(North Dakota Badlands) All signs indicate that the Trump Administration is poised to shrink the size of Bear Ears National Monument. Opponents of the monument have offered a variety of reasons for their opposition but one general point of hostility from them is that they believe public lands are better protected at the state level […]
Our in no way emotionally disturbed President tweeted the following a few days ago: As it happens I have been doing a lot of research lately on international public opinion about the U.S. and came across a few articles that suggest, not surprisingly, that the President is dead wrong about the image of the U.S. […]
A new “Climate Change in the American Mind” survey was recently released. This is a survey which periodically measures American beliefs and attitudes about climate change. The most recent survey has some interesting results showing that the average American is becoming more concerned about climate change. For example, 6 in 10 Americans are “worried” about […]
This blog is somewhat future obsessed. I can’t help it but I worry constantly about what the future holds and nothing worries me more that catastrophic climate change and ecological collapse. Perhaps, I am just cranky because it was 90 degrees here today (November 18th!) in San Antonio. Regardless I was ruminating a bit on […]
The lack of an adequate policy response after one of the all to frequent mass shootings in the U.S. is one of the most frustrating features of American politics. Despite the frustration the reasons for it are pretty clear – the anti-gun control side is uniquely and enthusiastically dedicated to their cause. However, a small […]
It’s clear that Donald Trump is an illegitimate President, but is Trump just a function of a broader disease? Are we undergoing a legitimacy crisis in our broader political culture? In a recent Pew Research Center survey, 86% of respondents say that representative democracy is a good way of governing a country. 51% trust the […]
The House Republican’s have recently released their version of tax reform – “The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act.” It is mostly what you would expect – massive tax cuts for the rich and nothing much for everyone else. Coincidentally, the New York Times this week released multiple stories on the “Paradise Papers.” The paradise papers […]
In his book Four Futures, Peter Frase develops four future scenarios based on three structural forces that he believes will shape our political-economic system well into the future. They are economic inequality, automation, and climate change. I agree wholeheartedly that the future will be largely determined by the politics we develop to deal with these forces, and […]
There are many theories on what motivates Donald trump. One is that he is, in his heart if not in practice, and authoritarian. There is some evidence to support this theory, specifically his disdain for institutional constraints, his advocacy for violence, and his desire to use the power of his office to persecute his political […]
Unbridled Enthusiasm 