Memories of the 28th Century

I have been following U.S. politics for a while, and the presidents have all had some peculiarities. The best that I can remember myself was Eisenhower, who didn't seem to do any more than necessary; apparently he read and understood the Constitution. JFK was big on appearances; he talked things up, but he didn't get very done before a bullet stopped him. Johnson actually got a lot done; although some people would have preferred that he did less. I find it interesting that he is sometimes given ...

Donald Trump has been president of the United States of America for days, but because of his ignorance of relevant laws and procedures, he has already done several things that could be considered high crimes and misdemeanors adequate for impeachment and removal from office. In addition, he has demonstrated an extreme lack of interest in the real job of the president, which is to enforce the actions of the Congress. In business Trump has been unsuccessful, except when he has declared bankruptcy and ...

While he is not poor in wealth, unless he is hiding some facts, he is poor in other ways. He is so small-minded that he lets criticism bother him, or does he realize that the criticisms are largely correct and he wants to drown them out? Was he fooled into running for president? That could be true, because he hadn’t wanted the job; he just wanted more publicity.
Then there’s the matter of being cozy with the Russians. If he doesn’t realize that he is being played for a fool, then he may ...

There is a lot more ambition in politics than intelligence or good sense. This isn’t just a modern problem, but the ancients were also afflicted by politicians with big egos and small brains. That combination tends to lead to people thinking that their preferences are actually best for everyone, without realizing that personal preferences are just that, personal and preferences. Just as different people prefer different foods so it is with politics. And I’m not referring to the great divide between ...

There seems to be a line of thinking in America that leads toward monarchy. Many people are fascinated by monarchs and things that are regal. The British royal family are reported in the press almost as if they were the monarchs of the U.S.A., even through we dumped that bunch two hundred forty years ago. But many people like the pageantry, regalia, and odd customs that go along with monarchy. There are even some people in the U.S. who think that the president has monarchial powers. Unfortunately, ...