John Peeler

John Peeler is a retired professor of political science at Bucknell University, specializing in Latin American and international affairs. After growing up in Florida and Georgia, he moved north as a teenager, and began a lifelong leftward migration. He’s been writing primarily for LA Progressive since 2008. He continues to live in central Pennsylvania.

Deep State, or State of Deep Troubles?

John Peeler: Both Trump and the Austrian government seem to see their respective intelligence agencies as enemies rather than impartial servants.

Peronism: The Future of Trumpism?

John Peeler: What we can learn from the Argentine case is that, having elected Donald Trump and empowered his white working class base, he will remain a force on our political scene for the rest of his life, and likely even after his death.

Koch Bails Out

John Peeler: What we see here is a confirmation that the Big Business wing of the party, having lost control of the party to Trump, is trying to increase their leverage by pressuring GOP candidates to choose.

The Clown: Trump’s Historical Role

John Peeler: Trump’s most ardent supporters sincerely believe he is the greatest president ever, while most of the rest of us think of him as a danger to the republic. It is increasingly clear that he is neither: he is a clown.

If You Believe

John Peeler: If you believe that this country was great back when it was for white folks and blacks knew their place, black lives don’t matter.

Trump and Putin: Lifting a Burden on Liberals

John Peeler: Most Republicans struggle to defend the indefensible because they fear the wrath of Trump’s militant base.

In Praise of Global Leadership

John Peeler: The values implicit in Trump’s foreign policy are, in short, economic nationalism and political authoritarianism, both essentially antithetical to the values of the American-sponsored world order of the last eighty years.

López Obrador, Trump and the Future of Mexico

John Peeler: Although both men have made an initial effort to get off on the right foot with each other, it is hard to see how this relationship could be anything but tense and prone to conflict.

If Trump Really Wanted to Reduce Unauthorized Immigration

John Peeler: Ironically, if Trump were serious about stopping them, he could do it a lot more cheaply and effectively by promoting economic development in these countries to raise their standard of living

Democracy in Chains

John Peeler: The main burden of Buchanan’s economic theory was the argument that all economic actors, including government functionaries and legislators, are individuals seeking to maximize their self-interest.

Goodbye, Justice Kennedy

John Peeler: Given the 51-49 split, and John McCain’s terminal illness, it is by no means inconceivable that the Senate could reject the nomination, particularly if the nominee is unable to soothe the moderates in both parties.

Get a Grip! Serve Sarah Huckabee Sanders

John Peeler: The reaction to ask Sanders to leave the restaurant was perhaps understandable, it played right into the right wingers’ hands.

White Working Class

John Peeler: White working class people don’t typically want a guaranteed annual income regardless of employment: they want jobs that pay enough for a decent standard of living.