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The tyranny of one man’s opinion

Editorials

Thomas Cromwell was the Lord Chancellor of England for much of the reign of King Henry VIII. He engineered the convictions and executions of many whom Henry wanted out of the way, including his two predecessors in office — one of whom was St. Thomas More — and even the king’s second wife, Queen Anne. When Cromwell’s son Gregory, who became sickened as he watched his father devolving from counselor to monster, learned that an executioner for the queen had been sent for from France a week before her trial, he asked his father what the purpose of her trial was if the king had ...

Remembering false gloom, doom of 1992 elections, and the upcoming midterms

Editorials

In 1992, Bill Clinton won the presidential election partly on the basis of his campaign’s false accusation that George H. W. Bush had overseen “the worst economic performance since the Great Depression.” Or so claimed Clinton’s running mate Al Gore. James Carville, chief campaign adviser to Clinton/Gore, amplified that message with the constant refrain: “It’s the economy, stupid.” That strategy worked for three reasons. First, third-party candidate Ross Perot siphoned off nearly 19% of the vote. Most of his supporters would otherwise likely have gone to Bush. Perot ...

If Hegseth wants to strip military of weirdos, he should resign

Editorials

Where did this guy come from? How did a TV personality end up leading America’s defense department, especially in a time of war? Donald Trump put Pete Hegseth in charge of the Department of Defense. It’s now officially called the War Department, but I’m not ready to go there. In one of his stranger announcements, Hegseth vowed to rid the U.S. military of “weirdos” and “beardos.” Sure enough, Hegseth does not have a beard, unlike the “beardo” Ulysses S. Grant or his Confederate opponent, Robert E. Lee. As for the weirdo part, well ... the jury’s out for ...

Commit to cut trend of rising cycle carnage

Editorials

Over the past two months, roadways in the Mahoning Valley have fast become concrete killing fields for motorcyclists. The proof is in the data: Since August no fewer than six individuals have lost their lives while riding motorcycles in Mahoning, Trumbull and Columbiana counties. The fatalities included a 64-year-old Salem man traversing state Route 45 in Lordstown, a 42-year-old Cortland woman who struck horses along state Route 46 in Bazetta, an 18-year-old Youngstown man struck by a vehicle turning into an East Side apartment complex and a 61-year-old Lisbon man hit by a turning ...

Letters to the Editor

Letters to the Editor

Be sure to keep score as Election Day approaches DEAR EDITOR: I know there is not a lot of interest in midterm elections, but there should be. I know it’s hard to pay attention to what they say and what they don’t say, which makes me have to read between the lines. Keeping score isn’t easy either. It’s harder than calling balls and strikes. Dad rule (I was right). It seems to me there is more at stake in this midterm than most. Trump knows construction: 1) pour the footer, let it cure; 2) Build the foundation 3 or 4 courses at a time. Let that cure; 3) Finish the ...

Why are so many Americans down in the dumps despite great prosperity?

Editorials

In nearly every way, Americans have more material wealth, better health, better housing and more of just about everything than ever before. Not just the rich, but nearly everyone. Americans’ standard of living is roughly 50% higher, after inflation, than it was 50 years ago. The median family income is now close to $90,000. That’s an income level higher than that of 90% of families living in the rest of the world. These ARE the good old days. Yet over the past 30 years, nearly every poll has shown that a plurality of Americans think things are “headed in the wrong ...