Academic Rants

 It's late July and we've seen the 4th of July celebrations come and go. Now that the magical moments have passed and the fireworks have faded into our memories, we can get back to analyzing the real meanings of American democracy and if it can be saved. I think all of us recognize that we are on the brink, but we believe that our destiny is so powerful that everything will turn out for the best. But somewhere in the national consciousness, a sense of doubt lingers.  "Freedom of the Press" is a hallmark of American Democracy. However what one does with information is another matter. The larger question that continues to face us as citizens in a democracy is the use of information. A subset of that question is the political use of obtained information.  Sometimes facts serve as fodder for comedy or poetic tragedy. President Gerald Ford had several incidents which included tripping or falling which were turned into comedic episodes. Such spoofs were used by his politica...

 The Other America At 250 As America celebrates its 250th anniversary, it is an excellent time to look back and admire the scope of the American experiment. No other nation has emerged from its colonial status and formed a government and culture so unique and distinct from its motherland while taking elements of that culture and building a foundation that could have possibly launched the greatest nation of the world. The parliamentary system is the basis for America’s representative government. But unlike what existed in England, the American applications of the House of Commons and House of Lords became far more reaching and in essence democratic.  The creation of the presidency went far beyond the role of a prime minister as it became the people’s choice not the legislative party’s choice. What became exceptional is that the president and governing bodies of representatives do not have to be members of the same party. Citizens through voting can create their own degrees of g...

The slow decline of America is equally focusing attention on the changing status of Europe. One of the most telling signs of global change is the more pronounced criticism of the old order. The virtues of Western Civilization are being exposed as myths, and many of the key elements of the past are being rewritten. At the same time the legacy of colonization and wars has created a new perspective of imperial conflict. European identity disguised as nationalism is seen as threatening the integrity of constructive politics. In their national elections, politicians in Germany, Italy, France and the United Kingdom have tried to define who rightfully should be citizens of their nations. Some candidates have selectively excluded all people of color and other Europeans suggesting that they should be labeled immigrants. Yet, many of the non-white residents have been in these nations longer than their white neighbors. Such discussions, which might resemble Brexit or America's White Supremaci...