Blog

21 Oct Truthtellers, a Free Press, and How Women Will Save the Republic

In a normal presidential election year—which this definitely is not—I might criticize my colleagues in the media for insufficiently reporting crucial news stories that don't necessarily bleed, so don't get to lead. For example, newly released Census Bureau annual reports on 2015 told us important news—that there was rapid growth in the incomes of ordinary families—median income rose a remarkable 5.2%—and a substantial decline in the poverty rate, plus a significant further rise in health insurance coverage after 2014 gains. Paul Krugman, the Nobel Award winning economist who writes a column for the New York Times, noted that this was a trifecta we haven't hit since 1999.

02 Oct An Open Letter to Millennial Voters

Dear Millennial Voter, For starters, how nonsensical is the label "Millennials" to describe a group of people ranging in age from 18 to 30. Seriously? Still, I have to break through a personal barrier of fear writing this, because of my horror at you maybe thinking I'm that parent or grandparent wheezing "I had to walk 6 miles to school in the snow without shoes so listen to me because I know what you should do." I don't know what you should do—only you can discover that. But I do know it feels really crappy to see people whose intelligence one respects possibly make a mistake one made oneself once. It's like having learned a simple skill or trick and being excited to pass it on so others won't have to learn it all over again in their lives. And that's not just bullshit manipulation. It's how civilization progresses. So I've got to crash through my fear of your disapproval or dismissal, and write to you as frankly as I would to my contemporary adults.