Tag: racism

A New Meaning for “States Rights”: Community Sovereignty for Health and Safety

August 3, 2020

Most of us remember at least vaguely the constitutional admonition that any authority it does not explicitly assign to the federal government, “are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” (Amendment X, to the Constitution of the United States of America) We also remember how southern politicians weaponized the principle of “states rights” … More A New Meaning for “States Rights”: Community Sovereignty for Health and Safety

The Bloomberg Pitch

February 17, 2020

Thomas Friedman is a very slick writer who always promotes the interests of the political economy of the corporate elite while genuflecting to liberal causes. He has done it again in his latest opinion piece in the New York Times. That’s why Friedman is so popular among Times readers, so many of whom are of … More The Bloomberg Pitch

Communication, Contagion, and Conspiracy

December 10, 2018

Social contagion is an age-old process of collective behavior. It has been studied by sociologists in the U.S. for decades. In the economic sphere, stock market bubbles that end in a furious crash that reflects the contagion of panic. Economists cite the infamous collapse of the “Tulip Mania” in Holland in 1637 as the classic … More Communication, Contagion, and Conspiracy

Delusions of Democrats Continue: Denying Bernie

May 7, 2015

Anyone who challenges the prevailing orthodoxy finds himself silenced with surprising effectiveness ~ George Orwell Vermont is a rather independent state. Its outspoken independent senator, Bernie Sanders, is the only politician I know of who has been able to attain office without prostituting himself to the powerful. His independence extends beyond party affiliation. It is … More Delusions of Democrats Continue: Denying Bernie

Racism and Climate Denial Are Positive Feedback Loops

December 23, 2014

Learning is usually an exalted concept – in the abstract. But the practice of learning does not often measure up to the ideal. That is clear in the way we treat our schools. Social learning reflects the failures and deficits in personal learning. Power fears truth. Institutions perpetuate the prejudices and magical thinking of their … More Racism and Climate Denial Are Positive Feedback Loops

Ending Police Brutality: It’s Not That Simple

December 8, 2014

The smart phone videos of cops harassing or beating unarmed Black males have exploded on social media. Newspaper articles discuss the various difficulties involved in prosecuting police for excessive force, murder, etc. Video pundits left and right proclaim or admit that something is just not right. They acknowledge that Black parents have to train their … More Ending Police Brutality: It’s Not That Simple