(2020-02-05). Overstaying his welcome? Trump spotlights Venezuela's Guaido in cringeworthy reminder of year-long 'interim presidency'. rt.com 
US President Donald Trump shone an awkward spotlight on self-styled Venezuelan 'interim president' Juan Guaido sitting in his SOTU audience over a year of daydreaming about replacing Nicolas Maduro as the only 'legitimate leader.' | Trump introduced an embarrassed-looking Guaido to the SOTU audience as "a very brave man who carries with him the hopes, dreams, and aspirations of all Venezuelans." Declaring him the "true and legitimate president of Venezuela," Trump contrasted the fidgety self-appointed statesman to "socialist dictator" President Nicolas Maduro — currently in Caracas running his US sanction…
(2020-02-05). 'The best is yet to come'? Defiant Trump doubles down in campaign rally-style State of the Union speech. rt.com 
Teased as "low key," US President Donald Trump's annual address to Congress was anything but, with several unprecedented symbolic gestures and a powerful assertion of American triumphalism that put his critics on the back foot. | Trump did not mention impeachment once in the 90-minute speech on Tuesday evening. Instead, he turned his persuasion skills up to eleven, painting a picture of America with a booming economy and infinite opportunities brought about by his administration, and contrasting that with Democrat proposals such as socialized healthcare and sanctuaries for illegal immigrants. | Amid the standa…
(2020-02-04). Bernie Sanders Can Silence His Critics in New Hampshire. truthdig.com 
While journalists pick through the ashes of the Iowa caucuses meltdown, thousands of progressive activists are moving forward to make election history in New Hampshire. In sharp contrast to the prattle of mainstream punditry, the movements behind Bernie Sanders are propelled by people who engage with politics as a collective struggle because the future of humanity and the planet is at stake. As a result, the Granite State's primary election on Feb. 11 could be a political earthquake. | Whether or not the Democratic Party's corporate backers truly understand what progressive populism is all about, they're determin…
(2019-12-20). Notes on a private TV newscast in Bolivia. The contrast with Venezuela is clear as day. zcomm.org In August, I took detailed notes a news broadcast on one of Venezuela's largest TV networks. I summarized these notes in an interview I did with the Real News Network making the point that Venezuela's private media (which reaches 60-90% of households) is remarkably free — most especially when you consider the US is openly