Ralph Z. Hallow
Articles by Ralph Z. Hallow
Australia just voted to put Australia’s interests first — another win for Trump nationalism?
The Nationalist Spring is alive and growing as Australia's conservative prime minister Scott Morrison's unexpected win on Saturday appears to show. Published May 18, 2019
The Bolton-Pompeo war party vs. the boss we used to call ‘The Donald’
National Security Adviser John R. Bolton and Secretary of State Mike Pompeo are patriots. But unlike President Trump, they are way too disposed to deploying American soldiers, guns and bombs to make the world over in our image. Published May 17, 2019
Why old Joe Biden this time won’t work (tempus fugit)
OK, I say this with trepidation because age is the third rail of polite discourse: Joe Biden as a 2020 presidential nomination candidate at this point in early 2019 looks, well, ancient. Published May 16, 2019
Harvard, once a bastion of academic freedom, is no more
Harvard University is messing with academic freedom. Published May 13, 2019
The Barr-Judiciary hearing fragmented American exceptionalism
There must be a way to discipline, even remove from office, a U.S. lawmaker who did what Sen. Mazie Hirono did to Attorney General William P. Barr. Published May 2, 2019
Mueller’s big revelation: ‘You’re fired’ works better on reality TV than in real White House
For President Trump's enemies, the salient and exploitable feature of special counsel Robert Mueller's report, released on Thursday, was Mr. Trump's attempts to interfere with an investigation that his own government was conducting. Published April 19, 2019
Response to Mueller report Thursday can make or break Trump and his remarkable makeover of GOP
The response to the expected release of special counsel Robert Mueller's redacted report on Thursday can make or break President Trump's reelection prospects for next year. Published April 17, 2019
John McCain feud, Kim Jong-un talks show Trump character
President Trump's latest crooning over the Butcher of Pyongyang has his supporters scratching their heads. Published March 24, 2019
Boeing and the FAA: Crossing the risk line
One possible not-so-pleasant impression is that a Republican congressman sounded as if he was reading Federal Aviation Administration talking points written by the Boeing public affairs staff. We're talking about Rep. Sam Graves, the House Transportation Committee's ranking Republican member. Published March 13, 2019
Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez FEC woes may arrest her role as star, queen-maker
That dazzling light streaking through the Democratic firmament is AOC on her way to being the Democrats' 2020 presidential-nomination queen-maker. Published March 7, 2019
Why a worthless GOP Senate is worth preserving — for now
Enough Republicans in the Senate will vote with Democrats to block President Trump from his using emergency powers to build the U.S.-Mexico border wall. Published March 5, 2019
How Trump gets away with saying ‘bull——’ to millions on TV
Every mildly or wildly enthusiastic supporter of President Trump has friends who are also supporters but are outraged over his "bull----" comment. Published March 4, 2019
Disgraceful, uplifting Cohen hearing trashes more than President Trump
Michael Cohen's testimony on Wednesday to the Democratic-run House Oversight Committee will lead most Americans to regard the whole painful spectacle as a sloppily aimed, wide-gauged shotgun blast. Published February 27, 2019
Donald Trump picked the right place to make the right point to Kim Jong-un
President Trump is on to something in Vietnam, where he's having his second historic hilltop meeting with Kim Jong-un, the once and probably future Little Rocket Man (LRM). Published February 25, 2019
McCarthy-McConnell Republicans betrayed Trump, killed the wall
Forget the sunny-side propaganda put out by all sides on the Great Border Security Compromise Act of 2019. It's intentionally fatal flaw lets southern-border municipalities nix wall construction on their turf for any reason they choose. Published February 17, 2019
Pelosi Democrats are becoming to America what antimatter is to physics
The national Democratic Party is drifting into a dangerous zone of politics in America. Published February 12, 2019
Rand Paul and Donald Trump deserve thanks
With the exception of Ronald Reagan, our presidents since JFK have been unable to resist the stirring bugle-and-drums call of what President Dwight D. Eisenhower called the "military-industrial complex." Published February 3, 2019
Trump, emergency powers and Italian popes
Florida Sen. Little Marco took a step closer to becoming the Republicans' Nancy Pelosi when he aimed a stream of water on President Trump's possible use of his emergency powers to get that $5.7 billion border thing built. Published January 28, 2019
How to build that border thing now that government is up and running
The reaction to President Trump's signing a continuing resolution that reopens government for 21-days but without $5.7 billion for border security is like this winter's weather - colder than some people would like but warmer than expected. Published January 26, 2019
It’s OK for Donald Trump to back Venezuela regime change
President Trump, showing unhesitant leadership, has recognized Juan Guaido as interim, though not-really-legal president. That's an extraordinary -- wait, make that unprecedented -- slap in face of an elected president, in this case Nicolas Maduro, of another country, in this instance Venezuela. Published January 23, 2019