Author Archives: Gerry Martini

Democrats Aim to Win and, in Doing So, They Lose

It has long been known that far more Americans consider themselves “conservatives” than “liberals.” And considering how far to the right what it means to be a “liberal” has become, it makes sense that President Obama has never been the … Continue reading

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Christ the Skier

I love a good bout of righteous indignation as much as the person—and normally nothing makes me more righteous than some bible-thumper trying to impose his deity on me—so I was surprised to find myself on the opposite team as … Continue reading

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When the Times Get Tough, the Tough Ditch Democracy

This weekend, the Egyptian army and police were once again clashing with protesters in Tahrir Square over the potential for a democratic Egypt. Reforms that promised to make the government a representative one have been delayed, and any parliament will—for … Continue reading

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To Be Obediently Disobedient

“The Manhattan district attorney’s office fully supports the tradition of civil disobedience and that all individuals have the right to protest, if they do so in a law-abiding way,” assistant DA Michele Bayer said in court Thursday. Ms. Bayer disrespects … Continue reading

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The Contracting Concern

In a week when President Obama announced the U.S.’s final phase of official military pullout, scheduled for the end of this year, it seems appropriate to reflect on the alarming rise of unofficial military personnel deployment by the government in … Continue reading

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Civilization and Its Discontents

I had to look “civilized” up in the dictionary this week. I had thought this was a word that I had used correctly for years, but after a former Georgia prosecutor used it this week to describe the decision to … Continue reading

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The Battle of Buffett

The fires of our smoldering class war have been re-stoked. President Obama, assorted GOP lawmakers have told us, has initiated the latest pinko uprising by letting it slip that he’ll be pushing for “the Buffett tax.” Paul Ryan et al. … Continue reading

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American Folly

Any public transport–riding New Yorker will have noticed the ads: October 2, PBS is releasing Ken Burns’ new three-part documentary “Prohibition: American Folly.” Burns’ subtitle seems an accepted truism of U.S. history at this point—it was foolish to pursue a … Continue reading

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