There was a time when riots were a civic catastrophe. Now they’re a content vertical. That’s the first thing that makes this story more relevant Continue Reading
Media
The Self-Righteous and the Restless Fists
The rotten miracle of modern public life is that people can act like a street gang and still think of themselves as the safety committee. That is Continue Reading
The Halo Is Just a Ring Light
Our public life is now run by the exact species of person who used to get shoved off the student council for being too obviously fake. Not too Continue Reading
Burning the Lifeboat to Boo the Captain
There is a species of American political actor who would oppose penicillin if Trump handed out the prescription. That is not principle. That is not Continue Reading
A Forecast for Panic
For almost two weeks, meteorologists and weather apps tracked a “devastating” snow and ice storm that was due to wreak havoc on the Eastern Atlantic Continue Reading
The Costume Shop for Moral Outrage
If you want to understand modern politics, stop looking at policy and start looking at costumes. Everyone is auditioning for the role of Continue Reading
The Sanctimony Pageant in Black Tie
Every year the Oscars arrive like a scented candle in a power outage, expensive, performative, and somehow making everything worse. It is the one Continue Reading
The Great American Pill Parade Where Your TV Sells You Sickness and Immunity
Oh, darling readers, gather ’round the glowing idiot box that is your television, because Tammy Pondsmith is here to dissect the grotesque carnival of Continue Reading
Insults Are the Fastest Way to Lose the Argument
Write this down somewhere prominent: the moment you reach for a slur, an insult, or a profanity-laced personal attack, you’ve stopped trying to Continue Reading
When Protest Becomes a Federal Crime Inside a Church
Is It Legal Under U.S. Law to Enter a Church During Worship to Protest? The Minneapolis/Don Lemon Case as a Real-World Test The short answer is Continue Reading
The Only Thing in this World I’ve Ever Truly Loved
I found this gem this morning, in a story about a possible remake of the movie 9 to 5: "Tomlin explained that in addition to being a comedy, the Continue Reading
Shanghai Strings and the American Press Puppet Show
If you want to understand what’s happening in the United States, stop staring at the crowd shots and start staring at the wiring diagram. The chanting Continue Reading