Tabletop wargames were a peculiar fascination of a small group of hobbyists 50-60 years ago — that group included me!
Category Archives: Past
War, What Is It Good For?
I belong to the generation that fondly remembers Edwin Starr’s 1970 Motown hit, “War.” It was meaningful to our Vietnam generation because it both reflected our predominant philosophy of war (generally pacifist) and apparently justified our antipathy toward the specific American war of the age. It was most likely recorded and marketed with that zeitgeistContinue reading “War, What Is It Good For?”
Meaning and Ideology
Ideologies may capture us for social reasons — they give us community — then we outgrow them. Is it time to try something new, and still meaningful?
Class Struggle Doesn’t Go Away, It Just Evolves
The world has changed much since Marx and Engels published their Communist Manifesto in 1848 — but it doesn’t mean they were wrong!
2023 Election Results: Winners, Losers, and Looking Ahead
More than one week after 2023 election day has passed — it’s now past the news cycle expiration date, but still worth contemplating trends for 2024.
Defeating Populism … Really?
Important to remember that populism is a tool, not an ideology — and not necessarily incompatible with democracy …
Good Faith and Bad Faith Arguments
Those of us who immerse ourselves in journalism and opinion pieces sometimes ask what is true, and what isn’t — or what is MORE TRUE vs. LESS TRUE!
Moving the Overton Window
We use Joseph Overton’s invention much more broadly than he ever intended — because it works for explaining political and social dynamics!
Politicians Pander: Live with It Or Rise Above It!
If you don’t like pandering politicians, best to get yourself and your community organized around issues — then pick your candidates accordingly.
What’s Wrong with the Constitution?
Our Constitution is pretty stable, by world standards, perhaps too stable? Amendments do sometimes work!
Warp and Woof 