Category Archives: authoritarianism

A New World Order

Posted on Thursday 22 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

How Canada and Europe, in response to Trump and MAGA, are bringing about a new world order that sidelines the US; And how the US is sinking into totalitarianism; How Trump thinks he made a deal about Greenland while actually … Continue reading →

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Trying to Understand How Modern Life Makes Sense in Larger Contexts

Posted on Sunday 18 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

I like to think that this blog isn’t about politics, per se, but about following current events and trying to make sense of them in larger contexts, especially the broad contexts both of history and of what science fiction explores. … Continue reading →

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Five Years Since a Day that Will Live in Infamy

Posted on Tuesday 6 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Articles about the anniversary of January 6th. MAGA cognitive dissonance. Loyalty over expertise — CBS Evening News. Headlines about whether narrative defeats reason, conservative hysteria over Chick-fil-A and a gay couple, and the Pentagon’s petty attack on Sen. Mark Kelly. … Continue reading →

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A Return to the Original Mission: Impossible Presumption

Posted on Monday 5 January 2026 by Mark R. Kelly

Conservatives want to see media — now CBS — that tells them what they already believe; How Trump has made fools out of his populist supporters; How the “Donroe Doctrine” is now in effect; And how all of this reflects … Continue reading →

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Steady Encroachment

Posted on Tuesday 23 December 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Quick takes today. Robert Reich, 22 Dec 2025: Farewell to “60 Minutes”, subtitled “It just went the way of the Washington Post’s editorial page” Once you begin surrendering to Trump, he always wants more. You can’t appease a tyrant. David … Continue reading →

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What Meaning Means, and if AI Gods Provide That

Posted on Wednesday 19 November 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

What the search for meaning actually means; How AI apps fulfill religious needs; Reasons why math scores are falling; Short items about Nick Fuentes, people fired for criticizing Charlie Kirk, Trump and the Saudi crown prince, and RFK Jr.’s miasma … Continue reading →

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Tearing Down

Posted on Saturday 4 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

How the current administration loves to fire people; Trump’s license to kill, from a man who wants the Nobel Peace Prize; Heather Cox Richardson on Trump’s hate, and Russell Vought; A Trump memo that casts atheists as terrorists; how other … Continue reading →

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Sometimes They Really Are Out to Get You

Posted on Thursday 2 October 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Evidence of Republican hate of the Left; And evidence of their incompetence; And wondering when their “Two Minutes Hate” will appear. – – – Fortunately, in this case they’re not very bright. \\\ Ten days or so ago, at Charlie … Continue reading →

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And Now It’s Jimmy Kimmel

Posted on Thursday 18 September 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Jimmy Kimmel pulled off air for comments about Charlie Kirk; With comments by Adam Serwer and Zack Beauchamp; And how a huge business deal is behind this; NYT in 1939 describing how Joseph Goebbels did the same thing. – – … Continue reading →

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The Disappearance of Linus

Posted on Wednesday 27 August 2025 by Mark R. Kelly

Distracted the past couple days by the disappearance of Linus. I mentioned this on Facebook last night. Maybe he’ll come back. Click for much larger image. I posted this on Facebook, yesterday the 26th. Our beloved Linus, who appeared exactly … Continue reading →

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