George H. W. Bush Archives

Politics

The Elusive Latino Voter

History reconsidered

September 22, 2022 • by Claire Potter

One place to understand how Republicans have stumbled when it comes to Latino voters is the attempt by the Reagan administration to simultaneously declare an end to racism in 1980—mission accomplished!—and woo Latinos as a racial group because they presented as religious and more socially conservative. Yet, as White House ...

Politics

Is This Regime Change?

The old order has entered a period of decay and illegitimacy

June 10, 2020 • by John Stoehr

Thanks to Donald Trump, white Americans are starting to see the United States through the eyes of black Americans, who experience, every day, police departments deploying an array of Gestapo tactics. Black Americans, in other words, understand fascism intimately. White Americans are finally seeing that the point of Black Lives Matter ...

North America

Do Not Presume a Fair Election

“Obamagate” reveals the skulduggery still to come.

May 15, 2020 • by John Stoehr

The president and his confederates in the United States Congress have spent the last several days manufacturing a controversy for the press corps to report and debate. Donald Trump has dubbed it “Obamagate.” It seems to have something to do with the previous administration’s lawful handling of the case of former ...

Multi Media

George H.W. Bush, Exorcisms, and the Squatty Potty

Past Present Episode 158

December 11, 2018 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Natalia, and Neil discuss the death of President George Herbert Walker Bush, the resurgence of exorcisms, and the viral popularity of the Squatty Potty. Here are some links and references mentioned during this week’s show: Forty-first president George H.W. Bush died recently at age 94. Niki mentioned ...

George H.W. Bush, Exorcisms, and the Squatty Potty

Feature

Racism, Thomas Farr, and the Legacies of George H. W. Bush

Bush was no Trump, but he helped pave the way for Trump

December 5, 2018 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

Late last week Republican Senator Tim Scott of South Carolina declared that he will vote against President Trump’s nomination of Thomas Farr to serve on the U.S. Court of Appeals, effectively killing the nomination in the Senate. Scott is the first African-American from South Carolina to ever serve in the ...

Racism, Thomas Farr, and the Legacies of George H. W. Bush

Feature

Bush Without Tears

Never attempt to define a person’s legacy based on a few incidents

December 3, 2018 • by John Lawrence

The presidency of George H.W. Bush is enjoying a nostalgic portrayal following the death of “41” on November 30. His is being called “the most successful one term presidency in history,” and that description may well endure given the obvious fact that, by definition, one term presidencies have invariably ended ...

Feature

What Do You Mean When You Use the Term Neoliberalism?

A Question to My American Friends, Colleagues, Students and Comrades on the Academic Left

April 7, 2017 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

The term “neoliberalism” drives me crazy, specifically when used in the U.S.. It explains too much with too little, concealing crucial distinctions, as it frustrates crucial coalitions against the clear and present danger of the new authoritarianism of Trump, Le Pen, Orban, Kaczynski, et al.. Further, it’s meaningless for much ...

What Do You Mean When You Use the Term Neoliberalism?

Uncategorized

The “Moderate” Contribution to Campaign Extremism

Going back in conservative history

November 2, 2015 • by Lawrence Glickman

Not content to run John Boehner out of office, the most extreme members of the Republican caucus tried to scuttle plans to elect Randian conservative Paul Ryan as Speaker of the House because they found Ryan too “left wing” for their tastes. "Do you know how crazy this election is?” ...

The “Moderate” Contribution to Campaign Extremism

Uncategorized

It’s Inequality, Stupid! Hillary Clinton at the New School on the Economy

July 14, 2015 • by Jeffrey C. Goldfarb

Attending Hillary Clinton’s speech here at The New School on Monday, I was impressed, though not inspired. In person, she seemed to me to be as wooden as she appears on television. Yet especially now, a tough day later with bad news from Greece and good news from Iran, I think ...