Category Archives: Politics

Stories, and Change

Posted on Tuesday 9 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Miscellaneous items today, including a few from a couple weeks ago. Oklahoma, insisting the Bible be taught as an historical document, seems intent on mis-educating its children and ill-preparing them for life in the 21st century; How conservative attacks against … Continue reading →

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So we cheated and we lied and we tested

Posted on Monday 8 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Trump’s dementia; The Heritage Foundation’s threat of violence unless they get their way; And a graphic from Fb: “If you don’t scream, I won’t hurt you”; Trump disavows Project 2025; And a song by Crosby, Stills & Nash. Continuing from … Continue reading →

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Media Bias, Against Biden

Posted on Sunday 7 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

More people are noticing the main stream media’s bias against Biden, while giving Trump a pass, since his interminable lying is old news: Robert Reich, Connie Willis, Heather Cox Richardson; With an aside graphic of the goals of Project 2025; … Continue reading →

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Once You See It

Posted on Saturday 6 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

How issues in politics 100 years ago resemble those of today; How Republicans and Democrats live in radically different universes; What the “genius” of the American Founders were thinking; Zbigniew Preisner’s film score for Damage Once you see it, or … Continue reading →

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Fear of Fiction

Posted on Wednesday 3 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

What is fiction, and why are most people attracted to it? This isn’t just about reading books or short stories; what also is the attraction of movies and TV shows that are all about imaginary people facing imaginary problems? Why … Continue reading →

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It Can Happen Here

Posted on Tuesday 2 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

I’m not the first to make this observation. Trump’s rise echoes a famous 1935 novel called (ironically) It Can’t Happen Here, by Sinclair Lewis. Wikipedia: The novel describes the rise of Berzelius “Buzz” Windrip, a demagogue who is elected President … Continue reading →

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More About Regression Toward the Mean

Posted on Monday 1 July 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Thought for the day. On the other hand, rather than thinking we must be living in the worst of times (see last Wednesday’s post), perhaps we are merely experience regression toward the mean. I’ve mentioned this notion several times. The … Continue reading →

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The Debate, and the Continuing Christian Insurgence

Posted on Sunday 30 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Comments about the debate between Biden and Trump three days ago, on Thursday; Items about Christian Insurgence in Oklahoma schools, and David Barton; And how humans are wired to believe anything their parents or culture tells them to believe, up … Continue reading →

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Are We Living in the Worst of Times?

Posted on Wednesday 26 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Or is it only human nature to think so? A Scientific American piece about the denial of reality. Maybe the evidence suggests we *are* living in the worst of times. Short pieces about MAGA infighting and accusations, economists warning about … Continue reading →

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How Language Changes, Sometimes for Political Purposes

Posted on Tuesday 25 June 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Three items from the news the past few days. First, some quotes from a piece about how climate change deniers have refined their game. TNR, The New Republic, Genevieve Guenther, 24 Jun 2024: The New Climate Denial Is Based on … Continue reading →

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