Newsletter #390 — October 7, 2025
 

by Guy Burgess and Heidi Burgess

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Highlighted Links

A few suggestions about links that we think are especially interesting.

• Left / Right Conflict
  Can Left and Right Understand the Other Side’s Fears? — Exceptionally perceptive, must-read analysis of our political difficulties -- one of the very best we've seen.
• Media Reform
  The Future of The Free Press — From the Free Press, an often insightful Substack publication founded to provide an alternative to mainstream media, an explanation of their merger with CBS news.
• De-Escalation Strategies
  There’s a Path Out of This Divide — A moving account of the way in which Mormons have responded to the brutal attack on its church in Grand Blanc, Michigan -- the kind of the response that really could help us walk back from the brink.
• Psychological Complexity
  Ten years after ‘The Coddling of the American Mind’: What we warned, what happened, and what’s still at stake — An update on one of those rare books that was able to predict, ahead of time, a great social upheaval.
• Social / Economic Complexity
  The Third Magic — A long-term evolutionary look at what makes humans so different, with thoughts about the role now being played by AI and other rapidly advancing technologies.
• De-Escalation Strategies
  You Gotta Hand It To The Mormons — Jonathan Stray highlights the power of forgiveness and how the Mormons have used this and other peacebuilding tools to help build bridges across the US political divide -- even raising funds for the family of the man who attacked them.
• Class Inequity
  The Democrats’ Class Gap Problem — One of the problems with the "everything is either racism or gender bias" frame is that it has undermined the ability of Democrats to see deep, class-based resentments.

Reader Suggested Links

Highlighting links suggested by our readers. Please send us links to things that you find useful.

• The Hyper-Polarization Threat
  Most Voters Think America’s Divisions Cannot Be Overcome, Poll Says — Worrying news that people are concluding that there is nothing to be done about the hyper-polarization problem. We need to demonstrate that this is not the case.
• Disinformation
  The NYT Got the Headline Wrong on Polarization — The headline isn't what the poll in the story (linked above) is about. The poll reflects skepticism about governance system’s functionality, not fatalism about our ability to live together.
• Violence
  10 Political Violence Experts on What Comes Next for America — More food for thought as we look for more effective ways of responding to the kind of political violence exemplified by the Kirk assassination (and far too many other attacks).
• Constructive Communication
  The Debate Style That Propelled Charlie Kirk’s Movement — A look at the way in which Charlie Kirk engaged with students — a provocative, but educational style shared by my favorite teachers in the early 1970s.
• Israel / Hamas War
  Jews should retreat, before they force us out. — For defenders of marginalized people, an exploration of the ways in which Jews are reacting to efforts to push them to the margins of society.
• Violence
  Daily Caller Opinion Column ‘Explicitly’ Calls for Violence — An alarming exploration of the way in which at least one right-leaning extremist is responding to recent attacks on those with more conservative views.
• Superpower Conflict
  The European Union was designed for peace – it is never going to be a war machine — After 75 years of peace and stability, the European Union is struggling to find effective ways of responding to the escalating military threats associated with the widening war in Ukraine.
• Rule of Law
  Amy Coney Barrett’s brand of originalism irritates some people. Good. — For critics of the Supreme Court, a review of Barrett's new book and the strong defense of the court that it offers.

Colleague Activities

Highlighting things that our conflict and peacebuilding colleagues are doing that contribute to efforts to address the hyper-polarization problem.

• Media Reform
  What You're Missing — Glasses help you see the world more clearly. What if the news did, too?
• Bridge Building
  At the Bridging Movement Summit, Let’s Disagree With Each Other About How To “Bridge” — Bridgers need to talk openly about what works and what doesn't, and what steps the field should take to achieve impact at the full scale of today's society.
• Media Reform
  An interview with Wilk Wilkinson, Braver Angels' new Director of Media, on the urgent need to act. — Martha Engber of Vigilant Positivity talks with Christian conservative and Debate the Hate podcast host, Wilk Wilkinson, about his new role and the need to unite Americans through media that counters the current ugliness.
• De-Escalation Strategies
  Expert on civility in politics discusses moving forward after political violence: "We can survive this if we decide we've had enough" — An argument that the first step toward limiting political violence is deciding that it is, truly, unacceptable.
• Violence
  Problem Solvers Caucus Members Sign Open Letter Condemning Political Violence — Thoughts about political violence from the one Congressional caucus focused on breaking down the political divide and finding bipartisan solutions to our many problems.
• Disinformation
  Unpacking the Autism Tylenol Press Conference: Facts, Fears, and Fetal Health — Dr. Zeest Khan warns of the alarming rise of medical misinformation, particularly concerning acetaminophen (Tylenol), pregnancy, and autism. What is true?
• Bridge Building
  Are bridging programs effective? — Are bridging programs effective? Under what conditions? What are their unintended effects? Hear reflections from Dr. Allison Ralph, former Associate Director of the Aspen Institute’s Religion & Society program.
• Bridge Building
  Strengthening Communities, Strengthening Business: The Power of Civic Hubs — Caleb Christen explains that there are more than 20,000 nonpartisan organizations working to improve American political and social systems -- but no one knows they exist and they have little impact. Caleb offers a solution.
• Civic Education
  September 23, 2025: Monthly Civic Education Roundup — An extensive bibliography on new publications, opinion, news , videos, and opportunities for students -- all regarding civics education.
• Civil Society
  Introducing the Maturity Model for Public Participation: A New Framework for Government Engagement — The Maturity Model for Public Participation, a tool designed to define, measure, and strengthen high-quality public engagement across government institutions.
• Civil Society
  Defending Democracy: How the Kettering Foundation Bridges Research and Civic Action — The Kettering Foundation stands out as a leader in advancing democratic resilience through a powerful blend of research, civic education, and community engagement. NCDD summarizes their work.
• Civil Society
  Governing Together — Governing Together reimagines governance as something built with and for relationships –- an approach that shifts how we understand our place in the world, how we relate to one another, and how we design, decide, and act across divides.
• Rule of Law
  Bipartisan task force urges lawyers to defend America's democracy and election integrity — A task force from the American Bar Association is urging attorneys to defend democracy against authoritarianism in the country by getting involved in election efforts.

