#Race

Lee Drutman: How race and identity became the central dividing line in American politics – Vox

It is now Democrats who appear benefit from culture and identity being the central issue in American politics, at least in a national election like the one for president. And as the Democrats are increasingly split internally by class, this

Posted in Noted & Quoted, Politics, US History Tagged with: , ,

Tod Kelly, Ta-Nehisi Coates, et al. vs. Richard Cohen

A serious discussion on the main underlying question – on the roles and uses of the concept of “race” in American politics and culture – might be worth having, but not according to the the kind of license to mislead, to testify for effect rather than for accuracy, that Kelly, Coates, and their peers grant to each other. If such a discussion somehow qualified as serious, it would likely be so in only the worst ways.

Posted in Culture & Entertainment, Internet, Politics Tagged with: , , ,

Derbyshire’s Children

Since John Derbyshire brought his family into it, I feel free to imagine a response on the part of his child – in effect to mark the transition via adolescent resistance on the way to autonomous adulthood. “Why should I follow what you advise, father? So I can grow up to live a life as morally impoverished, as safe from the risky vitality of others, as immune to hope, as yours?”

Posted in Featured, Internet, Miscellany, Philosophy, Political Philosophy, Politics, Religion Tagged with: ,

Messiah >> Joker >> Zombie >> Man

The process of social psychological reconciliation can be as unforgiving as conventional monetary accounting, but remains infinitely unpredictable, compounding interest perversely – like a sadistic loan shark, like the Joker. That the actor who played the part in The Dark Knight died before the film was released adds even greater horror to the pallidly morbid visage – not as some crude call for assassination or lynching, Obamanaut, but as a death notice for the candidate’s seeming promise: The Obamessiah we raised up becoming a zombie clown, an immortal Beelzobama, or maybe just a Lizard People – an excuse for mournful laughter, if ever there was one, perhaps until the day or days, to our relief or regret, a human being at last emerges.

Posted in Art, Featured, Movies Tagged with: , , , , , , ,