Newsletter # 20 -- October 20, 2018

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Since we haven't been sending out Frontiers, Fundamentals, or Things You Can Do Posts while we've been traveling, we haven't sent out a newsletter for awhile.  But BI-in-Context Posts have been building up.  Here's what we skipped in between newsletters that got mailed out.

BI-in-Context Posts 

• An exploration of the relationship between social media wars and the real thing. -- The Future of War Will Be ‘Liked’ --10/10/2018
• A much more realistic explanation of nature of the liberal world order and how it might be changing. -- What Sort of World Are We Headed for? -- 10/10/2018
• More insight into what the Russian fake news scandal tells us about ourselves. -- The Problem Isn’t Fake News From Russia. It’s Us. -- 10/09/2018
• A good news story from Columbia explaining how a compromise-oriented strategy can address the concerns of the popul -- Of Demagogues and Pedagogues -- 10/09/2018
• An essay on the relationship between GOP and conservatism and the need for more constructive conservative advocates -- America Desperately Needs a Healthy Conservatism -- 10/08/2018
• The story of this year's Nobel Peace Prize and links to materials that can help us understand and learn from their --Two Nobel Heroes, in Their Own Voices -- 10/08/2018
• The Immigration Act of 1965, an essential piece of history that, I'm embarrassed to say, I didn't know anything abo --The Immigration Act That Inadvertently Changed America -- 10/07/2018
• A report on important efforts to craft better economic statistics ? statistics that tell us about the trends that r -- We’re Measuring the Economy All Wrong -- 10/07/2018
• For those worried about the fate of democracy, a major new series on the topic from the Atlantic. -- Is Democracy Dying? -- 10/06/2018
• A big Pew report on immigration and what people think about it. -- The Modern Immigration Wave -- 10/06/2018
• The best explanation that I've seen about the complex causes of unaffordable higher education. -- Why Is College in America So Expensive? -- 10/05/2018
• With respect to Russia and Trump, an exploration of the role that organized crime may have played in shaping histor --Trump’s ties to the Russian mafia go back 3 decades -- 10/05/2018

• From Tony Blair, a surprising comparison of the health of US and European democracies. -- How resilient is American democracy? Well, we’re better than Europe. -- 10/04/2018
• A historical perspective on the many ways in which new new technologies have disrupted democratic institutions. --The Hacking of America -- 10/04/2018
• A look at the implications of religious differences within the conservative, Republican movement. -- Conservatism After Christianity -- 10/03/2018
• Another in a series of excellent articles outlining the scope of Russian efforts to influence US politics. -- The Plot to Subvert an Election -- 10/03/2018
• A hopeful story about strategies for constructively addressing the complaints of the populists. -- Has Austria Found the Answer to Right-Wing Populism? -- 10/02/2018
• A great opportunity to look back at the thoughtful ways that people have, historically, approached threats to democ -- IS DEMOCRACY DYING? -- 10/02/2018
• Reflections on the Liberian Civil War, its aftermath, and the role of women in building a peaceful society. -- Peace Is Not Enough -- 10/01/2018
• A story about prospects for imminent defeat of the United States in Iraq and the need to learn from the tragedy. -- This Is Where Iran Defeats the United States -- 10/01/2018
• The story behind a stunning Dr. Seuss cartoon about America First and foreign children that don't matter. -- The Complicated Relevance of Dr. Seuss's Political Cartoons -- 09/30/2018
• A terrifying look at a new type of all-against-all warfare that is erupting in anarchic societies overrun by crime. -- The Coming Crime Wars -- 09/30/2018
• A look into the hard choices and big compromises that efforts to address the affordable housing crisis will require --From 'Not in My Backyard' to 'Yes in My Backyard' -- 09/29/2018
• An explanation of how the war in Afghanistan may ultimately end in defeat. What can we learn from the tragedy? --The Taliban’s Fight for Hearts and Minds -- 09/29/2018
• A comprehensive review of what we now know about how Russia's effort to influence the US election went beyond "medd -- How Russia Helped Swing the Election for Trump -- 09/28/2018
• More reason to believe that nonviolent strategies for challenging injustice tend to be superior. -- The Psychology of Effective Protest -- 09/28/2018
• The lesson-filled story of the decline of democracy in Eastern Europe. -- Eastern Europe's Illiberal Revolution --09/27/2018
• The Uighurs, an another disturbing window into China's new, high-tech, authoritarianism (and a case of cultural gen --48 Ways to Get Sent to a Chinese Concentration Camp -- 09/27/2018
• A great example of one of the most effective political propaganda strategies: distraction. -- The Great Distractor --09/26/2018

