Category Archives: Conservative Resistance

The Western Tradition

Posted on Monday 20 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two related items today. Florida’s idea of a Christian, Western tradition that students should be tested to, instead of SAT; and a professor’s debunking of a “grand narrative of Western Civilization”, via a book review at PW. Hemant Mehta, Friendly … Continue reading →

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Political News, Ratings Forward

Posted on Sunday 19 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How Fox News prioritizes ratings above truth or principles of journalism; How Florida is seeking to replace SAT with “Christian” testing; How and why to shame Republican judges; How the far-right is ascendant on college campuses. NY Times, Michelle Goldberg, … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Politics | Comments Off on Political News, Ratings Forward

Stickiness of Nonbelief

Posted on Friday 17 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How nonbelief is stickier than belief. Plus: Fox News lied! Who would have thought? And: how UFOs and CRT go together; the number of respectable Republicans. \ OnlySky, Andrew Fiala, 15 Feb 2023: What the stickiness of nonbelief says about … Continue reading →

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The Myth of the Perfect Past

Posted on Thursday 16 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

When life was simple and everything you were supposed to know was contained in a single book. Also: why The Lord of the Rings is so appealing to the right; media libel laws; policing; and a lagniappe about a real … Continue reading →

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Hypocrisy and Indoctrination

Posted on Wednesday 15 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve noted before how conservatives denounce “indoctrination” except when they’re the ones doing the indoctrinating. Examples include DeSantis imposing conservative values on a Florida college long known as a bastion of “free thinkers”. And examples of people believing things that … Continue reading →

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Readings: Margaret Atwood and Jared Diamond

Posted on Monday 13 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Margaret Atwood on the people banning her book The Handmaid’s Tale; Jared Diamond on the earthquake in Turkey and Syria, and long-term disaster planning. Margaret Atwood, The Atlantic, 12 Feb 2023: Go Ahead and Ban My Book, subtitled “To those … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, longtermism, Quote at Length | Comments Off on Readings: Margaret Atwood and Jared Diamond

A Crisp, Sunny January Day

Posted on Monday 30 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Topics for today: Why China’s decline in population is a good thing; Yuval Noah Harari on identity; Moral panic and the right-wing mind; How climate change has been covered in textbooks since the 1970s.

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Psychology, Religion, Science | Comments Off on A Crisp, Sunny January Day

Rural Rage and Republican Shenanigans

Posted on Friday 27 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman responds to Thomas Edsall about the roots of conservative rural resentment, and how their three key perceptions are in fact wrong. Also, the GOP’s 30% sales tax idea; how religion would control or cut off the world; and … Continue reading →

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Things That Are Not True, and Immorality

Posted on Tuesday 24 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on interesting items from the past few days, about the Christian right’s embrace of a “lying libertine,” how faith healers who kill their children get away with it in some states, how Republicans who lose elections react to … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Science | Comments Off on Things That Are Not True, and Immorality

Optimism about Science and Tech, Alternative Math, and Political Topics

Posted on Thursday 19 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Another optimistic take on part of current affairs (not politics). Plus: alternative math, and political items.

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Mathematics, Science, Technology | Comments Off on Optimism about Science and Tech, Alternative Math, and Political Topics