Author: Joseph C. Kolkas

Neither Democrat nor Republican, Joseph C. Kolkas writes acerbic news recaps a few times a month for the BRIMBORION, along with hosting a half-hour(ish) news podcast, several(ish) times a week.

Five-Pump Trump

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics, Weekly news

I don’t know that there’s ever been a president in history who’s been more of a solved equation than Donald Trump.   Historically, most presidents have understood the sanctity and decorum of the office (and, concurrently, the importance of keeping the federal government a mysterious and opaque arm’s length from the public realm), and thus … Continue reading Five-Pump Trump →

Move Over, Communism, Terrorism, Wokeism, Hitler. Now It’s Political!

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics

If Donald Trump will walk away from the White House one day with nothing else to show for his half-assed efforts but a ridiculous East Wing ballroom, a trade war no opponent will have strictly adhered to, his face on Mt. Rushmore or, God forbid, a potential third term, he can at least take pride, … Continue reading Move Over, Communism, Terrorism, Wokeism, Hitler. Now It’s Political! →

A Summary of the Trump Administration after However Many Days It’s Been in Office (May 31, 2025)

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics, Weekly news

And, though I hate to say it, Donald Trump isn’t a complicated man.  I could argue no president in history has so publicly displayed his emotional triggers to an audience of supporters and reporters, so posted temper tantrums on social media to the point of making a ten-year-old question the concept of adulthood and so admittedly based policy decisions on nothing more than “gut feelings” more than he has.  The man really is an open book. Even his political MO follows a pattern. Which you can actually read about by opening a book.

America’s Rebranding under the Trump Organization (April 4, 2025)

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics, Weekly news

Donald Trump is, first and foremost, a businessman.  A successful one, even, by some metrics.  That he is fundamentally little else has been evident, time and time again, in the by-now thousands of public displays of his political ineptitude and stupidity. But within those laughably insufficient acts of inarticulate buffoonery sit something else, something more … Continue reading America’s Rebranding under the Trump Organization (April 4, 2025) →

Steam Whistle News Feed – January 3, 2025

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Weekly news

End of the year/beginning of the year summary here.  Overall, nothing’s really changing in the world since the last.  Developed societies progress as their largest industries secure more commodities, obtain more investor capital, use more taxpayer money to fund that society’s pharmaceutical, military, technological, travel or agricultural advancements, and history gets left in the dust, … Continue reading Steam Whistle News Feed – January 3, 2025 →

The Single-Blindedness of Political Reporting

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Ideas, Politics

When reporting something in the news, there exists, to the journalist doing the reporting, both the benefit of hindsight and the ability, based on their research, to surmise where and to what end the topic may lead.  Journalistic research not only yields context to both an audience and author, but a greater understanding of a … Continue reading The Single-Blindedness of Political Reporting →

Steam Whistle News Feed – Dec. 3, 2024

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Weekly news

Pretend the [news] incident is a scuffle between two kids on a grade school playground.  And you, the reader, are the principal.  You were first told about the fight from another teacher, and everyone who’s described it to you since is a friend of either one fighter or the other. How do you figure out what really happened? ...

You Want to Know Why? I’ll Tell You Why

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics, Weekly news

I really don’t know if I’m going to be saying anything new here.  But I’ll give it a shot.  Because you may already have access to a television or the internet, and may already have heard that Donald Trump won the U.S. presidency again, despite the collective rationale of many millions all over the world … Continue reading You Want to Know Why? I’ll Tell You Why →

This Is America. Like It or Not

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics

“The world is so polar today.  Culture Wars are everywhere!  People are screaming at one another online, and I just want things to go back to the way they used to be.” Oh, do you?  No no, I’m asking: Do you?  You want things to go back to the way they were, say.  Say you … Continue reading This Is America. Like It or Not →

Steam Whistle News Feed – August 23, 2024

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Weekly news

Politico released an analysis this week, after reviewing the cross-tabulation data of almost a dozen polls aiming to find out what key voters are now saying about Kamala Harris and Donald Trump, and the results, they indicated, were “eye-popping.”  Whatever that means.  Mainly, it pointed to a Kamala Harris surge in popularity.  Honestly, a better … Continue reading Steam Whistle News Feed – August 23, 2024 →

The Coming Electoral Contest in the Roman Empire, 395 A.D.

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics

Editor’s Note: This article was originally published by the BRIMBORION in April of 2021. Because its astuteness and relevance will likely be recognized and appreciated each and every election season in the foreseeable future, we have decided to print it again for 2024, and likely will for the next 200 years or so as long … Continue reading The Coming Electoral Contest in the Roman Empire, 395 A.D. →

The Socialist Biden Regime vs. Trump’s Fascist Agenda 47 (July 26, 2024)

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Weekly news

Joe Biden released a short letter on Sunday, July 21, announcing, by dint of the disproportionate weight of the most valuable and influential members of his party, that he will not be seeking a second term as president.  It came in just a single line, his decision did, yet from out of those few words … Continue reading The Socialist Biden Regime vs. Trump’s Fascist Agenda 47 (July 26, 2024) →

The Ultimate 4-Step Guide to Voting for Trump in 2024

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Politics

According to voters on both sides of the political spectrum, the 2024 presidential election is gearing up to be the most important presidential election of our lifetime.  Yours, mine—everyone’s. Yeah, it’s not true.  I’ve been hearing it a lot, though. People say it every election season, with maybe a few exceptions.  When you’ve got a … Continue reading The Ultimate 4-Step Guide to Voting for Trump in 2024 →

Fisting History’s Memory Hole (May 31, 2024)

Posted on by Joseph C. Kolkas in Weekly news

Call me a maniac, a monomaniac, purveyor of fake news or just some uncredentialed internet a—hole, but from what I’ve seen lately, news of the war in occupied Gaza, down in a border town called Rafah, has been predominating the headlines even more than usual.  Even the war in Ukraine and Trump nonsense have been … Continue reading Fisting History’s Memory Hole (May 31, 2024) →