For many Americans, the dream of owning a home is still viable, but it has become substantially harder to achieve, especially for first-time and moderate-income buyers. The clearest evidence is affordability. Harvard’s Joint Center [...]
In their Sept. 22, 2026, Wall Street Journal opinion piece, former Republican Sen. Phil Gramm and George Mason University economist Donald Boudreaux argue that the Republican Party may eventually move away from President Trump’s protectionist [...]
I was about 10 years old when the Army-McCarthy hearings took place. My family did not own a television, but much of the country did. They were mesmerized by the hearings that took place over [...]
This past summer, I visited Rwanda to see its mountain gorillas. However, learning about the genocide and Rwanda’s reconciliation efforts left a deeper impression on me. Between April and July 1994, 800,000 people—and possibly as [...]
Click on the image below to see Doc's presentation: "A Comparison of Texas to California"
"The United States government did something that was wrong—deeply, profoundly, morally wrong. It was an outrage to our commitment to integrity and equality for all our citizens... clearly racist." "To the survivors, to the wives [...]
Pew Research reported that a majority of Americans favor constitutional changes. The United States Constitution has served as the foundation of American government for more than two centuries. Its endurance reflects the strength of its [...]
Click on the image below to see Doc's presentation: "Harry S. Truman: A President Who Shaped the Modern World"
Introduction From 2015 to 2020, I served as a Senate member of the American Israel Political Action Committee (AIPAC) because of my strong Zionist beliefs. During that time, I believed the close U.S.-Israel alliance benefited [...]
After 10 years, Jim Abbott retired in1999 with a career record of 87-108. Imperfect relates the spectacular story of Jim Abbott who was born with one hand and yet went on to pitch 10 [...]
The United States enjoys the remarkable advantage of having two states—Texas and California—that could each stand alone as prosperous and influential nations. If treated as independent countries, California would possess the world’s fourth-largest economy, while [...]
Introduction Theodore Roosevelt once said: “It is not the critic who counts; not the man who points out how the strong man stumbles, or where the doer of deeds could have done them better. The [...]
The below article is from the September 2017 issue of Sarasota Scene Magazine and written by Steven J. Smith. It serves as a great synopsis of the evolution of 'Ernest “Doc” and Eloise Werlin Park'. DOC [...]
Introduction I recently read Road to Surrender by Evan Thomas that describes the atmosphere leading to the Japanese surrender ending World War II. There were several key issues that led to that decision. Many historians [...]
Introduction According to a June 2026 Pew Research Center survey of 44,657 people in 36 countries, international views of Israel have become overwhelmingly negative. Younger people and those on the political left are particularly critical [...]
I presented this information at a talk about the growing income inequality in the United States. It was shared in a PowerPoint format. I am sharing the information with you, my readers, as a document [...]
Introduction I was reminded about Cinema Paradiso after reading a book that focused on the Allied campaign in Italy during World War II from 1943-1945. While the war was primarily fought against Germans, not Italians, [...]
Introduction My friends know my ongoing interest in events surrounding World War II. They have asked me from time to time why Franklin Roosevelt (FDR) did not allow Jewish refugees into the United States after [...]
Several weeks ago, I saw, for the fifth time, Fiddler on the Roof, which is based on Sholem Aleichem’s short stories. Sadly, for hundreds of years Russian Tsars used the Cossacks to implement murderous pogroms [...]
Introduction For several years I have taken courses online through thegreatcourses.com and also on their app. The Great Courses provides access to highly acclaimed teachers on video. The current course that I am attending [...]
The front page of today’s (3/31) The Wall Street Journal highlighted the wonderful act by Claudia Goldin, who was the first woman to win a solo Nobel in economics. Specifically, Miss Goldin advised the [...]
Introduction Today, I participated in a weekly telephone conference with colleagues. Our discussion focused on the enormous power of the Executive Branch of our government at the expense of Congress. These developments are troubling [...]
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
Click on the image below to see Doc's presentation: "2025 Economic Overview and the Looming Debt Crisis" Lecture: 2025 Economic Overview and the Looming Debt Crisis
“Sow the wind, reap the whirlwind.” — Book of Hosea, The Bible Introduction Yair Lapid, leader of the centrist Yeh Atid Party, 14th Prime Minister of Israel wrote for The Economist and shared, “America [...]
Introduction Recent tensions involving Iran have placed the Kurdish population of the Middle East in a complicated position. Many Kurds have long sought an independent nation, commonly referred to as Kurdistan. However, independence for [...]
After Winston Churchill lost the 1945 general election, his wife Clementine tried to comfort him. According to several accounts, she told him defeat might be a “a blessing in disguise.” Churchill reportedly replied, “At [...]
Context I recently saw a one act play about Jan Karski, a recipient of Yad Vashem’s designation as “Righteous Among the Nations.” After World War II, Karski spoke about the moral responsibility and failure [...]
Introduction After reading The Washing War: FDR’s Inner Circle by James Lacey I feel there is sufficient explicit and implicit facts to charge key State Department and Army officials that they “acquiesced in the Murder [...]
Citadel founder and CEO Ken Griffin criticized the Trump administration’s interference into the day-to-day business of American companies and raised concerns about self-serving decisions made by government officials. Griffin, a Republican megadonor, emerged last year as President Trump’s most [...]
I recently saw an interview by Walter Isaacson with Tom Friedman. While they covered several topics, Friedman’s thoughts on immigration resonated with me. Tom Friedman has long argued that immigration is neither a simple [...]
Over the past 20 years, Pew Research has conducted surveys of Americans observance of religion. After many years of steady decline, the share of Americans who identify as Christian shows signs of leveling off [...]
Executive Power, Institutional Independence, and the Boundaries of Lawful Authority Introduction To be transparent, I’ll share my bias. Historically, I have voted Republican on most occasions because of my strong belief in the traditional [...]
The Pope and Mussolini: The Secret History of Pius XI and the Rise of Fascism in Europe by David I. Kertzer David Kertzer provided a wonderful overview not only about the complex relationship between [...]
