I am super delighted to see Reihan joining me in the use of ‘econopocalypse’ lingo, but super distressed to see that he is choosing to do so because he increasingly believes we are really destined for an economic apocalypse. Fortunately, the apocalypse has already happened. You . . . . Continue Reading »
An admittedly weird vision struck me yesterday. But it’s lingered through to this morning, so consider : The US recession has opened up the biggest gap between male and female unemployment rates since records began in 1948, as men bear the brunt of the economy’s contraction. [ . . . ] . . . . Continue Reading »
As many friends of Pomocon have observed, the cult of optimism involves some pretty serious pathologies and distorting effects on individual and social life. But one way of thinking about optimism begins with the suggestion that the optimist’s basic concern is with energy. We will, says the . . . . Continue Reading »
This one will stir up a hornet’s nest . . . . The words “global warming” may have achieved Pavlovian status. Like the ringing of the bell that accompanied the Alpo fed to Pavlov’s dogs, the words foster an immediate and instinctive response by adherents of our . . . . Continue Reading »
Apropos of the perennial Locke-run-amok conversation, consider Noah Berlatsky’s piece at the main site : the American spirit galumphs and galerks through every one of the Doctor’s works. Like his fellow citizens, Seuss is boisterous, hearty, optimistic, profligate in invention, and not . . . . Continue Reading »
The debate below between Pat Deneen and Peter Berkowitz is interesting and perhaps exceedingly relevant, given the coming "regime change." I’m going to open my course for seniors with it. I agree that Peter distorts virtue by understanding it primarily as useful for . . . . Continue Reading »
I’m quoting a fairly lengthy portion of our own Peter Lawler’s essay on technology because it does a tantalizing job of raising some fair but serious questions about the limits of Wendell Berry’s — or anyone else’s — dedication to nature as the site of whole . . . . Continue Reading »
Rod quotes David Rieff, who writes in personally, and reflects: consumerism is Promethean knowledge and [ . . . ] the only alternative to it is economic catastrophe —- something only the most convinced of misanthropes could possibly welcome. Is he correct? Is the only alternative to being . . . . Continue Reading »
Niall Ferguson offers a sweeping historical explanation — the clearest and broadest I’ve seen — of the financial crisis, including a delicious (to me) critique of the arrogant "quants" (quantitative whiz-kids) who created a "Planet Finance" in the sky and led . . . . Continue Reading »
Immediately following Obama’s less than reassuring pledge to the world’s most famous plumber to "spread the wealth around" we’ve been treated to a shocking character assasination of a private individual and the careful if tedious parsing of Obama’s . . . . Continue Reading »
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