Liberalism, Centrism, and Libertarianism
Since I have been called a “fake liberal” recently, I thought I’d delve into the subject once again. I am a liberal mainly because the rather short arc of liberalism traces pretty well alongside...
Author: Erik Kain
Fantasy Utopias
This old Sady Doyle post at The Awl helps me understand better where I think she’s coming from in regards to Martin’s work. After pointing out the many flaws with female-oriented fantasy, she writes:...
A bit more about racism and Daily Kos
Just to keep everyone in the loop on the latest controversy surrounding yours truly, I have a much longer post up on the Daily Kos accusations of racism, including side by side screen shots...
As if being anti-woman isn’t enough…
…I am also, apparently, a terrible racist. Lessons in reading comprehension 101 notwithstanding. (P.S. in case any of this is lost in translation I am neither anti-woman or racist.)
The joys of blogging
I am Professor Feminism. Hear me roar. (Seriously, I feel like a goddamned super villain. How’s them apples?)
Alyssa Rosenberg on ‘A Game of Thrones’ and that Sady Doyle piece
Alyssa has the best response up yet to Sady Doyle’s critique of George R. R. Martin. I realize that we’ve done this to death over the past few days, but I do highly recommend...
What’s the big idea?
Neal Gabler has a piece just brimming over with nostalgia in the New York Times. Here’s his takeaway: Ideas just aren’t what they used to be. Once upon a time, they could ignite fires...
After the dust settles
Okay, so first things first. I should not have pulled the traffic card when responding to Sady about A Game of Thrones. That was, in the words of a wise person I know, “a...
Can Men Discuss Sexism?
“If a male is intrinsically incapable of contributing valid criticism of a feminist critique, then what is the point of a male trying to understand the critique at all?” ~ Paul Crider, in a...
Sexism in Fantasy
Spoilers for the first three books of A Song of Ice and Fire below. A few noted, minor spoilers for the last two. Sady Doyle apparently wants female characters in George R. R. Martin’s...
The end of liberal interventionism would be a wonderful new beginning
For liberalism, that is. Alas, there is no end in sight. Elias points us to this piece by Anne-Marie Slaughter in which she writes: Looking forward, it is really not up to the west,...
Open Thread: The Banks
Burt Likko notices that JP Morgan may be on the verge of buying up Bank of America – with lots of government help. Too big to fail gets even more entrenched. I think we...
The Flaws and Shortcomings of Ron Paul
Matt Yglesias on Ron Paul: After looking at his positions and statements, the most remarkable thing is that if it weren’t for his loud fanbase of self-proclaimed libertarians you wouldn’t really think this is...
Zack Beauchamp Digs Himself a Deeper Hole
This is a bizarre sort of rhetorical question: Will everyone who said that liberal interventionists “lost all credibility” after the Iraq War, and hence should never be listened to again, renounce their own credibility...
Varys and the Long-Con
Spoilers for A Game of Thrones (all books, including Dance) and the HBO show…after the leap.
Skin in the game
Radley Balko wrote a post recently offering up some policy ideas basically geared toward getting as many peoples’ skin in the tax-and-spend game as possible. Other than payroll taxes, most people on the bottom...
Von Hoffman Awards
I had a little fun with this post by Zack Beauchamp championing the US as global police chief. Zack had a couple other posts yesterday – Von Hoffman awards – dished out to Matt...
