https://executivedysfunctionweekly.comIndependent essays on politics, culture, history, and humanity.en-ushttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-much-should-one-person-get-to-say/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-much-should-one-person-get-to-say/I think James Talarico has Musk and Republican leaders scared shitless. A Democrat who can win Texas could teach the rest of his party a hell of a lot.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/what-does-all-that-money-actually-buy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/what-does-all-that-money-actually-buy/Campaign money can buy more than advertisements. I wanted to understand who gets heard, who helps write the laws, and what happens after the votes are counted.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-03-the-policy-review-became-a-fraud-report/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-03-the-policy-review-became-a-fraud-report/Disliking an opponent’s platform does not establish that the opponent needs to cheat. The policy review has wandered into the evidence locker.Tue, 03 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/old-money-is-older-than-i-thought/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/old-money-is-older-than-i-thought/I went looking for the oldest fortunes. I found a banker who financed an emperor, a Leonardo in an airline seat, and families with centuries of a head start.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-02-the-estimate-wrote-its-own-platform/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-02-the-estimate-wrote-its-own-platform/A rival campaign’s cost assumptions become the opponent’s tax proposal. The spreadsheet has apparently appointed itself policy director.Mon, 02 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fifty-people-are-sharing-two-bucks/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fifty-people-are-sharing-two-bucks/I thought I understood wealth inequality. Then I learned what owning the wealth lets you do, and what it means to be one of the fifty people sharing two bucks.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-01-the-letter-became-a-membership-card/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-11-01-the-letter-became-a-membership-card/A controversial political endorsement becomes proof of organizational membership and violent extremism. That is a lot of paperwork for one signature.Sun, 01 Nov 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-31-because-needs-a-witness/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-31-because-needs-a-witness/A campaign ad puts a political crackdown in the causal chain of a prison sentence. The word because is doing more work than the evidence can carry.Sat, 31 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/something-stinks-in-appleton/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/something-stinks-in-appleton/A $75 million offer became a $495.6 million federal purchase. I want to see the appraisal.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-30-the-ad-stopped-the-calendar/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-30-the-ad-stopped-the-calendar/A real vote against disclosure gets the spotlight. The later action allowing disclosure stays offstage. Apparently the calendar had a campaign consultant.Fri, 30 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-think-the-ballroom-is-going-to-cost-him/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-think-the-ballroom-is-going-to-cost-him/These people filled stadiums for him. Now they’re trying to afford groceries, and he keeps showing them his ballroom.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-29-the-net-is-not-the-ocean/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-29-the-net-is-not-the-ocean/Fewer drugs seized becomes proof that far fewer drugs arrived. The evidence locker has apparently been promoted to omniscient ocean accountant.Thu, 29 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-28-the-roll-call-grew-a-crystal-ball/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-28-the-roll-call-grew-a-crystal-ball/A vote against an election bill becomes proof of a desire to cheat. Apparently the roll-call clerk now records votes and psychic readings.Wed, 28 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-voted-heres-why/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-voted-heres-why/The record wasn’t good enough. Here’s how we voted, why we voted that way, and what we expect from the people we’re supporting.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-27-the-scissors-changed-the-audience/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-27-the-scissors-changed-the-audience/A Paxton ad removes the wealthy-person audience from Talarico’s tax invitation. Editing for time is one thing. Editing who the sentence is about is another.Tue, 27 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/cherry-picking/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/cherry-picking/A selection can contain true facts and still leave out the evidence needed to judge the conclusion.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-26-the-calculator-picked-a-side/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-26-the-calculator-picked-a-side/A campaign ad turns the most favorable combination of disclosure endpoints into a measured increase. The arithmetic works. The certainty does not.Mon, 26 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-25-the-rally-took-its-own-poll/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-25-the-rally-took-its-own-poll/The crowd was enthusiastic. The problem starts when everyone outside the arena gets counted by applause.Sun, 25 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/jumping-to-conclusions/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/jumping-to-conclusions/A possibility can justify a question without justifying a verdict. Match the strength of the conclusion to the evidence.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-24-the-verdict-got-ahead-of-the-evidence/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-24-the-verdict-got-ahead-of-the-evidence/Two similar names can create a real problem. Getting from that risk to a verdict of organized cheating still requires evidence. The rubber stamp arrived early.Sat, 24 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-think-we-need-another-choice/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-think-we-need-another-choice/I think we need a third political party. Maybe one that only needs to be around long enough to help fix the government.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-the-scarecrow-ordered-the-steak/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-21-the-scarecrow-ordered-the-steak/A suggestion to reduce dietary emissions becomes a plan to shut down an industry. Somewhere between the plate and the podium, the argument acquired a costume.Wed, 21 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-cause/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-cause/An event is not its own explanation. A causal claim needs evidence connecting the proposed cause to the outcome.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-20-a-fire-is-not-a-cause-report/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-20-a-fire-is-not-a-cause-report/Images of disorder establish that something happened. They do not identify the people, motives or policies that caused it. The missing investigation still matters.Tue, 20 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-19-a-label-is-not-a-link/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-19-a-label-is-not-a-link/A shared political label cannot do the work of a historical argument. Show the mechanism connecting the policy to the warning.Mon, 19 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-18-cash-or-crash/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-18-cash-or-crash/A $5,000 promise on one side. A 1929-style depression on the other. Two campaign doors do not contain every possible economic future.Sun, 18 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/holy-shit-elon/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/holy-shit-elon/Did Elon Musk just build the fucking Mach 5? I’m still taking Sparky. But that was fucking dope.Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/my-mother-made-sure-i-could-vote/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/my-mother-made-sure-i-could-vote/A train ride south, an argument about Reagan, and a trip to the library. What my mother taught me about thinking for myself and using my vote.Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-analogy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-analogy/Two things can look alike in one respect and differ in the respect that decides the question. Check what the comparison actually proves.Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-17-a-jet-is-not-a-gimme/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-17-a-jet-is-not-a-gimme/A conceded putt and a foreign-government aircraft both offer something valuable. Only one needs a national-security review. The resemblance does not settle the decision.Sat, 17 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/another-successful-personnel-week/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/another-successful-personnel-week/Five days in a job. A lifetime supply of reaction GIFs. How many personnel disasters before the performance review moves upstairs?Fri, 16 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-15-vance-mandatory-minimum/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-15-vance-mandatory-minimum/Vance turned opposition to a mandatory sentencing floor into a claim about the punishment his opponent wants for a particular offender. One missing word does a lot of political work.Thu, 15 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/three-screens-one-room/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/three-screens-one-room/Three Xboxes, three screens, and years of family gaming. The machines that brought us together became part of a much bigger story about AI, art, and the people we love.