By Amit Bose From cultivation to cup, tea is a multi-billion-dollar business. Professional tea tasters are a crucial part of it. Drawing on our extensive training and industry knowledge, we ensure that only the tastiest teas sold at the best price points reach tea lovers the world over. I have worked as a tea taster for over half a century now. My breadth and depth of … [Read more...] about ON BEING A TEA TASTER
2026 begins with an increasingly autocratic United States rising on the global stage
Explosions are seen at Fort Tiuna, Venezuela’s largest military complex, Jan. 3, 2026. Luis Jaimes/AFP via Getty Images Shelley Inglis, Rutgers University The U.S. military operation in Venezuela and capture of President Nicolás Maduro on Jan. 3, 2026, topped off months of military buildup and targeted strikes in the Caribbean Sea. It … [Read more...] about 2026 begins with an increasingly autocratic United States rising on the global stage
Satire: Happy new diversion
(Melody: Auld Lang Syne) By Laurie Baron May the Epstein files be forgot, And never brought to mind. Winning wars to get oil. Renders the public blind. Chorus: Petrol is why Trump fights, Not to stop the flow of drugs. Deflecting from his poor polls. Kidnap a foreign thug. May award jurors not forget. And learn to be more wise. He invades what he … [Read more...] about Satire: Happy new diversion
Ghost Of Invasions Past
Why do the people in charge suck so bad at history? I'm seeing a lot of excitement from MAGAts about the apprehension of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. One of them commented on yesterday's cartoon on Facebook, saying, “Cry harder, liberals,” which goes to show that MAGAts don't understand context. Liberals are not fans of Maduro. I am happy that he has been deposed, … [Read more...] about Ghost Of Invasions Past
Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy
Supporters of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro gather during a demonstration in Caracas on Jan, 4, 2026. Pedro Mattey/Anadolu via Getty Images Monica Duffy Toft, Tufts University An image circulated over media the weekend of Jan. 3 and 4 was meant to convey dominance: Venezuela’s president, Nicolás Maduro, blindfolded and handcuffed … [Read more...] about Can the US ‘run’ Venezuela? Military force can topple a dictator, but it cannot create political authority or legitimacy
TOPPLING CORRUPT TYRANTS
An Ignominious Postscript to a Splendid Operation
Whether one agrees or disagrees with the constitutional, legal and political aspects of “Operation Absolute Resolve,” the bravery and skills of our military, C.I.A. and law enforcement personnel executing this daring mission cannot be questioned. The virtually flawless operation had been months in the planning by the U.S. military, the C.I.A and other agencies and included … [Read more...] about An Ignominious Postscript to a Splendid Operation
Is a Third Party the Answer?
America has been in the throes of a partisan political war for at least two decades. Over the last ten years, since the first ascension of Donald Trump to the throne in Washington, the partisanship and the disdain for political opponents has grown even worse. With MAGA and America First mantras, chanting and gear, the division between left and right has sharpened even further. … [Read more...] about Is a Third Party the Answer?
MADURO AWAITS HIS PARDON
A predawn op in Latin America? The US has been here before, but the seizure of Venezuela’s Maduro is still unprecedented
A motorcycle rides past graffiti depicting Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in Caracas on Jan. 3, 2026. Juan Barreto/AFP via Getty Images Alan McPherson, Temple University In the dead of night during the holidays, the United States launched an operation inside a Latin American country, intent on seizing its leader on the pretext that he … [Read more...] about A predawn op in Latin America? The US has been here before, but the seizure of Venezuela’s Maduro is still unprecedented
GIVE TMV A GIFT FOR THE NEW YEAR (DONATE)
HAPPY NEW YEAR -- and please help make 2026 a great new year for The Moderate Voice. TMV was started in January 2003 on BlogSpot and quickly evolved into a group blog that was on several platforms before settling on Word Press. MANY blogs have died over the years due to social media, in particular Facebook and Twitter. We' are still (stubbornly) here. During the golden age of … [Read more...] about GIVE TMV A GIFT FOR THE NEW YEAR (DONATE)
A case for a universal basic income
Headlines and pundits bemoan forthcoming job losses due to corporate adoption of “artificial intelligence.”* Forget that for a moment, because household name corporations are killing jobs in real time. In Lexington, NE, a town of about 11,000, Tyson Foods has announced it is closing its 35-year-old meat packing plant this month and is laying off 3,200 workers. On the east … [Read more...] about A case for a universal basic income
Trump’s attacks on Minnesota reek of hypocrisy and retribution
Let’s be clear: President Joe Biden’s DOJ began investigating $250 million in Covid-era fraud in Minnesota in 2022. During the pandemic. The current media, pundit and MAGA hysteria over possible fraud in day care facilities was triggered by a influencer* video that CBS news has been unable to corroborate. President Donald Trump could care less about fraud, based on his … [Read more...] about Trump’s attacks on Minnesota reek of hypocrisy and retribution
HAPPY POLITICAL NEW YEAR
CBS News has been rendered worthless by a MAGA handmaiden
I intend here to discuss MAGA handmaiden Bari Weiss, the CBS News assassin, and to suggest ways we can combat corporate media corruption. But first I need to share a story from my rookie stint in journalism. You’ll see why. In 1975, while covering the cops in New London, Connecticut, I got a tip the boys in blue had screwed up. The first paragraph of my subsequent piece … [Read more...] about CBS News has been rendered worthless by a MAGA handmaiden
Yes, but … an opinion essay in The Hill is stingy with facts
In arguing that Congress has treated President DJ Trump differently than his predecessors when it comes to "war" efforts, an essay in The Hill claims that President Harry Truman's support for UN action in South Korea in 1950 had no declaration of war from Congress. (True.) He then immediately claims that Truman's actions created a “'Korean precedent' for unilateral presidential … [Read more...] about Yes, but … an opinion essay in The Hill is stingy with facts
MOST TRANSPARENT PRESIDENT IN AMERICAN HISTORY
Inside the North Carolina GOP’s Decade-Long Push to Seize Power From the State’s Democratic Governors
Inside the North Carolina GOP’s Decade-Long Push to Seize Power From the State’s Democratic Governors In November 2024, Democrat Josh Stein scored an emphatic victory in the race to become North Carolina’s governor, drubbing his Republican opponent by almost 15 percentage points. His honeymoon didn’t last long, however. Two weeks after his win, the North Carolina … [Read more...] about Inside the North Carolina GOP’s Decade-Long Push to Seize Power From the State’s Democratic Governors
Deepfakes leveled up in 2025 — here’s what’s coming next
AI image and video generators now produce fully lifelike content. AI-generated image by Siwei Lyu using Google Gemini 3 Siwei Lyu, University at Buffalo Over the course of 2025, deepfakes improved dramatically. AI-generated faces, voices and full-body performances that mimic real people increased in quality far beyond what even many experts … [Read more...] about Deepfakes leveled up in 2025 — here’s what’s coming next
