Jamesian Philosophy Refreshed

For a long time, much of the political appeal of  President Donald Trump has come from his professed opposition to “forever wars.”   One of his many explicit statements to this effect dates from his State of the Union address in 2019.  He said, “Great nations do not fight endless wars.”  If you need a link for that: behold. Given his goal to make America “great again,” this language clearly amounts to a commitment to use his position as commander-in-chief to keep the United States out of endless wars. Yet here we are, with Trump once again the commander-in-chief and with his commitment to war with Iran open-ended. He began the attack on Iran at the end of February and throughout March he has put his renunciation of his earlier view front-and-center. He has used his own proprietary social-media platform, “Truth Social,” to explain to us that “Wars can be fought ‘forever,’ and very successfully, using just these supplies (which are better than other countries fin...

  This is not a day-to-day politics blog. Even in the midst of the final stretch of a Presidential campaign, that is NOT what this is, as my readers have surely noticed. I will not, for example, be reviewing this week's debate here.  Nor is it a personal commentary on J.D. Vance, the VP nominee on the Republican side.  But Vance does seem likely to eclipse even Sarah Palin in the annals of unforgotten unforgiven running mate choices. Not long ago a reporter for a local television station, (a Fox station, if it matters) asked Vance the following simple question. It was phrased as two questions, but we may treat it as one, "What makes you smile? what makes you happy?"  This is known as a softball. Nobody gets the Pulitzer for them, but they aren't "bogus," either. They are generally an opening for a candidate to get an uncomplicated message out. If someone asks a politician, "what makes you smile?" -- what is a non-JD answer? A normal US politician...

  No reasoning here. Just prediction, as the headline says. I'm looking into a crystal ball.  Let's see if I get this one right. It won't take long. The Republicans hold their primary in the U.S. Senate race on May 3. That's only two weeks away now.  The Dems hold one on May 3 too. But that campaign is a more decorous affair and the vote counting will probably be boring too.  Let's look to the Republicans.  My prediction is in an envelope. It has been inside a mayonnaise jar on Funk and Wagnell's porch since noon today. Am I the only one left who remembers the talents of Carnac the Magnificent? Anyway, the prediction?  The Hillbilly elegy guy wins the primary. J.D. Vance. You heard it here. Sim sala bim.