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-14-trump-ranked-choice-voting/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic-in-the-wild/2026-10-14-trump-ranked-choice-voting/At his October 13 rally in Wasilla, Alaska, President Trump portrayed ranked-choice voting as an official picking the winner. That substitutes a different process for the one Alaska actually uses.Wed, 14 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/guest-voices/the-doctor-sez-go-see-digger/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/guest-voices/the-doctor-sez-go-see-digger/A case for audacious satire, uncomfortable laughter, and a Tom Cruise performance worth the ticket. Introduced by George.Tue, 13 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/get-off-his-back/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/get-off-his-back/A naked Donald Trump, holding a golf club and a little set of scales, sits on the shoulders of a frail man.Thu, 08 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/in-our-house-you-built-two/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/in-our-house-you-built-two/That was something you had to remember when you started pricing the perfect computer. The motherboard you wanted. The processor. Plenty of memory. A power supply you trusted to run everything you were putting inside the case.Wed, 07 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/apparently-mail-in-voting-is-fine-now/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/apparently-mail-in-voting-is-fine-now/“Vote early, vote by mail or vote in-person on Election Day, November 3rd.” Tue, 06 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-raid-started-at-nine/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-raid-started-at-nine/People had jobs. People had kids. You went to work, came home, put your children to bed, and then logged in to try to kill something enormous with a bunch of other people who also had to work in the morning.Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-future-was-sitting-on-a-pallet/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-future-was-sitting-on-a-pallet/In the late 1990s, a computer warehouse opened across the street from where I worked in Las Vegas.Sun, 04 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-have-been-waiting-for-ai-my-whole-fucking-life/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-have-been-waiting-for-ai-my-whole-fucking-life/I loved Spock. I wanted to be like him. I wanted to understand things, ask better questions, and follow an answer somewhere interesting. When the show encountered artificial intelligence, I wondered what it would be like to actually talk toSat, 03 Oct 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/gloria-steinem-and-the-magazines-in-their-lockers/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/gloria-steinem-and-the-magazines-in-their-lockers/A reflection on Gloria Steinem, the promise of equality, and the lives changed by a magazine.Tue, 08 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-promised-a-golden-age-check-the-receipt/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-promised-a-golden-age-check-the-receipt/The economy is growing. The squeeze is real. The war is still going. The family fortune is booming. And while the country counts grocery dollars and dwindling missiles, Trump is renaming lakes and polishing marble.Mon, 07 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-most-dangerous-lie-is-mostly-true/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-most-dangerous-lie-is-mostly-true/How real photographs, exact quotes and correct numbers become tribal propaganda.Sun, 06 Sep 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/as-all-good-american-communities-usually-do/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/as-all-good-american-communities-usually-do/In 1950, Walla Walla called itself typically American because families brought their cultures and food with them. Seventy-six years later, the White House describes unauthorized migration as an invasion.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/this-is-why-we-cant-have-nice-things/A Republican construction worker and a Democratic schoolteacher have far more economic interests in common with each other than either has with the billionaire financing the advertising that teaches them to hate one another.Thu, 27 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/republicans-were-warned-now-pay-the-cover/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/republicans-were-warned-now-pay-the-cover/“About fucking time,” Mitch said when I arrived.Wed, 26 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-is-arranging-the-worst-blind-date-in-human-history/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-is-arranging-the-worst-blind-date-in-human-history/Young men are being fed a poisonous definition of their own worth. They are told a man’s value is measured by his income, height, muscles, dominance, sexual conquests, and willingness to grind himself into dust.Sun, 23 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fine-let-s-talk-about-communism/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fine-let-s-talk-about-communism/Americans want healthcare, family time and government that answers to voters. Washington’s owners prefer a scarier noun.Thu, 06 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/same-speech-different-answer/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/same-speech-different-answer/The rally kept applauding. Parts of the country may be quietly leaving the room.Wed, 05 Aug 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-forgot-what-the-point-was/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-forgot-what-the-point-was/We built machines to save time. Work took every minute back.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/can-the-fucking-adults-please-enter-the-room/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/can-the-fucking-adults-please-enter-the-room/Iran attacks Americans. Trump bombs Iran. Iran attacks again. Every corpse becomes the justification for the next one while the people making the decisions continue calling themselves strong.Thu, 30 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-has-the-bombs-iran-has-the-clock/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-has-the-bombs-iran-has-the-clock/The United States can destroy far more than Iran can. Iran only needs to keep Trump from turning that power into a political victory as November approaches and the cost at home keeps rising.Tue, 28 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-had-a-mandate-he-spent-it-on-himself/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-had-a-mandate-he-spent-it-on-himself/He returned with the party, the Court, the cameras and a coalition built on prices and peace. Then he used the presidency to prosecute his past.Mon, 27 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-is-waiting-for-a-confession/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-is-waiting-for-a-confession/Trump wants his impeachments erased. A growing number of Democrats want Congress to give him a third.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/democrats-please-dont-save-trump/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/democrats-please-dont-save-trump/I recently heard a Trump supporter say something important.Mon, 20 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/edw-the-most-dangerous-lie-is-that-we-cannot-fix-this/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/edw-the-most-dangerous-lie-is-that-we-cannot-fix-this/A broken calendar. A stack of Post its. Political chaos distilled into sarcasm because therapy cost money and memes were free.Thu, 16 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-keep-doubling-down-and-losing/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-keep-doubling-down-and-losing/How many times do we have to watch the same dumbass trick before we admit it is the trick?Sun, 12 Jul 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-sold-a-short-war/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-sold-a-short-war/Reader warning.Sat, 30 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/leave-the-bait-govern-the-country/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/leave-the-bait-govern-the-country/Trump wants the same game again.Fri, 22 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-is-not-a-real-estate-project/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-is-not-a-real-estate-project/You can learn a lot by listening to Donald Trump when the script falls away.Thu, 21 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/your-stolen-public-inheritance/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/your-stolen-public-inheritance/America is rich in public resources. Citizens get the gas bill while lobbyists get the rulebook.Wed, 13 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-system-needs-us-to-stay-mad/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-system-needs-us-to-stay-mad/We write a lot about the chaos because the chaos is real. When a government pressures the press, leans on the courts, rattles allies, governs by social media outburst, and turns public office into a loyalty test, that deserves scrutiny.…Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-pumps-record-oil/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-pumps-record-oil/Because oil is a world market, a refinery system, and a logistics business all at once. Too many politicians hand people one piece of that picture and call it the whole machine.Tue, 05 May 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/heres-a-wild-idea-help-people-for-real/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/heres-a-wild-idea-help-people-for-real/Every once in a while, Washington accidentally stumbles into an issue where the public is miles ahead of the politicians.Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/states-rights-with-a-straight-face/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/states-rights-with-a-straight-face/The Supreme Court just handed America one of those decisions that arrives dressed like constitutional restraint and leaves fingerprints all over the crime scene.Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/virginia-and-the-map-fight/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/virginia-and-the-map-fight/Trump is screaming that Virginia was “rigged.”Wed, 29 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-rhetoric-matters/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-rhetoric-matters/Karoline Leavitt walked into that briefing and asked the country to believe two things at once.Mon, 27 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/treason-is-a-constitutional-crime/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/treason-is-a-constitutional-crime/Trump’s April 24 reposts accused political rivals of treason. The Constitution sets a far narrower standard than a social-media allegation.Sat, 25 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/you-must-be-a-liberal-is-not-an-argument/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/you-must-be-a-liberal-is-not-an-argument/I have been doing this long enough now to notice the pattern.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/gerrymandering-is-harder-to-look-at-honestly/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/gerrymandering-is-harder-to-look-at-honestly/Trump is screaming that Virginia was “rigged.” Fine. Let’s talk about the version of “rigged” that actually exists in American politics and has existed for more than two centuries: gerrymandering. Virginia voters narrowly approved a…Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/yesterday-progress-today-power-plants/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/yesterday-progress-today-power-plants/A few days ago, the White House was selling momentum.Wed, 22 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-wars-cost-more-than-the-bombs/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-wars-cost-more-than-the-bombs/Most Americans hear “cost of war” and picture the obvious things.Fri, 17 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-first-commandment-is-not-a-suggestion/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-first-commandment-is-not-a-suggestion/If you read our earlier piece on Trump wrapping himself in Jesus imagery, this is the follow-up. And it got worse.Thu, 16 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/all-the-cards-geography-dealt-the-next-hand/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/all-the-cards-geography-dealt-the-next-hand/“We have all the cards. They have none.”Wed, 15 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-first-commandment-still-exists/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-first-commandment-still-exists/I spent seven years in Catholic school. Religion class and 5 years in Sunday school. Gospel reports. Mass. Beatitudes. The whole drill. Enough time to remember something a lot of American Christians seem desperate to forget:Mon, 13 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-bill-comes-due-slowly-then-all-at-once/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-bill-comes-due-slowly-then-all-at-once/This is a forecast, not a verdict. The point here is not to prove that every domino has already fallen. The point is to look at the table honestly and ask what kind of presidency builds this many pressure points at once, then expects the…Sat, 11 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/they-blew-up-irans-military/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/they-blew-up-irans-military/What if the war destroyed exactly the wrong thing?Thu, 09 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dead-dead-dead/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dead-dead-dead/The room told on itself.Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-strait-story-is-a-perfect-algorithm-scam/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-strait-story-is-a-perfect-algorithm-scam/This Strait of Hormuz story is catnip for the algorithm because chaos sells better than clarity. One audience gets “Trump forced Iran to cave.” Another gets “the whole ceasefire collapsed.” Everybody gets a headline shaped like their team…Wed, 08 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-whole-civilization-will-die-tonight/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-whole-civilization-will-die-tonight/Donald Trump has posted a lot of grotesque things. This one earns its own shelf.Tue, 07 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-supreme-court-is-not-your-tv-focus-group/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-supreme-court-is-not-your-tv-focus-group/Donald Trump was up after midnight again, doing what insecure strongmen do when institutions fail to applaud on cue: trying to bully them in public. At 12:57 a.m. on April 6, he wrote that it was “too bad” the Supreme Court could not…Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/listening-to-trump-talk-through-a-war/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/listening-to-trump-talk-through-a-war/There are many things I would like back from this administration. Some are abstract, like norms, shame, and the idea that the President of the United States should not sound like a man live blogging his own impulse control failure. Some are more personal.Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-debt-promise-and-the-louder-suit/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-debt-promise-and-the-louder-suit/In 2016, he told The Washington Post he could wipe out the roughly $19 trillion debt “over a period of eight years,” mostly by making better trade deals. Later, when people with calculators showed up, he backed off and said he meant…Mon, 06 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/captain-bonespurs-thinks-bullying-is-strategy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/captain-bonespurs-thinks-bullying-is-strategy/I want to ask a very simple question.Sun, 05 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-pam-bondi-wasnt-political-enough/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-pam-bondi-wasnt-political-enough/Reuters and AP described a departure following unsuccessful cases against prominent foes and months of scrutiny over the Epstein files. What does that tell us about the job?Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-stayed-for-his-lawyer-and-left-for-the-constitution/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/he-stayed-for-his-lawyer-and-left-for-the-constitution/Donald Trump finally went to the Supreme Court the way he approaches most institutions: not as something independent, but as something that should be honored by his presence. On April 1, he became the first sitting president to attend oral…Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-president-tried-to-sell-a-war-like-a-timeshare/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-president-tried-to-sell-a-war-like-a-timeshare/Donald Trump’s April 1 address on Iran was not a sober wartime explanation. It was an infomercial with missiles. According to the AP transcript, he bragged that Iran’s navy was essentially gone, its air force was wrecked, its leaders were…Thu, 02 Apr 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/pearl-harbor-is-not-a-punchline/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/pearl-harbor-is-not-a-punchline/I’m going to say it plainly: if the president’s answer to a question about warning allies before attacking Iran is a Pearl Harbor joke, that is not a joke.Thu, 19 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/does-this-war-make-us-safer/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/does-this-war-make-us-safer/So when I hear Washington talk about this war like it is clean, decisive, and controllable, I do not feel safer. I feel like we are being sold safety as a slogan.Mon, 16 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-founders-didnt-write-a-loyalty-test/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-founders-didnt-write-a-loyalty-test/The First Amendment is short for a reason. It does not say, “Congress shall make no law unless the government is annoyed.” It does not say, “unless we are at war.” It does not say, “unless a regulator thinks your coverage is a hoax.”Sun, 15 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/calling-each-other-bad-people/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/calling-each-other-bad-people/A Pew Research Center survey across 25 countries asked a simple question: Are the morals and ethics of other people in your country good or bad?Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/beat-to-hell-is-not-foreign-policy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/beat-to-hell-is-not-foreign-policy/This is the commander-in-chief narrating war like it’s a pro-wrestling promo.Sun, 08 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-blank-check-doctrine/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-blank-check-doctrine/Here is the trick they are trying to pull on the country, and it’s so old it should be embarrassing.Wed, 04 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-had-a-feeling-is-not-a-doctrine/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/i-had-a-feeling-is-not-a-doctrine/The most revealing line in today’s reporter exchange did not come wrapped in a statistic or a briefing slide. It came wrapped in something far more dangerous, because it sounds human and therefore “relatable.”Tue, 03 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/who-gets-to-start-a-war/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/who-gets-to-start-a-war/A lot of Americans were taught a clean sentence in school.Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-press-conference-that-tried-to-be-a-war-plan/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-press-conference-that-tried-to-be-a-war-plan/Listen to the March 2 Medal of Honor ceremony remarks slowly and you can see the engineering.Mon, 02 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-fog-machine/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-fog-machine/We woke up today with the same headline written three different ways: “self-defense,” “preemption,” and “regime change.” On February 28, the United States and Israel launched what President Trump called “major combat operations in Iran.” That phrase is…Sun, 01 Mar 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-state-of-the-union-and-invisible-witnesses/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-state-of-the-union-and-invisible-witnesses/Not because a president isn’t allowed to brag. Bragging is basically the opening hymn of American politics. This wasn’t bragging. This was a one-man stage show starring an invisible focus group.Thu, 26 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-state-of-the-union-as-epistemic-sabotage/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-state-of-the-union-as-epistemic-sabotage/A State of the Union is supposed to be a ledger. It is the one night a president is expected to set theater aside and speak in the plain language of stewardship: this is where we are, this is what we did, this is what it cost, this is what…Wed, 25 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/usa-olympic-gold-and-shared-identity/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/usa-olympic-gold-and-shared-identity/Just watched Team USA beat Canada for Olympic gold in overtime, and I’m still buzzing.Sun, 22 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/tariffs-who-pays/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/tariffs-who-pays/A tariff is not a magic wand. It’s not a vibe. It’s not a “fee” we mail to another country.Sat, 21 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-dissent-laundering-trick/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-dissent-laundering-trick/There’s a rhetorical move that shows up every time an autocrat-in-training loses a case: he doesn’t argue the ruling. He argues the losing opinion as if it won.Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-a-trump-justice-sounds-like-madison/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-a-trump-justice-sounds-like-madison/A 6–3 Supreme Court decision striking down a broad tariff program is not, at its core, a trade story. It is a constitutional story. It is the oldest American argument, the one we keep forgetting and then relearning the hard way: who gets to decide.Fri, 20 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-we-need-theodore-roosevelt-energy-right-now/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-we-need-theodore-roosevelt-energy-right-now/Public courage, public duty, and the case for holding concentrated power accountable.Thu, 19 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-scientific-method-is-a-way-to-stop-getting-played/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-scientific-method-is-a-way-to-stop-getting-played/Most Americans don’t actually argue about facts anymore.Tue, 17 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/checks-facts-and-restraint/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/checks-facts-and-restraint/I still can’t shake Attorney General Pam Bondi’s congressional testimony this week and had the same sinking feeling many of you did: not “my side vs. your side,” but something worse, the slow normalization of unseriousness in the exact…Thu, 12 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-republic-cannot-run-on-bargains-secrets-and-trust-us/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-republic-cannot-run-on-bargains-secrets-and-trust-us/In the same week, Americans watched three different institutions behave as if the old guardrails don’t matter anymore.Mon, 09 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-new-price-was-already-on-the-menu/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-new-price-was-already-on-the-menu/If you’ve seen headlines celebrating “TrumpRx” as if it’s a magical new cure for America’s drug prices, take a breath.Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-pays-twice-for-the-same-drugs/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/america-pays-twice-for-the-same-drugs/I ran a medical clinic for 11 years. I watched ordinary people walk in terrified they were losing their independence, because when your vision goes, your world shrinks fast. And I watched something that still feels like science fiction:…Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/faith-is-not-a-partisan-test/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/faith-is-not-a-partisan-test/He told the country, plainly: “I don’t know how a person of faith can vote for a Democrat.”Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-racist-video-and-the-shapeshifting-alibi/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-racist-video-and-the-shapeshifting-alibi/You can practically hear the group texts go silent, then restart in all caps. Not because they’re shocked by the depravity, Washington is not a city that shocks easily, but because they recognize the specific kind of disaster that can’t be contained.Sat, 07 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-economy-isnt-a-stock-chart/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-economy-isnt-a-stock-chart/We’ve been trained to talk about the economy like it’s a scoreboard: the Dow, the S&P, quarterly reports, “consumer confidence.” Those things matter, especially if you own assets.Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/court-orders-are-not-optional/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/court-orders-are-not-optional/Judge Jerry W. Blackwell didn’t hold a hearing about immigration policy. He held a show-cause hearing about government compliance, because the court had “so many issues with noncompliance” that it called everyone in.Thu, 05 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-a-president-polices-a-womans-smile/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-a-president-polices-a-womans-smile/In the Oval Office on February 3, President Trump was asked a serious question by CNN’s Kaitlan Collins: what he would say to survivors of Jeffrey Epstein. It’s the kind of question a healthy country should be able to ask its leaders…Wed, 04 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-republic-of-laws/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-republic-of-laws/We can all agree on something basic: people who commit serious crimes should be removed from our communities, citizen or non‑citizen. Public safety matters. Border enforcement matters.Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/an-open-letter-to-president-donald-j-trump/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/an-open-letter-to-president-donald-j-trump/Mr. President,Tue, 03 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/independents-you-dont-owe-either-party-your-silence/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/independents-you-dont-owe-either-party-your-silence/If you’re an independent, you’ve probably heard some version of this your entire adult life: “You’re the reason everything is broken.” Or “Pick a side.” Or “If you don’t vote with us, you’re helping them.”Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/nationalizing-the-voting-and-the-reciprocity-test/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/nationalizing-the-voting-and-the-reciprocity-test/In an interview Monday, Donald Trump urged Republicans to “take over the voting” in “15 places” and said they should “nationalize the voting,” claiming some states are “so crooked.”Mon, 02 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-words-are-the-weapon/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-words-are-the-weapon/There’s a reason so many independents have stopped watching the news.Sun, 01 Feb 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-free-press-is-load-bearing/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-free-press-is-load-bearing/The Founders did not protect the press because they expected reporters to be polite, or because they assumed every editor would be fair. They protected it because power lies, and because power, left alone, always tries to turn scrutiny…Sat, 31 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/transparency-must-not-revictimize-survivors/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/transparency-must-not-revictimize-survivors/Because “transparency” that re‑exposes victims is not transparency. It’s re‑victimization with a government seal.Fri, 30 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-the-footage-helped-them/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-the-footage-helped-them/Let’s separate facts from inference, because in a constitutional republic, credibility isn’t a vibe. It’s evidence, process, and restraint.