Beyond Intractability in Context Blog
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Posts ordered from most recent to earliest.
- As geopolitical tensions rise, we may be tempted to take refuge in the simplistic bipolar, thinking of the Cold War. However, what we really need to do is learn how navigate an emerging multipolar world. -- America Is Too Scared of the Multipolar World -- Mar 17
- A reminder that, even in a multi-polar world, coalition building dynamics can lead to dangerous polarization and, conceivably, a major confrontation between the authoritarianism and democracy. -- Putin Has Assembled an Axis of Autocrats Against Ukraine -- Mar 17
- Another reminder that the global security situation is changing rapidly. If we don't find a way to adapt to these changes, we risk a breakdown of the system that has been protecting us from major power conflict. -- The U.S. Is Not Yet Ready for the Era of ‘Great Power’ Conflict -- Mar 16
- For those thinking in terms of victory over, rather than accommodation with, the other side of the political divide, a warning about where this is taking us. -- Take Threats of ‘National Divorce’ Seriously -- Mar 16
- More reflections on the Dominion lawsuit revelations and evidence that inflammatory media coverage is transforming the political environment in ways that we have yet to figure out how to reverse. -- Rupert Murdoch Rides the Trump Tiger — and Gets Eaten -- Mar 15
- A good news story about how those at lower levels of the social hierarchy are, in today's tight job market, doing surprisingly well with wage gains that would have been considered impossible just a few years ago. -- Low-wage workers are finally catching a break -- Mar 15
- Insight into the reasons why so many of our most talented, hard-working, and successful young people are struggling and losing faith in the system. -- Why So Many Elites Feel Like Losers -- Mar 14
- Another look at the complex political crisis engulfing Israel and a call for caution on the part of those in the US who want to get involved. We could easily make things worse rather than better. -- How U.S. Ambassador Tom Nides Became Israel’s Arsonist-in-Chief -- Mar 13
- For a complex world in which we are utterly dependent upon expert advice to keep the system running, welcome news that there are experts specializing in how to obtain advice that is genuinely trustworthy. -- Improve how science advice is provided to governments by learning from “experts in expert advice” -- Mar 13
- From Samantha Powers, thoughtful reflections on what democratic societies can do to defend themselves against increasingly aggressive authoritarian regimes. -- How Democracy Can Win -- Mar 13
- An example of a practical project designed to overcome some of the problems associated with emergency response systems. -- 7 quick facts about accesSOS — a text to 911 app that triages emergency responses and gets people the help they actually need -- Mar 12
- Reason to believe that many of the people who are doing the most to inflame our conflicts are not really people at all. Rather, they are malicious bots directed by bad-faith actors. -- Thousands of pro-Trump bots are attacking DeSantis, Haley -- Mar 12
- For small countries seeking ways to defend themselves from larger and more powerful rivals, lessons from Estonia's efforts to strengthen its defenses. -- How Estonia Is Planning for the Worst -- Mar 12
- A thought-provoking essay for those struggling to find a constructive way of thinking about humanity's brutal history while also recognizing its beauty and accomplishments. -- A View of American History That Leads to One Conclusion -- Mar 12
- An essay that starts with the assumption that "power is never given, it is always taken." It then goes on to observe that the historic success of nonviolent movements proves that they can be more powerful than the autocratic regimes they oppose. -- The Trifecta of Civil Resistance: Unity, Planning, Discipline -- Mar 11
- A perceptive look at the conflicts that are tearing apart Israel (which look a lot like those tearing apart the US). The future of democracy depends upon finding better ways of dealing with these tensions. -- Drowning in a sea of resentment and hate, it's far from clear that Israel can make it back to shore. -- Mar 11
- A story worth remembering (and learning from) about a time when a US President tried understand the complex, underlying social dynamics that were tearing apart the United States. -- The Wisdom and Prophecy of Jimmy Carter’s ‘Malaise’ Speech -- Mar 08
- Damon Centola presents over a decade of original research examining how changes in societal behavior — in voting, health, technology, and finance—occur and the ways social networks can be used to influence how they propagate. -- How Behavior Spreads: The Science of Complex Contagions -- Mar 08
- As the death and destruction in Ukraine continues, and as the risks of an even more major super-power confrontation loom, a creative idea for bringing an end to the violence from the Korean War. -- This War May Be Heading for a Cease-Fire -- Mar 08
- An informative and much more nuanced look at what the latest political science is telling us about the nature and magnitude of our differences. -- The Forces Tearing Us Apart Are Not Quite What They Seem -- Mar 07
- From Gallup, a statistical portrait of what rapid social change really looks like. -- U.S. LGBT Identification Steady at 7.2% -- Mar 07
- Amid the Democrats claims that Republicans constitute a continuing threat to democracy, disturbing news that they are continuing their hypocritical campaign to get Republicans to nominate extremists. -- Democrats to Continue Meddling in GOP Primaries -- Mar 06
- A overview of an important book that asks a fundamental and seldom addressed question: when does the victory we aspire to become unreasonable? -- Robert Talissee, Sustaining Democracy: What Do We Owe the Other Side -- Mar 05
- More evidence that the United States continues to slide toward some sort of existential crisis where, for increasing numbers of people, the prospect of actually splitting the country seemed increasingly attractive. -- Marjorie Taylor Greene’s Civil War -- Mar 05
- Democracy is supposed to be a system for making wise and equitable decisions about how to allocate limited resources. Increasingly, it seems that we now view those resource limits as illusions. -- Biden’s Promises on Social Security and Medicare Have No Basis in Reality -- Mar 04
