Matters in society that constitute problems for the stable operation of social institutions or populations and/or are recognized by significant groups as indicating the need for change in some parameter of social structure or process.
Only the lonelyOnly the lonely Only the lonelyKnow the way I feel tonightOnly the lonelyKnow this feeling ain’t right Song by Roy Orbison, 1960 The U.S. Surgeon General just released a report on the accelerating degree of loneliness in America and the health consequences of social isolation. The implications are diverse and devastating for … More Only the Lonely: Social Isolation & Industrial Modernity
Inequality is an odd word. First, it’s a negative, that is, it represents the absence of something; that something is equality. Equality is a simple term meaning that one thing is equal or the same as another. In economic affairs it is usually talked about in terms of equal opportunity, not equality of outcomes. Economists, … More Life Expectancy and the Complexity of Inequality
The trajectory of police violence against mostly young Black and Brown men has taken many turns. It finds expression in diverse situations. However, we cannot fully understand it without looking beyond the immediate murderous actions of particular officers in the heat of the moment. The violence of authority runs much deeper than that. Predatory Authority … More Predatory Authority and the American Culture of Violence
I guess ‘atmospheric rivers’ have been a thing with climate researchers for a while now. Despite closely following the news in climate science for a couple of decades, I had not heard of them. Then, suddenly California was hit by a series of severe storms that they are calling an “atmospheric river.” The L.A. Times … More Wait, What? Atmospheric Rivers and Us.
In the U.S. and probably many other places, the struggle between BIG and small continues. Now it’s really a matter of global life or death. Most of us have come to accept the fact that giant transnational corporations dominate the economy and our lives. Of course, some of these entities put forth a public persona … More BIG and BIGGER: How to Undermine Climate Action and Democracy to Save Capitalism and Kill the Planet
Sure, in most midterm elections the party ‘in power’ typically loses seats in the House and Senate, especially if the president has low approval ratings. Yet at first, this season looked very much like it would end differently. Then the Republicans gradually gained in the polls, so that now, just before Election Day, most races … More What is Up with those Democrats?
Because a few weeks have passed since the Uvalde, Texas school massacre, one might think that the dust has settled and whatever policy measures are needed have been implemented or ignored. End of story? No. Barely the beginning. We have not even begun to address the deep chasm in our understanding of law enforcement, community, … More The Incredible Darkness of Being a Fake Cop: Illusions of Law Enforcement as Civic Culture Decays
The verified allegations of the Fake President’s autocratic attempt to throw off the bounds of democratic process to affirm the object of his self-doubt—supremacy to everyone and everything in the world—keep piling up. Yet, the present political predicament of the United States of America is quite a bit more complicated than that. Without the decay … More Culture Decay and the Autocratic Attempt
The old saying, “when it rains it pours,” seems ever more appropriate now than ever. Several years ago, I read a book by Christian Parenti, Tropic of Chaos: Climate Change and the New Geography of Violence (2011), which pointed out the growing range of crises around the world that appeared to be converging in a … More Look Up! Converging Crises Confront Us All
In these times of chaos and confusion, it is important to know who has your back. However, it is not always so easy to know. Everyone from corporate executives to politicians, to social media ‘influencers,’ claims to have your interests at heart. High sounding ‘mission and goals’ statements belie various special interests in so many … More Who’s Got Your Back? Not the Usual Suspects
Robert MacNeil Christie, Author 