Eight lessons from Nazi Propaganda
On my way through Austin, Texas last week I had a free afternoon and on a whim went to…
Category: politics
We Are All Politicians
Mike Pesca hosts The Gist podcast on Slate, one of my favorite news/opinion shows. He had an excellent piece on…
Can Free Speech Survive The Social Media Mob? (Video / Slides)
Thanks to SeattleSMC for hosting me to speak at Seattle City Hall on Free Speech and The Social Media Mob. Additional…
Compiled list: Legal cases related to online harassment & free speech
In preparing for my lecture on Free Speech and Social media, I’ve been looking for examples where these issues…
Social Media, Free Speech and the Mob: input wanted
I was invited to speak at Seattle’s Social Media Club on Wed 1/22 (registration here) on the topic of Free…
Banning Something Makes It Powerful
Today is the 80th anniversary of the repeal of the American prohibition of alcohol, and it serves as an…
The law does not guarantee justice
“The court doesn’t exist to give them justice… But to give them a chance at justice.” -Galvin (Paul Newman),…
Liberals vs. Conservatives is a False Dichotomy
Most things we commonly split into two piles fall apart if you think about them: In the U.S. we…
Seven Problems with American Elections
America is one of the greatest countries the world and is often heralded as the best example of democracy…
Open letter to Americans about our politics
Dear people who complain: There was never a golden age in American politics. If you despair at how depressing…
The Math and Aftermath of 9/11
Eleven Fourteen years ago 2996 people died during the events of 9/11/2001. It was a tragic day for thousands of…
The paradox of political leaders
Some people are more certain of everything than I am of anything. – Robert Rubin The people most attracted…
How to discuss politics with friends and family, Version 2.0
My good friends and I like to discuss big questions. Two friends and I realized we avoided topics, mostly political, for…
Are societies more against individuals than ever?
Imran Farouk, one of my kickstarter supporters for Mindfire, had this request for a blog post: Q: How has…
How to understand the media (Review of The Influencing Machine)
We often talk about “the media” as if it were as singular monolithic thing, which it isn’t. Any argument…
In defense of flubs (and Rick Perry)
It is foolish to confuse a moment of forgetting with stupidity. All people who speak make mistakes. We forget…
How to discuss politics with friends, version 1
My good friends Royal Winchester, Rob Lefferts and I like to talk about things. Eventually we realized there were some things, mostly…
The unavoidable power of compromise
Anyone who makes progress in this world makes compromises. In the case of the U.S. Government, every gear and…
WikiLeaks Considered
I was working on a piece about WikiLeaks, when I found this cogent comment, related to the recent U.S.…
The founding fathers and their faith
Last week I finished reading Founding Faith, by Steven Waldman. The book explores the history of religion in America,…