Academic Rants

Social Scientists Should Not Be Pundits, But It Is Our Turn In The Sun! On the topic of the Trump presidency, Moshik Temkin recently wrote "Historians Shouldn't Be Pundits." The essay, published on June 26th in the Opinion/Editorial  section of the New York Times, raises critical points for all social science educators who feel that this critical moment in time can be an important teaching tool. As the Harvard professor of History and Public Policy points out, "Donald Trump might be disastrous for most Americans and a danger to the world, but he has been a boon to historians." Almost daily historians, as well as other social scientists, are drawn to some statement, tweet or action that cannot be ignored. The events of the past year have encouraged more academics to spend time with each other, discussing issues and debating the presidency than in years past. And political affiliations are not so important in these conversations as academics have n...

The Case Against Trump Is Not Just About Trump! The Obama election revealed numerous flaws in the American mindset.  By refusing to see that Barack Obama had more in common with the other candidates elected to the White House, it suggested that America was becoming a post-racial nation where anything was possible.  The hints of racism that were expressed towards Obama were minimized to further a liberal agenda to promote that Americans were accepting of a wider range of diversity. However, a backlash had already started during the Bush administration. It was overtly racist and class oriented. Throughout Obama’s two terms the frustration over America's growing diversity and decreasing social mobility increased national tensions. Leading the charge was Donald Trump, billionaire citizen politician. It was not the first time that Trump had been critical of an elected official, but this was going to be his most persistent case.  It was Trump who pushed the birther mov...

Ideas Trying to Making Mass Transit Better!             During the election season, the topic of infrastructure revitalization was one that caught the ears of many in the Northeast Corridor.   From Massachusetts to Washington, DC, the roads, rails and airports are in desperate need of repair or replacement.  D espite the poor condition of many of the area’s connecting arteries, t his part of the nation has some of the most heavily tolled-roads, and expensive commuting cost.  Although relief has not come from Washington, DC, Governor Andrew Cuomo of New York has been active in calling for changes to improve the roads, airports, and local, commuter and national railways. To his credit, Governor Cuomo is already engaged in this crusade. He has rebuilt many of the state’s most distressed bridges and airports. The governor has supported the current renovation and rebuilding of terminals at LaGuardia Airport and has...

The Learning Curve-Trump and History Recently, I’ve responded in horror over some of President Trump’s statements and decisions. And, then I re-read James Hohmann’s April 14th column in the Washington Post .   “Trump doesn’t know much about history. It’s making his-on-the-job training harder,” pinpoints the major problem with the new administration.   There is no historical knowledge at the top, and there is no institutional knowledge within the presidential organization. A nation has to have internal leadership and portals of knowledge. For example, there needs to be someone who knows the history of diplomatic dealings with a particular nation or a member of the White House staff who can explain the voting procedures in the House or the Senate. The president, for instance, needs to know the depths of American health care, or the history of US-North Korean relations, or the failures of past Israel-Palestine treaties to know that there are no “easy” solutions. Ho...