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-ice-agents-and-their-families/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-ice-agents-and-their-families/If you’re an ICE family reading this: I can’t imagine what it feels like right now.Tue, 27 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/painful-truth-medicine/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/painful-truth-medicine/I’m going to say something that’s hard to admit, and I think more of us need to say it out loud.Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-there-werent-videos-what-would-we-believe/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-there-werent-videos-what-would-we-believe/Here’s a question I cannot shake after Minneapolis:Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/greenes-reciprocity-test/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/greenes-reciprocity-test/She asked her followers to do a thought experiment: imagine a MAGA journalist filming a Biden‑era law‑enforcement raid… then getting shoved, disarmed, and shot… and then watching the White House rush to label it “domestic terrorism.”Mon, 26 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-to-amend-the-us-constitution/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-to-amend-the-us-constitution/A lot of people (across the political spectrum) say they want constitutional amendments, for elections, money in politics, term limits, rights, you name it. That instinct isn’t “wrong.” But it’s important to understand what an amendment…Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/an-open-note-to-the-politically-exhausted/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/an-open-note-to-the-politically-exhausted/If you’re an independent… or if you’re one of the many Americans who have quietly decided “I’m not watching this anymore” because the news is just yelling, outrage, and tribal rage, here’s the uncomfortable truth:Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-verdict-before-the-investigation/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-verdict-before-the-investigation/Minnesota has now seen two fatal shootings involving federal immigration agents in January: Renee Good on January 7, 2026, and Alex Pretti on January 24, 2026, both U.S. citizens.Sun, 25 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-leadership-moment-we-missed-in-minneapolis/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-leadership-moment-we-missed-in-minneapolis/On January 7 in Minneapolis, an ICE officer, Jonathan Ross, shot and killed Renée Good, a 37‑year‑old U.S. citizen and mother of three, during a federal immigration operation that had surged thousands of federal personnel into Minnesota.Fri, 23 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-a-peace-board-cant-tolerate-a-peaceful-speech/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-a-peace-board-cant-tolerate-a-peaceful-speech/At Davos, Canada’s Prime Minister Mark Carney warned that the rules‑based order is fading, that “going along to get along” won’t buy safety, and that “middle powers must act together because if you are not at the table, you are on the menu.”Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-paper-warrant-is-not-a-judge/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-paper-warrant-is-not-a-judge/I’m going to say something that shouldn’t be controversial in a functioning constitutional republic:Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-jack-smith-hearing-and-the-payback-post/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-jack-smith-hearing-and-the-payback-post/In a functioning constitutional republic, we settle disputes with evidence, process, and neutral rules. In a degrading one, we settle disputes with personal attacks, loyalty tests, and threats of “payback.”Thu, 22 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-our-friends-in-europe/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-our-friends-in-europe/A lot of Americans love our NATO allies. We respect you. We’re grateful for you. And watching one person treat decades of partnership like a poker chip is breaking our hearts at EDW.Wed, 21 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/mugshots-myths-and-manifest-destiny/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/mugshots-myths-and-manifest-destiny/On the first anniversary of his return to office, President Trump turned the White House briefing room into a grievance rally, then brushed aside Greenland’s right to self-determination. Our allies heard the message clearly.Tue, 20 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/martin-luther-king-jr-day-and-leadership/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/martin-luther-king-jr-day-and-leadership/Today we celebrate Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. And I want to say this plainly: if our tribute is just a meme, a tidy quote graphic, and a quick “amen,” then we’re missing the point.Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-peace-is-conditional/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/if-peace-is-conditional/A functioning constitutional republic can disagree about policy. It can argue over trade, borders, budgets, and war. What it cannot normalize is this: the President of the United States treating peace like a personal reward, something he…Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/greenland-by-force-a-map-trophy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/greenland-by-force-a-map-trophy/America can argue about almost anything. Border policy. Spending. Culture wars. Even what “strength” looks like.Mon, 19 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-deal-for-people-who-still-love-each-other/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/a-deal-for-people-who-still-love-each-other/I’m going to say something that will annoy people on both sides: I understand why so many of the people I love are conservative.Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/independent-thought-is-not-betrayal/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/independent-thought-is-not-betrayal/I see you. I understand the instinct. The stakes feel existential. You think compromise equals surrender. You’ve watched your side get mocked, lied about, ignored, and you decided: “Never again.” So when someone tries to lower the…Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-dichotomy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/false-dichotomy/Somewhere along the line, we let our conversations get hijacked by the laziest, most destructive trick in the book: The False Dichotomy. The “either/or” trap. The “pick a team or you’re the enemy” frame. It sounds…Sat, 17 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/opposing-masked-enforcement-is-not-loving-criminals/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/opposing-masked-enforcement-is-not-loving-criminals/That framing is a false choice.Fri, 16 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/wisdom-is-the-awareness-of-ignorance/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/wisdom-is-the-awareness-of-ignorance/An open challenge to all of us to pursue truth with courageThu, 15 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/im-pro-law-enforcement-show-its-face/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/im-pro-law-enforcement-show-its-face/I come from a place that confuses people right now: I have deep ties to law enforcement, I respect the work, and I want every officer to go home to their family at the end of the night. I also have Trump-supporting in-laws and chosen…Wed, 14 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/civil-rights-didnt-treat-white-americans-badly/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/civil-rights-didnt-treat-white-americans-badly/President Donald Trump recently revived an old political story with a new level of bluntness: that civil-rights-era protections have left white Americans “very badly treated,” a form of “reverse discrimination” that kept some from getting…Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/compassion-with-a-verdict-attached/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/compassion-with-a-verdict-attached/That’s a remarkable new form of compassion: the kind where your empathy arrives pre-packaged with a verdict, a political diagnosis, and a tidy moral lesson about the dangers of “the far left.” It’s like sending condolences with a subpoena attached.Tue, 13 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/labels-first-evidence-later/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/labels-first-evidence-later/If you’ve ever wondered how a country can watch the same video and arrive at completely different “facts,” congratulations: you’re living inside the answer.Mon, 12 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-crooked-becomes-policy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-crooked-becomes-policy/In a functioning republic, accusations are supposed to travel on rails: evidence, process, jurisdiction, accountability. Not vibes. Not insults. Not performative certainty. And not presidential declarations that reality is whatever the speaker says it is.Fri, 09 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/venezuelas-oil-plan-a-confession-of-impunity/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/venezuelas-oil-plan-a-confession-of-impunity/If the United States wanted to send a message that it can still project power in the Western Hemisphere, it did not need to sound like it was annexing a country’s revenue stream.Wed, 07 Jan 2026 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-pageant-the-boots-and-the-part-of-me-i-dont-want-to-admit/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-pageant-the-boots-and-the-part-of-me-i-dont-want-to-admit/Thursday night in Athena-Weston, in a grammar-school gym that smelled like winter coats and stale coffee, I watched kids shuffle across a stage in paper halos and