Tag Archives: History

David Mamet’s Latest Far-Right Screed

Posted on January 31, 2013 at 9:42 am by Bob Cesca

By now you might’ve seen David Mamet’s pro-gun screed in Newsweek in which he basically assembled every NRA bumper sticker into essay form. It’s just as wingnutty as everything else he’s written since he strangely transformed from a far-left liberal … Continue reading →

Posted in Guns | Tagged , , , , | 8 Comments

The Long Shadow of Barack Obama’s Inauguration

Posted on January 21, 2013 at 7:33 am by Bob Cesca

My Inauguration Day column begins like so: President Obama was officially sworn in yesterday for his second term as chief executive and, this afternoon, he’ll be ceremonially sworn in with all of the usual Capitol fanfare and speeches. While not … Continue reading →

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Confirmed: Second Amendment Framers Wanted to Protect Slavery

Posted on January 17, 2013 at 12:23 pm by Bob Cesca

Tommy Christopher was incredulous about Thom Hartmann’s report for Truth Out indicating that the framers intended the Second Amendment as a means of protecting slave-holders from slave insurrections. But upon further research, Christopher determined that Hartmann was on the money: … Continue reading →

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Was the Second Amendment About Preserving Slavery?

Posted on January 16, 2013 at 9:45 am by Bob Cesca

Thom Hartmann seems to think so and he lays out a pretty convincing case at Truth Out: If the anti-slavery folks in the North had figured out a way to disband – or even move out of the state – … Continue reading →

Posted in Guns | Tagged , , , | 7 Comments

Ted Nugent Compares Gun Owners to Rosa Parks

Posted on January 11, 2013 at 9:13 am by Bob Cesca

Nugent isn’t quite as psychotic at that escaped mental patient from Tennessee who threatened to start killing people, but he’s not far off. And now he’s likening himself to one of the great nonviolent protesters in American history: But there … Continue reading →

Posted in Guns | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Grappling with the Conundrum of ‘Django Unchained’

Posted on January 10, 2013 at 7:18 am by Bob Cesca

My Thursday column: I don’t mean to step on Chez Pazienza’s toes as the unofficial The Daily Banter Movie Guy, but I wanted to take some time with the new Quentin Tarantino movie Django Unchained; partly because racial issues and … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , , , | 10 Comments

U.S. Military Considered Blowing Up the Moon

Posted on November 26, 2012 at 2:08 pm by Bob Cesca

I thought this was a joke, but it’s not. CBS News reports: During the height of the Cold War, U.S. officials debated whether to detonate nuclear bomb on the moon in order to send a message to the Soviet Union, … Continue reading →

Posted in Nuclear Weapons | Tagged , , | 11 Comments

President Kennedy’s American University Address

Posted on November 22, 2012 at 4:16 pm by Bob Cesca

President Anderson, members of the faculty, board of trustees, distinguished guests, my old colleague, Senator Bob Byrd, who has earned his degree through many years of attending night law school, while I am earning mine in the next 30 minutes, … Continue reading →

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The Bully Pulpit

Posted on November 20, 2012 at 1:14 pm by Bob Cesca

Just a brief reminder as we enter the second Obama presidential term. The Teddy Roosevelt phrase “bully pulpit” doesn’t imply using president power as a means of being aggressive or nasty. Anyone who uses “bully pulpit” to imply that the … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , | 15 Comments

Lincoln

Posted on November 17, 2012 at 2:46 pm by Bob Cesca

Those of us who are inextricably obsessed with politics have been lucky to witness two truly great modern political films featuring two uncanny portrayals of martyred presidents. Thirteen Days, with Bruce Greenwood as JFK, is as appropriate a lesson about … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies | Tagged , , , , , , | 4 Comments