Category Archives: History

Yuval Noah Harari, UNSTOPPABLE US, Vol. 2

Posted on 4 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: “Why the World Isn’t Fair.” (Bright Matter Books, an imprint of Random House Children’s Books, a division of Penguin Random House; March 2024. xv + 189pp. With copious illustrations by Ricard Zaplana Ruiz.) This is the second volume in … Continue reading →

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How Humans Live by Stories, and Myths

Posted on 25 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

A NYT essay that wonders if, given how political persuasions are aligned with community, we actually ever think for ourselves; An example from the fringe about a Republican who wants to outlaw “chemtrails”; A review of a book about the … Continue reading →

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Philosophy, Science, and Politics

Posted on 4 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

First of all, I refined and polished my discussion of the Thomas Nagel book, posted here, and identified my key takeaway. (Sometimes you have to mull things for a few days before your thoughts gel.) Currently revisiting E.O. Wilson’s CONSILIENCE, … Continue reading →

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The History of the Isolationist GOP, and other topics

Posted on 1 March 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

David Brooks on the history of GOP isolationism; Why Trump loves Putin; Biden is aging but Trump is dementing; accelerating dementia; “languages coming into our country”; a sample rant; How critical thinking might have been applied to the IVF ruling, … Continue reading →

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Looking Up Instead of Down

Posted on 19 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Two pieces today about how humanity is progressing, in its understanding of the world and in its social progress, rather than regressing, as conservative movements around the world are striving to do. Richard Dawkins on science as a jewel in … Continue reading →

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A Big Picture vs. Daily Trivia

Posted on 15 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

An overview of 75 years of American history, by Robert Reich; Fringe items about Republican racism, who’s the traitor, the Taylor Swift conspiracy theory, assertions without evidence, the nanny state, moral certitude, and Fox News. I think many of us … Continue reading →

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Will Durant, THE GREATEST MINDS AND IDEAS OF ALL TIME

Posted on 1 February 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

I’ve read three short books about philosophy recently; this is the second. Each is quite different from the others. If the first book (review here) was an overview focusing on the big questions that philosophy asks – What should we … Continue reading →

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Humans Live By Telling Stories That Privilege Themselves

Posted on 28 January 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

About Holocaust deniers; About measles deniers; About denial of sociology; About the appeal of extinction panic. Salon, Gary M. Kramer, 25 Jan 2024: “There will always be Holocaust deniers”: How “Zone of Interest” reveals unsettling truths about us, subtitled “The … Continue reading →

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Just ’cause you feel it / Doesn’t mean it’s there

Posted on 25 November 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Comments about that article that distinguished between “liberals” and “progressives”; Yet another piece about how “voters feel one way about the economy but act differently”; An historical overview about how the US economy is no longer the greatest in history; … 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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