The New York Times, widely regarded the best paper in the U.S., if not the world, for the breadth and depth of its news coverage, has come under incessant attack by President Trump, and his millions of followers, as a nefarious purveyor of "fake news."We hear that the Times' news coverage is tendentious, if not …
Continue reading One loud cheer for the 'fake news' New York Times
Over dinner a few nights ago, Stew, two friends and I, talked—actually gossiped—about another couple of guys we all know. This other couple is very politically conservative and believers in conspiracy theories of all sorts, from jet contrails causing cancer to Neil Armstrong not really having landed on the moon, and, I imagine, the entire …
The following came from a friend in San Miguel who was born in Britain but is now a naturalized Mexican citizen. A Brit's View of Donald TrumpWhy do some British people not like Donald Trump? Nate White, an articulate and witty writer from England, wrote this magnificent response: A few things spring to mind.Trump lacks certain qualities which …
Once upon a time, maybe three years go, in a galaxy called the United States of America, the Republican Party fervently supported open markets and trade like an article of faith. Assuming the partners played cleanly and according to agreed-upon rules—which I recognize is not always the case with customers like China—free trade was considered …
Continue reading Where have the Republican free traders gone?
With only 18 months left in his first term—though many of his supporters fervently look forward to a second—it's not too early to do some preliminary thinking about how Donald Trump's exciting presidency will be publicly commemorated.The Jockey shorts would be particularly distracting in a presidential portrait. When presidents leave office plans are drawn at least …
Continue reading Are we ready to memorialize Trump's presidency?
Except for the gasoline crisis a couple of months ago, I must confess that I have not followed the performance of Mexico's new president, Andrés Manuel López Obrador (popularly known as AMLO) since he took office earlier this year.The avalanche of political news from the U.S. pretty much eclipses what goes on here—at least from …
Continue reading When does populism become authoritarianism?
Crossing the border from Mexico to the U.S., about a week ago, we found each country facing crises caused in large part by the male bravado and arrogance of its leader.When Donald Trump, in 2015, announced what at the time seemed like a hopeless bid for the presidency, he vowed to build a concrete wall …
Continue reading When the male ego clouds the judgment of political leaders
2019 greeted us with a shortage of gasoline, resulting in four- and five-block-long lines at the few stations still operating, and conflicting explanations from newly-elected Mexican President Andrés Manuel López Obrador, various newspapers and my dentist Dr. Jesús Herrera. A couple of consumers I spoke with, standing stoically in line for an hour or more to fill …
Continue reading Gas shortages in Mexico fuel dozens of theories
Exile in Mexico has a number of advantages, chief among them that you could, theoretically, try to preserve some peace of mind by setting some distance from the jarring avalanche of political news coming from the U.S.Erik Hagerman, was so upset at Donald Trump's election that he swore that he would avoid learning about anything …
In America's inflamed political environment today, and arguably in much of the world, complex problems have been reduced to generic political labels, and Donald Trump has become the leading exponent of something called "populism". In Britain one has Nigel Farage, in Italy, Silvio Berlusconi and in France, Marine Le Pen, each offering their own version of …
Continue reading Trump: Populist, fascist or opportunist? Pick one.
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