politics

The perils of confusing libertarians and right-wingers

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Exhibit A: You might make as big a fool of yourself as Lawrence O’Donnell did. See, there is this video making the rounds of a reporter from Reason magazine talking to Matt Damon (the actor) about incentives to perform one’s job, comparing actors to teachers. But much more important than this exchange was O’Donnell’s reaction … Read more

Speculations on the economics of sterilization: Denmark edition

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From the blog of Dan Ariely, professor of behavioral economics: The Economics of Sterilization When it comes to sterilization, Denmark has had a rather turbulent history. In 1929, in the midst of rising social concerns regarding an increase in sex crimes and general “degeneracy,” the Danish government passed legislation bordering on eugenics, requiring sterilization in some … Read more

When is a pasta strainer not a pasta strainer?

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An Austrian man, Niko Alm, was acknowledged the right of wearing a pasta strainer on his head for his driver’s license photo: Pasta strainers are now considered suitable religious headgear in Austria … at least as far as the transport authorities are concerned. Three years after applying for a new driver’s licence, an Austrian man has … Read more

Political mysticism

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I’m just going to take a moment to ramble about a way of thinking that I notice regularly, and by which I am rankled every time: political mysticism. A political mystic need not have any particular political beliefs– it is entirely possible for him or her to be anywhere on the spectrum. But such a … Read more

More on The Marriage Vow

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First, I didn’t talk at all yesterday about the statement of motivations in The Marriage Vow that preceded its fourteen provisions, which included two claims that have since been removed: Slavery had a disastrous impact on African-American families, yet sadly a child born into slavery in 1860 was more likely to be raised by his mother and father in … Read more