News - of the people, by the people & for the people

Congress Stinks Because We're Dumb

7/28/2011 1:40 PM - USA, New York, NY - Sean McElwee

Americans are becoming dumber, which means Congress is full of dogmatic ideologues.

Presidential Narratives

5/20/2011 08:30 AM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

Narratives make it much easier for journalist to write their stories, after all, a caricature of a President or a politician is much easier to draw, than an authentic picture that illustrate both the strengths and flaws of the individual.

Rome Wasn't Built in a Day

5/17/2011 9:26 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

Imperialism still affects the world today.

What is Justice?

5/17/2011 9:11 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

How should Christians respond to the death of the wicked?

Policemen of the World

5/13/2011 11:02 AM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

America’s attempts at policing the world have created a perception-schism, dividing the world’s nations into admirers and critics.

The Key to Osama’s Death

5/4/2011 1:56 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

As details of the operation become clearer, an interesting question begins to emerge – who gets credit for Bin Laden’s demise?

Congress Declares War

4/27/2011 4:44 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, MO - Mark Hoduski

Yesterday, April 27th, Congress declared war on Libya…just kidding.

Capitalism: Social Darwinism or Moral Autonomy

4/23/2011 4:59 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

Are we Captains of Industry or Robber Barons?

Castro Retires, His Impact Does Not

4/21/2011 4:48 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, MO - Mark Hoduski

Casto, Communist dicator of Cuba, officially retired this week. However, the consequences of his life are profound and ongoing.

Congress, Embrace the Mess

4/13/2011 3:47 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

While much of the world roils in desperation to be free of tyranny, it appears many Americans do not share their appreciation for Democracy and its benefits.

NATO, Stopping Communism, err…

4/8/2011 08:22 AM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

NATO,an alliance between America and Western Europe, once existed to counter Communism. Today, in places like Afghanistan and Libya, it is grasping for a new purpose.

Stimulus Spending, Snazzy Style

4/4/2011 7:46 PM - USA, New York, NY - Sean McElwee

It's obvious that the current stimulus package isn't doing much. Here's a plan to stimulate the economy that will work.

Budget Deficits and Dirty Rooms

3/31/2011 9:28 PM - United States, New York, NY - Sean McElwee

Congress will never reduce deficits significantly without addressing the big three. They continuously neglect to do so, acting like five year old children sweeping their dirty clothes under the bed.

Miraculous Dunkirk

3/30/2011 11:25 AM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

It is a forgone conclusion in the minds of many today that the Allies would win World War II and save humanity from Fascist domination. Such confident assertions were not commonplace in May 1940.

An All-American Mad-Lib

3/30/2011 06:58 AM - USA, New York, NY - Luke Trouwborst

A recent letter from Uncle Sam, in Mad-Lib form. Any resemblance to recent events in Libya may or may not be coincidental.

The Facebook Epidemic

3/23/2011 8:43 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

How many days a year are you spending on facebook? The average is fifteen.

The Swirl President

3/15/2011 0:58 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

The paradigm of modern politics is that the middle ground often leads to re-election, while principled positions of right and wrong often leads to sharp denunciations from the press and exile from political success.

This is Fad not Fiction

3/5/2011 10:56 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

What is "Sarah Palin's Alaska"?

Freedom of Propaganda

2/26/2011 1:12 PM - USA, Bonner Springs, MO - Natosha Hoduski

You have the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness... Until it conflicts with Freedom of Speech.

Watching Eyes

2/24/2011 08:42 AM - USA, Bonner Springs, KS - Mark Hoduski

Ancient Sumerians believed the eyes of God were watching them. Failure to obey the laws led to divine retribution with consequences both temporal and eternal.

The Politics of Ignorance

2/19/2011 1:03 PM - USA, Boliver, MO - Natosha Hoduski

Is low voter turnout amongst young adults such a bad thing?

Heroic Deflation

2/18/2011 1:52 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Increasingly, professors are recommending heroic deflation, or the devaluing of historical persons of distinction, as a curative for the surmised weakness of the mental economy of the average college student.

“Thirteen Schools of Government”

2/11/2011 07:39 AM - USA, Shawnee, KS - Mark Hoduski

Writing a constitution in 1787 was a remarkable and difficult venture. Founders had two instructive maps that assisted them on their journey to create arguably the most successful republic in history.

Sleeping Mummies

2/3/2011 3:35 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Civil unrest spilled out into the streets of Cairo through loud and often raucous protest, leaving the symbol of modern oppression, President Hosni Mubarak, to hold tenuously to his power.

Move over Bill Cosby

1/26/2011 08:08 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Enter the new Bill Cosby – Barak Obama. He is no sitcom father. He is President of the United States, and perhaps just as crucial, a modern role model for black males to emulate.

Rise of the Dragon

1/18/2011 08:42 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Like some medieval tale, the elder’s portent that one day a dragon would rise out of the east and threaten humanity, is quickly moving from the realm of mythical lore to dangerous reality.

