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Political crossroads

Columnists

Donald Trump and the movement he founded, MAGA, have come to a political crossroads. The government shutdown exposed the fissures within the so-called “Populist” movement. Far from representing a new style of voice in the American political system, MAGA is revealed to be an all-too-familiar faction within the Republican Party. Despite campaign ballyhoo in 2024, which promised to protect essential services, the Trump administration has produced a crazy-quilt collection of traditional far-right stances—tax cuts for billionaires and deep cuts for MAGA constituents. Despite ...

Having the courage to look at the truth

Columnists

“Face the brutal facts.” That is a lesson Jim Collins included in his book “Good to Great: Why Some Companies Make the Leap…and Others Don’t.” This book continues to provide an excellent blueprint for any organization that wants to be great. Sometimes the work a company is doing is good; it’s just not enough to achieve the desired goal. It takes courage to look at the brutal facts—about performance issues, market challenges, or other uncomfortable data or insights. It can be discouraging.  I was meeting with my leader on a project I was leading. He asked me for the ...

What’s always made America great

Columnists

This week as we celebrate Veterans Day, I hope we will not fail to remember that our nation has depended upon soldiers from many different ethnic backgrounds and traditions. I was unhappy to read in The Inter-Mountain that Secretary of Defense Pete Hegseth has erased images of women and minorities from the Department of Defense website. Most notable was Milton L. Oliver III, a soldier who saved his platoon in Vietnam by smothering a grenade. He was the first African American to receive the Medal of Honor in 1965. We are so fortunate to have citizens like Milton Oliver who have the ...

Boos & Applause

Editorials

* Applause to everyone who is helping bring us today’s Veterans Day Parade at 1 p.m. in Elkins. Lineup for the parade will be located next to the Southern States store in South Elkins and will begin at 11:30 a.m. The parade will take place rain or shine, and will run up Davis Avenue before going onto Fifth Street and concluding at the Elkins Railyard Depot. Later today, Elkins American Legion Post 29’s annual Veterans Day Dinner will take place Saturday evening at 6:30 p.m. Tickets to the dinner are limited, and all veterans attending will eat free due to donations from Sons of The ...

Art of the possible

Columnists

Otto von Bismarck dubbed politics, including diplomacy, the “art of the possible.” During his trip to Asia, President Donald Trump was rudely reminded of this axiom. At the outset of the trip, he was determined to impress his hosts with America’s strength, only to be reminded of America’s limitations. Particularly with the People’s Republic of China, with its great quantity of “rare earth” minerals, supplying key ingredients that power the world economy. He agreed to lower Chinese tariffs by 10%, and the PRC offered to buy American soybeans. Overall, Xi Jinping ...

Unpaid Care

Editorials

Among the many other designations for November is National Family Caregivers Month — a time to recognize the role played by those who sometimes jeopardize their own long-term financial, physical and mental wellbeing to instead care for a loved one in need. According to data from AARP West Virginia, approximately 26% of Mountain State adults fall into the category of being a family caregiver. These people are often unpaid — and on their own — taking care of older parents, spouses and others for whom no one else has stepped up. In fact, AARP estimates there is approximately $3 ...