The Question Of Decency

Source: The Weekly Dish
by Andrew Sullivan

“Democracy requires decency because it requires mutual respect: to defend others even as we disagree with them, to accept decisions others have made and elections we have lost, to distinguish between robust rhetoric and dehumanizing cruelty, to accept objective truth when it proves us wrong, to maintain a baseline of civility, to accept that we are all in this together. … This is why I reject the shallow accusation that I have ‘Trump Derangement Syndrome.’ It’s too glib, too dismissive. Yes, some have gone overboard in opposing this president …. But the core impulse to reject Trump outright, to see him as uniquely hideous in American political history — as a national, collective disgrace — remains a vitally important one. Because Donald Trump is the most indecent man, by far, to ever hold the presidency.” (11/21/25)

https://andrewsullivan.substack.com/p/the-question-of-decency-bc2

Thomas L. Knapp

You Don’t Hate The Mass Media Enough

Source: Caitlin Johnstone, Rogue Journalist
by Caitlin Johnstone

“There was another IDF massacre in Gaza on Saturday, reportedly killing dozens of Palestinians. Israel as usual claimed it was responding to a ceasefire violation by Hamas, but of course there’s absolutely no evidence for this to be found. AP reports that according to the IDF the strikes were launched after a Hamas fighter ‘shot at troops in southern Gaza’, but that ‘no soldiers were hurt’ in this alleged attack. Not so much as a scratch. So I guess we’re just expected to take Israel’s word for it. Now check out these western media headlines about the massacre and notice the disgusting spin they are placing on the narrative to normalize the continued slaughter of Palestinians.” (11/23/25)

https://caitlinjohnstone.com.au/2025/11/23/you-dont-hate-the-mass-media-enough/

Steve Trinward

India: Trade unions oppose new labour codes, call for demonstrations

Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]

“Ten large Indian trade unions have condemned the government’s rollout on Friday of new labour codes, the biggest such overhaul in decades, as a ‘deceptive fraud’ against workers. The unions, aligned with parties opposing Prime Minister Narendra Modi, demanded in a statement late on Friday that the laws be withdrawn before nationwide protests they plan to hold on Wednesday. … Modi’s government implemented the four labour codes, approved by parliament five years ago, as it seeks to simplify work rules, some dating to British colonial rule, and liberalise conditions for investment. It says the changes improve worker protections. While the new rules offer social security and minimum-wage benefits, they also allow companies to hire and fire workers more easily.” (11/22/25)

https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2025/11/22/indian-trade-unions-oppose-new-labour-codes-call-for-demonstrations

Thomas L. Knapp

Wag the Dog in Venezuela

Source: CounterPunch
by Mel Gurtov

“Analysis of why countries go to war sometimes argues that leaders are motivated by problems at home. They attack another country to divert attention from an economic crisis, an unlawful act, or — as in the Robert De Niro movie, Wag the Dog — a sex scandal. … as Pres. Trump considers what to do with his Caribbean armada and Venezuela’s ‘narco-terrorist’ leader, Nicolas Maduro, we may be witness to another wag-the-dog event: US military pressure on Venezuela that could lead to a direct attack if Maduro doesn’t step down. The case for Trump to be highly motivated to act out of self-interest is strong.” (11/21/25)

https://www.counterpunch.org/2025/11/21/wag-the-dog-in-venezuela/

Thomas L. Knapp

Of Speeches and Statecraft

Source: The Realist Review
by James W Carden

“The speeches of John Fitzgerald Kennedy comprise a core component of the Kennedy lore. His inaugural address, with its demand to ‘ask not,’ is perhaps the best known of any presidential inaugural address—ranking alongside Lincoln’s second and FDR’s first. And while the artistry of Kennedy’s inaugural is not in question, the speech has overshadowed more thoughtful efforts by the 35th President to lay out his vision for a more peaceful world. Only eight months into his presidency, Kennedy showed that he was breaking with the Cold War consensus of the prior 15 years. That autumn, in a speech to the UN General Assembly in New York, Kennedy unveiled his program for a ‘general and complete disarmament.'” (11/22/25)

https://therealistreview.substack.com/p/of-speeches-and-statecraft

Thomas L. Knapp