Category Archives: Politics

Constitutional amendment, Part I

Posted on February 21, 2019 by hessd

I think the most important challenge facing Americans today is constitutional amendment. Think of that as sub-headline.  It’s misleading, sure, but it is supposed to get you into the body of the essay.  We’ll see. Let’s work first on the … Continue reading →

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Doing agreement

Posted on January 20, 2019 by hessd

Last night, I watched—again—one of the final episodes of The West Wing. In it, Matt Santos (Jimmy Smits) asks Arnie Vinick (Alan Alda) to be his Secretary of State. This seems odd, on the surface, because Santos has just defeated … Continue reading →

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Not a nationalist. Not a globalist.

Posted on November 27, 2018 by hessd

That really is the question.  What alternatives are you rejecting when you choose this one.  Here’s an account that Matt Bai, a Yahoo columnist, published on October 25 “You know what I am?” Trump asked the amped-up crowd. “I’m a … Continue reading →

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Abby says, “Game On!”

Posted on November 19, 2018 by hessd

The “presidential debate” in Season 4 of The West Wing has been a favorite for quite a while. It isn’t a real debate, like the Season 7 debate between Matt Santos and Arnie Vinick. It’s more like T-ball, where Governor … Continue reading →

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I am glad I am not THERE anymore

Posted on November 13, 2018 by hessd

If you have lived a long time, you have held views you no longer hold. Your choice, from the place you are now, is how to regard those views you once held. [1] I want to emphasize that this is … Continue reading →

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Madam Secretary 4.1

Posted on October 24, 2018 by hessd

I want to think about trashy news and trashy people today.  The United States has enemies, of course, and they act against us in the old style and in the new. [1]  The old style is acting against us in … Continue reading →

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Policymaking in a democracy

Posted on October 10, 2018 by hessd

What will happen to the great coastal cities if the atmosphere continues to warm at the rate it is warming now? I think that is an interesting question. Even more interesting would be pictures—these would look like photographs, but would, … Continue reading →

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Left-leaning media

Posted on July 21, 2018 by hessd

Where is the plumb line when you really need one?  A plumb line defines straight up and down, deviating neither to the left nor to the right.[1]  Everybody agrees on the absolute verticality of the plumb line because it a … Continue reading →

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I believe in the integrity of the atom

Posted on July 6, 2018 by hessd

On the morning of the 4th of July, a friend of mine [1] was greeted with a cheery, “Happy Birthday.”  I’m sure he responded to the sentiment in a gentle way, but inside, he felt himself strongly rejected the idea.  … Continue reading →

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New fashions in exculpation

Posted on May 31, 2018 by hessd

  When fashion writers comment on the new styles of the new season, then don’t stop to call their readers’ attention to the fact that all these people have chosen to wear clothes.  They take that for granted and so … Continue reading →

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