• Understanding the grip that Facebook has on our collective psyche. -- It's no accident that Facebook is so addictive --09/25/2018
• From George Lakoff, more on developing persuasive strategies based on the way the people actually think. -- 08.07.18 This is how tiny changes in words you hear impacts your thinking -- 09/25/2018
• A window into the left's "mobilize the base" strategy that, while it may succeed, it is also likely to further pola -- The Progressives’ Plan to Win in 2018 -- 09/24/2018
• The success of a globalized human society depends upon finding reasonable ways to address fears of cultural displac-- It’s Time for the United States and Europe to Face the Politics of Cultural Displacement -- 09/24/2018
• A big part of the public's distrust of experts--the fact that experts have, too often, failed to fulfill their resp -- Have politicians stopped listening to economists -- 09/23/2018
• We desperately need people with creative ideas for figuring out how to revitalize local news coverage and genuine d --The local news crises -- 09/23/2018
• A different and seldom heard part of the social sustainability debate--the joys of parenthood. -- Rebranding Motherhood-- 09/22/2018
• A truckers perspective on why the working class economy isn't working. -- The Trouble With Trucking -- 09/22/2018
• A pretty persuasive argument that excessive focus on "shareholder value" is a big part of the inequality problem. --How To Fix Stagnant Wages: Dump The World's Dumbest Idea -- 09/21/2018
• For a world of us-vs-them horserace political reporting, three substantive issues worthy of debate. -- Don’t let politics dumb you down -- 09/21/2018
• Another window into the sophisticated and deceptive way in which our political conversations are being manipulated. --Can You Spot the Deceptive Facebook Post? -- 09/20/2018
• An argument that the Trump tax cuts and deficit are a natural experiment that proves our economic problems are fixa --The Myth of Secular Stagnation -- 09/20/2018
• A provocative exploration of the relationship between the liberal arts and the coming AI tech revolution. -- Surfing the 4th Industrial Revolution: Artificial intelligence and the liberal arts -- 09/19/2018
• From a conservative perspective, some genuinely intriguing ideas for better protecting working-class interests. -- The Conservative Case for Unions -- 09/19/2018

