Category Archives: Political Psychology

What to wear to the commons

Posted on April 2, 2014 by hessd

  “Nobody washes a rental car,” runs an oft-repeated conservative lament. “Farmers don’t prevent their cattle from overgrazing and killing the commons” runs an oft-repeated liberal lament. You can’t exactly say either of these is false, but I think we … Continue reading →

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Racism and Sin

Posted on March 28, 2014 by hessd

Am I a racist?  No.  I’m not. There.  That takes care of the substance of the matter.  I have blasphemed in public and I will be chastened by a lot of people whose social and political views are very like … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Political Psychology, Politics, Theology, Uncategorized, Words | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

Mother Nature holds all the cards

Posted on March 25, 2014 by hessd

I want to think out loud for a little while today about the Oso landslide in Washington.  When I heard the news on Monday morning, my first thought was that they are now naming the landslides the way they name … Continue reading →

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Sex, Coffee, and the Law

Posted on March 8, 2014 by hessd

I’m not kidding about the Law, but it isn’t the law you were thinking of.  “In a short, sheer, baby-doll negligee and coordinated pink panties, Candice Law is dressed to work at a drive-through espresso stand in Tukwila, and she … Continue reading →

Posted in Economy, Political Psychology, Politics, Society, ways of knowing | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Playing Cards: The Death of Dialogue

Posted on March 7, 2014 by hessd

“Playing cards” was not an activity in the little town where I grew up.  It was an object.  “Playing cards” referred to what you used when you played poker and other devious games.  “Playing cards” is an activity for people … Continue reading →

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First, Apologize

Posted on March 2, 2014 by hessd

I just finished spending some time with the latest New York Times/CBS poll and I have to tell you, I’m discouraged.  It is not that there is not information in the poll to gladden the heart of any liberal Democrat—that’s … Continue reading →

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“Should Obesity be a ‘Disease’?”

Posted on February 24, 2014 by hessd

“Should Obesity be a ‘Disease’?” That’s the headline on a piece in the New York Times by Crystal Hoyt and Jeni Burnett, both of the University of Richmond.  It irked me a little and I had to stop and remember … Continue reading →

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On Having a Miserable Job

Posted on February 15, 2014 by hessd

Isn’t it just amazing what we learn to be satisfied with? We think, sometimes, that living the way we do is inevitable.[1]  Or we think that doing what we would have to do to live otherwise would be wrong or … Continue reading →

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Robert Dahl, R.I.P

Posted on February 10, 2014 by hessd

Robert Dahl died this week at the age of 98.  The man loomed over political theory before, during, and after my years as a political scientist.  When I began reading political science, Who Governs? Democracy and Power in an American … Continue reading →

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Microaggression! Really?

Posted on January 10, 2014 by hessd

I was watching an episode of The Mentalist this week and particularly enjoyed this one line.  I’ll let you know when the line shows up.  This next part is just background So there are these two guys in a bar.  … Continue reading →

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