This Site Exists for One Reason
We’re in a triage moment. The body politic is hemorrhaging trust, truth, and accountability — and not every threat deserves equal attention. Like a medic on a battlefield, we must distinguish between that which can hurt us and that which can actually kill us. This site is your field guide to that triage.
To shine a spotlight on those actively dismantling truth, democracy, and dignity in the United States — and to help you distinguish what really matters from the noise. This site aims to help you see clearly, act confidently, and fight back strategically.
The Nonnegotiables
We believe there are at least seven essential truths that must not be compromised. They are our nonnegotiables:
- ♻️ Climate change is real, urgent, and worsening.
- 🗳️ Democracy must be defended, even when it’s messy.
- 📢 Free speech and a free press are essential to a functioning society.
- 🤝 Equity and dignity are due to all people, regardless of race, gender, class, immigration status, or belief.
- 📊 Facts are not opinions, truth is not negotiable, and scientific progress is real.
- 🌐 The U.S. must be a responsible global citizen, not an isolationist bully.
- ⚖️ An independent judiciary is essential to our democracy and must be protected from political influence.
Who This Site Is For
This site is for people who’ve spent a lifetime helping build a more open, equal, and thoughtful America — and who now see it at risk. It’s for anyone who believes that fighting for what matters means knowing what to fight, and when.
Meet the Publisher
This platform is run by a longtime observer of U.S. politics, media distortion, and civic backsliding, who’s also a participant in the evolution of the American democratic ideal. With a background in journalism and education—and a deep belief in democratic values—the editor created Idiots & Charlatans to help citizens cut through the distractions to focus on the dramatic changes that matter most, which also happen to be the ones that will be most difficult to repair if we continue on the current trajectory.
This is a passion project, built out of frustration with leadership and the damage it’s doing, a deep respect for humility and character, and most of all an appreciation for the great efforts of those who came before us to make this country — and our entire planet — a better place for us and our children. The goal isn’t fame or followers. It’s clarity, accountability, momentum, and putting our country and planet back on the real road to greatness.