Author: Thom Hartmann

If you think Republican politicians in Congress are corrupt, you ain’t seen nothing yet. Check out how little it costs to purchase access to a Supreme Court justice. Conservatives on the Supreme Court famously legalized billionaires and corporations bribing politicians back in 1976 and 1978, respectively (Buckley v Valeo and First National Bank v Bellotti), doubling down on and expanding the doctrine in 2010 (Citizens United). Back in the 1970s Democratic politicians’ campaigns were largely funded by unions: the movement was awash in cash as it represented nearly a third of American workers. So when the Court legalized political bribery, most...

They call themselves culture warriors. In reality they are fascists. Both the world and our American political system are rapidly dividing along two simple political lines: democracy or fascism. And the typical device fascists have used to rise to power, in country after country for centuries, has been what Republicans today refer to as their beloved “culture wars.” Democracies allow healthy debate about cultural and political issues, from the level of government support for the needy, to limits on immigration, to the funding of public functions like schools, libraries, and utilities. Control of government in democracies regularly and peacefully...

Increasingly, the Democratic and Republican parties are offering us all a very real choice: trust or fear. Think back to the 2022 election we endured just two months ago. Remember the ads you saw on TV? Odds are each one fell into one of two very simple categories: “be afraid of the other guy” or “trust that I’ll make your life better.” Most of the “fear” ads came from Republicans; most of the “trust” ads came from Democrats. Pain or pleasure.  Fear or trust. These are the two primary strategies we all use to motivate ourselves and others every...