Four Years and Five Weeks
First it was Macron, then Starmer, and now Zelenskyy. Yes, today’s Oval Office meeting was about Ukraine, but it was much more than that.
Author Archive for: Peterr
About Peterr
I'm a Lutheran pastor with a bachelors degree in math and economics to go with a masters and Ph.D. in religion. Like Marcy and others here at Emptywheel, I've got a lot of experience in the close reading of various texts, whether religious texts, legal opinions, political speeches, or governmental regulations. Years ago, before it was a dirty word, I was an intern at the State Department. While my career path took me into the ministry rather than the Foreign Service, I continue to follow the ins and outs of international affairs. For several years, I also regularly blogged at Firedoglake on religion and politics, foreign affairs, and just about anything else that caught my attention, and am delighted to return to blogging here at Emptywheel.
Entries by Peterr
Who Needs Intelligence Sharing?
/26 Comments/in 2024 Presidential Election, Department of Justice, Foreign Policy, Intelligence, State Department, Trump Administration/by PeterrOn January 27th, an AP story appeared on the news website Military.com with the headline “Intelligence Sharing by the US and Its Allies Has Saved Lives. Trump Could Test Those Ties.” Today, after watching what’s been going on at USAID, DOJ, and with Mark Milley, it’s no longer “could” – those ties *are* being tested.
On Haggis and Donald Trump
/57 Comments/in poetry and satire/by PeterrOn this feast day of Robert Burns, less than a week into the second Trump administration, things are not well. Even so, we have to DING!
Herod Goes to the National Cathedral and is Disappointed
/78 Comments/in 2024 Presidential Election, Religion, Trump 2.0, Trump Administration/by PeterrTrump’s reaction to the National Cathedral prayer service yesterday says a lot more about him than it does about Bishop Mariann Edgar Budde.
The Whole World is Watching, Trump Edition
/68 Comments/in Foreign Policy, Intelligence, Israel, State Department, Trump Administration/by PeterrAmong the Trump’s new Executive Orders, one it particular is no doubt getting a lot of attention from Intelligence agencies around the world.
If You Can’t Stand the Hypotheticals, Get Out of the Cabinet
/48 Comments/in Trump Administration/by PeterrPro tip for all Trump’s nominees to high-level positions: if you don’t like hypotheticals, you’re lusting after the wrong job. Here’s why.
When Life Gives You Lemons in the Trump Era, Missouri Edition
/12 Comments/in Civil Rights/by Peterr“When life gives you lemons, make lemonade.” Trump reelected? That’s a lot of lemons. But let me show you some Missouri lemonade-making.
Lessons from Red States on How to Push Back
/72 Comments/in 2024 Election, Civil Rights, COVID-19, Kansas/by PeterrFor many, last week’s election was a paralyzing shock. But progressives in red states have proven that it is possible to push back against MAGA — and win.
The Mixed Emotions of November 9th
/34 Comments/in 2024 Presidential Election, Foreign Policy, Intelligence, Russo-Ukrainian War, State Department/by PeterrFrom the Beer Hall Putsch in 1923 to Kristallnacht in 1938 to the Fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, November 9th brings very mixed emotions. On this November 9th, they are being mixed once more.
Tonight’s Jam Session at King David’s House of Song
/46 Comments/in 2024 Election, 2024 Presidential Election/by PeterrTonight, up in heaven, along the banks of the River of Life, there’s a local watering hole called King David’s House of Song. It’s a full house, with folks laughing and smiling as they watch the television screens reporting the results of the US elections.