Academic Rants

Are we watching “The Hunt For Red October” or “From Russia With Love”?             History is the exploration of the past.   It relies on evidence to explain past events, which then form perspectives or interpretations of events, eras, and movements.   If we let the evidence speak for itself this is what I believe future textbooks will say about Donald J. Trump and his presidency. 2015-2016: Populist billionaire Donald J. Trump brilliantly tapped into the cries from the heartland and easily won the Republican primaries and then upset Hillary Clinton in the general election to become the 45 th President of the United States.   Many voted for Trump believing that he argued for wholesale change in America. Losers: the traditional political establishment, Republican Party, the Democratic Party, and Hillary Clinton Winner: Donald J. Trump 2017-2018: President Trump continues to blur the lines surro...

As American as Apple Pie By Alfred R. Johnson, Jr . The current presidential election has baffled many moderate and educated Americans. How can 40-44% of our citizens support Donald Trump?   How can they support a person who has insulted one of the largest immigrant groups in the country?   He is a person who has insulted a major religion of the world, Islam.   He has disrespected the family of soldier, a proud member of this religion, who died on the battlefield for the US.   He has repeatedly questioned the competency of our military on a basic level without any military or diplomatic experience.   He may have used money donated by others for charitable purposes for his personal and business gain.   He has never served in any government position elected, appointed or selected. Frequently, when Trump’s supporters are confronted with these and other facts, they acknowledge the possible truth of these allegations but say that they want change at any...

Are We On The Verge of Another Civil War? It is past half way to the first one hundred days and it has been a rocky start.   Protests following the inauguration, scandals of various types, and battles with the media are contrasted against accomplishments. So far only a handful of legislation and executive orders are being promoted as “the most productive administration ever.” Although the traditional press has been wounded from a daily barrage of administration criticism, some facts cannot be portrayed as lies or false information.   Their points that the Trump administration is not going to able to fulfill its campaign promises is gathering steam. In some cases these promises were not realistic and in others the promises were hollow claims.   Across the board, it will be very hard for the new administration to "drain the swamp."   Largely, President Trump is filling it with new creatures as fast as he eliminates many of ...

Of all of the current Trump proposals, the American people should be more concerned over the initial plans for health care reform than anything that has happened so far. Normally, health reform relies on several participants including: hospitals, physicians, pharmaceutical companies, insurance companies, and patients.   Health care works best when the consumer has the ability to pay for these services or the system pays the patient's bills.   Most nations with universal health care have a single payer system where every citizen is covered by the same insurance and has equal coverage.   The physicians, pharmaceutical companies, hospitals and insurance companies know exactly how much to charge and how much they will make.     In terms of health care, the United States ranks low when compared to other developed nations. American businesses runs health care and they have always feared that universal health care would collapse the pro...

“The Birth of Another Nation” One of the big films of 2016 was supposed to be Nate Parker’s “The Birth of a Nation.”   It set records for winning awards and prizes at the 2016 Sundance Film Festival (the Vanguard Award, Grand Jury Prize: Dramatic, and Audience Award: Dramatic) and was sold for a record $17.5 million dollars in distribution rights.   Parker, a veteran of 19 movies and the three-time winner of the NAACP Image Award (2008, 2009, and 2015), was the director, writer and lead actor in a movie loosely based on Nat Turner’s 1831 slave revolt.   The film called attention to the complexities of enslavement and concluded with a call to black nationalism. Many interpreted the film as a response to the “Black Lives Matters” Movement.   In June, Parker was riding high, and there was talk of Academy Award nominations for Best Picture, Best Director and Best Actor.   The buzz was so strong that Parker was desired for interviews including countl...