Under the Influence…

Shown below is a short list of journalists, writers and media types, whose opinions I value. I may not agree with all their conclusions or analysis, but I will take the time to consider them.

Late additions to my Political Influencers list: Jon Meacham, Chrystia Freeland, George Will, Jessica Tarlov, Kaitlyn Collins, Garry Trudeau and Jennifer Griffin (sole Fox News journalist).

President Trump is systematically severing America from the globe. This is not simply a shift in foreign policy. It is a divorce so comprehensive that it makes Britain’s exit from the European Union look modest by comparison.

Consider the breadth of this effort. Allies have been treated like adversaries. The United States has withdrawn from international agreements on fundamental issues like health and climate change. A “nation of immigrants” now deports people without due process, bans refugees and is trying to end birthright citizenship. Mr. Trump’s tariffs have upended the system of international trade, throwing up new barriers to doing business with every country on Earth. Foreign assistance has largely been terminated. So has support for democracy abroad. Research cuts have rolled back global scientific research and cooperation. The State Department is downsizing. Exchange programs are on the chopping block. Global research institutions like the U.S. Institute of Peace and the Wilson Center have been effectively shut down. And, of course, the United States is building a wall along its southern border.

100 Days. That’s All It Took to Sever America From the World. Ben Rhodes NYT 4/27/25

In a poll from Washington Post-ABC News-Ipsos, Trump’s standing was the lowest of any president in the first 100 days of his term since 1945, with 39% saying they approve of his job performance while 55% disapprove. As much as I am upset about Trump’s poor performance, as president, I am even more angry that 39% of Americans could possibly approve of his job performance. What kind of grading curve are these people on!? However, I am reminded that even in the ruins of Germany in April 1945 that many Germans still supported Adolf Hitler.

Playing with “White House” Money

I’ll admit it: I wasn’t the most attentive economics student in college. But recent events have forced me into a crash course in tariffs, trade, the stock market—and most urgently—the U.S. Treasury market.

These aren’t abstract terms anymore. I’ve been following the conversations—some sober, some frantic—coming from economists, traders, financial analysts, and CEOs. What stands out is how few of them support our current approach to tariffs. I hesitate to call it a “policy.” It feels more like something made up on the fly.

President Trump has been lucky in the past. He was rescued by his father’s money and banks willing to take risks that didn’t always pan out. He wasn’t so lucky in the casino business, and I don’t think he realizes he’s holding a weak hand in the high-stakes game of tariffs. When countries like China and Japan begin offloading U.S. Treasuries, it’s not just a financial maneuver—it’s a warning. They’re saying loud and clear: you’re not playing with our house money.

Let’s be honest: America is losing friends. Longtime allies are distancing themselves. They were stunned when Trump won reelection last November—and outright furious when “Liberation Day” was declared weeks ago. While Congress, the courts, and much of the press seem hesitant to challenge him, our international allies are not. They’re making new economic and diplomatic arrangements—and the U.S. is no longer on the guest list.

This has consequences. If foreign investors stop buying U.S. Treasury bonds—or worse, start selling them—our ability to fund government programs, including Social Security, is at risk. No one will be spared the fallout. It’s hard to believe our leaders don’t grasp how dangerous this path is.

And it may already be too late. Confidence in the U.S. has taken a major hit. There are reports of Canadian tourists canceling trips here—more signs of the growing unease.

If you’re a CEO or business owner, how can you plan with any confidence when the rules of the game keep shifting? The White House seems deaf to the frustration coming from both abroad and increasingly from within our own borders.

Democrats and critics are pinning their hopes on the 2026 midterms. But if this trajectory continues, I worry about what condition the country will be in by then.

And what about the seniors who voted for Trump? How do they feel now that Social Security offices are closing and workers are being laid off? When the Commerce Secretary brushed off concerns about late checks—suggesting a delay of a week or so would be no big deal—I wanted to shout: Wanna bet?

There’s a lot of noise out there. A lot of shouting, marching, hand-wringing. But not a lot of clarity or direction. Sometimes, it feels like we’ve passed the point of no return. Judging by the way our allies are behaving, they seem to think we already have.

