Remember the criticism leveled at George W. Bush for sitting in a Florida classroom after hearing the news of the 9/11 attacks? He was accused of indecision and not knowing what to do. Years later he is still blamed for not reacting differently, though it’s hard to imagine that leaping from his chair and sprinting for the door would have been treated fairly by his critics. They … [Read more...] about Silence Was Trump’s Best Option After Charlottesville Tragedy
Current Events
Not too long ago current events in the news consisted of two words: impeachment and Ukraine.
How quickly things change. Now there are still only two words in the news. They both start with a "c." They refer to a pandemic disease instead of a Washington scandal, but they are still all about politics.
Current events drive politics. The reverse is also true. This is sadly apparent now as tackling a public health crisis takes second place to leveraging political opportunity from Americans deaths and a historic economic upheaval that put the world's greatest economy on hold. This is a textbook case of turning a piece of history into a political saleable commodity.
When we want to know the facts behind current events there is truth to be had. The problem is that the truth is seldom as entertaining, or in this case distressing as the fake news and distorted rhetoric fed to the public by politicians and media outlets with ulterior motives that have nothing to do with providing reliable information.
Whenever possible posts in Civil Candor’s current events category rely on information from reputable government agencies to drill down to the truth behind what we read in the news. Failing that, it’s always good to know what voices in the House and Senate have to say and what they intend to do because that’s where the policies that shape our response to current events comes from. The information to put historical events in perspective is always out there. The hard part is finding it.
History of Failed Presidential Leadership is Trump’s Problem
All presidents fail at something sooner or later, but I don’t remember a time when we were so determined to make it happen. Our expectations for fixing the problems dumped in Trump’s lap should be pretty low. There is a very long history of failed presidential leadership and unsolved problems before him. Instead of cutting Trump some slack, Americans want this president to fail … [Read more...] about History of Failed Presidential Leadership is Trump’s Problem
Divisive Speech by Trump Even Worse Than We Feared
I don’t recall Barack Obama making many speeches to the NRA. Maybe he did, but somehow I doubt it. He liked talking to the press and rubbing elbows with celebrities at White House bashes. Obama hung around people who helped him look good. It made sense. PR is important to a president. People who adored Obama don’t like Donald Trump. The media will spend this Sunday picking … [Read more...] about Divisive Speech by Trump Even Worse Than We Feared
May Day Rallies: Anarchy Ridicules Weak and Powerless
Too bad America’s left isn’t more militaristic. Missiles and uniforms would add some impact to this year's May Day rallies. Russia is way ahead of our liberals on this one. How can you celebrate May Day without a show of force? Strength in numbers sounds impressive, but when all you are doing is demonstrating with no power and nothing to back up your words the numbers only … [Read more...] about May Day Rallies: Anarchy Ridicules Weak and Powerless
Spicer, United Deserve a Break From National Idiocy
There are some things you can’t do if your job is talking to the press, especially if your audience and the surrounding real estate are filled with hostiles. For starters, you can’t talk about Hitler. It’s like trying to explain away the “N” word. No matter what you say, you are going to get into trouble. Sean Spicer walks across a minefield every day, so I’m sure he knows … [Read more...] about Spicer, United Deserve a Break From National Idiocy