Fascism Isn’t a Slur for Politics We Don’t Like

28/09/202503/10/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary authoritarianism, derek johnson, fascism, MAGA, trump 2.0, USA

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

Empire’s Use of Occupation & Propaganda as a Weapon

25/08/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary afghanistan, colonialism, empire, ethnic cleansing, first intigada, freedom, genocide, Greater Israel, hamas, iraq, iraq war, israel, lebensraum, PLO, ryan ward, security, syria, USA, Zionism

Below is a LinkedIn post by Ryan Ward, who is based in Cambridge, England. It's a simple explanation for people who "condemn Hamas (Islamic Resistance Movement) without ever asking why they exist in the first place." I know some of these people, otherwise kind, caring, and compassionate individuals who have swallowed this particular hasbara talking … Continue reading Empire’s Use of Occupation & Propaganda as a Weapon

Theresienstadt (1944) and Gaza (2025)

24/08/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary aid death trap, ethnic cleansing, gaza, genocide, idf, iof, israel, starvation, theresienstadt, USA, witkoff

Image created by ChatGPT This is a LinkedIn post by Judith Smit about Steve Witkoff's recent visit to the Gaza aid death trap. comparing it to a 1944 Nazi film about the Theresienstadt concentration camp. In 1944, deep into the Second World War, the Nazi regime produced a film in the Theresienstadt concentration camp. The … Continue reading Theresienstadt (1944) and Gaza (2025)

Technical State of Civil War

06/08/202525/09/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary civil war, MAGA, trump, US constitution, USA

This is a repost of a Facebook post by Robert Hawks, who lives in Michigan City, Indiana. I know it's long, all 3,387 words and 14 minutes, but it's so worth it. Trust me. So turn off the TV, mute your phone, grab a drink of choice, and start reading. Read it to the end … Continue reading Technical State of Civil War

“Tear Down the Walls”

09/06/202508/06/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary, video arrests, authoritarianism, christofascism, cold as ICE, deportation, deportations, detention, ethnic cleansing, FUBAR, gaza, genocide, ICE, israel, lawlessness, MAGA, palestine, resist, shitstorm, tear down the walls, USA

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”

Of China, the USA, and Tariffs

14/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary china, debt, functional illiteracy, tariffs, trade, us nationalism, USA, world economy

Here's a short and sweet take on the tariff situation between these two superpowers by Paul Renaud, a "trusted independent adviser to CxOs and boards in Canada, the UK, and the US. (Source: LinkedIn.) I especially like the graphic that puts things in perspective. I've been hammering away at the blind spot of US nationalism, … Continue reading Of China, the USA, and Tariffs

The Future Belongs to Those Who Welcome Talent

05/04/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary canada, immigration, project 2025, USA

This is a guest post by Rakhmad Sobirov, a Canada-based attorney and LinkedIn connection. The answer to his rhetorical question is a resounding YES. This is one of the many prices the US will pay for implementing the Project 2025 playbook. Peace, MAA Life offers strange ironies. Rakhmad was interrogated by Officer Ahmad. 🤣 Here's … Continue reading The Future Belongs to Those Who Welcome Talent

If You Were Evil and Wanted to Destroy America, How Would You Do It?

07/03/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary alliances and global influence, america, chatGPT, cultural and psychological warfare, cyber warfare, economic destabilization, military weaking, political division and social unrest, president musk, trump, united states, USA

Speaking of "super dark," this Halloween-esque image is AI-generated. All he needs is a black MAGA hat a la President Musk. This is a question I asked ChatGPT. I was "inspired" by a related Instagram video. Here's its initial response: ChatGPT: That’s a pretty wild question! But if you're asking from a strategic, analytical perspective—like … Continue reading If You Were Evil and Wanted to Destroy America, How Would You Do It?

Is Donald Trump a Fascist?

15/02/2025 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary 2017, 2025, authoritarianism, autocracy, christofascism, fascism, kleptocracy, project 2025, trump, USA

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?

Homelessness in the Wealthiest Country on Earth

05/08/202407/08/2024 Mark A. Ashwill Commentary debt, homelessness, philadelphia, poverty, USA

Photo by MAA How a society treats its most vulnerable is always the measure of its humanity. Statement by Ambassador Matthew Rycroft of the UK Mission to the UN at the Security Council Open Debate on Children and Armed Conflict I saw many scenes like the above in the major US cities I visited earlier … Continue reading Homelessness in the Wealthiest Country on Earth

An International Educator in Vietnam

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