1. This study on the fear of the other political party in the US sounds interesting. I have not read the study itself, so I can't say anything about its methods and such. But thinking about the "fear of the other" in the context of political parties could be fruitful.
2. Katha Pollitt writes about the reasons why same-sex marriage is winning and reproductive rights are losing in the US. I'm not sure if I agree with every one of her points but the list is another good starting place for thinking. In general, women's rights on the global level don't get the support they should because the change required is so large. After all, women are roughly half of all human beings. That's my positive interpretation of people having to be dragged kicking and screaming into the modern era. The sadder interpretations is, well, sad, and has to do with the question who controls this resource called "women."
3. Après moi, le déluge" Or Koch-backed think tank is sending scientists to the Vatican, to school the Pope:
“The Holy Father is being misled by ‘experts’ at the United Nations who have proven unworthy of his trust,” said Joseph Bast, president of the Heartland Institute. “Humans are not causing a climate crisis on God’s Green Earth – in fact, they are fulfilling their Biblical duty to protect and use it for the benefit of humanity. Though Pope Francis’s heart is surely in the right place, he would do his flock and the world a disservice by putting his moral authority behind the United Nations’ unscientific agenda on the climate.”The French reference is to show you how erudite I am, even though Louis XV might never had said that as his last words. Also, I don't speak French.
He called on anyone with “open ears” to fulfill their moral duty to seek the truth on climate change – which 97 percent of scientists agree is likely the result of human activities.
“The science is not settled, and global warming is not a crisis,” Bast said. “The world’s poor will suffer horribly if reliable energy – the engine of prosperity and a better life – is made more expensive and less reliable by the decree of global planners.”
It's also because I smell that in the thinking of many Koch-type conservatives: Give us our profits and the heck with the future generations.
But it's also because the brothers Koch are wielding exorbitant power in American politics, much, much more than most voters. That power reminds me of the power of ancient French kings. And mostly the argument is that they can wield that power legally (funding political campaigns etc.) because of the freedom of expression. Something of the sort where each dollar note has the same right to express itself. That's bad news for any semblance of democracy.
4. This video is hilarious. It's about when older actresses are no longer f**kable. The language is not work-safe.