Articles on PR for People

The Psychopathology of Fascism

The Psychopathology of Fascism Shakespeare nailed it in Julius Caesar: “The fault, dear Brutus, is not in our stars, but in ourselves…” Enter Donald Trump, stage right.


The Putin Tapes

Not since the Watergate tapes has there been such a trove of direct evidence about a President’s private conduct.  It could well be that Trump is a puppet of Putin.  Or maybe not. Either way, the Putin tapes will be historic, if they survive.


A Strategic Plan for the Year 3000? Surely, You’re Joking!

The first five million years of our evolution went very well, overall. The next 980 years could be a problem.


Is Donald Trump Doing Fascism? The Answer is Yes, but Poorly

His crypto fascism has done a lot of damage to our democracy, but he is also failing at it –for various reasons. If there were a fascist hall of fame, Donald Trump would certainly be qualified for membership.  Where do we begin?Trump has been notably less successful at it than his notorious predecessors and contemporaries – at least so far.  There are a number of reasons for this.


Western Democracy Versus the “Chinese Model”: Does it Matter?

The bottom-line test for any government is procuring the “common good.”  China has excelled at it.  Our democracy has faltered.  What is to be done?  


Lessons From the Pandemic (of 1918)

We need to stop repeating old, costly, and deadly mistakes.  Will we ever learn? To borrow a line from America’s baseball-player philosopher, Yogi Berra, it’s déjà vu all over again. America has once again done it wrong (on the whole), with tragic consequences.  There are models in other countries for how to do it right. 


Donald Trump and “The Lord of the Flies”

A real-life version of William Golding’s famous (dark) novel tells a very different tale about human nature.  But what about Donald Trump?


Beyond the Pandemic: An “Inflection Point”?

“Recovery” will not be enough; the status quo was not working for many of us.  We must turn in a new direction, with changed values, new policies, and revitalized institutions.  Or else. There must be a basic consensus about the duties and obligations that we have toward one another.  Such a consensus no longer exists in this country, and it is a very dangerous situation.  We must create a new political consensus around a set of shared values, with a social contract that aims to achieve fairness and a fair society.  Among other things, this must include a universal basic needs guarantee.   

 


The Coronavirus Cassandra: Are You Listening?

The Coronavirus Cassandra:  Are You Listening? A Pulitzer Prize winning public health journalist who predicted the coronavirus pandemic is warning us now about the “collective rage” yet to come.  So, how will we respond? The only way to avoid “collective rage” is with collective change.  

 


How to Feed the World in a Pandemic

Coronavirus Victory Gardens: How to Feed the World in a Pandemic...The “biointensive” growing system, a modernized version of an ancient method, could provide a vast opportunity to employ idled workers and produce food.