ONE CAN ONLY SEE this election as Donald Trump running against himself.

He continued the thread that came out of the American Civil War. Slavery may have been abolished by the Thirteenth Amendment, but all those who study the American sociology know that slavery was followed by Jim Crow and all those tricks that kept people of color in their places.

We all know that as Pete Seeger used to sing, “If you’re black, get back.” And so it has gone. With the election of Barack Obama, it was assumed we had finally restored racial sanity to this country. But things got sloppy. By the smallest of margins and with the help of the devil’s deal known as the “Electoral College,” Hillary Clinton lost the election despite the fact that she got the most votes. Read more…

ARLO GUTHRIE IS INCREDIBLY TALENTED. I’ve known him for years and interviewed him countless times. As the son of Woody Guthrie, he is one of the few sons who may be better known than his famous father. Of course, when Woody was around, we didn’t have the media outlets that we have now. But Arlo is a beloved figure in this country and around the world. When you hear the name Arlo, you know exactly who is being talked about. It is not only his unique voice that makes him one of a kind, but his incredible wit.

Arlo is a very young 73. Now, however, he has suffered a few strokes and has been hard hit by the pandemic since his live performing has come to a screeching halt. So Arlo says he is retiring but I bet we’ll be seeing him. He’s just too good to retire. After the death of his dad from Huntington’s chorea, Arlo became one of the foremost folk singers in the world. Arlo says that he did not get tested. That takes guts.

From the very beginning, Pete Seeger recognized Arlo’s talent and as a duo, they took over the traditional Thanksgiving concert at Carnegie Hall that was once the domain of the legendary Weavers. Their albums were must-haves for all of us who worshipped folk singing when it was just that—folk singing. Read more…

OH, BROTHER! Just when you think you’ve seen it all, something even stranger comes along. This time, it was a bunch of self-congratulatory eggheads with a bunch of fancy initials after their names who call themselves libertarians and academics but smell like Trumpers. It just goes to show you that there are such things as educated idiots. I have a Ph.D. but I would rather rely on my mind than any of the various titles and honors that I have received thus far.

This group of people gathered together and came up with a plan which was basically a truly dangerous version of “herd immunity.” Herd immunity, as we know it, can be obtained through vaccinations—if enough people are vaccinated against a disease, the community spread will slow and stop. But this crazy plan posits that we let everyone get Covid-19 and sooner or later, the ones who don’t die will confer immunity on the rest of the “herd.” Of course, respected scientists and doctors are aghast at the idea, as well they should be. The expert prediction is that if this kind of herd immunity becomes policy, millions of Americans will needlessly die.

Naturally this plays right into Donald Trump’s little hands. Crazy Trump believes that he can’t win unless the country is open for business. If this herd immunity policy were to be adopted, people would go back to work. They won’t wear masks, they won’t socially distance, they won’t stay in their houses. They will infect one another. The restaurants and the movie theaters and concerts and public gatherings will reopen and to hell with all those who get sick and die. Read more…