Posts in category "History"

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Have No Hope of Image Rehabilitation

Mark Zuckerberg, Facebook Have No Hope of Image Rehabilitation
Today saw Facebook creator Mark Zuckerberg begin a week in Washington, D.C. that will see him under intense scrutiny. No matter how this ends, both his company and his individual brand are damaged to the point that is well beyond repair. Facebook has been declared "over" many times previously, but this time the stakes are a whole lot higher than just something once very trendy being mainstreamed and then co-opted by bored housewives stalking their children...
By Paul M. Banks,
April 9, 2018 at 10:06 pm • 

SNL Exhibit at Broadcast Museum Conveys Program's Counter-Culture Tradition

SNL Exhibit at Broadcast Museum Conveys Program's Counter-Culture Tradition

Very few institutions in American life have realized the Facebookian style counter-culture to mainstream culture journey that Saturday Night Live has realized. Unlike Facebook however, SNL continues pushing the envelope and testing boundaries these days.

A current exhibit at the Museum of Broadcast Communications (360 N. State), “SNL: The Experience,” edifies the visitor on the roots and history of the 43-year-old television program. The first show aired on 10-11-75, and it quickly established the franchise’s counter-culture vibe, executed on stage by the “not ready for prime time” players.

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By Paul M. Banks,
March 28, 2018 at 7:19 pm • 

The NRA: A bigger threat than terrorism?

The NRA: A bigger threat than terrorism?

Today, many on the left and in the center believe the NRA, the National Rifle Association, to be a terrorist organization. That would make Chairman Wayne La Pierre a terrorist leader, a label that the left has not been shy about affixing to him. 

What happened in Las Vegas at Mandalay Bay was a terrorist act. Ditto for the church in Sutherland Springs (Texas), The Pulse night club in Orlando, Newton, Columbine, the school in Kentucky last week and everywhere else. What those deplorable, irredeemable monsters of human beings did was the very definition of terrorism.

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By Paul M. Banks,
February 5, 2018 at 5:17 am • 
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Music of Dolores O’Riordan, Cranberries Had Strong Sociopolitical Message

Music of Dolores O’Riordan, Cranberries Had Strong Sociopolitical Message
As a teenager, the powerful vocals of Dolores O’Riordan, the strong guitar riffs from Noel Hogan and Mike Hogan, and the commanding drum beat of Fergal Lawler had a massive positive impact on me. The year was 1994, and the song was “Zombie,” the Cranberries’ greatest hit song. The tune appealed to me because it was loud and fast, and the music video (this was eons ago, during a prehistorical time when MTV was actually about music and played music videos) was about as striking as possible...
By Paul M. Banks,
January 17, 2018 at 3:33 pm • 

Could the 2008 Global Financial Crisis Happen Again?

Could the 2008 Global Financial Crisis Happen Again?

The 2008 global financial crisis changed the course of history, and unfortunately, it's a bit of history that might repeat itself soon.

On Wednesday, this topic will be examined by a trio of University of Chicago Booth Professors at a session entitled "From Wall Street to Main Street: A Decade After the Global Financial Crisis."

The event is currently sold out, but there is potential availability on a first-come, first-served basis on the day of the event: Wednesday, January 17th at the Sheraton Grand Chicago (301 N. Water St.) You can join U of C Booth professors Austan D. Goolsbee, Randall S. Kroszner, and Raghuram G. Rajan in the Chicago Ballroom.

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By Paul M. Banks,
January 14, 2018 at 8:38 pm • 

The Deep State: Just What is it, Exactly?

The Deep State: Just What is it, Exactly?

The so-called "Deep State" is one of many extremist sociopolitical phenomena that have recently risen in popularity so significantly that now even moderates and liberals must take notice.

If your views are center, or left of it, you probably weren't even aware that things like Tomi Lahren, TheBlaze (it's one word for some reason), Daily Stormer, Richard Spencer, Milo Yiannopoulos, Clay Travis etc. even existed until mid 2016.

The fact that substantially more of us non-wing nuts are aware of who they are is obviously not necessarily a good thing, but at the same time we all must consistently exit our ideological silos.

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By Paul M. Banks,
January 5, 2018 at 5:33 am • 
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Three Major U.S. Constitution Revisions Needed Immediately

Three Major U.S. Constitution Revisions Needed Immediately

“Low information voters” may be the single greatest euphemism of all time.

We don’t even need to say what that phrase actually means, because you already know, but it’s critically important, as this group is something the U.S. Constitution wasn’t designed to handle; at all.

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By Paul M. Banks,
December 28, 2017 at 5:40 am • 

Restoring Net Neutrality: What You Can Do Now to Help

Restoring Net Neutrality: What You Can Do Now to Help

Last Thursday was an exceedingly dark day for our democracy, as net neutrality was repealed by the Federal Communications Commission, by a vote of 3-2. This despite the fact that Net neutrality is something that almost all Americans are in favor of, and consistently voice their support for.

Yet FCC Chairman Ajit Pai, a former Verizon lawyer appointed by the Donald Trump administration, who is acting strictly in the interests of the telecommunications lobby, pushed for and got what he wanted, despite the fact it flies in the face of the common interest.

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By Paul M. Banks,
December 19, 2017 at 9:20 pm • 

If Donald Trump Fires Robert Mueller, then Nothing Matters

If Donald Trump Fires Robert Mueller, then Nothing Matters
Late night talk show hosts have often practiced this bit of dark comedy during the Donald Trump administration: Trump gets caught doing something deplorable, an act which would end the career of anybody else but him, and he suffers no consequences. The talk show host then says "Oh, because nothing actually matters anymore." It will definitely feel that way, if/when Trump fires Special Counsel Robert Mueller. If that maneuver is in the works, and as of right now, no one can say for sure, Trump would likely do it during the holidays so as to minimize attention...
By Paul M. Banks,
December 17, 2017 at 7:45 pm • 
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Nazis Are Bad: This Now Qualifies as a Bold Political Stance

Nazis Are Bad: This Now Qualifies as a Bold Political Stance

There's a reason Hollywood has made so many movies about WWII, and many more films about this conflict than any other war in our history.


 Total Good versus complete evil is a concept that only truly exists in fiction, not in real life, but of all the wars that the United States of America has fought, World War 2 is the one where we really were "the good guys" and our foes were "the bad guys." Atrocities are committed in every war, some bad people in every militia, but overall, the point remains clear - Adolf Hitler and the Nazis were the bad guys. Period...

By Paul M. Banks,
November 28, 2017 at 11:55 am •