Gaski: The American Bolshevik Takeover
by John Gaski, Ph.D. So, the two main political camps now need to soften the rhetoric because of too much mutual demonization? Fair enough, generally, although the level of offense has hardly been equivalent and the post-Butler kid gloves have come off. Even if such a civilized-combat rule were feasible in politics, an exception would have to Read the full article…

The Outstater
Opinion Polls and PR Jujitsu “There’s life and then there’s life in the newspapers.” Lillian Hellman, American author. WITH LESS THAN TWO WEEKS before the election, Jim Banks, Mike Braun and Todd Rokita can rest easy. The corporate media hate them, an essential condition these days for a political victory. In fact, against all conventional wisdom, Read the full article…

McGowan: A Short While Ago . . .
by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. Not long ago, a bit before 2017, my wife and I hiked to the highest point in the United States between the Rockies and the Spanish Pyrenees. We visited Custer State Park, in one of the flatter U.S. states, and hiked to the top of Harney Peak. I even bought a Read the full article…

The Outstater
LET’S DISPATCH one of our most vexing of public issues: Why is mass media so worthless? Spoiler alert, neither the Internet nor conspiracy theories has anything to do with the industry’s low favorability rating (sub 30 percent). The reasons can be organized in a logical cascade. It begins with the realization that individuals, specifically proprietary publishers, have quit investing. This is particularly Read the full article…

Franke: Dems, GOP — the Differences
by MARK FRANKE Americans are deeply divided along political lines. Everyone knows this, but I recently learned how intrinsic this division is. At a recent lecture sponsored by the Fort Wayne-Allen County Historical Society, Michael Wolf from the political science department at the university formerly known as IPFW cited an eye-opening statistic: Democrats give their Read the full article…

The Outstater
‘The Unhoused’: A Sign of the Times GOVERNMENTS ARE GOOD at making warning signs of all sorts — “No Left Turn,” “Cattle Crossing,” “Detour,” “Masks Required” and so forth. We propose hanging one in the Indianapolis mayor’s office. It would read, “Moral Hazard Ahead.” Let me explain. I depend on my Indianapolis Star for the latest harebrained scheme Read the full article…

