Category Archives: Morality

Figuring Out Trump Voters

Posted on Friday 4 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two views to explain the loyalty of Trump voters. There was a long NYT op-ed by David Brooks posted a couple days ago and printed in today’s paper, offering an irresistible counter-intuitive thesis. And a response today by a writer … Continue reading →

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Conservative Morality

Posted on Wednesday 2 August 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today respond to the latest indictment of a certain former president, how his supporters respond, and me trying to wrap my mind around what his supporters think morality and law and order actually is. But I have an idea … Continue reading →

Posted in Morality, Politics, Psychology | Comments Off on Conservative Morality

The Small Town Song and Human Morality, and other topics

Posted on Monday 31 July 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

More thoughts about that Small Town song, in that it reflects one stage (stage 3 of 6, actually) in a hierarchy of human morality; Facebook posts about religious claims, and Brian Cox’s take on the UFO hearings; And Republican plans … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Lunacy, Morality, Religion | Comments Off on The Small Town Song and Human Morality, and other topics

Varieties of Psychological Illusions

Posted on Friday 28 July 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Wokeness Wars and three Great Untruths; More on that study that explains why people think the past was better, despite evidence. – Jerry Coyne’s website today has this post: Andrew Doyle: The culture war is not fake, but real and … Continue reading →

Posted in Morality, Psychology | Comments Off on Varieties of Psychological Illusions

Debates, the Political Divide, and Savannah Morality

Posted on Thursday 20 July 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Again, why debating is performance art and not about arriving at truth; How the political divide is mostly about hatred on the right toward the left; How all of this makes sense given understanding of basic human nature, the “Savannah” … Continue reading →

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Three Profiles of the Modern Republican Party

Posted on Wednesday 5 July 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

It used to be a respectable party. But even some inside it are questioning its extremists. Three groups of items today. Moms of Liberty, Republican appeals to famous dictators, and their take that apologizing, for anything, is a weakness; DeSantis … Continue reading →

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Savannah Morality and Conservative Values

Posted on Monday 26 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Thinking about the morality of primitive humans living on the Savannah, tens of thousands of years ago — apparently the basis for conservative morality unto this day; How DeSantis, authoritarian, is worse than Trump; How MAGA women reject modern options … Continue reading →

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Tribalism and Cooperation

Posted on Thursday 1 June 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s topics: How tribalism, evolutionary evolved, solved some problems and created others, especially in the modern world; The counter idea of “coöperism”; Current events about Chick-fil-A and Republican condemnation of anti-racism. I talk of politics as manifesting ‘tribalism’ a lot; … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Evolution, Morality | Comments Off on Tribalism and Cooperation

The Lies that Bind

Posted on Wednesday 31 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

How the Christian curriculum ACE lies about science; How some people are happy to submit to tyranny; Wondering if it matters children are lied to about reality, and concluding that it doesn’t, given certain purposes of life; And reflecting again … Continue reading →

Posted in Meaning, Morality, Music, Politics, Religion | Comments Off on The Lies that Bind

Today’s Authoritarianism Watch

Posted on Friday 19 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: Heather Cox Richardson on the transformation of the Republican Party since Reagan, from a party of small government to one bent on enforcing Christian nationalism; How Republicans now argue that juries don’t count (when they lose); FDR’s four … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Politics, Uncategorized | Comments Off on Today’s Authoritarianism Watch