Camus’ idea might have been based on that of Plato: “One of the penalties of refusing to participate in politics is that you end up being governed by your inferiors.” Christopher Hitchens wrote something similar: “Never be a spectator of …
Category: Sustainability
Saving the Environment
Here’s a quote from Bernie Sanders. For a moment, think about what American politics would be like if our Congress were composed of 435 Bernies in the House and 100 in the Senate.
Tagged with: saving the environment
Who We Are as Social Beings
The meme here came from a reader, to which I respond: Good for you! It seems that human beings are wired to think about the world in one or the other of these two modalities. No one knows precisely where …
Tagged with: Who We Are as Social Beings
Libertarianism
I’m often challenged by Libertarians to define precisely what’s wrong with their political philosophy. I normally respond in terms of macroeconomic issues, we all live in a society in which it makes no sense to privatize things like national defense, …
Tagged with: hardcore libertarian
Quakerism and How It Affect Its Adherents
At left is the clock tower of the William Penn Charter School, founded in Philadelphia in 1689. Tomorrow I’ll be traveling back there for my 50th reunion. Over the last 334 years, William Penn and the Quaker heritage has had …
Blurring the Line Between Ignorance and Knowledge
Think of the context in which Marcus Aurelius said these words 1900 years ago. There was no social media, no QAnon, no cults built around the rejection of science. Yes, I’m sure there were “bulls*** artists,” but they didn’t represent …
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Concerns about God’s Presence in American Society
The meme here is from a group that asks, “Are you concerned that our culture has rejected God?” A couple of observations: The quote they picked is more specific than acceptance of God; it’s Christian. In fact, it explicitly rejects …
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Optimism in the Face of Reasons to Doubt
Bernie’s right: Many Americans with progressive values have bought into the idea that real chance is impossible. We may shop organic, drive electric, and teach peace, but we remain concerned that it’s too late for a culture in which Donald …
First Amendment Limitations
What Tucker Carlson says here is categorically incorrect, but he speaks to people who are ignorant of the fact that there are numerous types of speech that are not protected by the First Amendment: obscenity, defamation, fraud, incitement, fighting words, …
Hypocrisy
People have been talking about religious hypocrisy, especially among Christians I guess, for far longer than I’ve been on this planet. Yet it seems that the right-wing religious extremists have taken all this to a new level.
Tagged with: right-wing religious extremists
