In a recent essay, I argued that instead of a jobs guarantee, a more progressive solution to the country’s economic woe is to decouple survival from wages. That is, we should build an economy in which people can live comfortably outside the labor market if they so choose. The piece emphasized two policies for achieving this: a guaranteed income and national venture … [Read more...]
Extinction vs. Collapse
Does it Matter?
Climate twitter – the most fun twitter – has recently been relitigating the debate between human extinction and mere civilizational collapse, between doom and gloom, despair and (kind of) hope. It was sparked by an interview in The Guardian with acclaimed scientist Mayer Hillman. He argues that we’re probably doomed, and confronting the likelihood that we’re rushing … [Read more...]
Nihilism Isn’t Cool
A Review of 'Annihilation'
[Spoilers] nnihilation sticks with you. The film has certainly added new horrors to the thriller's lexicon. But it has some major problems. Other, better critics have pointed out the film’s faux wokeness; a diversely cast all-female team somehow manages to be entirely devoid of personality or dimension. Or its faux seriousness; the film purports to engage with … [Read more...]
To Win, Build Strong Ingroups
How group loyalty creates both political irrationality and victory
veryone belongs to social groups. Society – cities, counties, countries, churches, companies, art, science, food, sports, entertainment, memes: society – is organized around ingroup/outgroup dynamics. Politics is fueled by ingroup/outgroup conflict. Ingroup cohesion - the strong identification with a defined social group - is the way in which people organize … [Read more...]
Star Wars: A New Trope
May the Discourse Be With You
n Star Wars: The Last Jedi – solid movie by the way – Hope is the central motivation of the Resistance. It is the thing that sent Rey to find Luke so the latter could bring Hope to the beleaguered Resistance fighters, it’s the thing that Poe eventually evolved to value most in calling on Finn to retreat and follow the salt dogs to safety, the thing Leia emphasized … [Read more...]