Fourth in a series As a child turning teen in the late 1950s, the black-and-white RCA in the living room received only three channels … well, four, but we didn’t watch PBS. […]
RIP, Dr. Death
Dr. Jack Kevorkian has died at the age of 83. Kevorkian, who claimed he had helped about 130 people to kill themselves between 1990 and 1999, died at William Beaumont hospital in […]
“How to build your own industrial civilization”
So, what sort of machines do you need to create an industrial civilization—kind of like the ones we have now, but more sensibly sourced. I remember taking a sociology course years ago […]
"Light this Candle"
It’s been a big week for the USA. First, American troops raided Osama bin Laden’s compound in Pakistan and killed al Qaeda’s leader. And today is the 50th anniversary of America’s first […]
The American Parliament: our nation’s 10 political parties
Part two in a series. Forgive me for abstracting and oversimplifying a bit, but one might argue that American politics breaks along the following 10 lines: Social Conservatives Neocons Business Conservatives Traditional […]
Conservatives, Progressives and the future of representative democracy: what would an American Parliament look like?
Part one in a series. A little thought experiment for a Monday morning… Over the past few years I have tried to make as much sense as I could out of the […]
Skepticism vs. Denialism and how to tell the difference
I suppose, as a general rule, the human animal is built to prefer knowing to not knowing, but I have been struck over the course of the past decade or so at […]
What would a progressive society look like? The Tricentennial Manifesto
One of my lists is currently engaged in a fairly dynamic discussion about “what is a progressive?” In thinking about the issue, I realized that it might help to ask the question […]
Psst! Mamasita Presidente! Laura Chinchilla strikes a blow for Ticas everywhere
by Shelley Jack Mamasita! Mamasita! Psst! Psst! Psst! Taunting, yet playful faces of men passed me by on uneven sidewalks, working diligently to make eye contact. I was lost, again, on a […]
Nota Bene #99: Heed the Peace Gnome
“You just pick up a chord, go twang, and you’ve got music.” Who said it?
Progressive Culture | Scholars & Rogues 