Faking It (on the Mat and at Your Job)

I have been a pro wrestling fan since I was 10 years old. Don’t get me wrong, I know that the results are predetermined, but I still admire the athleticism of many of the professional wrestlers. I have also been intrigued with the narratives and storylines that are so important in professional wrestling. An excellent professional wrestler needs to be a great athlete, but he also must be able to tell a story or have his or her manager tell their story in order to get over with the fans. Donald Trump has participated in a number of WWE storylines and skits in the past. He is still able to get over with his MAGA fans.

Education Secretary Linda McMahon speaking at the 2025 ASU+GSV Summit, an annual gathering of education and learning leaders, where she mistakenly referred to AI (artificial intelligence) as A1 a number of times. I think that Linda, an owner of the WWE with her husband. Vince took a few too many “stunners” from Stone Cole Steve Austin at her old job. In a WWE skit, Linda once portrayed a comatose wife, (rather convincingly,) while her husband was portrayed hitting on beautiful Divas. It’s embarrassing that she is Education Secretary.

WrestleMania takes place this weekend. It is the biggest show for the WWE. Let’s see how well I do in figuring out the winners based on my interpretation of the existing storylines.

Match	Winner	Degree of Certainty
Jacob Fatu LA Knight	Jacob Fatu	98%
Jade Cargill Naomi	Jade Cargill	88%
Logan Paul AJ Styles	Logan Paul	60%
Drew McIntyre Damian Priest	Drew McIntyre	65%
Rey Mysterio El Americano Grande	El Americano Grande	52%
The New Day The War Raiders	The New Day	65%
Dominik Mysterio Penta Bron Breakker Finn Balor	Dominik Mysterio	51%
Bianca Belair Iyo Sky Rhea Ripley	Iyo Sky	51%
Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan Bayley and Lyra Valkyria	Raquel Rodriguez and Liv Morgan	90%
Tiffany Stratton Charlotte Flair	Tiffany Stratton	51%
Jey Uso Gunther	Jey Uso	60%
John Cena Cody Rhodes	John Cena	70%
CM Punk Seth Rollins Roman Reigns	Seth Rollins	52%

Irreconcilable Differences

I recommend the recent and well written articles from Maureen Dowd, David Brooks and Thomas Friedman on the insanity and stupidity of the Trump Administration.

What happens when people lose the ability to reason or render good judgments? Ladies and gentlemen, I present to you Donald Trump’s tariff policy. I’ve covered a lot of policies over the decades, some of which I supported and some of which I opposed. But I have never seen a policy as stupid as this one. It is based on false assumptions. It rests on no coherent argument in its favor. It relies on no empirical evidence. It has almost no experts on its side — from left, right or center. It is jumble-headedness exemplified. Trump himself personifies stupidity’s essential feature — self-satisfaction, an inability to recognize the flaws in your thinking. And of course when the approach led to absolutely predictable mayhem, Trump, lacking any coherent plan, backtracked, flip-flopped, responding impulsively to the pressures of the moment as his team struggled to keep up.

David Brooks Producing Something This Stupid Is the Achievement of a Lifetime New York Times 4/10/25

So I watched Bill Maher last night on his HBO show. Maher described his recent visit to the White House and conversation with Donald Trump. Sounded like a Kumbaya moment. Trump asked Maher about his opinions on various topics, including Iran, and he even laughed at some of Maher’s jokes. Maher found Trump to be personable and focused on the conversation. It almost sounded like a reassuring segment until one realizes how Trump has ruined the economy and has absolutely no clue on how to conduct policy or run the government. I have read that Hitler had a hypnotic effect on people that he met. I assume that Maher had a similar experience with Trump. I have no issue with Maher meeting with Trump, but I sense that there is no real benefit for either guy though Bill might find a more receptive MAGA audience for the future.

This writer has a high school reunion scheduled. The last one (five years ago) was canceled due to Covid. There were also issues with some of my classmates regarding politics. My class has a significant core of Trump supporters. And strangely enough, political passions may have an effect on whether people want to attend this year’s reunion or not. I try not to engage in political discussions with just about everyone. Regrettably earlier this week, I was involved in a “conversation” with a Trump supporter of my advanced age and I found myself losing my temper. He was wrapped around women in the military, abortion, trans rights, LGBQT and was totally oblivious to the current administration’s poor handling of the economy, foreign policy, national security, cabinet selections, DOGE, compliance to law, etc. Prior to 2008, I was happy to engage in a discussion about politics and current events. But when Obama came in, civility went out. I don’t write to engage in debate. I write to clarify my thinking and for someone hopefully 20 or 30 years from now will read this and conclude there was one sensible man in an era of continual tumult.

