Search Results for: abortion

Links and Comments: An Abortion Thought-Experiment, and Conservative Thinking

Posted on 23 October 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Salon: The Twitter thought experiment that exposes “pro-life” hypocrisy. Subtitle: “Comedian and sci-fi writer Patrick Tomlinson on the dangerous question that abortion foes refuse to answer” Last Monday, a tweetstorm eviscerating abortion foes went viral. Science fiction writer and comedian … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Culture | Comments Off

Links and Comments: Reality and Fantasy about Abortion

Posted on 22 May 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

I don’t have any horse in the race about abortion, per se, except how it is an example of right-wing authoritarian, anti-science thinking. (I’ve seen but need to document the historical background about how abortion wasn’t on the conservative religious … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Evolution | Comments Off

Wishing Things Away: The Gays, and Abortions

Posted on 24 April 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Several recent items about two topics recently struck me as similar in the way some conservatives deny their reality or think they can simply wish them away. In Chechnya, there have been reports in recent weeks that authorities are rounding … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality | Comments Off

Links and Comments: Science, Abortion, Trump v Reality

Posted on 27 January 2017 by Mark R. Kelly

Here’s a great statement by Neil deGrasse Tyson: What Science Is and How and Why It Works The scientific method can be summarized in one sentence, which is all about objectivity: “Do whatever it takes to avoid fooling yourself into … Continue reading →

Posted in Uncategorized | Comments Off

Trump, Abortion, Conservatives, and Guns

Posted on 8 April 2016 by Mark R. Kelly

(From two posts on Facebook over the past week, somewhat edited.) 31 March: I confess a bit of bewilderment at the outrage over Donald Trump’s comments about abortion, not just from the pro-choice left, but also the anti-abortion (‘pro-life’) right. … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Religion | Comments Off

Progress and Retreat

Posted on 2 May 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

A reading from Steven Pinker, about progress the MAGA folks are reacting against; Double standards about Trump and presidential immunity; J.D. Vance and protesters; DeSantis and woke banks; the National Day of Prayer; another Republican taking advantage of a bill … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, progress, Steven Pinker | Comments Off

Ideology, Principles, and Fantasy

Posted on 1 May 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

How Project 2025 is based on misconceptions; Heather Cox Richardson on Trump’s plans and how many people seem to welcome them; Slate on how Trump waffles on the abortion issue; And how Arizona’s repeal of the 1864 abortion ban undermines … Continue reading →

Posted in Conservative Resistance, Morality, Politics | Comments Off

Tribal Notes

Posted on 19 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Latest examples of tribal thinking, as many of my posts over the past months and years have compiled, clarified by my reading of Joshua Greene’s book and many others. Short items about indoctrination in Florida schools (“get them while they’re … Continue reading →

Posted in conservatives, Morality, Politics | Comments Off

Joshua Greene, MORAL TRIBES, post 2

Posted on 18 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Concluding summary and comments about this book. Some highlights: The author focuses on a modified utilitarianism, which he calls “deep pragmatism,” to solve tribal disputes in the modern world; He observes that “rights” are claims to end disputes, in order … Continue reading →

Posted in Book Notes, Morality, progress | Comments Off

The Dual-Process Theory of Morality, and Some Examples

Posted on 12 April 2024 by Mark R. Kelly

Today I finished reading this month’s big book (i.e. a substantial nonfiction book), Joshua Greene’s Moral Tribes: Emotion, Reason, and the Gap Between Us and Them, an extremely interesting book for the way its central idea knits together many of … Continue reading →