the definite article 30
a truly eclectic selection of politics, philosophy, parenting - the three big p's - and more
Tda 30
This is a long, involved, well-written analysis of how the world went completely off it rails starting the early 2000s and how and why we might be getting back on track. David Samuels, one of the best long-form journalists of our time, plunges in with both feet and maybe a couple of other body parts into internet manipulation as an art, Ben Rhodes echo chamber that insured the approval of the Iran agreement, the string of social media generated crises that lassoed our society, and modern heroes who may be leading our way out of it. It’s a long article, but worth following to the end.
https://www.tabletmag.com/feature/rapid-onset-political-enlightenment
Caroline Glick turns her laser like mind onto the ongoing intramural contest of dumping Bibi. The fact that he had been preternaturally successful in the conduct of this war does not seem to quell the unrelenting hatred against the guy. She will also explain the current broo-ha-ha about how some intelligence officers felt that important intel data was being withheld from the PM and their crossing lines to inform him.
https://www.jns.org/a-coup-attempt-in-the-shadow-of-oct-7/
This is the famous Wall Street Journal article/interview that provided a platform for Bibi to explain his priorities in the on-going 7-front war.
Marilyn Simon, who writes with a blessed pen or computer or whatever, shares her views on gentle parenting. She is worth following, or better yet – subscribe to her substack.
https://unherd.com/2024/12/the-cruelty-of-gentle-parenting/
An interesting article on the philosophy of Daniel Dennett, who passed away this year. Some parts of this article were absolutely clear and enlightening. Here’s a good quote: A chair’s centre of gravity, Dennett pointed out, is real, but it isn’t real in quite the same way that the chair is. It doesn’t take up space in the way that the chair (or its parts) do, nor is it causally related to other objects in the way in which the chair is. When moving house, you might want to check that the removalists have loaded your chairs and tables into the truck, but you don’t need to check that they’ve also loaded their centres of gravity. (Load the chairs and tables, and you’ll get their centres of gravity for free.)
Selves, Dennett suggested, are ‘centres of narrative gravity’.
https://aeon.co/essays/as-real-as-it-ever-gets-dennetts-conception-of-the-mind
A writer from Unherd and TFP was approached on-line by Mangione this past year, and they passed a few letters back and forth. In light of Mangione’s alleged murder of Brian Thompson, he looked back upon those letters and discussed Mangione idea of agency.
Yascha Mounk likes to delve, you know. When he is talking about something I’m interested in, I can read him for hours. Sometimes I have to. This article starts by analyzing why there should be such cruel attack by people using the social media platform Bluesky when there is such an ideological homogeneity among its participants. He notes that many of those who are most aggressive are those who paint themselves as righteous victims. He see righteous victimhood as embodying three associated “dark traits,” narcissism, Machiavelli manipulativeness, and a lack of adhering to social norms, desire to hurt. One can see this in, let’s say, the Palestinian movement. But it can also affect individuals, and to different extents. People can get stuck in seeing themselves as victim, let’s say, inside a relationship, but that could just be a tactic for manipulating their partner. Their responses could be devoid of empathy, or designed to cause hurt. I don’t think it is unusual to go through a phase like that, and it takes a lot to recognize it and move beyond it. It is an interesting article and worth the read.
https://substack.com/home/post/p-153450624
A well-written article by Peter Berkowitz about Israel’s conduct oof the 7-front war in the face of international criticism.
The idea that PM Netanyahu cannot attend a ceremony at Auschwitz because the Polish government would feel compelled to arrest him for war crimes might seem like the plot to a particularly bizarre Kafka tale, but let me assure you…..
https://www.jpost.com/international/article-834495
Cynthia Ozick, one of (or absolutely) the best writers of our times has review the art of letter writing and shared some revealing examples, both from history and her life.