Working class voters sent a wake-up call in this presidential election. Their call was that they were angry and tired of being taken for granted. As a result, the majority of them voted for Donald Trump instead of Kamala Harris. That call raises the conventional “W” questions of who, what, when, where, why: Who is in the working class? What are the conditions of the working class? When did those conditions start to change? Where does the working class live? Why did … [Read more...]
Articles
Frank blogs regularly for the Huffington Post and writes occasional columns and articles for publications such as the International Business Times and The Economic Times of India.
Frank writes on a wide variety of topics that are critical to shaping the future of America and the American dream and to making the United States and the world a better place. These include: Business; education; poverty and inequality; politics and public policy; immigration; manufacturing; innovation; leadership; citizenship; and social commentary.
Frank’s most recent blogs are highlighted on this page. To read other blogs or articles by Frank, click on the categories or publications links on the left.
Democratic Party needs to chart a citizen-centric path
The Democratic Party has considerable work to do in order to reposition and revitalise itself as a winner in a presidential election. Weeks after a devastating electoral defeat, the Democratic Party finds itself in a period of serious introspection. With Kamala Harris’s historic candidacy ending in a loss, the blame game has been relentless, both within the party and among media pundits. While the shock does not rival the seismic political upset of 2016 when Donald Trump defeated … [Read more...]
2024 Thanksgiving Thoughts: The Light Of Democracy Still Shines
This Thanksgiving we are thankful that the light of our American democracy still shines. That was the opening sentence of our Thanksgiving blog, written after the 2022 mid-term elections. Even though we are not happy with who won the presidency, it is the opening sentence for our Thanksgiving blog this 2024 election year as well. Here’s why. In 2022, we described the electoral environment as follows: Much of the media in the period from Labor Day in September until the … [Read more...]
Independent voters in swing states will decide US elections
American voters are set to elect their next president on November 5. With early voting numbers already breaking records nationwide and opinion polls predicting a cliffhanger, a few hundred thousand voters in a handful of critical swing states may ultimately determine who will become the 47th president of the United States (US).American voters are set to elect their next president on November 5. With early voting numbers already breaking records nationwide and opinion polls predicting a … [Read more...]
American Carnage or American Courage?
At his inaugural address on January 20, 2017, President Donald Trump infamously said, “This American carnage ends right here and ends right now.” As usual, Trump was wrong. Due to his presidency and his destructive behavior since he left office on January 20, 2021, American carnage has grown. Given this, an overarching question as we approach the presidential election of 2024 is: Will the American citizens vote to bring carnage back to the presidency by electing Donald … [Read more...]
Two Roads Diverge in America Today
Two roads diverge in America today And we cannot travel both While some would decry the “politics of envy”, others would decry the “politics of inequality” While some would call protecting those at risk “socialist”, others would call caring for those less fortunate “humanist” While some would embrace “free market capitalism”, others would embrace “the democratic society” While some would make government “the enemy of the people”, others would make government … [Read more...]
Trump vs Harris battle is more than an election
There have been 59 presidential elections in the United States (US) since 1789, when George Washington became the first commander-in-chief of the new nation. For nearly the next 220 years, presidential contenders shared one key characteristic — they were all White males, despite representing different political ideologies and parties, until Barack Obama was elected in 2008 as America’s first Black president. The Illinois junior senator’s election as the 44th … [Read more...]
Narrowing the Urban-Rural Divide
In the United States of America in 2024, there is unquestionably an urban-rural divide politically, with Republicans dominating in rural areas and Democrats dominating in urban areas. This divide is not recent. It has been developing for some time, but it has expanded considerably in this 21st century. Suzanne Mettler, professor of political science at Cornell University, and her student, Trevor Brown, point this out in their 2022 Annals of Political … [Read more...]
Olympic Labor
Observed on the first Monday in September, Labor Day is an annual celebration of the social and economic achievements of American workers. The holiday is rooted in the late nineteenth century, when labor activists pushed for a federal holiday to recognize the many contributions workers have made to America’s strength, prosperity, and well-being. U.S. Department of Labor, History of Labor Day Labor Day is a day to celebrate all workers and all forms and levels of work. On September … [Read more...]
Advancing The Elegy
Hillbilly Elegy, a book written by JD Vance, the current Republican Vice-Presidential candidate, was a best seller in 2016. Vance’s book was a “memoir” and story about the devastating problems in his family life and the white working class city of Middletown, Ohio in which he grew up. Elegies are typically written to mourn loss, and to reflect upon and pay tribute to who or what was lost. Vance’s Elegy did not. It primarily placed blame on those “hillbillies” who … [Read more...]