Shiveman

Finding Truth A poem about music

Fridays are for poetry. Music opens a portal to the truth of the universe.

Capitalism and Democracy Why the two need not be in conflict

Capitalism and democracy need not be at odds. We just have to agree on a framework that achieves true freedom for both.

The Next Terrorist Attack And What Comes After (Updated)

I am currently in Portland, OR, and this is spot on!

"From the moment the armed services violently engage their first civilians, their prestige will be gone forever, and service members will be destroying the Republic they are sworn to serve."

open.substack.com/pub/snyder/p...

Trump hosted 'Great Gatsby' Halloween party hours before SNAP funding lapsed President Donald Trump has come under fire after he hosted a "Great Gatsby" themed Halloween party just hours before millions of Americans lost their SNAP benefits.

Millions of Americans (about 12.5%, in fact) are going hungry, and he hosts a Great Gatsby Party. He obviously didn't read the book! This is nothing less than a giant middle finger to the American working poor! You just can't even begin to make this stuff up!

Blunt Force A haiku for a friend (because he asked)

Fridays are for poetry:

This one is for Rick
Because he asked me for it
Here is his haiku

Not Falling For It Demagogues use bait to catch supporters and detractors alike

We can all be fooled into reacting the way a demagogue wants us to, no matter what side we are on.

Poster for the concert

The intimate recital hall

Close pic of the stage

People gathering pre-show in the hall

At The Westport Suzuki Music School about to hear a lovely concert steeped in high-end jazz by Julian Shively and Emma McDonald @shiveman.bsky.social

Did you? Making sense of life's nonsense

Friday is for poetry.

Information is Power An argument for control or not of such

Control of what people know or think they know is at the heart of political power.

Liberty Through Civic Virtue It ain't the system that's buggy, it's the user

Democracy thrives in the space between me and we.

America does not have a hereditory monarch. That is what it's based on. It's a shame we constantly have to remind people of this.

WE the PEOPLE in order to form a more perfect UNION, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the COMMON defense, promote the GENERAL welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to OURselves and OUR posterity. This was never meant to be a country of the few or the one.

We Should Stand Back A grand landscape requires an adequate view

I was a bit lazy this week. I only published one article and missed my Friday morning poem. To make up for it, I offer this as recompense.

When you can no longer rely on the structures of government to operate within the frame of their own rules, you are in real trouble. We didn't get here overnight. It has sneaked up on us with an accelerating pace. That's what monsters do, and we are nearly within their grip.

And This I See Taking inventory of my stock.

Once again, Fridays are for poetry. Have a great holiday weekend for all my fellow Americans.

I like this winning better than our current "winning."

It strikes me that the real problem for some when it comes to empathy is that it brings people together when their goal is actually to keep the people divided. Empathy diffuses power which is the real reason why individuals with power fear it. #itstrikesme

A Heritage American Speaks This is my country, and I declare it open to all!

Today when you hear the phrase "Heritage American," you can often simply think of it in historic terms the way others once used the term "Arian."

In Hindsight The present is myopic and requires us to depend on the past for guidance

We have to look backward to fully understand how to move forward.

I, Personally Reflections on internal and external self-reflection

How do you see yourself and how do your think others see you, and how are the two connected? This is a thought experiment in understanding that question.
open.substack.com/pub/shiveman...

When the people's will is so clear, this would suggest that this might be one of the greater tests of a democracy regarding control of its government by the people.

Trump administration uses taxpayer dollars to blame Democrats for government shutdown Federal employees across the government reported seeing similar messages. Experts say the messages may violate ethics laws meant to keep partisan politics out of day-to-day governing.

This is breaking the law! It is a blatant violation of the Hatch Act.
www.npr.org/2025/09/30/n...

Wolves Unchained How neoliberalism created a hungry beast

Freeing the markets unchained corporations, but that, in turn, chained most of the rest of us!

YouTube video by Ventures of the kurious mind Trevor Noah reveals how billionaires avoid taxes

The greatest scam in our economy! This is how these guys become billionaires without paying into the system that allows them to become billionaires.

Designating Antifa as a Domestic Terrorist Organization Section 1.  Antifa as a Terrorist Threat.  Antifa is a militarist, anarchist enterprise that explicitly calls for the overthrow of the United States

Trump has designated Antifa as a terrorist organization, which will likely have all sorts of repercussions, none if them good, for American cities www.whitehouse.gov/presidential...

Sorry I missed that!

Sorry, Loser! As long as there's a First Amendment, I plan to enjoy it.

The world is a better place with Andy Borowitz in it!

Are You Kidding Me? I mean really, are you kidding me?

Fridays are for poetry. This week’s verse is a direct reaction to the news of the week.

Freely Speaking If we are not free to speak, then freedom does not exist

All of our democratic freedoms start first with the freedom to speak our minds. It's literally the first right in the Bill of Rights. If we lose that, we lose it all.