Category Archives: Morality

Today’s Authoritarianism Watch

Posted on 19 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items today: Heather Cox Richardson on the transformation of the Republican Party since Reagan, from a party of small government to one bent on enforcing Christian nationalism; How Republicans now argue that juries don’t count (when they lose); FDR’s four … Continue reading →

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The Upside-Down World of Conservative Values

Posted on 13 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

They’re for discrimination against some (gays and lesbians) against discrimination against others (religious conscientious objectors) Their ideas of freedom involve the freedom to discriminate against people they don’t like (even if that infringes on *their* freedom) Their belief in capitalism … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture, Morality, Personal history | Leave a comment

The Town Hall, and the Core Issue

Posted on 11 May 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

The political news today is about the “Town Hall” on CNN last night that gave Donald Trump a full hour to spew his usual shtick of lies and insults, before an audience of his fans, and the commentary in the … Continue reading →

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Progress, Happiness, Economics, and Morality

Posted on 20 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Items about the reality of progress and hope that humanity overcomes the effects of climate change; the latest world happiness index in which the US ranks 15th; Robert Reich busting myths about how the wealthy right justify their wealth; and … Continue reading →

Posted in Economics, Morality, Psychology, Science | Leave a comment

Basic Principles: Passages from Shermer

Posted on 8 March 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

In the closing pages of Michael Shermer’s new book, he quotes Jonathan Rauch’s list, from his book The Constitution of Knowledge, about social rules for turning disagreement into knowledge. Shermer expands upon them, and for one of them provides a … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Morality, Quote at Length, Science | Leave a comment

Red and Blue and Diversity

Posted on 22 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

About a fringe notion to split the US into separate nations of red and blue states; and about the range of human nature and the value of diversity. Haven’t run this item yet; it seemed so fringe, a couple days … Continue reading →

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Readings by John Scalzi and Paul Krugman; Book Notes; Morality

Posted on 14 February 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

John Scalzi on writing about politics; Republican performance art; Paul Krugman on Republican intentions over decades against Medicare and Society Security; and notes about books about American myths past and present.

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The Moral Arc and Animals, Animal Intelligence, and People Who Don’t Read Books

Posted on 26 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Just these three topics for today, one focusing on Ray Nayler’s SF novel The Mountain in the Sea.

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Things That Are Not True, and Immorality

Posted on 24 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Catching up on interesting items from the past few days, about the Christian right’s embrace of a “lying libertine,” how faith healers who kill their children get away with it in some states, how Republicans who lose elections react to … Continue reading →

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Michael Shermer: THE MORAL ARC

Posted on 23 January 2023 by Mark R. Kelly

Subtitled: How Science and Reason Lead Humanity toward Truth, Justice, and Freedom (Henry Holt, January 2015, 541pp, including 55pp of notes, 30pp of bibliography, and 15pp of acknowledgments and index) This is Michael Shermer’s magnus opus, perhaps, culminating a running … Continue reading →

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