Political Thought

Abuse during the Chinese Cultural Revolution

Yes, “equity audits” and “anti-racism” are critical race theory (CRT) in action.

By Justin Katz | November 26, 2021 |

Perhaps it feels redundant or like beating a dead horse for me to direct readers to Mike Gonzalez’s list of “The Five Lies of CRT,” but I have a feeling it’s a topic to which we have to return with reinforcements constantly.  The attempted gaslighting from radicals is simply too dogged.  Complacency is an enemy.…

A man fuels his car

RI dodged a notch of the progressive ratchet with the collapse of TCI.

By Justin Katz | November 22, 2021 |

I’ve been engaging in a back-and-forth discussion with a childhood acquaintance concerning the costs of public schools, trying to convey that the system is set up like a ratchet. When operating costs go up — for electricity, say — school districts insist that they cannot absorb the hit and pass it along to taxpayers.  It’s…

A water drop and ripples

Sometimes it’s unlucky to have been there to make a difference.

By Justin Katz | November 22, 2021 |

This morning, I wondered out  loud what the public narrative would have looked like had somebody taken action to stop the driver from plowing into a Christmas parade in Wisconsin yesterday. Writing about Kyle Rittenhouse, David Burkhead may provide a hint of the answer: “He shouldn’t have been there” is a stupid argument. As a…

A water drop and ripples

Do they really care about “a single powerful entity” having control?

By Justin Katz | November 20, 2021 |

Something about the way Ted Nesi puts this question about possible hospital mergers in Rhode Island strikes me as odd: Will Rhode Island and its residents be better off with roughly 80% of hospital services controlled by a single powerful entity? One wonders how many of the people who fear that “an institution so large…

Snowy tracks through a crystal ball

My liberal neighbors: keep some track of how the stories you’re told turn out.

By Justin Katz | November 19, 2021 |

We’re in divided times and are being pressed to take sides and choose narratives.  We’re vulnerable, because such things are very much in our nature, and it can be difficult to have a healthy skepticism of people we perceive as our friends and allies, or to give the benefit of the doubt to the Others.…

Kansas anti-mandate protesters

Historical analogies for the hated other.

By Justin Katz | November 17, 2021 |

If history repeated with a twist, would you notice?  I’ve wondered that often, over the years, and have marveled how difficult it seems for people to spot trends and recognize analogies. A recent example came courtesy of Paul Dion when he commented, “Absolutely disgusting,” while sharing a tweet by “they/them” California techy Chad Loder: In…

Silhouette of a stickup

We all must investigate Coventry High School.

By Justin Katz | November 17, 2021 |

Something is going on over there, and in addition to providing a red flag for Coventry, it illustrates a problem of catastrophic import that we all should investigate.  The details, as Sam LaFrance reports them for WLNE, appear to be as follows: While in the hallway between classes on Monday, a male student at Coventry…

A water drop and ripples

Our civilization could be doing so much good if it were more confident.

By Justin Katz | November 16, 2021 |

Reporting by Vox writer Dylan Matthews makes me sad for the greater good we could be doing.  In brief, a study found that simply increasing the treatment of drinking water around the world would produce huge gains in health and well-being.  Such actions fall under the umbrella of water, sanitation, and hygiene (WASH) programs, which improve…

A water drop and ripples

Yes, the motivation for disclaiming natural immunity is a puzzle.

By Justin Katz | November 12, 2021 |

Roger Simon asks Republican Congresswoman (and pharmacist) Diana Harshbarger a question pondered often in this space: So she was a perfect person to ask why she thought the Democrats—aka “The Party of Science,” or so our learned president tells us—ignores natural immunity in favor of taking a militant stand on mandates. Rep. Harshbarger’s reply: “When it…

RI State House over caution tape

Is RI less corrupt because the BOE fined Moira Walsh?

By Justin Katz | November 12, 2021 |

Campaign finance law is one area in which contrarianism is certainly justified.  Imposing detailed accounting requirements for every candidate for every office, whether executive or legislative, at every level of government, whether volunteer or paid, is simply a regulatory disincentive for people to become involved. Nobody will be surprised to learn my opinion that the…