image of a dumpster fire and a U.S. flag. If I were to edit this image, part of the flag would be on fire to make the image less literal and more symbolic. I asked ChatGPT to create an image based on this … Continue reading The USA as a Metaphorical Dumpster Fire
National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7): The Devil is in the Details
Posted by Rachel Hurley on her Facebook page. Follow this link to read the original document on The White House website. This memorandum, which takes the US one step closer to full-throated fascism, has the filthy and bloodstained paw prints of Stephen Miller all over it. Here are the operative sections: The memorandum lists specific … Continue reading National Security Presidential Memorandum (NSPM-7): The Devil is in the Details
Fascism Isn’t a Slur for Politics We Don’t Like
Faced with what is right, yet doing nothing about it shows a lack of courage. Confucius, The Analects 2.24 This is a 19 September 2025 Facebook post by Derek Johnson, Managing Director at Research Collaborative in Washington, D.C. Merriam Webster defines fascism as "a populist political philosophy, movement, or regime (such as that of the … Continue reading Fascism Isn’t a Slur for Politics We Don’t Like
“Tear Down the Walls”
REUTERS/via SNO Sites/Lucy NicholsonThe badge of ICE Field Office Director, Enforcement and Removal Operations, in Hawthorne, California. File photo March 1, 2020. I created this song "in honor of" ICE (U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement), a US government agency from hell. Let me know which version you prefer in the comments section below, on my … Continue reading “Tear Down the Walls”
The Scourge of Binary Thinking
Below is the latest post by Benjamin Cremer that I felt was worth sharing. Ben is a self-described pastor, Wesleyan, and writer whom I follow on Instagram and Into the Gray on Substack. As he writes on the former, "My desire is for authentic dialogue, especially as we navigate through difficult topics at the intersection … Continue reading The Scourge of Binary Thinking
Is Donald Trump a Fascist?
So are his henchmen/women, including de facto President Musk. I asked Chat GPT this rhetorical question. Here's its namby-pamby answer, obviously based on what transpired during his first term. 2025 is not 2017. Let's ask the same question after the end of Trump 2.0 - if not before. My response would be: Is the Pope … Continue reading Is Donald Trump a Fascist?
An International Educator in Vietnam 
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