Like now, at the time of the birth of our nation, there were two parties: the Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans. Within three decades, one would disappear.
Tag: George Washington
Alan Chartock: I Publius
Term limits have been proposed at every level of government, particularly when people allege or suspect abuse of office.
ORANGE ALERT: The (almost) daily outrage
Trump downplayed the alliance with the Kurds, 11,000 of whom died fighting to help the U.S. mission against ISIS.
CONNECTIONS: Searching for the American Centinel
It is remarkable that anyone thought they could start a newspaper with little hope for advertising revenue and less hope for reliable delivery. And yet, on Oct. 23, 1787, the first issue of the first newspaper in Berkshire County, the American Centinel, appeared.
ORANGE ALERT: The (almost) daily outrage
A stack of evidence that Trump either doesn’t understand or doesn’t care about the idea of the presidency as a stewardship, a public trust…that is meant to be handed off after a bounded time period.
ORANGE ALERT: The (almost) daily outrage
“I am sickened at the extent and pervasiveness of dishonesty and misdirection by individuals in the highest office of the land, including the President.”
— U.S. Sen. Mitt Romney, R-Utah
CONNECTIONS: The counterfeit veto
Untruth from the White House to the public is rife. Actually, it is more subtle than Twitter rants riddled with identifiable lies.
CONNECTIONS: The unspeakable climate
It is interesting to contemplate that weather is blamed for the demise of the Vikings, the French Revolution and the bubonic plague. It is also interesting that the founding of this country, the creation of our Constitution, the Civil War, American industrialization and our Gilded Age all happened against a backdrop of extreme cold and global climate change.
CONNECTIONS: A question of treason
Benedict Arnold is a name synonymous with treason. The facts seem clear; the motivation eludes us. Why did Arnold do it? Were his actions motivated by love, greed, hubris, or a rich mix of all three?
CONNECTIONS: The enigmatic Ethan Allen, ‘founder’ of Vermont
There are two mysteries about Ethan Allen: Who was he and where is he?
CONNECTIONS: A rebellion of ‘desperate debtors’
In August 1786, Daniel Shays, a Massachusetts farmer, ceased the search for “representatives who can find means to redress the grievances of the people” and took up arms.
Smoke Signals from the Swamp: Comey on Comey in ‘A Higher Loyalty’
Critical reviews of “A Higher Loyalty” are easy to find. Instead, I’m going to offer some excerpts many critics have neglected—reminiscences that reveal why James Comey has become the man he is, providing perspective about why he responded the way he did to the Clinton email investigation and the improper demands of Donald Trump.
CONNECTIONS: ‘The Resolves’ of Sheffield, hotbed of insurrection
Some historians dismiss the Sheffield Resolves; others call them the first American Declaration of Independence. In either case, in just seven days, who wrote this impressive document?
CONNECTIONS: What would George do?
When name calling intensifies and vitriol rules, when there is more heat than light, all sense is lost.
POEM: Dreams of a Leader
Well, sure. TR had to go. And no great loss.
Presidents look stupid wearing glasses.
POEM: From George to Donald — The Countdown
Washington to Trump: From Founding Father to the Liars Club.
CONNECTIONS: Lies, damned lies, and the facts
Today, dangerously, we argue fact as if it were one of multiple opinions. It saps our national strength and hampers our ability to problem-solve.
CONNECTIONS: Did alcohol shape American history?
If you think of our country as Christian and sober, it is probably because you are more familiar with our later history. Taverner Root in Lenox was hauled into court when his customers, well-lubricated, were found dancing on tables, singing and shouting.
Lulu ‘n’ Hershey
In celebration of Independence Day, a Lulu ‘n’ Hershey twofer: double page panels in which we gt to see Hershey riding a “horse.”
Lulu ‘n’ Hershey
Things are getting a bit testy at the Cafe Perspectivo as the staff prepares costumes for the Fourth of July Parade and Lulu continues her memorization of the Declaration of Independence.
Connections: Agrippa Hull — soldier, farmer, philosopher
While Agrippa Hull was safe from slavery in Stockbridge, he lived much too close to the New York border. Slavery was legal in New York and kidnappers were common. They came across the state line, grabbed Black men, women and children in Massachusetts, and sold them in New York.
Unresolved ‘resolves’ and other Berkshire conflicts
The battle is not couched as in the 18th century: the merchant class versus the farmers. Today, it is Main Street versus Wall Street.