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Why so much faith in politics?

It’s only February and other than the almost nonstop coverage of the Nancy Guthrie kidnapping story, especially cable networks are obsessed with the November election, though it is more than eight months away. So much can — and likely will — change before then. Why all the attention? When I was active on the lecture circuit my opening line was “I’m happy to be here tonight from Washington, D.C., where the only politicians with convictions are in prison.” Another laugh-getter was “Do you know the meaning of politics? Poly means many and ticks are blood-sucking ...

Trump stops race to save the creation

May we talk about spiritual matters? “In the beginning,” the Bible opens, “God created the heavens and the earth.” Several lines down, God says, let humankind “have dominion over the fish of the sea, and over the birds of the air, and over the cattle, and over all the wild animals of the earth, and over every creeping thing that creeps upon the earth.” We humans were given stewardship of earth, but global warming is remaking the world beneath us. We are the cause, but we still have the power to stop or at least greatly slow the desecration of what was placed in our ...

The con consuming American politics

There is a growing sense of frustration coursing through American politics, and it is no longer confined to one party or ideology. That frustration has real roots. Major institutions badly damaged their credibility during the COVID-19 pandemic, the excesses of the Black Lives Matter movement, and years of breathless coverage of Russiagate. At the same time, artificial intelligence looms over the labor market with few clear answers about what comes next. Add to that a political class that often appears shamelessly corrupt, and the result is a public that feels misled, ignored and ...

A short note to Kristi Noem

The New York Times reports that the Department of Homeland Security has sent Google (owner of YouTube), Meta (Facebook and Instagram), and other media corporations subpoenas for the names on accounts that criticize ICE enforcement. The department wants to identify Americans who oppose what it’s doing. I’ll save them time. Hello? Kristi Noem? Robert Reich here. I hear you’re trying to find the names of people who are making negative comments on social media about ICE enforcement. Look no further. I’ve done it frequently. I’m still doing it. This note to you is another ...

Our usual predictable, boring Super Bowl Satyricon

In recent years, Americans have known what to expect from our Neronian Super Bowl halftime shows. Mediocre music is veneered over with gaudy, flashily lit, but ultimately empty and meaningless sets. The usual array of supporting dancers twerk and simulate intercourse, in sync with the main singer periodically grabbing his/her genitals — apparently to highlight the explicit sexual allusions of the mostly nonsensical lyrics. All this Roman orgiastic ritual is designed by the NFL each year somehow to appeal to American families of all ages as they gather together around the living ...

Make sure you prepare to vote in May primary

If you’re beginning to feel as though the stakes in this year’s elections are unusually high, you are not alone. Even a cursory glance at newspaper opinion pages or social media feeds will tell you there are strong feelings on many important issues — and plenty of people believe they must weigh in on the candidates who might address those issues. Here’s the problem. When it really counts — Election Day — those opinion pieces or social media posts will not move the needle. Your vote will; and primary elections are closer than you might think. Ohio’s Secretary of ...