Watch, listen, or read at Substack, on any podcast app, at YouTube, or here: Transcript The people of Minnesota are showing us what it would be like to rescue our democracy from moral bankruptcy. Normally in a democracy, we should be reluctant to talk about politics in terms of morality, because as soon as we start judging each other's political opinions as either … [Read more...] about Minneapolis: Saving Democracy From Moral Bankruptcy
Politics
The True Crisis: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 15
Listen to this chapter on any podcast app, at YouTube, at Substack, or here: About a year ago, I started publishing draft chapters of my book in progress, The Liberal Backbone. It hit me lately that the draft is done – I realized that with the latest chapters I’d started writing a second book. That one will be on alienation, which I think deserves a book of its … [Read more...] about The True Crisis: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 15
The Art of Politics: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 14
Listen to this chapter on any podcast app, at YouTube, at Substack, or here: Last time, we explored music as an example of how it’s possible to think meaningfully without thinking rationally. The meaning of a piece of music can make us shiver, cry, exult, or even change how we live our lives. And yet even great musicians struggle to explain that meaning. That’s not … [Read more...] about The Art of Politics: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 14
Escape From the Iron Cage: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 13
Listen to this chapter on any podcast app, at YouTube, at Substack, or here: Escape from the iron cage of alienation appears to be impossible: You’ll never think of a way out, because it’s thinking that locks you in. Unless you discover a different way to think. Or rather, rediscover. Humans have always practiced multiple ways of … [Read more...] about Escape From the Iron Cage: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 13
How to Lose in One Word: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 12
Listen to this chapter on any podcast app, at YouTube, at Substack, or here: As we’ve seen, a glance can be enough for us to decide whether we trust someone. So can a single word. Every politician, or anyone trying to persuade anyone else of anything, faces two make-or-break moments: the moment before they say a word, and the moment they do. We turn to that … [Read more...] about How to Lose in One Word: The Liberal Backbone, Chapter 12