“The philosophers of the Frankfurt School practiced a technique called negative dialectics, where concepts are defined as much by what you can’t say about them as what you can. Appropriately, the Frankfurt School has ended up defined by what you can’t say about them. You can’t say that they invented a new form of left-wing thought called Cultural Marxism. This would be (according to Wikipedia) the Cultural Marxism conspiracy theory, a ‘far right anti-Semitic conspiracy theory that misinterprets Western Marxism, especially the Frankfurt School, as being responsible for modern progressive movements, identity politics, and political correctness.’ … What other aspects of our culture might we be unable to say they were involved in? For answers, I turned to the classic history of the group, Martin Jay’s The Dialectical Imagination.” (05/29/26)
“Herbert Hoover’s wartime sugar program generated shortages that led to expanding rationing systems and increasingly centralized control over the allocation of sugar.” (05/29/26)
“The other day, Rep. Jake Auchincloss, a corporate Democrat who represents one of the most liberal districts in Massachusetts, dredged up the issue of Graham Platner’s tattoo, attacking the certain Democratic nominee in a must-win Senate contest two states away. ‘I find that tattoo and his commentary about it to be personally disqualifying,’ Auchincloss told CNN Monday. ‘I think that it would be a mistake for the Democratic Party to think that Graham Platner’s brand of the Democratic Party is what wins us durable majorities throughout this country,’ he added …. Since Platner’s opponent in the Democratic primary, Janet Mills, has folded her campaign in the face of Platner’s overwhelming [sic] lead, in effect Auchincloss has endorsed the Republican incumbent, Susan Collins. What in hell is Auchincloss up to?” [editor’s note: Maybe he’s trying to be consistent with the party’s alleged “principles?” -SAT] (05/29/26)
“America’s political gerontocracy is a genuine problem. It fuels dysfunction, distrust, and concrete negative policy consequences. We can’t sweep it under the rug any longer: too many of our high officeholders, including a disproportionate number of Democrats, are simply too old. It’s not unacceptable ageism to say so; it’s the cold, hard reality. And it’s time to confront it head on: we need a mandatory retirement age for politicians.” (05/29/26)
Source: Common Dreams
by Roger D Harris & Francisco Dominguez
“In response to recent developments in Venezuela under imperialist siege, international solidarity activists should adopt a stance that does not inadvertently reinforce Washington’s drive for domination. Our central responsibility is not to adjudicate every tactical decision made under siege conditions, but to oppose the imperialist aggression that creates those conditions. The overwhelming structure of US hybrid warfare against Venezuela remains intact, continuing to suffocate the country’s economic recovery and undermine its sovereignty. Washington continues to exert decisive pressure over the country’s principal source of national revenue, the oil sector. It uses sanctions, financial coercion, and domination of global banking systems, as it has against other targeted states such as Iraq and Syria.” (05/31/26)
“f you had told me at the turn of this century that the two most hotly anticipated cultural events of summer 2026 would be a screen adaptation of Homer and a papal encyclical, I’d have blessed your heart and called you crazy. Yet here we are, and the subjects everyone told me were ‘useless’ in school — philosophy, literature, dead languages — are informing several ferocious disputes over the fate of our civilization. The future looks bright for the humanities!” (05/29/26)
“James Talarico has decided that God isn’t non-binary after all. Anyone who has relied on the Texas senatorial candidate for theological guidance might be experiencing whiplash. Talarico is trying to clean up a series of idiotic statements — including about God’s supposed non-conforming gender — that are vulnerabilities ahead of a competitive race against the scandal-plagued Republican candidate, Ken Paxton. Once upon a time, Talarico, a former Presbyterian seminarian, wanted to make the Bible into a tool of radical gender ideology.” [editor’s note: The irony here is he is correct, in that the concept of “God” as omniscient and omnipotent and All.That.Is (which is the premise of nearly ALL religious paths) implies neither gender nor humanic measurement of such, but “something greater than us” – SAT] (05/30/26)
“The battle over the Save Our Bacon Act is not merely a dispute about pork production or animal welfare standards. It is a constitutional and political struggle over whether states retain meaningful authority to govern agricultural commerce within their own borders — or whether that authority will increasingly be consolidated in Washington at the urging of large corporate interests. At the center of the debate lies a broader question that has shaped American federalism since the founding of the republic: who decides how communities govern themselves?” (05/29/26)
“During his State of the State address in January, Governor Mike Kehoe indicated Missouri is opting into the federal government’s new school choice tax credit program. The program resembles Missouri’s MOScholars program. Taxpayers can receive a dollar-for-dollar federal tax credit for donations up to $1,700 annually to a scholarship-granting organization, or SGO, in Missouri. The SGO then distributes scholarships to families in Missouri seeking alternatives to their residentially assigned public schools. For many families, the scholarships will be used to pay private school tuition. But the potential is broader.” (05/29/26)
