Politics

How Long Ago

Monday, March 4th, 2013 Politics / Writing

It’s strange to realize that you’re old enough to have seen the world change. The idea comes out of nowhere when you don’t expect it and aren’t looking for it but the frisson of recognition is always very strong—we grew up hearing our parents and grandparents talk this way and dismissing it as imposture, as […]

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Popes: Velásquez and Bacon

Friday, March 1st, 2013 Politics

For obvious reasons I’ve been thinking about Papal authority (moral, philosophical, financial, political and spiritual) in the past few weeks. Andrew Sullivan is among the loudest voices in the chorus excoriating Pope Benedict for “destroying the moral authority of the Catholic Church” (“The only word for that is evil”). But “Doctor Science” at Obsidian Wings […]

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The Makers and the Takers

Friday, November 9th, 2012 Politics

If only one good thing comes out of the rhetorical cacophony surrounding this year’s election results, I hope it’s this: can we please, as a nation and as a society, reverse the inverted positions of “provider” and “taker” in our political language? Former Nixon economic adviser Herb Stein first used the term “supply side” in […]

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