Biden’s appeasement of hawks and neocons is crippling his diplomacy
We hope he and his advisers are not too blinded by anachronistic imperial thinking or too intimidated by the neocons to make a fresh start and engage with the world as it actually exists in 2021.
Homer nails uncivilized, all-devouring MAGA Trump brutality – and strategic aikido to return fire
As Polyphemus falls to the aikido of seeming weaklings, Trump underestimates top experts, battling Democrats, anti-oligarchy citizens and committed activists promoting prosperity for the many, even (yikes!) sharing the wealth.
Amazon buys out Whole Foods Market
The Brave New Future of Amazon's electronic, robotic Whole Foods Market tells us we're living in the corporatized version of "1984."
This Article Is Not About Donald Trump
The menu of the news, as presently defined, lowers your chance of understanding the world.
Trump’s worst nightmare begins as Democrats and Mueller prepare to join forces
Mueller’s ongoing investigation was already wearing heavily on Trump and now he will have a plethora of Democrats investigating his actions and behavior like a bunch of rabid dogs.
The Kimmel fight revealed the anti-Trump opposition’s secret weapon
The people have more power than we realize. And the people in power are terrified of it.
MAGA bottom line: Less about grievance, policy or values than know-it-all, esteem-buoying Trumpian absolutism
Trump steps up Nixonian arrogance (“if a president does it, that makes it legal”) into imperial privilege – if Trump the genius says it, that makes it true.
Rules vs. reality: How competing views shape the way we use language
From grammar rules to everyday slang, debates over descriptivism and prescriptivism reveal how we balance authority with the way people really speak.
The corrosive delusion of progress and the American dream
Most crises trace back to identifiable decisions and actions. Even the lead-up to the two world wars could have been disrupted numerous...
The rise of private cops: How not to tackle homelessness
Like many cities with a serious housing problem, Portland is increasingly relying on private security to “clean up” the human debris of capitalism.