Reading Time: 11 minutes Scholars have long known that conservative politics and media distort and mischaracterize reality. This distorted reality insulates right-wing media consumers from contradictions and challenges to their beliefs. As a means to power, conservative politicians see this as a feature, not a bug.
american politics
Posted inDeep Dive
Kissinger’s century, and US complicity
Reading Time: 8 minutes As Henry Kissinger turns 100 on Saturday, and his actions and legacy are once again reviewed, it’s important to remember that he was not a solo actor but an agent of US foreign policy and philosophy.
Posted inPolitics
The yearly torment of living in red states
Reading Time: 2 minutes We who live in conservative rural states suffer an annual nightmare as right-wing legislators try to wreck personal freedoms and sound science. In the 2023 West Virginia legislative session, which ended last weekend, the troglodytes tried to (1) force rape and incest victims to bear babies, (2) pass a “religious freedom” law to let Christians […]
Posted inSociology
If we’re losing, who’s winning?
Reading Time: 4 minutes Everyone in American politics thinks their side is losing. How is this possible, and how can we counteract the zero-sum message of all against all?
Posted inCulture
The power of storytelling
Reading Time: 4 minutes In my interview with Monica Guzman, author of I Never Thought of It That Way (BenBella Books, 2022) and Senior Fellow for Public Practice at Braver Angels, she spoke about storytelling as a tool that can bridge seemingly intractable divides. Intrigued, I sat down for a conversation with Mark Yaconelli, founder of the storytelling community […]
Posted inPolitics
The secular vote made a difference
Reading Time: 3 minutes The spectacular growth of young secular “nones” in America is finally showing some electoral power.
Posted inDrugs
South Dakota votes down marijuana, but alcohol is still a keeper
Reading Time: 7 minutes I regret to admit that I have, once or twice, ill-advisedly and many years ago, driven motor vehicles under the influence of marijuana. I don’t recommend it, due to the obvious safety risks that being stoned behind the wheel entail. Research indicates that while both pot and marijuana can negatively effect driving ability, with alcohol […]
Posted inPolitics
The 2022 midterms: Not a red wave but a blue wall
Reading Time: 4 minutes This was the best midterm for the incumbent party in decades, and we have you-know-who to thank for it.
Posted inSatire
Which politician’s house should you trick-or-treat at this Halloween?
Reading Time: 3 minutes Halloween is fast approaching and we know how stressful it can be to figure out where to trick-or-treat. With so many options, we want to make sure that if you’re visiting a politician’s house for a sugary treat, you know what you’re in for. Have a spooooky good time! Kamala Harris Gives out sugar-free Russell […]
Posted inPolitics
Big Lie 2.0: The very real threat of election subversion in 2024
Reading Time: 3 minutes Consider this astonishing fact about the 2020 U.S. presidential election: The losing party has never truly conceded the result. Although he eventually admitted that his opponent Joe Biden would take office, former President Donald Trump has consistently asserted that Biden only did so fraudulently—that he, Trump, was “cheated” and had actually won the election. This […]