Monthly Archives: July 2017

Dionysus, and a Worm I’m going to stick with one of the themes of my book – the return of the repressed – and my most compelling image: Dionysus, the Loosener.  What is the knocking?
 What is the knocking at … Continue reading →

Mythological Speculations What the hell is going on? One thing is clear: conventional political analysis can take us only so far. We need to think mythologically. Vera de Chalambert articulates some popular mythopoetic thinking. In August, 2015, well before Trump’s ascension, … Continue reading →

The Local Level: Policing in America Let’s clear up one issue quickly. If mental illness (you know, the old “single shooter” trope) were the sole cause of these actions, people from all over the political spectrum would be committing them. … Continue reading →

Government Actions – and Inactions This behavior, of course, did not occur in a vacuum. The federal government and several state governments, sometimes quietly and more often quite publicly, were actively broadcasting the new state of permission and removing the … Continue reading →

Specific Acts of Hate: Demagogues understand that they don’t have to exhort their followers directly to violence. They are masters of the art of innuendo and coded messages – and of American mythology. Chip Berlet says: …history tells us that … Continue reading →

“Free Speech”, Provocations and Threats: – Within 24 hours of Trump’s victory, there was a burst of “celebratory” incidents. “We actually counted 1,094 different hate crimes and lesser bias incidents in just the first 34 days after the election,” said … Continue reading →

…Shall in these confines with a monarch’s voice Cry ‘Havoc,’ and let slip the dogs of war; That this foul deed shall smell above the earth With carrion men, groaning for burial. – Shakespeare, Julius Caesar So if you see … Continue reading →