It's Ethics, Stupid!
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Recent Dictatorship Commentaries

Featured image for “A Cautionary Tale: France Then, Washington Now”
A Cautionary Tale: France Then, Washington Now
Lately, I’ve been reading more history, mostly to educate myself. But the other night, I opened Lord Acton’s Lectures on the French Revolution and didn’t get far before I sat up in bed. I was reading about France two centuries ago, but I couldn’t stop thinking about the comparisons to Washington today. To be honest, most of what I remember...
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June 25, 2026
  • Accountability
  • Civic Responsibility
  • Dictatorship
  • Extremism
  • Government
  • History
Featured image for “It <em>Can</em> Happen Here”
It Can Happen Here
When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying a cross.—Derived from “It Can’t Happen Here” by Sinclair Lewis This is the most prescient book I have ever read.  In 1935, Sinclair Lewis published a novel with a title that felt more like comfort than warning: It Can’t Happen Here. But the real message behind...
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June 13, 2025
  • Citizenship
  • Dictatorship
  • Ethics
  • Extremism
  • Politics
  • Responsibility
Featured image for ““Controlled by a Dictatorship.””
“Controlled by a Dictatorship.”
I’ve never posted a story in its entirety from another source—until now. Last night’s 60 Minutes episode, titled “The Rule of Law,” is so vital to understanding where the country stands for both Republicans and Democrats at this moment that I feel a responsibility to share it with you in full. I could simply summarize or provide highlights, but I...
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May 5, 2025
  • Dictatorship
  • Ethics
  • Extremism
  • Personalities
  • U.S. Legal System
  • violence

Read Some of the Most Recent Articles
The Latest... And Often Greatest
Mister Roberts!
One of my favorite movies is Mister Roberts, the 1955 comedy-drama set aboard the USS Reluctant in the Pacific during World War II. Henry Fonda...
  • Accountability
Where’s the Character
In 1984, Wendy’s ran a television commercial featuring the redoubtable Clara Peller, staring at an enormous hamburger bun. Inside was a burger patty smaller than...
  • Character
It Was Important Then. It is Important Today
Freedom of speech in America is under attack, not only when people are denied the right to speak, but when lies, intimidation and the deliberate...
  • Extremism
  • History
  • Media
  • Personalities
When Political Identity Replaces Ethical Judgment
The political and cultural landscape has become a minefield of conflicting beliefs, many now rooted less in public policy than in personal identity. One of...
  • Ethics
  • Government
  • Politics
Principles Matter.
A few nights ago, I was watching The Way We Were, a film I’ve seen more times than I can count. This time, a single...
  • Character
  • Democracy
  • Personalities
  • Politics
  • Principle
All the President’s Men 2.0
“Politics had infiltrated every corner of government—a strong-arm takeover of the agencies by the Nixon White House.” —Bob Woodward and Carl Bernstein, All the President’s...
  • Accountability
  • Ethics
  • Government

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