Franke: The Politics of Epithets, Name-Calling
by Mark Franke “O, wad some Power the giftie gie usTo see oursels as others see us!” This quotation from a poem by Robert Burns is clear even if written in a Scottish-English vernacular. He speaks to a universal human inadequacy — seeing ourselves from the other person’s point of view. This can be quite Read the full article…
The Outstater
If ‘Democracy’ Fails, Then What? THE WEEK BEGAN with my county chairman sounding the alarm that “democracy” will be at risk in 2024. “He keeps using that word but I do not think it means what he thinks it means,” to quote a meme of the great Inigo Montoya. Let me pair that with another popular meme, “The Constitution was Read the full article…
Morris: Yes, Politics Is a Joke
by Leo Morris In preparation for the upcoming general election, how about an awful political joke? What’s the definition of a presidential pork sandwich? Answer: a slab of Benjamin Harrison between two slices of Grover Cleveland. OK, you were warned it was awful. But, consider a little background, which has the added benefit of explaining Read the full article…
The Outstater
At Last, a Law for our Times A FRIEND THIS WEEK introduced me to Brandolini’s Law, known on the Internet as “the bullshit asymmetry principle.” First, though, some background. Many years ago the foundation had the good fortune to commission a brilliant woman, a nationally known economist. We asked her to analyze the budget submitted that year by Read the full article…
McGowan: ESG Investing, Virtue and Policy
by Richard McGowan, Ph.D. My wife and I often disagree on political issues. She tends toward Aristotelian thought and toward Platonic thought. Aristotle’s book, “Politics,” analyzes structures of government and argues for a democracy, more or less. Plato’s dialogue, “The Republic,” stresses the character of those who would rule. The dialogue concludes by opposing “the Read the full article…
Franke: The Blame Game as National Pastime
by Mark Franke So what do you think about . . .? Before you even finish the question, expect to hear a litany on everything that is wrong with our country and who is to blame. Granted, there are a lot of things going wrong these days as we geezers are well aware. It just Read the full article…
