Monthly Archives: November 2023

Jonathan Rauch, THE CONSTITUTION OF KNOWLEDGE, part 2

Posted on 10 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Yesterday I gave a general overview of this book, and made a few specific comments. Today I’m going to read through my notes again, and highlight some more specific comments, and maybe quotes. Like this summary, at the end. The … Continue reading →

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Jonathan Rauch, THE CONSTITUTION OF KNOWLEDGE, part 1

Posted on 9 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: “A Defense of Truth”. Brookings, 2021. 266pp of text, plus notes and index, total 305pp. This is one of two books I’ve read recently, following the Lee McIntyre book that I posted about two days ago, that dovetail in … Continue reading →

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Do These People Ever Go Outside and Look Around?

Posted on 8 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Paul Krugman asks why the Right hates America; Like Mike Johnson, Rick Santorum is skeptical of democracy (when results don’t go his way); Adam Lee on the allure of tribalism. Paul Krugman responds to the Damon Linker piece that I … Continue reading →

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The Extent of the Universe, and Our History of Understanding It

Posted on 7 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

NY Times with a photo spread of images from the James Webb telescope; Big Think with a timeline of our history of understanding our universe. —— NY Times, Kate LaRue, 5 Nov 2023: The James Webb telescope is a giant … Continue reading →

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Lee McIntyre, ON DISINFORMATION

Posted on 7 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: “How to Fight For Truth and Protect Democracy.” The MIT Press, 2023. I’m behind on writing up my recent reading here on this blog, so let me resume with this very short little book, small in size and just … Continue reading →

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Conservative Epistemology

Posted on 6 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The core belief that explains extremism on the right; Peter Wehner on how Republicans have chosen nihilism; My wondering what the deep explanation is for what’s happened on the right; Short items about GOP tax cheats, Trump’s latest outrageous lies, … Continue reading →

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More About Fake History

Posted on 5 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Let’s follow up on yesterday’s post here, with a couple more items on the same general topic. Mike Lofgren at Salon about the history of right-wing fake history; Texas Tribune about David Barton; And closing comments about theme parks and … Continue reading →

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The “Intellectual” Christian Nationalists

Posted on 4 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

(Finishing on Sunday a post I began yesterday, Saturday, and am posted in that slot.) Here’s a longish essay by Damon Linker about conservative “intellectuals” who are trying to justify the takeover of America by Christian Nationalism. On what grounds, … Continue reading →

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Media, Mystics, and Two Key Republican Obsessions

Posted on 3 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Two curious items from Facebook, about learning new media, and scientists as “mystics”; Three items, one by Paul Krugman, about the Republicans’ naked obsession with benefiting the ultra-wealthy; Three items, or maybe four, about Republican obsession with other people’s sex … Continue reading →

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How Psychology Trumps Everything

Posted on 2 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The hierarchy of sciences in which, in terms of human beliefs about the real world, psychology trumps everything; The New Yorker on the plausibility of impossible beings (from 2017); Recalling that Venn Diagram of Irrational Nonsense; How “more than half … Continue reading →

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