Category Archives: Politics

The Putin Critique

Posted on September 16, 2013 by hessd

Every time I taught P.S. 102 at Portland State University, we studied the effect of the electronic media on American politics.  And every time we studied that, we discovered that “bias” was everywhere.  Everyone who cared enough about an issue … Continue reading →

Posted in Political Psychology, Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments

The President Should Be Free to Choose a Response to the Use of Chemical Weapons in Syria

Posted on September 6, 2013 by hessd

That title is my thesis.  I’m going to make the best case for it I can, then I’m going to read that case several times and see if I am still willing to go along with it.  I will say, up … Continue reading →

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Vengeance is His

Posted on September 3, 2013 by hessd

I have long thought that Lincoln’s second inaugural address was one of the most powerful pieces of English prose ever written.  I still think that.  But I am beginning to wonder whether I have misunderstood his message.  Here is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Living My Life, Politics | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments

Grants Pass (rhymes with Alas), Oregon

Posted on August 14, 2013 by hessd

For some time, I have been pitching a schema that relates society, economy, and polity.  The goal of this device is to explore ways of keeping issues away from the polity, as small government advocates have been proposing. In Grants … Continue reading →

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What Pope Francis said

Posted on August 3, 2013 by hessd

How shall we understand the new pope, Pope Francis? “If someone is gay and he searches for the Lord and has good will, who am I to judge?” Francis told reporters, speaking in Italian but using the English word “gay.” … Continue reading →

Posted in Biblical Studies, Politics, Theology | Tagged , , , | Leave a comment

“That includes me:” Obama talks about race

Posted on July 21, 2013 by hessd

On January 20, 2009, Barack Hussein Obama was inaugurated as our first black president.  A lot of the early betting went against him as a candidate.  No one seemed quite sure if Democrats were ready for a black nominee of … Continue reading →

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Hannah Arendt

Posted on July 5, 2013 by hessd

Please go see this movie.  It will be good for you.  You will want to talk about it with your friends. Critics have not been very kind to the movie, Hannah Arendt, because it is a talky movie.  I don’t see … Continue reading →

Posted in Movies, Politics, Uncategorized | Tagged , , , , | 4 Comments

In a Larger Sense, We Cannot …Hallow This Ground

Posted on July 2, 2013 by hessd

The battle of Gettysburg began on July 1, 1863: 150 years ago today.  Three days of unparalleled carnage followed.  Recent studies conclude that the Union army and the Confederate army each lost somewhere in the neighborhood of 23,000 soldiers in those … Continue reading →

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What Will We Do After Work?

Posted on June 15, 2013 by hessd

And I don’t mean “after work” like 5:00 and I get to go home.  I mean “after work” like there isn’t enough work to do to sustain us as a country.  That kind of “after work.” I am not an … Continue reading →

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Surveillance and Its Discontents

Posted on June 9, 2013 by hessd

The federal government has recently been prodded and leaked into admitting that they have been snooping on an unprecedented number of American citizens. I don’t really think this is an issue that is going to matter much.  It should, probably, … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | Tagged , , , | 2 Comments