Category Archives: Uncategorized

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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How to be seen and heard

Posted on June 21, 2016 by hessd

Much to my surprise, I discover that I am not quite finished with the movie, The Intern. In my earlier post [“The Intern as a Theological Prop,” on March 11] I considered the whole plot and let my theological sensitivities … Continue reading →

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Generosity and the Discipline of the Market

Posted on June 12, 2016 by hessd

This is another celebration of a remarkable Starbucks discussion. That is why I chose such an academic-sounding title for it; all that formality sounds like a celebration to me.  It was the kind of discussion from which the participants leave … Continue reading →

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Authoritarianism III

Posted on May 28, 2016 by hessd

I set the table for myself this time. Here is how I ended the previous post—number two in this set of three. But by far my most vivid contact with these dilemmas has not come as a person, but as … Continue reading →

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Authoritarianism II

Posted on May 26, 2016 by hessd

Since this is the second of a proposed three-essay set, I am bound to a certain extent by the promises I made in the first essay. I suggested some divisions in using the word “authoritarian,” so that I could say … Continue reading →

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“It’s in the Book”

Posted on May 24, 2016 by hessd

Give not that which is holy unto the dogs, neither cast ye your pearls before swine, lest they trample them under their feet, and turn again and rend you. Matthew 7:6, KJV. As you can almost tell, even with the … Continue reading →

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Authoritarianism I

Posted on May 23, 2016 by hessd

I really wanted the title “If Authoritarianism is Trump, We Need a New Deal.”  Alas.  It was too long to use. It is a presidential election year in the United States. A Summer Olympics year everywhere else. This year, more … Continue reading →

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Party Animals?

Posted on April 21, 2016 by hessd

Michael Lind is a centrist Democrat. This piece (which was published in the New York Times on April 16) represents what he hopes is happening. On the other hand, he may be right and it doesn’t really matter what he is … Continue reading →

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Faith Healing

Posted on April 2, 2016 by hessd

For reasons I don’t entirely understand, I am thinking about faith healing today. In the expression “faith healing,” there is no question about what “healing” means. Understanding what “faith” means is more difficult. To introduce this speculation, I want to … Continue reading →

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The Polls Don’t Lie

Posted on March 31, 2016 by hessd

Of course, they don’t tell the truth either. The New York Times/CBS poll came out last week. I discarded the rest of my electronic New York Times and called up the poll. What do these 1,252 potential voters have to … Continue reading →

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