Author Archives: Mark R. Kelly

Politics and Psychology

Politics is as much about human psychology as about policy or ideology. Politics succeeds via simple sound-bites, “feels,” not policies or facts; It’s all about perception; How what has led evangelical Christians to follow Trump is rooted in racism; And … Continue reading

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There Is Always Long Term Progress and Short Term Retreat

An essay that proposes that the idea of progress is a myth; I disagree; Quick takes on politics, and crackpots. OK, I can’t help but follow the political news, but for today’s post I’m sinking links about that to the … Continue reading

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Rogue’s Gallery

A Fox News host for Secretary of Defense. Stephen Miller. Matt Gaetz for…. anything. We shouldn’t be surprised. Evidence that Russia is playing Trump; Trump’s picks for his cabinet are surprising even many Republicans; Why does it take two guys … Continue reading

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This Is What Dictators Do

Many topics today. Trump plans to fire generals who are not “yes men”; RFK Jr. plans to fire scientists who do not subscribe to his anti-scientific ideology; Federal scientists anticipate firings, and the parallel with the Soviet Union and Lysenkoism; … Continue reading

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Other Shoes Falling

The pundits (and the Democrats) have been warning people about the potential consequences of Trump’s planned policies for months, if not years. Most people see higher grocery prices and don’t care about all those theoretical consequences. Paul Krugman explains why … Continue reading

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The Parochial and the Cosmic

Our mistake was thinking we lived in a better country than we do; The US has lost faith in the American dream; Connie Willis’s detailed daily political summaries are now at CW Daily on Facebook; With today a dozen or … Continue reading

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Do Trump’s Voters Know What They’ve Done?

Jamelle Bouie asks if Trump Voters know what he has planned for them; Heather Cox Richardson observes how on social media Trump voters are alarmed by the implications of Trump’s polices, which somehow they hadn’t noticed before; Two more lists … Continue reading

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Lessons and Narratives

Everyone has theories and lessons to be drawn from the election results; Robert Reich rejects several and offers his own; The focus on the current economy is just another example of short-term thinking, at the expense of bigger issues; Disinformation … Continue reading

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More Aftermath

Heather Cox Richardson summarizes; Frank Bruni on the running theme that most voters don’t pay attention to the big picture; RFK Jr and the role of disinformation, perhaps the worst plague of the 21st century; More about who we are … Continue reading

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This Is Who Some of Us Are

Astonishingly, Trump won the presidency again. Despite everything. Slate: Americans just voted to burn it all to the ground; Trump supporters are calling for executions; and how they laugh at Trump rallies; Zack Beauchamp on Trump’s existential threat, and some … Continue reading

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