News and Opinion

From around the web, more insight into the nature of our conflict problems, limits of business-as-usual thinking, and things people are doing to try to make things better. (Formerly, Beyond Intractability in Context.)

• Israel / Hamas War
  War by Other Means — One perspective on ongoing efforts to negotiate an end to the  Israel/Hamas war.
• Israel / Hamas War
  Israel was sold victory, and got surrender. — From a critic of ongoing peace negotiations, an argument that Israel signed on to one framework for ending the war only to see it transformed into something very different.
• Israel / Hamas War
  How Trump Brought Hamas to the Table — Further insights into the "hardball" negotiating tactics now being used in an effort to end the war.
• Israel / Hamas War
  How a Missile Strike Unlocked a Deal for Peace in Gaza — An important reminder of the role that military force plays in decisions about whether or not warring parties are willing to make peace.
• Rule of Law
  America’s can-do spirit needs liberation from can’t-do regulation — A review of an important new book highlighting the reasons why so many believe that regulations have become counterproductive, burdensome enough to undermine the entire economy.
• Media Reform
  I Founded Wikipedia. Here’s How to Fix It. — News that, like much of the rest of the media, Wikipedia's reputation as an objective source of information has fallen dramatically (and a proposal for remedying that).
• Israel / Hamas War
  What the World Gets Wrong About Israel — From Benny Gantz, one of Benjamin Netanyahu's most vocal critics, an attempt to help critics better understand the reasons behind Israel's actions.
• The Hyper-Polarization Threat
  The Other Martyr — An interesting comparison of the effects that the deaths of George Floyd and Charlie Kirk have had on the larger society.
• Trust / Trust Earning
  Shutdown Lays Bare America’s Latest Crisis: A Total Breakdown in Trust — An examination of the way in which the collapse of political trust has made it even more difficult to negotiate an end to today's shutdown crisis.
• Family / Gender / LBGTQ+
  ‘Conversion Therapy’ at the Supreme Court — An especially clear explanation of the complex legal issues involved in the Supreme Court's upcoming review of Colorado's "conversion therapy" law.
• Hate Mongering
  False Charges of ‘Hate’ Encourage Violence — From someone arguing the conservative position on issues before the Supreme Court, a story about the kind of inflammatory, hateful speech that they have had to endure.
• Saving Democracy
  The Conscience of Democracy: When Campus Voices Fall Silent — From Fair for All, an impassioned defense of free speech on campus -- the kind of speech that is now being attacked by both the left and right.
• Education
  The Proposed "Compact for Academic Excellence in Higher Education" and the First Amendment — An enlightening look at the complex arguments being made by the left and right in response to President Trump's higher education Compact.
• Race / Anti-Racism
  Justin Marozzi on Slavery in the Islamic World — Too often, we tend to think of slavery as a uniquely American problem -- one that ended with the Emancipation Proclamation. This interview looks at the problem in a much larger context.
• Violence
  Hasan Piker Is Flirting With the Revolution — A profile of one of the left's most popular, inflammatory, and extreme media influencers -- extremism exists on both the left and the right.

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About the MBI Newsletters

Two or three times a week, Guy and Heidi Burgess, the BI Directors, share some of our thoughts on political hyper-polarization and related topics. We also share essays from our colleagues and other contributors, and every week or so, we devote one newsletter to annotated links to outside readings that we found particularly useful relating to U.S. hyper-polarization, threats to peace (and actual violence) in other countries, and related topics of interest. Each Newsletter is posted on BI, and sent out by email through Substack to subscribers. You can sign up to receive your copy here and find the latest newsletter here or on our BI Newsletter page, which also provides access to all the past newsletters, going back to 2017.

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