Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer At the beginning of the Second Gulf War, Vice President Dick Cheney confidently told us that American troops would be greeted as liberators. We know that was a lie. Like the Weapons of Mass Destruction lie, the Bush Administration told it to avoid facing reality. These liesContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer It is a truism that elections have consequences. No doubt this Tuesday’s election will also, but it will not change much. All across the country voters dug into familiar patterns rather than alter course. Nationally, President Joe Biden can lock in his legislative victories. Here to stayContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Leadership requires correctly identifying problems and developing solutions. Demagogues often recognize when others are in pain, but they then exploit the pain for personal gain. This technique helps the politician gain, and solidify, power. Demagogues behave exactly like snake oil salesmen. Before the Pure Food andContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer I used to love listening to country music in my dad’s pickup. He had an eight track that played all of his favorites. Dad also knew where to find all his country stations on the radio. I had a steady diet of 60s, 70s and 80s countryContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Boxers and soldiers often train fighting dummies. It is easy to understand why. Dummies don’t fight back. Eventually, however, a good fighters needs to train against another human as an opponent if they want to win a real fight. Debates work similarly with words. Some debaters onlyContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer I am always struck when I come to the end of the Good Samaritan parable in the gospel of Luke. The parable ends with the rich man begging Abraham to send Lazarus back from the dead to warn his brothers. Abraham ridicules the rich man. Abraham saidContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Conservatives politicians make two promises. They promise that government can’t work when they are elected. They promise to run government like their personal business. Why are we surprised when things turned out good for them and their friends but bad for us? Conservative politicians are on televisionContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer When a woman walks into a doctor’s office should Greg Abbott, Dan Patrick and Ken Paxton walk in too? Should national Republicans like Mitch McConnell, Kevin McCarthy and Ted Cruz watch a woman’s exam? Should these politicians make medical decisions for women? Republican politicians in Austin andContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer The death of Queen Elizabeth II reminds me how lucky we are as Americans. We don’t have a monarchy. We have a Republic. The American Republic belongs to all the people, not a single person. Our Republic, however, owes much to the history of the English monarchy.Continue Reading
Conservatives have been pretty clear about one aspect of their governing philosophy. They say that they will run government like a business. Liberals, however, see government as public services. The results are dramatically different. Liberal policies shaped American politics after the Great Depression. Franklin Delano Roosevelt provided a role modelContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Between Jan. 20, 2001 and July 14, 2008 prices at the gas pump rose from $1.47 per gallon to $4.11 per gallon. During that extended price rise, two Texas oil men sat in the Oval Office and made decisions. Dramatically, gas prices fell to $1.61 by DecemberContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Every August I remember our history. For professional historians, history is based on documents. Documents give us a look into real time events rather than looking backwards. Documents help us separate reality from storytelling. On Aug. 6, 2001 a Central Intelligence Agent handed George W. Bush aContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Just you thought it couldn’t get any worse, it gets better. Since Putin’s invasion of Ukraine, the global recovery from Covid 19 stalled. Global traders panic, driving up prices and clogging supply chains. Market fears of a new, and wider, disruption never materialized, however. Energy supply remainedContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Misdirection is a common technique used by con men. Con men create a distraction that looks threatening, and then they use it to steal from you. They could bump into you. They could even have accomplishes who start a fake argument. Con men appear often in theContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer Benjamin Franklin updated a Medieval saying: “the rotten apple spoils his companion.” This proverb has been handed down to us as “One bad apple spoils the bunch.” If you eat fruits and vegetables regularly, you know this to be true. We also know it’s true for people. Continue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer The year 312 of the Common Era marked a decisive turning point in world history. A Roman general named Constantine wanted total control of the empire. Constantine waged war against his enemies to establish dominance. Since the time of Julius Caesar (100-44 BCE), Roman generals ruled byContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer I love to travel. I inherited this love from my parents. Dad’s service in the Army opened a world to me. Our three years living in Germany had the most impact. Weekends and holidays in Germany were an adventure. The churches and the castles overflowed with history.Continue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer On April 19, 1995 Timothy McVeigh attacked the United States of America. He murdered 168 Americans. Ten children were among the dead. At the time of his arrest, McVeigh had excerpts from the Turner Diaries in his car. This 1978 novel by William Luther Pierce depicts aContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer One year and four months after Donald Trump took occupancy of the White House, gas price averages rose from $2.46 to $2.99 per gallon. Two years later, in May 2020, the average price per gallon had fallen to $1.96. What causes these wild swings? What had DonaldContinue Reading
Glenn Melancon/Contributing writer After the Second World War, the United States Supreme Court has been following a single star. Individual liberty is stronger than state power. Millions of Americans from all walks of life had risked their lives, and the nation honored their service with individual liberty. The new conservativeContinue Reading