Blue v. Red

Old-time detective inspects a vote drop-box

Hold Up on Making Assumptions from 85% of the Popular Vote

By Marc Comtois | November 7, 2024 |

There is a Presidential popular vote chart getting a lot of attention out there that seems to show a big drop in Democratic votes from 2020 to 2024. However, as pointed out by Dan McLaughlin, I think people are getting over their skis before all of the data is in.  I thought a picture showing…

A water drop and ripples

We need to get back to a society of mutual respect…

By Justin Katz | July 29, 2024 |

… but it’ll require a turn away from progressives’ insistence that everything must be politics.  This clip of Eric Weinstein and Nicole Shanahan discussing the “mind control at scale” we’re seeing at the national level is worth the four minutes of your time. It’s not only that our system has been coopted by the gaslighters,…

A water drop and ripples

A possible reason Democrats might actually expect Trump to be a fascist.

By Justin Katz | July 25, 2024 |

Several examples from the history of the last century — with particular clarity in the Spanish Revolution and the rise of Nationalist Francisco Franco — follow a pattern.  Communists made inroads and proved themselves to be such immoral, disruptive radicals that even fascists seemed preferable to ordinary people. Modern Democrats in the United States know…

A blurry hellscape begins to come into focus

The progressive picture is coming into focus.

By Justin Katz | June 26, 2024 |

A theme one picks up from podcast discussions with cognitive scientists is that much of our perception — what we understand as real — is a matter of our choices about what we don’t pay attention to.  A fully capable human has five senses, all of which are constantly sending more data to the nervous…

A water drop and ripples

Ken Block has raised enough money to keep his billboard campaign going.

By Justin Katz | June 26, 2024 |

It still seems like a waste of resources, to me.  Here’s his tweet from May, when he announced his continuing fundraising:   There’s no pressure, here. Once people have that initial burst of “right on” feeling, such billboards become part of the background.  When I looked into billboards years ago, they were about $10,000 per…

A water drop and ripples

Comparing two commencement addresses is definitely instructive.

By Justin Katz | June 25, 2024 |

Arthur Brooks offering the graduates of Providence College positive life advice: You can get rich by telling people that they’ll be happy if they drive a certain car. You can get elected President of the United States by convincing people that their lives will make sense if they just get angry and hateful enough about…

McKee Antoinette serves cake

Politics This Week: Let Them Eat Leftovers

By Justin Katz | June 18, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz review the undercurrents of politics in RI and nationally.

A crowd mocks a mismatched boy while not noticing people getting away with things

Politics This Week: What People Don’t Care About

By Justin Katz | June 11, 2024 |

John DePetro and Justin Katz put a spotlight on the aspects of controversies that nobody seems to notice.

Men debate in a trench during a battle

Thinking About National Unity on Memorial Day

By Justin Katz | May 27, 2024 |

The need for national unity on a landscape where it may be impossible leaves only few options and hard work on the table, but hope, nonetheless, if we take Memorial Day to heart.

A water drop and ripples

Don’t forget the importance of audience for mockery.

By Justin Katz | May 22, 2024 |

This video of some proverbial “frat bros” mocking some antifa clowns brought to mind Saul Alinsky’s encouragement toward mockery of the opponent: Preparation for conflicts is crucial, however.  The mockery worked because the antifa were outnumbered and in somebody else’s element.  Mockery is a group activity.  You must have a group.