Rick Salutin

My point is not that the West is evil but that it's a scuzzy mix, like all great powers. Out there in reality, as opposed to the gauzy realms of theory or propaganda, civilizations don't really exist. There are leaky baskets of societies that drip into and onto each other, hybrids and crossbreeds. But the myths survive.

So the trouble with Trump isn't his ideas, they're often plausible; it's that he doesn't intend to do anything with them except get elected.

I don't think President Biden had a bad night during he debate with Donald Trump. I thought he had an excellent night, for him.

Let’s put the social back in socialism. That means recognizing that very little which is human, and nothing that’s lasting, is the sole product of an individual; all of it

Let's put the social back in socialism. That means recognizing that very little which is human, and nothing that's lasting, is the sole product of an individual; all of it — language, art, agriculture, science, tech — flows from vast untraceable contributions among our species.

For athletes, winning is central. They have to win or, more realistically, be motivated by the need to. You can’t just treat it as a great, well-paid job. If you

For athletes, winning is central. They have to win or, more realistically, be motivated by the need to. You can't just treat it as a great, well-paid job. If you do, it'll show.

It's part of the ideology of the Strong Leader. This feature belonged pre-eminently to the 1920s and ‘30s and the rise of fascism. Nothing embodied the irresistibility of the Fuhrer or Duce like their vast adoring crowds.

Woody Guthrie was the kind of person who tried to clean up the mess to the extent possible and I consider Yiddish a language highly suited to such ameliorative activity.

By Rick Salutin Contributing Columnist The Star Rick Salutin is a freelance contributing columnist for the Star.