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Trump's Nero Decree

by Frank Domurad

Adolf Hitler coped with the realization of incipient defeat by ordering the destruction of vital infrastructure in Germany as vengeance against a people who had, he believed, failed him. Donald Trump has been taking a similar approach to the nation's infrastructure and the COVID response (except for the border wall). 

The Long Overdue End of the “Serious Conservative"

by Charles J. Holden

Two darlings of the conservative movement – Ted Cruz and Josh Hawley – found themselves in hot water last week after supporting the false narrative of election fraud that inspired the Capitol rioting. It's part of a long legacy of media-anointed "serious conservatives" whose smarts have been inflated.

A New "Trump Precedent" Under the 25th Amendment?

by Devan Charles Lindey

If the vice president and cabinet invoke the 25th Amendment to remove Donald Trump from the powers of the presidency, it would set a new precedent in the largely uncharted territory of dealing with Presidential incapacity. 

Public Speech and Democracy

by Sandra Peart

American leaders have failed to support public speech that sustains disagreement without violence. That culture of speech must be rebuilt for democracy to survive.

Black Women Have Been Important Party and Electoral Organizers for a Century

by Alison M. Parker

Black women's political organizing was a key to Joe Biden's victory and the Democratic Senate victories in Georgia; these episodes are part of a long historical tradition of activists using partisan politics to press for racial and gender equality. 

Historical Rhetoric Resurfaced in Georgia's Runoff Election

by Alicia K. Jackson

Jon Ossoff and Raphael Warnock didn't just defeat their Republican opponents on January 5, they defeated a number of racist tropes that have characterized Georgia politics since Reconstruction. 

Leaders Have Shirked Responsibility When Pandemics Affected Presidents

by Robert Brent Toplin

It's a matter of speculation whether his illness with COVID-19 has contributed to Trump's recent behavior, but it's not unlikely. It's another episode showing the need for rigorous attention to the issue of presidential incapacitation. 

Will VMI Move Further Toward Change and Away from Stonewall Jackson?

by Wallace Hettle

Removing the statue of Stonewall Jackson from campus is just one step that the Virginia Military Institute must take toward separating itself from the Lost Cause myth and serving all Virginians. 

A Modern Day Lynch Mob Invaded the Capitol on January 6

by Guy Lancaster

When the Capitol rioters took selfies and posted their exploits on social media, they worked from the same expectation of impunity as drove participants in Jim Crow lynch mobs. 

Images of the Capitol Riot Reflect a National Crisis

by Danielle Taana Smith

Treating Trumpism as an aberration rather than as the eruption of deep-seated impulses to bigotry and violence is a dangerous delusion. 

Teddy Roosevelt and Josh Hawley's History Lessons

by David Goldfischer

Josh Hawley wrote a 2008 biography of Theodore Roosevelt balancing praise of the former president's vision of democracy with condemnation of his grasping for power. One wonders how the author of this book could have acted as the Senator did on January 6. 

Will the Republicans Take the Fascist Option?

by Kevin Matthews

Before this past week, too many in the GOP seemed too willing to choose the fascist option.  Now they have seen what it looks like and where it leads.  The question Republicans must answer is simple: Will they choose fascism anyway? 

Worst Pardon Ever? You'll Be Surprised

by Michael Genovese

The prospect of Trump issuing pardons to his family (and even trying to pardon himself) and the contentious history of pardons should be cause to limit the pardon power by providing for Congressional oversight. 

Actually, It's Doctor....

by Suzanne Chod

A recent editorial asking Dr. Jill Biden to stop using the honorific is steeped in sexism and nostalgia for the unchallenged authority of white men. Ironically, her upcoming public role may help to further break down such hierarchies.

Defending the 1619 Project in the Context of History Education Today

by Alan J. Singer

Critics of the 1619 project may dispute particular claims or interpretations, but an understanding of the minimal attention devoted to slavery and its legacies in secondary school curricula shows that the project is badly needed. 

Can Biden Broaden Our American Dream?

by Walter G. Moss

Can a program of national service create pathways to individual opportunity while also building the social cohesion America needs to recover? 

"A Christmas Carol" Makes the Same Demand Today: Feed the Hungry

by William Lambers

Three ghosts visiting Americans this holiday might show the lifesaving benefits of food aid in the past, the scope of food insecurity today, and the prospects of hunger worsening in the future. 

The Psychology of Election Denial

by Robert Brent Toplin

The Republican response to the election results is a lesson in the mental mechanics of cognitive dissonance. 

To Be Or Not to Be... a Republican

by James D. Zirin

Donald Trump doesn't expect to prevail in the 2020 election, but may succeed in keeping hold of the Republican Party for years to come; his insistent claims of fraud are a test of loyalty. 

Georgia Election Official Joins Long Line of Voices to Call for ‘Living in Truth'

by Jeffrey H. Jackson

"History shows us that people -- sometimes one at a time -- can defend the truth by pointing out what everyone knows but which the powerful sometimes refuse to believe."