As I continue my obsessive pondering on the nature and merits of various political systems, it occurs to me that, in theory anyway, autocracy can be characterized as arrogant, at least when compared to democracy. It is arrogant because it proposes that, over the very long run, a series of individuals, or a small group …
Steven Pinker’s book Better Angels of Our Nature is perhaps one of my favorite books ever. And though I’m skeptical of some of the causes he identified for the phenomenon, I was persuaded by his overall argument that humanity is becoming less violent. All that is to say, I’m a fan. I’m aware of some …
A critique of the attacks on “cancel culture,” and a defense thereof Read More »
My heart should not be so troubled. It’s a beautiful morning. I am sitting on the porch with chirping birds, a soft breeze, and our dog beside me. By all outward appearances, I am the embodiment of a dream. Two dreams, really, one American and one Chinese. As I’m writing in English, the American one …
Actions speak louder than words. In economics, there is an idea called “revealed preferences,” in which a consumer’s preferences are inferred from their economic choices. Both concepts assert that a person’s behavior can be better evidence of a person’s beliefs than their words. But what if words are all we have? Must we take the …
Is it fair to say that “China” violates human rights? Or is it better to say that the “Chinese government” violates human rights? What about the United States–should we say the “United States” violates human rights? Or should we say the “United States government” violates human rights? I would argue that, because the United States …
Last Friday, I was sitting in the waiting room of a fertility clinic with Regina when my phone buzzed. It was spam. “You know, the last few days, every time my phone buzzes, I have a small heart attack. I keep thinking it’s going to be the Yahoo decision.” Regina nodded. It was a case …
A clip of Bernie Sanders talking about China sparked an internet debate about Chinese democracy that ended, somewhat miraculously, on a positive note. The clip has Sanders saying: “China is an authoritarian country, becoming more and more authoritarian. But can anyone deny — I mean the facts are clear, that they have taken more people …
That Chinese authorities are not particularly interested in the truth is no secret. But is their disregard so total, and so cynical, that they’d corrupt one of the most basic and universal forms of political expression–the public protest–by using paid actors? That is the question at the heart of the mystery of who paid the …
Who paid for Meng’s fake supporters, and what should be done about it Read More »
Today, every Republican senator aside from Mitt Romney decided that Trump either didn’t solicit foreign interference in the upcoming election, to the detriment of the national interest, and for his personal benefit, or that he did, but should be allowed to remain in office anyway. I could not abide this body blow to democracy without …
In which I make comically feeble attempts to advance democracy Read More »
An op-ed Ti-Anna and I wrote on the Meng Affair has been getting some attention, and here I offer more expansive thoughts free of the constraints of the op-ed form and of media interviews. Our op-ed was submitted a few days before the Eddie Goldenberg piece was published, and thus we didn’t really have a …