Archive for the ‘American current affairs’ Category
U.S. presidential election (16): and they’re off …
January 4th, 2016 by Roger Darlington
I wrote my first posting on the American presidential election of this year just over a year ago and this is now the 16th posting in the series (there will be more!). So far, it’s been all town hall meetings, television debates, and media storms – with no voter actually voting for anyone. Over the […]
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Why is the American middle class so anxious and why is Donald Trump doing so well?
December 16th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
One of the most astute commentators on the American political and economic scene is Robert Reich and he has just written this short article explaining why so many Americans are so anxious and seeking solace from “a strongman who’d promise to protect them from all the chaos”.
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U.S. presidential election (15): Donald J Trump should revisit Ellis Island
December 9th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
The latest outrageous statement by Republican presidential hopeful Donald Trump is disgusting and despicable. It is wrong on so many levels, but commentators are surely right when they brand it a “unAmerican”. The United States was founded and peopled by newcomers of countless ethnicities and many religions. Nowhere in the USA is this brought home […]
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U.S. presidential election (14): who can stop Donald Trump?
November 29th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Let us – especially non-Americans – remind ourselves of just a few of the gaffes and insults which have emanated from Donald Trump in his effort to become the Republican nominee for next year’s US presidential election. As this article from today’s “Observer” newspaper puts it: “First, there was the time he outraged prisoners of war […]
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U.S. presidential election (13): the astonishing rise of Ben Carson
November 8th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
To almost non-Americans – and, I suspect, many Americans – the current success of Ben Carson in the race to become the Republican candidate for the US Presidency is simply amazing. The retired neurosurgeon with no experience of politics has now overtaken Donald Trump – himself a political outsider – who has previously been in […]
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Word of the day: pabulum
November 3rd, 2015 by Roger Darlington
In the United States, former Florida governor Jeb Bush is really struggling to make an impact in his effort to become the Republican candidate in next year’s presidential election. In an attempt to revive his campaign, he has gone on the attack in relation to his rivals, declaring: “The campaign trail is littered with candidates […]
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More Americans killed by guns since 1968 than in all U.S. wars
October 12th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
More Americans have died from guns in the United States since 1968 than on battlefields of all the wars in American history. Each year, the number of firearm-related deaths reach almost the equivalent of U.S. casualties in the Korean War. You can sees a visualisation of the relevant data here.
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U.S. presidential election (12): Trump attacked at second Republican debate
September 17th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
Donald Trump’s exchange with Jeb Bush: JB: “To subject my wife into the middle of a raucous political conversation was completely inappropriate and I hope you apologise for that Donald.” DT: “Well, I have to tell you I hear phenomenal things, I hear your wife is a lovely woman. I don’t know her.” JB: “She […]
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U.S. presidential election (11): who can trump Trump?
September 6th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
To the astonishment of many observers, motor-mouth Donald Trump has taken the lead – and kept it so far – in the Republican primary race to chose a presidential candidate. Now the media loves political upsets and is looking for evidence that Trump is under challenge. The current unlikely candidate is an African-American neurosurgeon called […]
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Is the ageing of those who can and do vote killing social democracy?
August 27th, 2015 by Roger Darlington
This is an (edited) extract from a blog posting this week by Nick Pearce, Director of the Institute for Public Policy Research (IPPR). “Most people are familiar with the inequality in turnout between the social classes. No less egregious is the inequality in turnout between the generations. This is now a major political cleavage, with […]
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