Category Archives: Politics

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 by John Scalzi and Paul Krugman; Book Notes; Morality

Posted on Tuesday 14 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

John Scalzi on writing about politics; Republican performance art; Paul Krugman on Republican intentions over decades against Medicare and Society Security; and notes about books about American myths past and present.

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SOTU Address and Other Current Events

Posted on Wednesday 8 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Some things never change… NY Times, Round Table, 8 Feb 2023: Times Columnists Respond to the State Of the Union I’ll just list the contributors and their headlines. Frank Bruni: Biden showed himself to be a happy warrior. Nicholas Kristof: … Continue reading →

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What We Learned from This Morning’s Newspaper

Posted on Sunday 5 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today concern the US military budget, the Chinese balloon, flooding in Houston, Richard Powers on a real battle for trees, and the passing of the 747. All items from today’s paper (the New York Times).

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Real News; Demagogues; Spirituality

Posted on Friday 3 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Three themes for today: How science is the only news, per Stuart Brand; Demagogues and ideologues on the right; and Ross Douthat’s warning about spiritual experiences that don’t align with his own. Glancing through that John Brockman book The Third … Continue reading →

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Suppression, Prejudice, and Misinformation

Posted on Thursday 2 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Three political topics for today. How the Republicans seek to suppress history, concepts, books, even words; Two problems that could be solved simultaneously (were it not for Republicans); How anti-vaxxers and anti-abortionists are searching for new senses of meaning.

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Third Culture Books; Perceptions and Reality

Posted on Tuesday 31 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s three topics: A new Michael Shermer book I missed when it came out last October; How magenta is a color that doesn’t exist on the spectrum; Public perceptions of the economy. There are authors I’ve followed for years, both … Continue reading →

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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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More About the Evolution of a Political Party

Posted on Wednesday 25 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Today’s items follow up from yesterday’s, about the growing extremism and commitment to things that aren’t true by one particular American political party. As I still wonder, how did we get here? Specific items are about changes in the Republican … Continue reading →

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