Voting Feels Empty Now

I wrote a similar post prior to the 2020 election describing how disappointed I have become with American politics. I just finished my ballot for this year’s election, and filling it out left me feeling more disconnected than I felt from politics in 2020.

Reviewing Turning Point 911 and the War on Terror

Turning Point 911 and the War on Terror is a documentary about some of the ways 911 changed America and its government. While the documentary does a good job walking viewers through the lies, wasted money, lack of integrity, and many of the failings that resulted in America spending 20 years in Afghanistan only to… Continue reading Reviewing Turning Point 911 and the War on Terror

Politicians Don’t Care About Their Grandchildren

The verdict for this episode is: the deficit of the United States doesn’t matter. I discuss how each president for the last 92 years with the exception of Clinton has added to the deficit. I also show how the drivers of deficits are military spending and tax cuts for the wealthy and corporations. https://media.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/content.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/Grandchildren.mp3Podcast: Play… Continue reading Politicians Don’t Care About Their Grandchildren

Reviewing the end of the Myth

Greg Grandin’s The end of the Myth: the frontier to the border wall in the mind of /America is the best look at the rise of so-called Trumpism I have read. Still, I think the book overcomplicates what is sadly too simple a reality. Human nature is fundamentally selfish. Sure, there are people who don’t… Continue reading Reviewing the end of the Myth

Thoughts After the South Carolina Debate

The verdict for this episode is: nothing happened during the debate to change the trajectory of the race. In this episode, I discuss the lie that Bernie Sanders wanted to primary Obama, Sanders’s great answers on foreign policy, and add a few general comments about the race. https://media.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/content.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/South_Carolina_debate.mp3Podcast: Play in new window | Download (Duration:… Continue reading Thoughts After the South Carolina Debate

Centrist Democrats are Repeating Obama’s Mistake

The verdict for this episode is: the public option for health care will not allow people to keep their private health insurance. In this episode, I discuss why claims that people would be able to keep their private health insurance if a public option was added allowing them to buy into Medicare are false. https://media.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/content.blubrry.com/jonathansimeonepodcast/Newcentrist_lie_Recording.mp3Podcast:… Continue reading Centrist Democrats are Repeating Obama’s Mistake

Reviewing Dark Money

Jane Mayer’s Dark Money is won of the most important political books I have ever read. Dark Money is a difficult, infuriating, critical read for anyone interested in learning how the ultra rich, especially the Koch brothers, have used their wealth to ensure government works for them at the expense of everyone else.

Reviewing The new Jim Crow

Michele Alexander’s The new Jim Crow: mass incarceration in the age of colorblindness is one of the most important books I have read in a long time. Alexander demonstrates in revolting clarity how America has used the facially-neutral war on drugs as the current way of controlling and punishing black people, especially black men.

Beto is an Empty Suit

Our long national nightmare is over. Thankfully, we now know, as if there was any doubt, Beto is running! What we don’t know, other than his ego, is why Beto is running. America doesn’t need an empty suit with little experience, a moderate record, and an unwillingness to take many stands. In honoring Beto’s announcement,… Continue reading Beto is an Empty Suit

Wrong is Wrong

I’m tired of Republicans justifying Trump’s bad ideas and cruel policies by constantly trying to create false equivalencies with things done by Barack Obama or the Clinton’s. If something was wrong when a Democrat was president that something should be wrong today. If something is worse than anything done during a Democratic administration, it should… Continue reading Wrong is Wrong