A revealing interview with Michael Wear, former director of Barack Obama’s 2012 faith-outreach efforts. A theologically conservative Christian, Wear talks about the Democratic party’s religious illiteracy and the destructive effect that is having on its ability to capture support.
https://www.theatlantic.com/politics/archive/2016/12/democrats-have-a-religion-problem/510761/?utm_source=fbia
The administration was unnecessarily antagonistic toward religious conservatives
He once drafted a faith-outreach fact sheet describing Obama’s views on poverty, titling it “Economic Fairness and the Least of These,” a reference to a famous teaching from Jesus in the Bible. Another staffer repeatedly deleted “the least of these,” commenting, “Is this a typo? It doesn’t make any sense to me. Who/what are ‘these’?”
If progressives would stop the neurotic avoidance of self-critique, they might understand the level of illiteracy and incompetence this actually reveals.
More 20- and 30-year-olds are taking positions of power in the Democratic Party. They grew up in parts of the country where navigating religion was not important socially and not important to their political careers...
...no matter Clinton’s slogan of “Stronger Together,” we have a politics right now that is based on making enemies, and making people afraid. I think we’re seeing this with the Betsy DeVos nomination: It’s much easier to make people scared of evangelicals, and to make evangelicals the enemy, than trying to make an appeal to them.
- http://mirrorofjustice.blogs.com/mirrorofjustice/2016/12/democrats-religion-problem.html
- https://newsline.com/democrats-suffer-from-religious-illiteracy-problem-obamas-former-faith-lead/
- http://theresurgent.com/the-democrats-religion-problem/
- http://www.truthrevolt.org/news/former-obama-staffer-democrats-have-religious-problem
- http://www.dailywire.com/news/12033/democrats-scorn-religion-great-disconnect-ben-shapiro
A more in-depth conversation with Wear here:
http://www.npr.org/2016/12/25/506898897/after-ignoring-evangelical-voters-in-2016-how-democrats-can-reclaim-hope
The only rebuttal I've seen is at the
New Republic and its just as inept as the 20-something activists' understanding of religion. I guess there just HAD to be a "progressive" response, regardless of how desperate. Anything to distract from progressive cognitive dissonance.
https://newrepublic.com/minutes/139557/democrats-dont-really-religion-problem
The national debt level of the
United States has been a significant subject of controversy. Given that four
consecutive years of $1 trillion budget deficits (2009-2012) has pushed the
national debt to over 100% of gross domestic product (GDP), it is easy to
understand why many people are starting to pay close attention to this issue.
Unfortunately, the manner in which the debt level is conveyed to the general
public is usually very obscure. Couple this problem with the fact that many
people do not understand how the national debt level affects their daily life,
and you have a centerpiece for discussion — and confusion.
Conclusion
As the national debt continues to grow, the question remains: Is it OK to run a
deficit like we have for many years, or do we need to balance the budget? Just
like any average American household, overspending can carry on for extended
periods by rolling over debt and borrowing more and more money in what seems
like a never-ending game of chasing our tail. The government has become an
expert at this process. Yet without its spending, some would say our economy
could be in much worse shape – keeping the Keynesian
theories alive that it’s our government’s responsibility to step in when
needed. When debt is used appropriately, it can be used to foster the long-term growth
and prosperity. But high levels of national debt for prolonged periods of time
has a severe impact on the overall economy. As the U.S.national debt clock
keeps ticking:
- Higher interest will have to be paid on government
debt.
- Higher debt levels will mean limited jobs and lower
salaries.
- Increases in interest rates will cause borrowing to
becoming difficult at all levels, including those for
individuals/corporations/mortgages.
- Operating in the U.S. will be viewed as riskier in the
eyes of the world, making it difficult for continued foreign investor
confidence and investments in the U.S.
- The risk of the country defaulting on its own debt
obligation may lead to further downgrades
http://www.slate.com/articles/life/the_history_of_american_slavery/2015/06/animated_interactive_of_the_history_of_the_atlantic_slave_trade.html
A relatively up-to-date index of posts about simulations and games
as well as class exercises and activities; some items appear in more
than one category:
Theory
General
Economics
- Agrarian Society Card Game: poverty, development; 8 August 2011
- Ayiti – The Cost of Life: poverty, development; 25 February 2013
- Free Rice: making a difference, world hunger, World Food Programme; 8 March 2013
- Global Inequality Game; 29 May 2014
- Inequality Monopoly: socioeconomic class, poverty, development; 9 October 2013
- Papers, Please: immigration, poverty; 18 October 2013
- Spent: poverty in the USA; 18 March 2013
- Stars and Triangles: comparative advantage; 25 August 2013
- Statelessness Game; 11 April 2013
- Third World Farmer: poverty, development; 27 February 2013
- Wealth Inequality Game: inequality, voting rules in international financial institutions; 6 May 2014
- World Without Oil: simulation of a global energy crisis; 21 January 2013
American Government
- 20 Minute Legislature and Magic Genie: distributive implications of politics, September 14, 2011 and 30 March 2012
- 20 Minute Interest Groups; 28 September 2011
- Agenda board game; 20 September 2015
- Citizenship Test: first day of class lesson on citizenship; 17 August 2011 and 12 October 2012
- Do I Have a Right?: civil liberties; 5 October 2011
- Framing Exercise: media framing of news; 27 February 2014
- Government in Our Lives: first day of class exercise for American government; 29 August 2013
- I-Civics: balancing the budget, separation of powers, and other simulations; 21 September 2011