Learning the Lessons of Debt

1/12/2011 4:18 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

As the Federal government advances towards unparalleled and historical debt levels, it is appropriate and timely to learn some lessons from Truman’s difficulties with debt.

Presidential Grade Card II

1/5/2011 07:52 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

With a second year completed, it is again time to give the president a grade card for his performance.

Obscenity on Display

12/16/2010 08:37 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Our nation has added another unfunded entitlement to be paid for, California style, by slight-of-hand, a further increase in debt and the printing of money.

What if John McCain Had Won the 2008 Election?

12/9/2010 09:07 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Mark Hoduski extrapolates what might have happened if John McCain had been elected president instead of Barak Obama. Against his theoretical benchmarks, he draws conclusions about Mr. Obama's first two years in office.

Did the Terrorist Win?

12/1/2010 08:33 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Rights are relative and must play out against conflicting concerns of national security. However, the increasingly invasive approach of airport security directs one to question whether the indicated rights are being relegated to the level of privileges.

Two Sodas and Change

11/24/2010 08:18 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

The loss of virtues such as community and accountability is increasingly eroding the national character. The restoration of such essential building blocks is critical for perpetuating the American ethos that made this country great.

National Debt in the Land of OZ

11/11/2010 08:30 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

The Wizard of OZ is a lighthearted and interesting take on Populism. What is not lighthearted is the governments return to the Populist myth that inflation can cure America’s economic stagnation and address the nation’s mounting debt problem.

What Do Tuesday’s Midterm Elections Mean?

11/5/2010 06:22 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Four possible interpretations of the 2010 midterm elections that answer the question: What do Tuesday’s midterm elections mean?

Becoming a “Thing”

10/29/2010 08:28 AM - USA, L, KS - reNuz.net

Mark Hoduski explores Lincoln's views on slavery as "a slippery slope" and the irony of Juan Williams dismissal from NPR, while championing the rights of minorities.

Debating Senatorial Qualifications

10/22/2010 08:04 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - reNuz.net

Senators play many important constitutional roles in American democracy. Perhaps none more important than serving as a check on the president and judicial branch in reviewing and approving appointments to the Supreme Court.

The Forgotten

10/14/2010 08:16 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - reNuz.net

In almost every successful individual’s life is a person or persons that have made success possible through quiet and often forgotten gestures of support. Here is one of those stories.

The Death and Rebirth of Jacksonian Democracy

10/7/2010 08:44 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - reNuz.net

Since the early 19th century the Democrat Party theoretically practiced a form of Jacksonian Democracy where the people and their virtues were exalted over the will of the elite.

Roulette of Presidential Candidates Part II

9/30/2010 08:58 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

This is a continuation of Mark's article from last week, where he reviews Republican presidential candidates.

Roulette of Presidential Candidates

9/23/2010 09:14 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

With the current volatile conditions and the growing influence of the Tea Party, the rather staid and traditional Republican Party may nominate an unexpected candidate.

Witches, McCarthyism, and Bigotry, Oh My

9/17/2010 07:53 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

“…it becomes clearer that we are in the midst of a national psychosis: the worst spasm of paranoia and bigotry of the post-Cold War age,” writes Peter Beinart, for the online publication the Daily Beast.

Through a Glass Dimly

9/9/2010 09:01 AM

In World War II America’s enemies were Nazi Germany and Imperial Japan. It is time for President Obama and Congress to identify our current enemy.

“Nothing so American” – The National Parks

9/3/2010 07:16 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Two factors undermining the teaching of history in the classroom are the federally mandated “No Child Left Behind” standards and the ACT assessment exam.

Muslim in the White House?

8/25/2010 08:37 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Is President Obama a Muslim? It has been a growing point of discussion on TV, the internet, and amid the general populace. Frankly, labeling President Obama a Muslim is rather specious and just downright silly.

The Mosque

8/18/2010 9:43 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

If Muslims have a right to build at Ground Zero, but not all rights are absolute, is there a solution to this difficult predicament?

Time for a Vacation

8/10/2010 4:15 PM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

Are vacations by America’s political leaders and their spouses really such a bad idea?

Pakistan – a Good Ally?

8/3/2010 08:51 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - Mark Hoduski

No one likes a two-faced friend. The recent Wikileaks reveal that America’s ally, Pakistan, may be playing the United States by taking billions of dollars to fight the Taliban, while simultaneously aiding the Taliban in their war aims.

The Sherrod Postulate

7/28/2010 06:15 AM - USA, Lenexa, KS - reNuz.net

Is “Social Inequity” the next battleground in a post-racial society? Shirley Sherrod asks the question. But the answer might not be obvious.

The Most Virtuous

7/6/2010 3:49 PM - Mark Hoduski

Today, with less than three percent of Americans identified as farmers, it is worth exploring what benefits ninety-seven percent of Americans are missing.

The Spy Game

7/2/2010 09:05 AM - Mark Hoduski

With the recent arrest of eleven Russian spies the Cold War chatter of the James Bond era has returned.