Author Archives: dave cieslewicz

It’s Christmas day, so let’s take a break from politics. Let me just thank you for reading. It’s been a year since we started Yellow Stripes and readership has grown steadily. And each month we get more comments, both for publication and in emails, and they have been uniformly thoughtful and civil. Thanks to everyoneContinue reading “Merry Christmas”

It’s Christmas Eve. You may be hosting a get-together tonight or tomorrow or sometime over the next week. You’re a delightful host and so, of course, your guests will want to stay into a night that is so deep. But you’re sleepy. What to do? Try Dave’s Christmas jokes! I guarantee that by the secondContinue reading “I’m Here All Week, Folks”

Episode Three. Big Little Stories. Wherein Dave talks about what he sees as the top state and top local story that came out of 2021. Neither are probably what you’d think. Also, the best Christmas song ever.

One thing I just don’t get (okay, okay, there are so many things I just don’t get) is how it can be that paying off student loan debt is progressive. Consider that, on average, a person with a four year college degree will earn twice as much over a career as a person without one.Continue reading “Are There No Work Houses?”

I’ve lost my patience with those who refuse the safe and effective COVID 19 vaccinations. The evidence is that nothing will change their minds. If they were only putting their own personal health at risk, I might buy their argument about their “freedom.” Yes, you are in fact free to be an idiot. But byContinue reading “Should We Deny Treatment to the Unvaccinated?”

Episode Two. History is a pile of bricks. Wherein Dave reflects on the passing of his friend Dick Wagner, who was, among many other things, an historian. Dave talks about Critical Race Theory, Joe Biden’s Democracy Summit and how historical narratives can support or undercut liberal democracy. As for how history is like a pileContinue reading “The Modcast/History is a Pile of Bricks”

It’s no secret that classical liberal values are under attack in academia. Just how bad is it at a campus near you? Well, you can find out by checking out a ranking of schools by their friendliness to free speech. Here in Wisconsin, our two big schools are doing, well, not so good. Out ofContinue reading “Wisco Schools Rank Low On Free Speech”

It’s possible that Democratic Sen. Joe Manchin’s statement yesterday that he was done negotiating on his party’s big social and climate plan was just strategic. Maybe if progressives just finally accept the honest $1.5 trillion price tag over ten years that Manchin has wanted it will be back on track. I kind of doubt it,Continue reading “Let’s Get Incremental”

Good Sunday morning. It’s the week before Christmas, so let’s enjoy the best holiday song ever recorded. In my humble view, that’d be Mel Torme’s swingin’ version of Good King Wenceslas. And, just like that, it’s over. We’ve got some breaking news today. Sen. Joe Manchin has, apparently, just driven a stake into the heartContinue reading “Build Back Better is a Bust”

Oops, it just happened again. Yet again this week anyone tethered to objective reality got more proof — as if it were necessary — that our elections are free, fair and accurate. The Associated Press, about as objective a news source as exists these days, conducted an exhaustive investigation into all the claims of voterContinue reading “Election Reforms Worth a Look”