• Great advice for college students about how to take full advantage of this, once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. -- How to Get the Most Out of College -- 09/18/2018
• Yet another insightful look at the complicated threat that identity-based conflict poses to democratic institutions --Against Identity Politics -- 09/18/2018
• An appeal for articulating and championing a positive vision of nationalism and patriotism. -- Reclaiming Patriotism for the Left -- 09/17/2018
• Yet another threat to free speech and honest, constructive debate. -- Are pro-Trump commenters legally bound to say nice things about Trump? -- 09/17/2018
• An eye-opening look at the role that biology has played in shaping modern civilization and, especially, the America --How Disease and Conquest Carved a New Planetary Landscape -- 09/16/2018
• A 50 year retrospective on the culture wars. Since victory (for either side) seems out of reach, how about coexistence --America’s Never-Ending Culture War -- 09/16/2018
• An updated assessment of the likely success of the coming generation of progressive populists. -- How to Prevent Winner-Takes-All Democracy -- 09/15/2018
• An updated assessment of the likely success of the coming generation of progressive populists. -- Brand New Left, Same Old Problems -- 09/15/2018
• An update on the role that "soft power" is and is not playing in the contemporary world. -- The Rise and Fall of Soft Power -- 09/14/2018
• A story about the importance of understandable writing and the unsung heroes who are trying to make it a reality. --The Needless Complexity of Academic Writing -- 09/14/2018
• A provocative exploration of a seldom recognized and underappreciated downside of the women's movement. -- What America Lost as Women Entered the Workforce -- 09/13/2018
• Those who forget history are condemned to repeat it! A history of the Great Recession that we need to remember. --The Forgotten History of the Financial Crisis -- 09/13/2018
• Another excellent article on what is fast becoming one of the world's most pressing threats--high-tech tyranny -- How Artificial Intelligence Will Reshape the Global Order -- 09/12/2018
• For those who can't understand the behavior of the Republican Congress in the age of Trump, an explanation. --Congressional G.O.P. Agenda Quietly Falls Into Place Even as Trump Steals the Spotlight -- 09/12/2018
• A somber reflection on the years of war that followed 9/11 and an occasion to learn from the tragedy. -- War Without End -- 09/11/2018
• A promising strategy for saving what's good about capitalism (& fixing what's bad). -- Elizabeth Warren’s Theory of Capitalism -- 09/07/2018
• A well-informed and comprehensive overview of the many dangers inherent in the Internet. -- Paranoia Is Now a Best Practice -- 09/07/2018
• A well-documented summary of how divide and conquer plutocratic politics works in the era of Trump and the Kochs. --Trump and the Koch Brothers Are Working in Concert -- 09/06/2018
• Great analysis of the widespread plight of the working poor who can't make even though they work full time. -- The United States Has a National-Security Problem—and It’s Not What You Think -- 09/06/2018

• A hopeful article outlining genuinely sensible and most likely better ways of thinking through your big choices. -- How to Make a Big Decision -- 09/05/2018
• This looks more like a dangerous/incompetent President a less like a successful authoritarian. How to respond? --Takeaways From Woodward’s Book on the Trump White House -- 09/05/2018
• An excellent analysis of the threat that emerging technologies pose to democracy and what we have to do about it. --Why Technology Favors Tyranny -- 09/04/2018
• Another disturbing aspect of the active measures that Russia is using in its hybrid war campaign against the West. --Russia Is Co-opting Angry Young Men -- 09/04/2018
• For those worried that hate speech bans may wind up preventing much-needed political dialogue, an alternative. -- A Better Way to Ban Alex Jones -- 08/27/2018
• One way to fight fake facts, fact check the economic feasibility of M4A (Medicare-for-all). -- Medicare-For-All --08/27/2018
• In our age of distrust, hopeful reflections on the trust that has made Airbnb such a success. -- Airbnb Is the New NATO-- 08/26/2018
• An explanation of the advantages and disadvantages of various employment rate statistics. -- What the unemployment rate does – and doesn’t – say about the economy -- 08/25/2018
• Capitalists wanting to preserve market economies ought to make sure that the "invisible hand" really works. -- What Are Capitalists Thinking? -- 08/25/2018
• With respect to gerrymandering, and inspiring story of citizens actually making a difference. -- An exhilarating attempt to stop partisan gerrymandering -- 08/24/2018
• A reminder that our problem is not simple inequality, it's inequity and unfairness (which we have an abundance). --People Don't Actually Want Equality -- 08/24/2018
• An historical explanation of the role that attacking the media played in the rise of Nazi Germany. -- The ugly history of ‘Lügenpresse,’ a Nazi slur shouted at a Trump rally -- 08/23/2018
• A story of escalating efforts to intimidate & discredit the media and undermine the very idea of objective truth. --Crowds, Stoked by Trump’s Rhetoric, Increase Their Ire Toward the Press -- 08/23/2018
• A worse than expected profile of the public policies underlying Amazon's contribution to the inequality crisis. -- Jeff Bezos’s $150 Billion Fortune Is a Policy Failure -- 08/22/2018
• An excellent review of the latest efforts of political scientists to understand the Democratic coalition. -- The Democratic Party Picked an Odd Time to Have an Identity Crisis -- 08/22/2018
• Useful slides from the Senate Intelligence Committee on the activities of Russia's "Internet Research Agency." --Russian Focused IRA Efforts vs. US Focused Efforts -- 08/21/2018
• An important and compelling argument, Trump is counting on Russian trolls to help win this fall's election. -- Trump Is Working With The Trolls -- 08/21/2018
• A major new report outlining what it will really take to combat Russian disinformation. -- Combating Russian Disinformation: The Case for Stepping Up the Fight Online -- 08/20/2018
• A reminder that divisive, social media-based disinformation is becoming ever more sophisticated. -- Facebook Grapples With a Maturing Adversary in Election Meddling -- 08/20/2018
• A reminder that divisive, social media-based disinformation is becoming ever more sophisticated. -- Facebook Grapples With a Maturing Adversary in Election Meddling -- 08/20/2018
• Beyond vague anxieties, a concrete scenario of how authoritarianism might actually arise in the US. -- Waiting for Caesar -- 08/19/2018
• An eloquent and much needed argument for protecting freedom of speech in light of liberal critiques. -- Liberals, Don’t Lose Faith in the First Amendment -- 08/19/2018

