| A New (and Deadly) Kind of March Madness |  |
By John Freivalds
Published March 18th, 2020
Duluth News Tribune
In March 1383, Venice, in what is now Italy, decreed a novel policy: Ships coming from cities suffering the black plague would be required to be moored in the Venetian lagoon for 40 days. “The black plague was horrifying, causing grotesque bubbles to swell from the armpits, face and groin and causing an outbreak of delirium, "wrote the poet Giovanni Boccaccio.
Yuck!
| Yet Again The Old (Very Old) Truths Hold True |  |
By John Freivalds
JFA Press
Alas history, even ancient history repeats itself.
Yet Again The Old (Very Old) Truths Hold True
Every Presidential election cycle finds politicians like Sanders and Warren saying what they think is new only to find out later is the same old (very old) truths, and that they destroyed what they were campaigning for in the first place.
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Freivalds: Draining the swamp (and Washington's other tall tales) |
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Published 2/18/2020
By John Freivalds
The Roanoke Times. Roanoke, Virginia
Freivalds runs an international communications firm in Lexington.
Donald Trump is not the first president promising that he would drain a swamp. Actually it was George Washington but it was not Washington D.C. — it was the Great Dismal Swamp in southern Virginia he promised to drain. We all look at Washington as the father of our country and able to walk on water and think only democratic celestial thoughts. But on the eve of his birthday (Feb. 22) it might be useful to look at the other things he was such as a land speculator, slave owner, and yes, a terrorist to get a full understanding of the man.
| Was George Washington a Terrorist? | |
By John Freivalds
Duluth News Tribune
With George Washington's Birthday upon us (February 22) I think it is time to reexamine how we interpret our history. If you would believe some historians the revolutionary war which brought America freedom was nothing more than dumping tea in Boston Harbor. But George Washington, by today's American terrorism standards, was not a freedom fighter but a terrorist. We frown and condemn terrorists as they engage in asymmetric warfare as the military would term it. But we need to take off our rose-colored glasses and see what's really at play: terrorists are seldom considered "legitimate."
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Letter: Why do Iranians hate the U.S.? Let me count the ways |
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Published 1/22/2020
By John Freivalds
The Roanoke Times, Roanoke, Virginia
The historical amnesia that seizes the political class in the U.S. amazes me. Politicians can only spout what appeals to people at the moment. The U.S. policy has dumped on Iran for almost 70 years. It started in 1953 when Iran’s elected president was overthrown in a coup engineered by a conservative secretary of state. Once he was out, the U.S. installed the pliant Shah. He bought U.S. arms and allowed women to drive and wear dresses. Oh yeah, he wore suits and spoke perfect English. He created the SAVAK, a brutal secret policy trained by who else - the Mossad Israeli’s secret service. He got exceedingly corrupt (crowned himself emperor) and was overthrown. And when he sought and was given asylum in the us the embassy was seized and hostages taken. A series of Mullahs (akin to fervent evangelicals here), who wore robes and spoke no English or “American” as many in Trump’s base would say, took over.