Times Out

The Sunday New York Times remains one of life’s pleasures. I do miss reading the enormous print edition of the paper with the magazine but at least the online edition still suffices. Shown below are a book I’d like to read and useful analysis and advice from various columnists.

Flesh

by David Szalay

Szalay’s new novel traces the life of a young man in Hungary who eventually makes his way to England, following him from troubled youth to immigrant success to tragic fall. Each chapter provides glimpses of the major stages of adulthood — first love, marriage, parenthood — interwoven with intervals of aimlessness, reinvention and grief. With cool detachment, Szalay offers observations on both the complicated self and the unpredictable world surrounding it.

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Our current antiglobal moment could last for a long time. Illiberalism is alive and strong. Comparisons that once seemed incendiary or irresponsible now seem obvious. As in the 1930s, minority groups are being scapegoated as symbols and causes of globalization’s ills. For Jews then, read migrants or trans people now. Mr. Trump’s imminent betrayal of Ukraine suggests that we are moving rapidly through the 1930s and have already arrived in 1938. That’s when Western leaders in Munich decided to allow Hitler to dismember one of Europe’s few remaining democracies, Czechoslovakia. It was not worth risking lives over “a quarrel in a faraway country, between people of whom we know nothing,” reasoned the dangerously reasonable Neville Chamberlain. Less than one year later, Hitler browbeat the president of what remained of Czechoslovakia into accepting a complete occupation of his country.

Russia’s invasion of Ukraine was a déjà vu moment for historians of World War II. Will Greenland and Canada become the next Czechoslovakia and Poland?

Globalization Is Collapsing. Brace Yourselves.
By Tara Zahra
Dr. Zahra is a professor of history at the University of Chicago and has written extensively about globalization’s first collapse.

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A 20 minute agility workout to improve balance

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Instead of following the standard guidance to keep withdrawals to 4 percent of the balance in your retirement account, then adjust annually for inflation, you might forgo the inflation raise when stock prices are falling, Dr. Pfau said. Or you can install so-called guardrails, limiting withdrawals to, say, 3 percent in bad years for stocks but taking out, perhaps, 5 percent when the market is surging.

How to Protect Your Retirement Savings Now as Markets Plunge by Diane Harris

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My problem is with Trump’s magical thinking that you just put up walls of protection around an industry (or our whole economy) and — presto! — in short order, U.S. factories will blossom and make those products in America at the same cost with no burden for U.S. consumers.

For starters, that view completely misses the fact that virtually every complex product today — from cars to iPhones to mRNA vaccines — is manufactured by giant, complex, global manufacturing ecosystems. That is why those products get steadily better and cheaper. Sure, if you are protecting the steel industry, a commodity, our tariffs might quickly help. But if you are protecting the auto industry and you think just putting up a tariff wall will do it, you don’t know anything about how cars are made. It would take years for American car companies to replace the global supply chains they depend on and make everything in America. Even Tesla has to import some parts.

I Just Saw the Future. It Was Not in America. Thomas L. Friedman

Land of the Free? Home of the Brave?

It’s gutting—and deeply humiliating—to hear Canadians booing our national anthem at recent sporting events. But I don’t blame them. Not one bit.

Given the economic, political, and moral wreckage left behind by our twice-elected president, their disgust is understandable. The confusion and contempt from our allies aren’t aimed solely at the man in the Oval Office—they’re aimed at the people who put him there. Twice.

Let’s call it what it is: the United States has betrayed its friends, waged economic war on its own citizens, and devolved into a carnival of cowardice. The respect of our allies? That ship has sailed—and may not return in our lifetimes.

The Republican Party is a gelatinous mass of fear and sycophancy, devoid of courage or principle. The Democratic Party? A staggering monument to incompetence, still fumbling through the aftermath of letting a failed businessman and convicted felon stroll back into power.

And democracy? Please. We are no longer a beacon of anything. The Constitution has become a quaint relic, a yellowing parchment trotted out for ceremonial purposes while those in power treat it like a suggestion menu at a diner they never plan to pay for.

Maybe—just maybe—a sliver of Trump voters feel some remorse. But let’s be clear: 77 million people helped break this country. They owe their children, their neighbors, and the world an apology.