• An argument that a bipartisan, populist, third-party might actually be able to challenge the elite's excesses. -- The Third Party Option -- 08/18/2018
• In NJ a serious and very hopeful effort to restore the local news coverage critical to the functioning of civil soc -- News From Your Neighborhood, Brought to You by the State of New Jersey -- 08/18/2018
• The best story I've seen explaining how block chain might actually be useful. -- America Needs a Blockchain Strategy ASAP -- 08/18/2018
• A review of the inconsistent ways in which we think about and regulate the many types of genetically modified food. --What Is a Genetically Modified Crop? A European Ruling Sows Confusion -- 08/17/2018
• In what we can hope is a hopeful sign, the Koch group is starting to work to repair our divisive political climate. -- The Koch Group -- 08/17/2018
• Hard questions about whether, for some students, the cost of higher education exceeds the benefits. -- Education Isn't the Key to a Good Income -- 08/16/2018
• Misunderstandings across language barriers--how mistranslation can change the course of history. -- Why Mistranslation Matters -- 08/16/2018
• A surprising new angle on the separation between church and state and the conflict between the secular and the reli --Atheists Are Sometimes More Religious Than Christians -- 08/15/2018
• Are we learning to live in a less material way, or we just adjusting to harsh economic realities? -- The Downsizing of the American Dream -- 08/15/2018
• New data from Pew on the traits that men and women would like to see in each other. -- Strong Men and Caring Women -- 08/14/2018
• Understanding the origins of fear, hate, and distrust--how the right decided that the left was so horrible. -- How the Right Wing Convinces Itself That Liberals Are Evil -- 08/14/2018
• A surprising argument that stories about lead, water, and Flint Michigan may have been misdirecting our attention. --The Children of Flint Were Not ‘Poisoned’ -- 08/13/2018
• An update on the latest trends in marriage and childbearing, an issue with huge inequality-related implications. -- The Luxury of Waiting for Marriage to Have Kids -- 08/12/2018
• An argument for focusing more on the strength of underlying relationships and less on superficial "consent." -- Getting ‘Consent’ for Sex Is Too Low a Bar -- 08/12/2018
• A startling revelation about the relationship between Bernie Sanders's chief strategist and Paul Manafort! -- The deep cynicism of Bernie Sanders’s chief strategist -- 08/11/2018
• Plastics, and a reminder from Scientific American that simple, feel-good, environmental fixes often aren't enough. --More Recycling Won't Solve Plastic Pollution -- 08/11/2018

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Every two weeks or so, we will compile posts from the Frontiers Seminar, the Fundamentals Seminar, the Things Everyone Can Do to Help Blog, and the Beyond Intractability in Context Blog into a Newsletter that will be posted here and sent out by email to subscribers. You can sign up to receive your copy on our Newsletter Sign Up Page and find the latest newsletter as well as all past newsletters here on our Newsletter page.

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