July 26, 2024

Civics

Nothing threatens authoritarianism like a quiet place to explore knowledge.

Image by sekihan via CC

"If psychological warfare planted the seeds for the culture war, the key to ending it might lie in that history, too. In 1948, when an Army psychological operations expert produced a guide to psychological war, it included instructions on how to achieve postwar psychological disarmament. “The free circulation of books” was key.

"In the culture war, libraries with free access to a full range of books can light the way toward psychological peace. They provide us with a mental model for a public sphere in which Americans debate each other as equals to reach a resolution or compromise." - Annalee Newitz

ARTICLE: Libraries Can Help End the Culture Wars. That’s Why They’re Under Fire

(Thanks to my friend and collaborator in supporting our local library, Jeanne Canteen, for the reference.)

Civics

What we’re facing is serious, and we need to acknowledge the whole truth of it.

ARTICLE: Learning to See in the Dark Amid Catastrophe: An Interview With Deep Ecologist Joanna Macy

Civics

Many Americans still want to live in a compassionate country.

‍ARTICLE: Even as Polarization Surges, Americans Believe They Live in a Compassionate Country

Civics

What does a creative response to polarization look like?

ARTICLE: The Hopeful Thing About Our Ugly, Painful Polarization

Civics

Care, dignity, and belonging as the core antidotes to resentment politics

‍ARTICLE: How Hannah Arendt Can Help Us Understand This New Age of Far-Right Populism