The red MAGA cap is no longer a slogan. It’s a symbol—loud, defiant, and chilling. Our allies don’t see us as brave. They see us as brainwashed. And in the eyes of much of the world, that crimson hat might as well be a swastika.

We have not simply lost our way. We’ve torched the map and handed the match to a mob.

More Aphorisms…

Hearts anchored in love never drift from safe harbors.

Forbidden pleasure is the most tempting and often the least rewarding.

Our sweetest memories often come with a silent soundtrack playing in the recesses of our minds.

Most people have two versions of their life story: the carefully edited one they share with others and the unfiltered one they revisit in solitude.

One can feel lonely even in the heart of a crowd.

To dampen a compliment for an older man, give the praise—then add, ‘for a man your age.“

In old age, memories of the past bring more joy than dreams of the future.

Life is a game of dodgeball—we duck illness, misfortune, and loss. But sooner or later, we can’t dodge the final throw: death.

Backbone

So, you’re talking about a deceitful and highly discredited so-called journalist who’s made a profession of peddling hoaxes time and time again to include the, I don’t know, the hoaxes of Russia, Russia, Russia! Or the fine people on both sides hoax. Or suckers and losers hoax. So, this is a guy that peddles in garbage. This is what he does…Nobody was texting war plans. And that’s all I have to say about that. Thank you.

Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth

“This appears to be an authentic message chain, and we are reviewing how an inadvertent number was added to the chain.”

National Security Council Member

Like many of my friends who are MAGA supporters, I too wish for a return to the 1950s and 1960s. But for a different reason and perspective…I have listed a small group of political leaders and journalists who showed courage, integrity and judgement in the performance of their duties. They all possessed “backbone”, a quality that is so lacking in Washington D.C. and in many press rooms. These are individuals who did not necessarily toe the party line and displayed personal and professional courage in their political stands.

At my age, I wax nostalgic for the candor and probity in my youth as opposed to the pablum and lies I am subjected in my seasoned years.

Political Leadership:

Martin Luther King Jr. – moral leadership.

Robert F. Kennedy – major advocate for civil rights, poverty alleviation, and social justice before his assassination.

Barry Goldwater – though conservative, he was fiercely independent, opposed religious extremism, and later supported LGBTQ+ rights.

Margaret Chase Smith (R-ME) – A trailblazer, she was the first woman to serve in both the House and Senate. She stood up to McCarthyism with her Declaration of Conscience speech in 1950, warning against the dangers of demagoguery and political extremism.

Frank Church (D-ID) – A leader in investigating government overreach and abuses of power (Church Committee). He’d be crucial in today’s discussions on government surveillance.

Howard Baker (R-TN) – Although his prime influence came in the 1970s, his approach to bipartisan leadership and honesty in government (Watergate hearings) would be crucial today.

Journalists

Edward R. Murrow– fearless in confronting McCarthyism, a standard-bearer for integrity in journalism.

Walter Cronkite – “the most trusted man in America,” his objective reporting shaped public opinion.

William F. Buckley Jr. – Founder of National Review, he shaped modern conservatism with sharp wit, deep intellect, and respect for debate

Mike Royko – A tough, blue-collar newspaper columnist from Chicago who took on corrupt politicians, injustice, and hypocrisy with biting humor.

Eric Sevareid- Candid and biting essays on political topics.

Mike Wallace (CBS) – Before 60 Minutes, he was an aggressive interviewer who exposed political deception.

James Reston (New York Times) – A Pulitzer Prize-winning columnist who had a major influence on political journalism.

Mary McCarthy (The New Republic, The New York Review of Books) – A brilliant and sharp political writer, she was an outspoken critic of U.S. foreign policy, McCarthyism, and the Vietnam War.

Dorothy Thompson (New York Herald Tribune, Ladies’ Home Journal) – One of the most influential political columnists of the mid-20th century. She was a fierce critic of fascism before and after WWII and tackled McCarthyism and Cold War paranoia.

How America Works… and Why it Doesn’t: A Brief Guide to the US Political System by William Cooper (Book Review)

I wish I could have our friends outside the United States read this book so they can understand what is going on inside it. The book is useful for citizens inside the United States but daily events related to DOGE, budget cuts, Elon Musk, court orders being ignored and chaos from Washington DC are front and center in our minds 24 hours daily.

