How to Seem Smart
Read a book. This is the sort of thing smart people do even when no one is looking.
Donald Trump
It Can Happen Here
Secret police are common in authoritarian dictatorships and dystopian fiction, but this is America in the real world. These tactics are designed to scare and to silence anyone who dares speak out against the people in power.
The Art of the Bestseller
The people who support Trump don’t care that he’s cruel and faithless and ruthless. Apparently, they like these qualities.
Keep the Cameras Rolling
I have nothing clever to say about the events of the past week, but I want to say clearly that I am far more concerned about the loss of life than the loss of property and that I am so angered by that video of George Floyd being casually killed by a police officer that …
I Don’t Want to Be a Warrior
It’s easy to use the language of war to stir emotions and gin up patriotism, but it’s also irresponsible. We are not at war. We are faced with an international health crisis that will only be solved through global cooperation, sound scientific research, and proven strategies to slow the rate of contagion. It’s not as rousing as a war cry, but it’s more accurate.
Your Eyes Are Up Here, Mister
It’s natural to be suspicious of something that is prescribed for the masses, but not practiced by the people in charge.
A Free Press Has the Freedom to Stop Airing Dangerous Lies
I’m not arguing for censorship; I’m arguing for editorial decision making. I believe strongly in the First Amendment. I believe in freedom of the press, even when I don’t agree with the press. But if a news organization is judged by what it covers, it should also be judged by what it chooses not to cover. Sometimes turning the camera off is the most responsible decision.
Trumpland Sounds Terrible
Who are these women? Why are they chatting with the president about common appliances? And why don’t the men ever push the button?
Mitch McConnell is Squatting on the Scales of Justice
This is not a dystopian thought experiment; this is a real possibility. Your children and grandchildren could grow up in a world where they don’t have the ability to make the sort of family planning decisions that my generation took for granted.
The War on Thanksgiving
I offer these suggestions for alternate Thanksgiving names. In doing so, I lend credence to the outlandish claim that there’s a push to rename Thanksgiving. I hope you-know-who is thankful.