Boston Found a Scapegoat After 9/11

https://www.nytimes.com/2021/09/12/us/virginia-buckingham-boston-911.html by Robert Field I underestimated and questioned the hysteria following 9/11 and made the expensive mistake of so underestimating its effect that I blew $50,000 in launching the hitherto successful “Diamond Men” movie in over twenty theaters in the NYC region a few weeks later. When I sought to promote the movie by handing […]

Forgetting Putin’s Kiss

  By Slava Tsukerman In order to understand what is happening today in Russia it is very interesting to observe what happened with the three vigorous former leaders of the most active pro–Putin movement of the beginning of this century. “Nashi” (Ours) was a political youth movement in Russia, created in 2006, which declared to be a democratic, anti-fascist, anti-“oligarchic-capitalist” […]

REF: There is no precedent

Although those of us who follow current events from reliable sources knew better, I have empathy for the January 6 rioters who were not as well informed and heeded the call of the then president to disrupt certification of what they were told were false election results. When I grew up, it was a matter […]

Influence of Navalny on Russian Public

    By Slava Tsukerman On April 26, 2021, state prosecutors in Moscow ordered all groups supporting Alexei Navalnyto immediately stop their activities. It seemed the government is starting a campaign aimed at eliminating all forms of protest movements in Russia. According to Wikipedia, “Alexei Navalny (age 44 years) is a Russian opposition leader, lawyer, and anti-corruption […]

One Way to Get People Off the Streets: Buy Hotels

New York Times: For homeless people, a place to live is life changing to a degree that almost no other intervention can provide. The article is excellent and deals with recycling run down hotels that might otherwise be demolished for use as housing for the homeless. San Francisco and NYC are almost unique situations, but […]

REF: The fall of the Roman Republic, deja vu?

    It started with the Gracchi brothers  in 133 BC who disregarded the governmental norms of the day that called for Roman senators and representatives to treat each other with decorum, courtesy, and respect .  What incrementally progressed over the next century was a trashing of civility, starting with insults, then mob action, assaults, assassinations and ultimately civil […]

A Clean Sweep for Drug Reform Initiatives

by psmith, November 05, 2020,   DRUG WAR CHRONICAL:    The day after Election Day, national election results remained muddy, but one thing was crystal clear: the American public is ready for drug reform. Drug reform initiatives went nine for nine on Tuesday. With successful marijuana legalization initiatives in two of the reddest of the […]