Cooper does a very good of explaining the national crisis affecting the United States and its consequences to the rest of the world. He describes how the government and our political system were intended to work. And he accurately analyzes why they aren’t working. Cooper also tries to be even handed on his criticism of both political parties and their leaders.

This book will be an excellent resource for historians 20 or more years out trying to explain the craziness of our contemporary times and politics. I appreciate that this book was updated to reflect the start of the second Trump Administration.

If I have any reservations about this book, it’s that I feel that Cooper is being a bit more optimistic than I am about this country’s immediate future. Cooper writes “None of these definitions applies to Trump. He doesn’t have absolute power over the whole of government. He’s not even close to that. He remains constitutionally responsible to the people in significant and fundamental ways…The most serious domestic risk America faces with Trump as president isn’t dictatorship. It’s that the military follows his orders to break the law—to go after American citizens, for example. This scenario, however, is unlikely.”

I have the advantage of seeing how things have unfolded with in the Trump administration since the book has been published and the author may want to temper his faith in the power of our Constitution and the rationality of the Trump presidency.

Below are some notes and highlights that will provide the prospective reader of an introduction to the book and topics…

Obama’s presidency deeply unsettled and angered millions of Americans not ready for a Black president. And Trump’s hostility to minorities (sometimes subtle, sometimes overt, always cunning) drives his popularity among many Republicans, particularly in southern states.

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If the President of the United States were ever to punish disfavored speakers like the Harvard faculty, Google’s CEO, or the New York Times’ publisher, the nation would be in peril.

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The root cause of America’s twenty-first-century decline is the combination of (1) tribalism, (2) social media, and (3) a malformed political structure.

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Journalists are now disproportionately focused on writing stories that will go viral on Facebook and Twitter, a very different goal from writing stories that will educate and inform

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Americans focus little on human history, let alone absorb its lessons. And an embarrassing percentage of them don’t understand basic civics.

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Just look at the presidency. Donald Trump is grossly unfit to hold America’s highest office…The House of Representatives, moreover, is throbbing with underqualified mediocrities.

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The remedies are easy to prescribe. Americans must improve civic education in schools; raise awareness about cognitive biases throughout society; spend more time with people from other political tribes; reduce and regulate the use of social media; rework the political structure to foster more political parties and equal representation; double down on free speech; shun politically motivated prosecutions; feverishly guard election integrity; and support a new Republican champion other than Donald Trump.

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While Cooper’s remedies are easier to prescribe, they are impossible to fulfill. God bless the United States…

America’s Reputation and the Lessons of History

It Isn’t Just Trump. America’s Whole Reputation Is Shot by David Brooks is a sobering analysis of the chess pieces to fall now that our closest allies no longer trust Trump or Americans.

This is not just a Trump problem; America’s whole reputation is shot. I don’t care if Abraham Lincoln himself walked into the White House in 2029, no foreign leader can responsibly trust a nation that is perpetually four years away from electing another authoritarian nihilist.
It Isn’t Just Trump. America’s Whole Reputation Is Shot. David Brooks NYT 3/13/2025

While many draw comparisons between Hitler and Trump—particularly in how they gained and wielded power—I find the parallels between the German people of the early 1930s and Americans today more compelling.

After World War I, Germany was severely punished. It lost territory, its military was disarmed, and the burden of reparations crippled its economy. By the early 1930s, Germany, like much of the world, was in economic turmoil. Unemployment was rampant, and many were homeless and hungry. The country’s ability to recover was constrained by the strict terms imposed after the war.

In contrast, America in 2024 was not in crisis. The economy was largely stable, with low unemployment and a strong stock market. Inflation and housing affordability were challenges, but interest rate cuts signaled efforts to curb economic strain. Unlike pre-war Germany, the U.S. had not suffered a recent military defeat and remained the dominant global power, respected by allies and feared by adversaries.

Despite this position of strength, over 77 million Americans elected a candidate widely seen as aged, incoherent, and lacking a clear platform—a stark contrast to Germany in the 1930s, where voters turned to a charismatic leader promising national revival. Germany was desperate to rebuild; America was already strong.

From a historical view, which country was most guilty of making the most irrational choice at the time? The German people’s decision turned out to be catastrophic. Will America and Americans avoid the disapprobation of history? Time will tell…