IdeaLog
Neo-Cons are wrong about “freedom” and “security”
Posted on May 26, 2015
Some war hawks have defended the invasion and occupation of Iraq as a necessity of national “security” while others promoted the war as a defense of “freedom.” Poppycock, in both cases. “Values” have real...
Three reasons why voters are ignorant of policy facts
Posted on May 14, 2015
No doubt you have heard that the Governor of Texas has promised to monitor a U.S. military training exercise called “Jade Helm 15” because Tea Party websites have whipped millions of Americans into a...
The Right Wing Isn’t Crazy, It’s Strategic
Posted on April 28, 2015
So far this year…The Oklahoma House passed legislation to eliminate AP American History classes from public schools because, right-wingers said, the course is too negative about America. The Tennessee House voted to designate the...
A Golden Opportunity to Strengthen the “Progressive” Brand
Posted on April 15, 2015
“Progressive” is our nation’s most popular political term, but at the same time, most Americans don’t really know what it means. If we play our cards right, the Democratic presidential primary season can help...
The Indiana law promoting discrimination is a new low
Posted on March 30, 2015
Last week, Indiana enacted into law SB 101, the so-called “Religious Freedom Restoration Act.” Apparently, proponents were surprised at the nationwide outcry against the law and they adopted a defensive crouch. “There has been a...
Promote “fair markets,” not “free markets”
Posted on March 9, 2015
Last week’s column bemoaned the fact that average Americans believe unquestioningly in “free markets,” even though there are no such things. Indeed, every market relies on a dense web of laws and regulations. Subsidies,...
There’s no such thing as “free” markets
Posted on March 1, 2015
Last week, when the Federal Communications Commission voted for net neutrality and changed the way the Internet is policed, conservatives fell back on their favorite myth. The right wing media raged that it’s “a...
The Right Wing Surge in the States
Posted on February 22, 2015
In state legislatures, 2015 is the right wing’s best chance to enact their most extreme legislation. The right now controls more state legislatures than at any time since the 1920s. This opportunity is fleeting....
The Science of Persuasion – Part Two
Posted on February 8, 2015
Last week’s column explained the science behind political stubbornness. Essentially, our brains are hard-wired to engage in “confirmation bias.” Further, our opponents get a blast of dopamine and feel pleasure after they rebut our...
The Science of Persuasion – Part One
Posted on January 31, 2015
Why won’t people listen? They’re so irrational! You make a sensible, even irrefutable political argument and they’re still not persuaded. Cognitive science tells us that persuasion is hard. When deciding whether to agree with...