“In the time of a silent but dangerous virus, we need to rely upon the individual’s self-preservation instinct to save other lives.“
To Slow the Coronavirus, We Need Messages of Egoism—Not Altruism
Tag: op-ed
The Misleading Claim that Bernie Sanders Is a “Hypocrite”
“Actually, Sanders status as a millionaire should calm and console those who believe that he thinks that all wealthy people are evil. His wealth should convince those people that he does believe in a free-market system.”
Glamorizing Disease: Then and Now
“In yet another display of his famous vanity, Lord Byron once wrote: ‘How pale I look!—I should like, I think, to die of consumption…because then the women would all say, ‘see that poor Byron—how interesting he looks in dying!’”
Understanding the Viciousness of Jordan Peterson’s Critics
“McManus and Hamilton have each written exceedingly unfair reviews of Jim Proser’s recent book Savage Messiah: How Dr. Jordan Peterson Is Saving Western Civilization.”
Slavoj Žižek’s “End of Capitalism” and the Coronavirus
“Written in the aftermath of the Great Recession, Mark Fisher’s Capitalist Realism: Is There No Alternative? echoed the bleak skepticism of Fredric Jameson and Slavoj Žižek, in arguing that it is easier to imagine an end to the world than an end to capitalism.”
The A.I. Challenge to the Free World
“Stephen Hawking, the renowned British physicist, brilliantly summarized the main problems associated with AI: ‘Whereas the short-term impact of AI depends on who controls it, the long-term impact depends on whether it can be controlled at all.'”
The Fraught Relationship Between Religion and Epidemiology
“Recently, renowned essayist Thomas Chatterton Williams has taken some heat for mocking a prayer session headed by Vice President Mike Pence in the White House amid the coronavirus outbreak.”
Mexican Women Protest Gender Violence, But Is the Government Listening?
“I cannot fathom the extent of their pain, of course, but I know that if something were to happen to my mother or my friends, I would burn everything until justice were achieved.”
U.S. Inaction with Rohingya Genocide Echoes Past Sins
“More than 25 years after the Rwandan genocide, the United States’ current response—or lack thereof—to the state-sanctioned violence against the Rohingya Muslims in Myanmar is chillingly similar.”
The Coronavirus and Modern Malthusians
“One important aspect in controlling the coronavirus and saving patients’ lives will be the use of ventilators in hospitals. How are these produced? They sure as hell cannot be produced in Unabomber-style cabins.”
Bernie Sanders’ Cargo Cult Approach to Scandinavia
“People do run the extra mile to leave something to their children, even if said children happen to be spoiled brats. Bernie fails to understand this.”
“Post-Truth” Politics Comes Far More from the Left Than from Kellyanne Conway
“But, I still think that—in balance—the Internet has contributed far more to truth than to non-truth.”
Sanders, Trump, and the Decline of the Policy Wonk
“Today, we tend to hear more about how ‘health care is a human right’ with comparatively less talk about the economic or health impact universal health care might have on the nation.”
What Leap Years Teach Us about Social Justice Warriors
“Ultimately, the Gregorian calendar had been rejected by Protestants, Orthodox Christians, and Muslims. The rejection was not because of a scientific claim but because of opposition to its origin.”
Coronavirus Outbreak Must Not Morph into Anti-Chinese Stereotyping
“Yes, China could do better in terms of public hygiene. But, moral panic over the foods the Chinese eat is more about cultural prejudices than anything else.”