politics
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Don’t have time for taking sides
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4 min read
In a defensive rant a sci-fi author describes the concerns he has posed for his side. In a rising conflict over church practice, parishioners appeal for others to take their side. On Facebook, you post a meme about gender politics and your friends try to convince you that you are betraying your side. Or your other friends tell…
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What is Wrong?
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2 min read
We blame immigrants We blame minorities We blame women We blame sexuality We blame immorality We blame liberals We blame conservatives We blame judges We blame cops We blame communities We blame mothers We blame fathers We blame workers We blame corporations We blame executives We blame bankers We blame lawyers We blame soldiers We…
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How To Not Change the World
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7 min read
Our Willful Ignorance of Self I once read that Courtney Taylor-Taylor of the Dandy Warhols approaches his day with this simple practice: he only looks in the mirror once. He gets up, prepares himself for the day, and spends the rest of the day believing he’s that guy in the mirror. Regardless of what life throws…
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When Subtraction Mimics Progress
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5 min read
Whenever the U.S. holds a national election, there is much evaluation, haranguing, and prediction. We are reminded often that midterms always have a different character than presidential elections, but that knowledge is thrown out the window in the fever of gloating and sorrow. The most popular prediction this time, and the one I have often subscribed…
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What Ben Affleck Should Have Said to Bill Maher
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7 min read
Dear Bill Maher, I know you aren’t trying to condemn a whole particular religion. But you actually like condemning religion. You’ve done it before. So when you say it’s about “the ideas” rather than the people, I don’t buy it. The argument you made last week, and again this week, is based not on the ideas,…
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Focus on the Body
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5 min read
The body of Michael Brown lay in the street for over four hours. Nearly every conversation I have had or story I’ve consumed about Michael Brown has focused on the circumstances or the politics surrounding his death. We have focused on what led up to the shooting, about the character, the police, the press, the…