Category Archives: Politics

Dumbo’s Dilemma

Posted on October 17, 2016 by hessd

OK, let’s talk about Dumbo. Remember? The little elephant with the big ears? A helpful circus mouse (Disney, remember?) points out that if he opened up his giant ears he could fly and thus become a big star. Dumbo, being … Continue reading →

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Biases, folded in and folded out

Posted on October 7, 2016 by hessd

Where on earth did we get the idea that we ought to be unbiased? Or that we could possibly be unbiased? I have never understood that. [1] There was a time, not all that long ago, when everyone in the … Continue reading →

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The Return of the Austin-Boston Axis

Posted on September 1, 2016 by hessd

It’s time to start thinking about the Hillary Clinton administration. The Republicans are. Here is an amazing paragraph from Thomas Friedman’s New York Times column this morning, August 31. Politico last week reported that while some G.O.P. officials may vote … Continue reading →

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Civil Discourse is our “Commons”

Posted on August 29, 2016 by hessd

Did you ever have that terrific feeling when you pick up an article that makes brilliantly, the case you have been making poorly for years? I just had that feeling. How I missed “The Coddling of the American Mind” by … Continue reading →

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“He can’t help retaliating”

Posted on August 10, 2016 by hessd

I heard that line on a Slate Political Gabfest. The question had to do with Donald Trump’s response to things he thinks of as insults. He hits back hard. [1] Hitting back hard” takes the place of “running a disciplined … Continue reading →

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The D and R Conventions

Posted on July 30, 2016 by hessd

They are over now. At least for me. For the last two nights, I have watched a bunch of very capable Democrats giving really terrific speeches. If it were just for the pleasure of living in the world their words … Continue reading →

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Leaving home and coming home

Posted on July 26, 2016 by hessd

“Coming and going and going and coming, and always too soon,” sings Lili von Schtupp in her Wild West barroom show in Blazing Saddles. When I began to call the series of essays describing this move “Moving in Time,” part … Continue reading →

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Arguing with Trump voters

Posted on July 5, 2016 by hessd

I’m not recommending it. I’m just thinking about how I would go about it. The argument from self-interest is the best there is in electoral politics. And although we celebrate elected representatives who can sacrifice their own good for the … Continue reading →

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“Bad Faith” and Politics

Posted on June 28, 2016 by hessd

I don’t know J. D. Vance at all, but I think I’d like him if I had the chance. The New York Times for June 26 offered his article, “The Bad Faith of the White Working Class,” which you can … Continue reading →

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Memorial Day Reflections

Posted on June 1, 2016 by hessd

What does it cost to use a U. S. citizen in the U. S armed forces? That’s the question I want to ask. I know it cannot be answered in the form I have first asked it, but I have … Continue reading →

Posted in Paying Attention, Politics, Sustainability | Tagged , , , , , | 2 Comments