- Mission U.S.: US history through games about the Boston Massacre, slavery, and westward expansion; 22 January 2014
- Papers, Please: immigration, public policy, poverty; 18 October 2013
- Redistricting Game: congressional redistricting, 11 September 2013
- Spent: poverty, state and local government, public policy; 18 March 2013
Comparative / International / Global
- Against All Odds: refugees; 29 January 2015
- Attack of Dr. X: collective security; 30 January 2014
- Climate Challenge, first and second posts: climate change, environment, public policy; 3 April 2013 and 26 July 2013
- Distribution, decision, and death: resource allocation, meaning of politics, terrorism; 30 March 2012
- Failing Fisheries: sustainable fishing & Tragedy of the Commons; 2 February 2015
- Gerkhania: ethnic politics, democratization, constitutions; 28 April 2014
- ICONS Crisis in North Korea: IR, international security, negotiation, East Asia; 10 April 2015
- Identity politics activity: ethnic politics, cleavages; 3 July 2014
- IR Cards Against Humanity; 27 August 2013
- Statecraft, first and most recent posts: online simulation for teaching international relations; 24 November 2011 and 21 January 2015
- Stop Disasters: natural disaster preparation and response; 2 August 2012
- Syrian Journey: Choose your own escape route: refugees, war and conflict; 1 April 2015
- Tragedy of the Bunnies: tragedy of the commons; 2 February 2015
- Walking Dead: ethics of war; 11 March 2013
Game Design, Typology, and Mechanics
Methods
Online Games
- 20 Minute Interest Groups; 28 September 2011
- Against All Odds: refugees; 29 January 2015
- Ayiti – The Cost of Life: poverty, development; 25 February 2013
- Climate Challenge, first and second posts: climate change, environment, public policy; 3 April 2013 and 26 July 2013
- Do I Have a Right?: civil liberties; 5 October 2011
- Failing Fisheries: sustainable fishing & Tragedy of the Commons; 2 February 2015
- Framing Exercise: media framing of news, 27 February 2014
- Free Rice: making a difference, world hunger, World Food Programme; 8 March 2013
- I-Civics: balancing the budget, separation of powers, and other simulations; 21 September 2011
- Mission U.S.: US history through games about the Boston Massacre, slavery, and westward expansion; 22 January 2014
- Papers, Please: immigration, public policy, poverty; 18 October 2013
- Redistricting Game: congressional redistricting; 11 September 2013
- Spent: poverty, state and local government, public policy; 18 March 2013
- Statecraft, first and most recent posts: online simulation for teaching international relations; 24 November 2011 and 21 January 2015
- Stop Disasters: natural disaster preparation and response; 2 August 2012
- Third World Farmer: poverty, development; 27 February 2013
- Tragedy of the Bunnies: tragedy of the commons; 2 February 2015
- World Without Oil: simulation of a global energy crisis; 21 January 2013
while short-and-to-the-point may be a good fit for digital consumption,
it’s not the sort of reading likely to nurture the critical thinking we
still talk about as a hallmark of university education.https://newrepublic.com/article/135326/digital-reading-no-substitute-print
http://www.people-press.org/quiz/political-typology/
Add a research section (to the right) for student reference with the following links
http://www.annenbergclassroom.org
http://www.ncsl.org/research.aspx
http://www.pewsocialtrends.org/topics/gay-marriage-and-homosexuality/
http://www.pewresearch.org/
http://www.aspe.hhs.gov/
http://kff.org/
Scholars for Justice Award
We are pleased to offer the Scholars for Justice Award as a part of a
continuing commitment to our mission of educating leaders for a just and
humane world. Seattle University School of Law's Scholars for Justice Award is a three-year, full-tuition scholarship supporting students committed to:
Public Interest Law
Service and Leadership
Academic Excellence
Community
Global Awareness
http://www.law.seattleu.edu/office-and-administration/student-financial-services/financial-aid-programs/scholarships/scholars-for-justice-award
Carnegie Council Global Ethics Network
2014 International Student/Teacher Essay Contest
http://www.globalethicsnetwork.org/profiles/blogs/2014-international-student-teacher-essay-contest-imagining-a-bett
From
The Philosophers' Cocoon blog...
CFP: online undergrad ethics conference
I'm organizing an online ethics conference for undergrads. I'm very excited about this project—I don't think that an online undergrad conference has ever been done before. (If you know of a previous case, please let me know in the comments.) I asked our Head Pupa, Marcus, whether it would be all right if I share this with the Cocoon, and he graciously agreed. So, here goes!
The deadline for paper submissions is Feb. 1 2013. The CFP is here (link opens a PDF):
http://www.coastalethics.org/
Please share the CFP with your undergrad students, if you think that any of them might be interested! (Eventually, the above link will go to the conference itself. For now, it's just the CFP.)
We are hoping that many or all of the commentators will be full-time philosophers (faculty or grad students). We want this conference to be an opportunity for exceptional undergrads to receive commentary from professionals in the field.
So, if you're interested in serving as a commentator, please drop me an email (dkilloren@coastal.edu). Note that serving as a commentator involves recording a short (max. 10 min.) video. We will match commentators with papers based on areas of interest. I know that there is an abundance of excellent philosophers and bright teachers here at the Philosopher's Cocoon, so I hope that lots of cocooners will consider getting involved in this project.
I teach them all the good I can, and recommend them to others from whom I think they will get some moral benefit. And the treasures that the wise men of old have left us in their writings I open and explore with my friends. If we come on any good thing, we extract it, and we set much store on being useful to one another. - Socrates, Memorabilia
