Category Archives: History

Are There Superior Civilizations?

Posted on Wednesday 18 February 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

There are divergent takes on a speech given by Marco Rubio in Europe the other day. NY Times, opinion by Bret Stephens, 17 Feb 2026: Western Civ Can Save Us — Again But the title in print, in this morning’s … Continue reading →

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The Clash Within

Posted on Sunday 15 February 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

How there isn’t a clash of civilizations (e.g. Christian vs. Muslim) so much as a clash between modernity and those who resent it: WOKE vs MAGA; Items about ensuring the “right” people will vote, the erosion of the separation of … Continue reading →

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A New World Order

Posted on Thursday 22 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

How Canada and Europe, in response to Trump and MAGA, are bringing about a new world order that sidelines the US; And how the US is sinking into totalitarianism; How Trump thinks he made a deal about Greenland while actually … Continue reading →

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Our Outlaw Nation

Posted on Wednesday 7 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

This popped up on Facebook, but I don’t subscribe to the magazine and can only see this much of the article. It’s about the new book by Johan Norberg, which came out in September. It’s on my TBR shelf. The … Continue reading →

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Five Years Since a Day that Will Live in Infamy

Posted on Tuesday 6 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Articles about the anniversary of January 6th. MAGA cognitive dissonance. Loyalty over expertise — CBS Evening News. Headlines about whether narrative defeats reason, conservative hysteria over Chick-fil-A and a gay couple, and the Pentagon’s petty attack on Sen. Mark Kelly. … Continue reading →

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Return from Holiday Trip

Posted on Tuesday 30 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

We were in SoCal the past few days, beginning Christmas Day, visiting Sue and Steve, Michael and Honey, Gary and Lynne, Funyun and family, Alan and Ian, Suzanne and extended family; chatting with Vivien and Barry, Alex and Francis, many … Continue reading →

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Frogs, Religion, the Ballroom, Bigotry, and Dictators

Posted on Saturday 20 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s relative isolationism: big frog in a small pond. The obvious reasons people are walking away from organized religion; Short takes on the White House ballroom, surging bigotry on the right, and Trump’s alignment with history’s worst dictators. – – … Continue reading →

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MAGA Doesn’t Understand What Makes America Great

Posted on Saturday 15 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Nicholas Kristof on the three fundamental ingredients of America’s greatness that Trump and MAGA are undoing. Short items about Elon Musk, D&D, and racism; Christian presumption about church and state; how easily Nick Fuentes has been endorsed by many Republicans; … Continue reading →

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And How Science Fiction Is Both a Symptom and a Solution

Posted on Monday 13 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Further thoughts on how science fiction informs current social ills; Republican doublethink about “No Kings” rallies; Columbus Day, and Trump’s veneration of Columbus vs the realities of history; Heather Cox Richardson’s perspective on Columbus, and the origin of Columbus Day. … Continue reading →

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Comments from Facebook; What the Conversion Therapy Case is About

Posted on Thursday 9 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Recalling the Nazi rallies in left-wing areas of Germany; How the Nazis based their policies on segregated America; How right-wingers admit “it’s harder to discredit the left because the left is almost always telling the truth”; Conservative justices imply queer … Continue reading →

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