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Elie Wiesel
HUMAN BEINGS CANNOT BE REPLACED What can be said about Elie Wiesel that he cannot say himself? Wiesel was the perfect example of a human being who experienced profound dehumanization and yet maintained his humanity and hope in his fellow human beings. At a time when it seems that the panderers of hate and anger… Read more
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Brexit, Neoliberalism and Empire
BREXIT IS JUST ANOTHER SYMPTOM OF A DISEASED GLOBAL SYSTEM Yesterday I sat down to make sense of the Brexit vote. This was asking a bit much as the “leave” vote seemed such a clear folly that it is mind-boggling that it happened at all. So I sat behind my computer and tried to concentrate… Read more
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Me!
DISCUSSING THE 2016 PRIMARIES AT THE KAMINSKI CODE PODCAST With Joseph Kaminski and Elliot Declet. And they were good enough to edit out my colossal sneeze about half way into the discussion! It was great fun sitting down with serious students of the political scene and sharing my wisdom and having a few laughs while… Read more
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The Truth about Torture and Trump
TORTURE IS THE FIRST TOOL OF THE TYRANT The New York Times reports today that the government has declassified some transcripts from torture victims at Guantanamo Bay. Predictably, the transcripts remain heavily redacted, limiting their value. However, some new information does come to light based on an analysis of the documents. Equally predictable, the new release… Read more
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Getting Past the Mass Shooting Carousel
APPLYING REASON TO THE IRRATIONAL During a Facebook conversation with a right-wing friend of mine (yes, I do have right-wing friends), he pointed out “while we prayed for the victims, you prayed the shooter wasn’t a Muslim.” I have to admit, he wasn’t entirely wrong. I’m not one for prayer, and clearly I had deep… Read more
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Is Trump a Magnet for Violence?
THE SIMPLE SOCIOLOGY BEHIND TRUMP RALLY VIOLENCE In sociology we have a useful tool called the Thomas Theorem. It’s really a quote from the sociologist W. I. Thomas, “If men[people] define situations as real, they are real in their consequences,” that has become a sociological staple. This simple sentence really is a valuable tool for understanding… Read more
The Mad Sociologist Blog 