tinsel. The singing was off. The cues were missed. A kid froze and then…Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-i-blame-is-built-out-of-me/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-i-blame-is-built-out-of-me/I keep saying I want the truth.Sat, 20 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/youre-really-on-the-side-of-starbucks/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/youre-really-on-the-side-of-starbucks/Here’s the moral puzzle of the week: a $37.2 billion coffee titan that just told investors the turnaround is “taking hold” and bragged about 62 straight quarterly dividends… versus the barista who pulls your double‑nonfat‑no‑whip while…Thu, 18 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/blockades-by-post-optics-over-order/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/blockades-by-post-optics-over-order/A grown‑up government files notices, musters allies, and explains the plan.Wed, 17 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/smash-and-grab-foreign-policy/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/smash-and-grab-foreign-policy/We just seized a ship on the high seas, stuck 1.85 million barrels in our pocket for “safekeeping,” and announced a “total blockade” of sanctioned tankers: details to be provided once the lawyers stop blinking in Morse code. Caracas calls…Tue, 16 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/playground-rules-for-presidents/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/playground-rules-for-presidents/Remember grade school?Mon, 15 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-boys-on-the-burning-deck/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-boys-on-the-burning-deck/(an introspective roast of a system that sets men on fire and sells them water by the thimble)Thu, 11 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-missing-line-on-the-poll/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-missing-line-on-the-poll/Behold: The Economist/YouGov asks America, “What’s the most important issue?”Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/affordability-tour-and-the-scapegoat/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/affordability-tour-and-the-scapegoat/Because nothing says “lower grocery bills” like describing countries including Somalia, Haiti, and Afghanistan with slurs.Wed, 10 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/follow-the-money-the-house-always-wins/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/follow-the-money-the-house-always-wins/They told you it was about freedom. It was about fees.Tue, 09 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/alliances-are-not-a-party/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/alliances-are-not-a-party/If your national‑security doctrine reads like a comment‑section fever dream (“civilizational erasure,” “patriotic parties,” warnings that “certain NATO members will become majority non‑European”), you’re not leading the alliance; you’re…Fri, 05 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dont-sign-these-divorce-papers/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dont-sign-these-divorce-papers/There’s a blue house on Hawthorn Street with a lilac bush that explodes every May. One spring, the owner’s ex kicks in a side door, tears out the copper, drags a mattress into the east wing, and starts forwarding her mail. The neighbors…Tue, 02 Dec 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-ate-your-neighborhood/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-algorithm-ate-your-neighborhood/(yes, this is an ADHD powered connect the dots rant with receipts)Sun, 30 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/government-by-post/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/government-by-post/Welcome to the United States of Make‑Believe Governance, where major policy now ships via exclamation points and a phone with 5% battery.Sat, 29 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-only-winning-move/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-only-winning-move/(Executive Dysfunction Weekly neighbors first, planet wide)Tue, 25 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-we-started-cheering-for-failure/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/when-we-started-cheering-for-failure/(EDW: neighbors first, no jerseys)Thu, 20 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dispatch-from-fremont-street/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dispatch-from-fremont-street/We rolled out of Walla Walla with the windows down, pointed the hood south, and split the run with soft landings at Jackpot both ways, the kind of halfway stop that feels like tradition the second time you do it.Wed, 12 Nov 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-bill-for-our-little-war/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-bill-for-our-little-war/Open your eyes and read the receipt.Tue, 14 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/aisle-five-where-a-dollar-fifty-told-on-us/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/aisle-five-where-a-dollar-fifty-told-on-us/I watched a checkout turn into a hearing over a dollar fifty.Sat, 11 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-great-american-demolition-derby/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-great-american-demolition-derby/I’m sick of it.Wed, 08 Oct 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/ceasefire-for-civics/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/ceasefire-for-civics/• Celebrating a death? No respect. • “Now we’re at war”? No use for it. • The real fight? It’s not Left vs Right; it’s war‑addicts on both sides vs the rest of us who still want a country.Mon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/humanity-reaches-peak-dumbness/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/humanity-reaches-peak-dumbness/An extremely rigorous investigation conducted from my couchMon, 29 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-fccs-new-public-interest-test/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-fccs-new-public-interest-test/Jim Rutenberg’s NYT piece captures the pattern we’ve been warning about. Here’s why it matters. (EDW community forums edition)Thu, 18 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dont-ask-who-the-shooter-voted-for/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/dont-ask-who-the-shooter-voted-for/The algorithm’s favorite question sells outrage. We choose solutions. (EDW community forums edition)Thu, 11 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-costs-of-bully-tariffs/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-costs-of-bully-tariffs/Thesis: Tariff maximalism and weaponized finance are accelerating a structural re‑wiring of global trade. A Russia–China–India (RCI) alignment would not be a NATO‑grade alliance, but a transactional economic bloc (focused first on energy,…Tue, 02 Sep 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-dont-need-decluttering-tips/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-dont-need-decluttering-tips/Yeah, our houses are full of stuff. We buy it, store it, sell it, someone else buys it, stores it… repeat.Fri, 29 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/morning-thoughts-from-the-edge-of-the-storm/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/morning-thoughts-from-the-edge-of-the-storm/By Executive Dysfunction WeeklyWed, 27 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-clueless-administration/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-clueless-administration/D.C., today: Boots, barricades, Humvees, and a president who thinks governance is costume design. Europe, yesterday: Careful statements, raised eyebrows, and a president who mistakes polite diplomatic phrasing for a standing ovation.Tue, 19 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/base-canyon-the-order-of-modelo/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/base-canyon-the-order-of-modelo/These absolute lunatics from @FestivalLore rolled up looking like if Monty Python, a dispensary, and a Costco beer aisle had a threesome and raised the baby on bass drops.Mon, 18 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/troops-in-the-capital-for-a-photo-op/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/troops-in-the-capital-for-a-photo-op/An imagined street scene frames a criticism of the August 2025 deployment. The initial Guard teams were unarmed, and their mission had a different legal basis from the federal direction of D.C. police.Tue, 12 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-new-deal-deal-deal-deal/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-new-deal-deal-deal-deal/In Yellowjackets, people end up eating each other because they’re stranded in the wilderness.Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/president-prevents-imaginary-world-war/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/president-prevents-imaginary-world-war/WASHINGTON: In White House remarks with the leaders of Armenia and Azerbaijan yesterday, President Trump proudly declared that he singlehandedly stopped a catastrophic World War III between Russia and Ukraine, a conflict that experts say existed entirely in his mind.Sat, 09 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/hey-dems-whats-the-plan/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/hey-dems-whats-the-plan/Seriously, what are Democrats doing in Congress? On TV? On the campaign trail?Mon, 04 Aug 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-truth-about-tariffs/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-truth-about-tariffs/At her July 17 briefing, Karoline Leavitt highlighted flat June producer prices. Consumer prices had risen. What did those different measures actually tell us about tariffs?Fri, 18 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-live-within-a-rigged-game/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-live-within-a-rigged-game/Wealthy and clever individuals manipulate our most precious asset (time) to benefit themselves. Money isn’t just currency; it’s a way to leverage the lives of others, to buy leisure and freedom at the expense of someone else’s sweat, stress, and lost hours.Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/32-years-of-marriage-and-the-same-software/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/32-years-of-marriage-and-the-same-software/Is anyone else old enough, married long enough, or just mentally running low on RAM enough to reach that stage in a relationship where…Fri, 11 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trumps-diplomatic-taco-special/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trumps-diplomatic-taco-special/Oh, look who’s back on the menu: our all-time favorite diplomatic dish: TACO, short for Trump Always Chickens Out. Because no one, and we mean absolutely no one, enjoys chickening out quite like Donald Trump.Thu, 10 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-cycle-of-becoming-and-letting-go/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-cycle-of-becoming-and-letting-go/We plant seeds, nurture them carefully, and watch with awe as they bloom into something extraordinary, only to find that true growth requires eventual separation, like a flower releasing its seeds into the wind, trusting they’ll find fertile ground elsewhere.Mon, 07 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/victory-45-47-when-bully-pulpit-meets-body-odor/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/victory-45-47-when-bully-pulpit-meets-body-odor/Now available: “Smell like a dictator while gutting healthcare.”Thu, 03 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/lessons-from-japan/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/lessons-from-japan/I recently stopped by my local bank to deposit some leftover yen from my trip to Japan. The teller, friendly and curious, asked me what I remembered most vividly from the trip. It got me thinking and sharing, because what I remembered most…Tue, 01 Jul 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-bernies-fight-is-our-fight/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/why-bernies-fight-is-our-fight/I grew up in a union family. My father was a proud member of Local 103, the cable workers’ union, employed by the telephone company. I saw firsthand what a stable paycheck, good benefits, and union solidarity meant for a working-class family.Fri, 27 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/concealed-clarity-and-knowing-each-other/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/concealed-clarity-and-knowing-each-other/It’s his very first episode, raw, real, and refreshingly authentic. I highly recommend giving it a listen.Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/public-lands-responsible-gun-ownership-and-trust/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/public-lands-responsible-gun-ownership-and-trust/I’ve lived in southeastern Washington and built strong friendships across northeastern Oregon: blue-collar workers, firefighters, police officers, nurses, electricians, and construction workers. These are hard-working individuals who love…Wed, 25 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/attacking-the-press-isnt-strong/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/attacking-the-press-isnt-strong/Let’s lay something bare:Tue, 24 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/open-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/open-letter-to-mark-zuckerberg/Hey Mark,Fri, 20 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/maga-isnt-a-movement-its-a-mythology/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/maga-isnt-a-movement-its-a-mythology/To anyone still clinging to the idea that this is just about Trump, or just about policy differences, or just about the next election: wake up. You don’t defeat a political theology with bullet points. You don’t counter cosmic grievance…Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/happy-juneteenth-learning-the-full-story/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/happy-juneteenth-learning-the-full-story/Growing up in New Jersey in the ’70s and ‘80s, there were important chapters of American history that just weren’t taught, like the Tulsa Massacre or the Trail of Tears.Thu, 19 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/passwords-are-breaking-our-brains/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/passwords-are-breaking-our-brains/I’m standing at the intersection of frustration and despair, otherwise known as the Old Navy login screen. All I want to know is where my freaking package is. Just track the damn order. Why, Old Navy, why are you making me sign in? And if…Wed, 18 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-enemies-of-democracy-speak-in-absolutes/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-enemies-of-democracy-speak-in-absolutes/This one’s been building for a while. And yeah, it’s gonna be long, because nothing real ever fits on a bumper sticker.Mon, 16 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fathers-day-2025-we-see-you/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/fathers-day-2025-we-see-you/Today’s not about Hallmark. It’s about you.Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-every-officer-and-protester/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/to-every-officer-and-protester/We see you.Sun, 15 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/they-dont-want-a-riot/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/they-dont-want-a-riot/How Trump is baiting peaceful resistance into authoritarian overreachFri, 13 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-is-angry-resist-wisely/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-is-angry-resist-wisely/Of course he is; half the country openly despised him, and millions wanted him prosecuted. Now he’s back in power, unchecked, his ego bruised and desperate for revenge. Trump’s behavior isn’t complicated. He’s narcissistic, aggressive, and…Thu, 12 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/179-million-for-intimidation/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/179-million-for-intimidation/President Trump is deploying troops in Los Angeles and threatening force against parade protesters. This isn’t a celebration; it’s a spectacle of power wrapped in patriotism.Wed, 11 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-authoritarian-pattern/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-authoritarian-pattern/First, consider Trump’s repeated attempts to undermine trust in elections.Tue, 10 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/facts-arent-biased-your-feelings-are/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/facts-arent-biased-your-feelings-are/Let’s set the record straight: Facts are not partisan. Truth is not negotiable. Yet, in today’s climate, simply stating verifiable facts (like reporting objectively documented attacks on judicial independence) has become labeled as “biased.”Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/are-we-heading-for-an-american-tiananmen-square/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/are-we-heading-for-an-american-tiananmen-square/In 1989, the Chinese government responded to peaceful protesters demanding democracy by sending troops and tanks into Tiananmen Square. The world watched in horror.Mon, 09 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/wake-the-hell-up-america-our-democracy-is-burning/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/wake-the-hell-up-america-our-democracy-is-burning/President Trump just ordered 2,000 National Guard members into federal service for the Los Angeles mission, overriding state authority, and crossing a line we should never, EVER tolerate. This isn’t politics, folks; it’s a goddamn threat.Sun, 08 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/reset-the-dkp-billionaire-edition/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/reset-the-dkp-billionaire-edition/Forbes just released its 2025 Billionaires List. A record-shattering 3,028 names grace it, including 288 fresh-faced newcomers collectively worth nearly $680 billion. Entrepreneurs, investors, heirs (folks like rock pioneers, comedy…Thu, 05 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/make-america-think-again/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/make-america-think-again/The Golden Age of GullibilityWed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-wont-apologize-our-democracy-depends-on-it/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/we-wont-apologize-our-democracy-depends-on-it/We at Executive Dysfunction Weekly have repeatedly sounded the alarm about attacks on judicial independence.Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-launched-a-memecoin/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-launched-a-memecoin/By Executive Dysfunction WeeklyWed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/judicial-review-101/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/judicial-review-101/Oh, look who’s decided to join us: welcome, class!Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/judicial-independence-under-attack/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/judicial-independence-under-attack/At Executive Dysfunction Weekly, we have never hesitated to shout from the rooftops when our democracy faces existential threats.Wed, 04 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/breaking-news-from-the-ministry-of-truth/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/breaking-news-from-the-ministry-of-truth/In his latest visionary masterpiece, President Trump proudly unveiled an executive order humorously labeled “Restoring Gold Standard Science.”Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/public-broadcasting-and-the-fight-for-truth/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/public-broadcasting-and-the-fight-for-truth/Trump’s White House accused NPR and PBS of spreading “radical, woke propaganda.”Tue, 03 Jun 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/peter-thiel-trump-and-your-data/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/peter-thiel-trump-and-your-data/When Elon Musk stepped away from Trump’s controversial Department of Government Efficiency (DOGE), many breathed a sigh of relief, thinking the threat had subsided. But Musk’s exit wasn’t a retreat; it was a relay. The baton is now firmly…Sat, 31 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/oklahomas-partisan-curriculum/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/oklahomas-partisan-curriculum/State Superintendent Ryan Walters managed a masterstroke in the art of political sneakiness, slipping a blatantly partisan curriculum standard past the education board without full disclosure. Now, high school students in Oklahoma are…Fri, 30 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/corrupt-judge-isnt-a-magic-get-out-of-court-free-card/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/corrupt-judge-isnt-a-magic-get-out-of-court-free-card/We’re done.Thu, 29 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-judges-ruled-the-president-cried-coup-again/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-judges-ruled-the-president-cried-coup-again/Welcome to 2025, where a Trump administration press briefing resembles a poorly-scripted authoritarian reality show rather than a transparent discussion of policy.Thu, 29 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-taco-trade-and-the-tariff-tantrum/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-taco-trade-and-the-tariff-tantrum/In a dusty corner of a Wall Street analyst’s notepad, a devastating new acronym was born:Wed, 28 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/purity-tests-and-gunpowder/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/purity-tests-and-gunpowder/I recently did the unthinkable: I shared a picture of myself holding a gun in a liberal group chat.Tue, 27 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-could-actually-unite-america/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trump-could-actually-unite-america/Look, we all know Donald Trump desperately, achingly, craves being universally adored. Right now, he’s sitting at just under half the country (and that’s generous), but what if (stay with us here) he actually pulled off uniting the whole damn nation?Mon, 26 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/joey-and-the-angel/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/joey-and-the-angel/He stood by the rusty swing set at Sacred Heart Elementary in Jersey City, kicking gravel and watching ants march along cracks in the concrete.Sun, 25 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trumps-war-on-the-first-amendment/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/trumps-war-on-the-first-amendment/President Trump’s recent executive tantrums against law firms and universities have finally met their match: Federal judges armed with the First Amendment and unwilling to entertain his authoritarian impulses.Sat, 24 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/science-isnt-political-its-truth/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/science-isnt-political-its-truth/A reported EPA draft proposed repealing federal greenhouse-gas limits for coal- and gas-fired power plants.Sat, 24 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/mistakes-were-made/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/mistakes-were-made/Ah, mistakes.Mon, 19 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/senate-circus-incoming/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/senate-circus-incoming/Alright folks, gather around and grab your strongest drink (hell, grab two) because we’re diving headfirst into a Senate clusterfuck that’s poised to be more chaotic than a toddler hopped up on Mountain Dew at Chuck E. Cheese. Donald…Mon, 19 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-trump-show-bully-hero-or-reality-game/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-trump-show-bully-hero-or-reality-game/It’s late.Wed, 14 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/reality-out-of-service-until-further-notice/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/reality-out-of-service-until-further-notice/A public service announcement from Executive Dysfunction WeeklyFri, 09 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/welcome-to-the-mess/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/welcome-to-the-mess/This is Executive Dysfunction Weekly – a half-news, half-scream blog for those of us trying to make sense of modern politics with a broken calendar, a stack of Post-Its, and a deep, aching sigh. If you’ve ever felt like the world’s gone…Wed, 07 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-to-lose-friends-and-influence-people/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/how-to-lose-friends-and-influence-people/Welcome, aspiring autocrats, to your masterclass in modern authoritarianism!Wed, 07 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-system-isnt-broken/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/read/the-system-isnt-broken/It’s Performing Exactly As DesignedWed, 07 May 2025 12:00:00 GMThttps://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/ad-hominem/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/ad-hominem/If you’ve ever walked away from a political conversation thinking, “We didn’t even talk about the issue,” there’s a good chance you just ran into one of the most common moves on the internet: the ad…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/straw-man/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/straw-man/(How we turn real people into cartoons, then “win” arguments against the cartoon.) If you’ve ever said something like: “I’m concerned about the method, not the goal,” …and someone replied: “So you want open borders /…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/whataboutism/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/whataboutism/(“But what about…?”: the deflection move that turns every conversation into mush) If you’ve ever tried to talk about ONE specific issue and the reply is instantly: “But what about (your side / their side /…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/hasty-generalization/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/hasty-generalization/(“They all…”: the shortcut that turns disagreement into dehumanization.) If you want to watch a conversation collapse in real time, listen for this move: “They ALL do that.” “That’s what THEY are.” “Every one of them…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/moving-the-goalposts/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/moving-the-goalposts/(“You proved it… so now the standard changes.”) If you’ve ever felt like an argument is a treadmill (where you keep providing answers, links, data, examples, and context, but the “win condition” keeps shifting), there’s a…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/motivated-reasoning/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/motivated-reasoning/(“I don’t believe facts. I believe my team.”) If you’ve ever watched two people see the same video, read the same document, and walk away more convinced than ever that the OTHER person is insane, welcome…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/god-said-so/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/god-said-so/There’s a moment a lot of us are living through right now that feels uniquely hopeless: You’re talking about a policy, a video, a protest, or a tragedy. You’re trying to stay anchored to facts and…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/gish-gallop/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/gish-gallop/If you’ve ever walked away from an online argument feeling like you just got hit by a dump truck of talking points, you’ve met this tactic: The Gish Gallop = a rapid flood of weak, misleading…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/motte-and-bailey/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/motte-and-bailey/Here’s a logic trick that is everywhere online right now, and once you see it, you can’t unsee it: The Motte-and-Bailey Fallacy. It’s when someone makes a bold, provocative claim (the bailey), then, when challenged, retreats…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/loaded-question/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/loaded-question/One of the most common ways people “win” arguments online isn’t by making a strong case. It’s by asking a question that smuggles in an accusation, so if you answer it, you’ve already accepted their framing.…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/confirmation-bias/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/confirmation-bias/Here’s the quiet cognitive glitch that is doing more damage to relationships, politics, and even basic reality-testing than almost any other: Confirmation bias. It’s the tendency to notice, believe, remember, and share information that supports what…https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/cognitive-dissonance/https://executivedysfunctionweekly.com/logic/cognitive-dissonance/There’s a psychological phenomenon that is quietly wrecking our ability to talk to each other right now, even when we’re all staring at the same facts. It’s called cognitive dissonance. And once you understand it, you’ll…