Jamelle Bouie, New York Times: Excerpt: On Clarence Thomas & the Supreme Court’s Corrupt Impunity ”With his close ties to a powerful, property-owning billionaire, Thomas embodies the historic role of the Supreme Court in American politics, not as a liberator or defender of the rights of political and social minorities, but as a partner to … Continue reading Jamelle Bouie on Supreme Court Impunity & Corruption
[Sectarian NOTE: The author here does not mention (and why should she?) that the South, especially North Carolina, has been very important in the history of my own small tribe, the Quakers. I didn’t know or expect this when I came here 21 years ago, so far from the self-identified and self-important “centers” of the … Continue reading Powerful Quote of The Week: the American Future Is In the South
Washington Post — April 8, 2023 Michael Emerson, professor of sociology at the University of Illinois, said that church racial inclusion efforts suffered under President Donald Trump, who often made incendiary comments about immigrants and Blacks. Many church leaders faced a dilemma, Emerson said: “Do I repudiate it and risk losing many of my White … Continue reading Embracing the New Resegregationist Gospel in a Chapel Hill NC Church
Ukraine: Peace — Not So Soon By Gwynne Dyer — April 6, 2023 MONDAY’S stunt, where Yevgeny Prigozhin held a Russian flag in his hands and declared that his ‘Wagner’ mercenary soldiers have finally conquered the Ukrainian city of Bakhmut, probably marks the end of Russian winter offensive. It was just a charade, of course. … Continue reading Gwynne Dyer On Ukraine Peace Prospects
[NOTE: I’m unable to verify this story. But it comes from Associated Press, a long-established and generally top-quality news organization. Here it sets out a real-life Russian intelligence thriller, worthy of LeCarré or the other spy-novel masters, and the last chapter is not written yet . . .] AP: ‘He’s a war criminal’: Elite Putin … Continue reading Defector Escapes from the Elite Russian Unit that Guards Putin