Saturday 20 April 2024
This recurring stand-alone article series joins our weekly Transpartisan Notes series (begun July 4, 2016) and consists of important articles from the transpartisan community. The articles come from individuals such as The Transpartisan Review’s advisors, colleagues, family, friends and commenters. We plan to publish such articles as they seem useful.
JANUARY 2019
Political Armageddonby Ralph Benko
“Our major secret weapon is to deprive you of an enemy.” Columnist Ralph Benko explores the meaning behind this notable Soviet-era quote.
FEBRUARY 2019
The Right To Bear Arms: A Disfavored Rightby Anthony P. Picadio
Southern slave states would never have ratified the Second Amendment if it had been understood as creating an individual right to own firearms because of their fear of arming free blacks.
Every week, we have fun examining the daily media flow — stories, opinion, features, and babble — and we thought you, our readers, might like to join us as we search for the “voices” of the 60% of voting-age adults who choose to avoid partisan political loyalties and engage the “transpartisan impulse” which drives them to seek political alternatives.
We offer “transpartisan” (as illustrated by our Transpartisan Matrix) as an expansion of, rather than a substitute for, partisan politics which, like sports, play an important and entertaining role in daily life. Give a transpartisan read to these articles from the N.Y. Times and see if you find the “matrix”, and if finding it helps clarify the politics. Oh, and also have fun doing it.
Why Howard Schultz for President Makes Great Dramaby Lee Drutman
Vox.com, February 05, 2019 – His potential campaign highlights the fragility and frustration of our winner-take-all system. Even four percent of the vote might decide the future of the nation. That’s precisely what makes his candidacy compelling — and controversial.
Howard Schultz, Please Don’t Run for Presidentby Michelle Goldberg
NY Times, January 28, 2019 – Howard Schultz, the former chief executive of Starbucks, says he is considering running for president as a “centrist independent.” Ms. Goldberg writes that a bid by an ex-chief of Starbucks would be reckless idiocy in this opinion piece for the NY Times.
Is America Becoming a Four-Party State?by Thomas L. Friedman
NY Times, February 19, 2019 – In case you haven’t noticed, long-established political parties across the democratic world are blowing up, with Britain’s Labour Party (see article below) just the latest to fracture. Could America’s parties be next?
Jeremy Corbyn, Under Pressure From His Labour Party, Backs New Brexit Voteby Stephen Castle
NY Times, February 25, 2019 – After the resignations of nine Labour Party members last week, and amid the prospect of more, the party’s leader, Jeremy Corbyn, dropped his longstanding resistance to a second vote on leaving the bloc.