Bernard Weisberger
Bernard A. Weisberger is a historian who has been by turns a university professor, an editor of American Heritage and a collaborator on several film documentaries with journalist Bill Moyers.
Articles by this author
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Views Tuesday, April 04, 2017 Resurrecting Another ‘Big Lie’: The Myth of Social Security as ‘Ponzi Scheme’ In these pestilent, perilous times, when the very idea of distinction between truth and falsehood is under siege, it’s more critical than ever to keep a sharp lookout for destructive false analogies. Without an anchor in provable fact it’s dangerously easy to get taken in by them. So I am... Read more |
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Views Monday, June 13, 2016 Let Bernie Be Am I living in the same country as the current editors of the mainstream media and the high-placed officials of the Democratic Party? Do we speak the same language? The New York Times reported Friday morning on the “carefully choreographed program” in which cameras showed Democratic presidential... Read more |
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Views Thursday, October 15, 2015 What One Historian Wishes Bernie Sanders Said About Being a Socialist Tuesday night’s first gotcha question from Anderson Cooper about whether the American people would ever elect a socialist to office was one that Bernie Sanders was no doubt expecting. Progressive historian and BillMoyers.com contributor Bernard Weisberger didn’t think his answer was altogether bad... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, September 15, 2015 For Immigrants – And All of Us – A Time to Fight It has so far annoyed but not really surprised me that Donald Trump, despite being an obnoxious bully, has defied expectations with a steady rise in the public opinion polls. It may be that his buffoonery and megalomania are simply more attractive to some early voters than rival candidates, with... Read more |
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Views Tuesday, June 23, 2015 Congress’s Cat Burglars Are Pulling a Fast One on TPP “With cat-like tread upon our foes we steal.” So boasted Gilbert and Sullivan’s Pirates of Penzance as they decided to try a little burglary for a change. And “steal” is the appropriate word. It’s hardly a surprise that Republican congressional leaders and their cadre of Democratic allies spurred... Read more |
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Views Monday, June 15, 2015 Fast-Track Derails Democracy Pro-democracy forces won a big victory Friday when they stalled the top-secret Trans-Pacific Partnership trade agreement backed by the White House and the Republican leadership in Congress. But it’s only Round One. The unholy trio of Republican Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell (who has vowed... Read more |
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Views Friday, July 04, 2014 Celebrate the Revolution — And Keep It Going The Glorious Fourth is a day to let ‘er rip, be as red-white-and-blue as you like, hang out the flag, join the parade, keep an eye on the sky where those fireworks are bursting in air. Start early: pop a Sousa into the sound system, turn up the volume (not too loudly out of respect for the... Read more |
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Views Wednesday, September 18, 2013 Taking Exception to Exceptionalism In the speech last week that put on hold his request to Congress to authorize the bombing of Syria’s chemical weapons sites, President Obama — no mean orator himself — faced a familiar orator’s problem. Read more |
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Views Thursday, August 30, 2012 Money in Politics: Where Is the Outrage? We might wish the uproar from the convention halls of both parties these busy weeks were the wholesome clamor of delegates deliberating serious visions of how we should be governed for the next four years. Read more |
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Views Thursday, May 08, 2008 The Super Problem: "Super Delegates" Though there are still primaries left, the Democratic Party may be headed for an August dilemma. Neither Hillary Clinton nor Barack Obama is likely to enter the convention with a clinching majority of committed delegates chosen by voters in primaries and caucuses, but Obama is almost guaranteed to have more of them. So, barring a huge late turnaround, the deciding votes will come from the approximately 800 "superdelegates," automatically seated ex officio and free to vote as they please. Read more |