From the Editors Archives - Page 113 of 171

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Trump, Freud, and the Puzzle of Femininity

Our fear of the feminine might be the great riddle of democracy

December 6, 2017 • by Jill Gentile

But our president is the Greatest Repudiator. Not only has he sought to repudiate the Paris Climate Accord, UNESCO, women’s reproductive rights, and Obamacare; he has also demonstrated that he is obsessed with repudiating everything Obama. He practically revels in ignoring if not dismissing democratic values we take for granted: ...

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Neither Normalization Nor Alarmism

Responding to Ivan Krastev

December 6, 2017 • by Jeffrey C. Isaac

Krastev is surely right that the current situation is distinctive (indeed all situations are distinctive), and simplistic analogies to 1930’s fascism or 1970’s communism are misleading. He is also right that “alarmism” is mistaken (after all, when is “alarmism,” as opposed to “sounding the alarm,” ever a good thing?), and that the defense of democracy ...

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Is It Just a Cake?

History helps us understand what is at stake in the Masterpiece Cakeshop case

December 6, 2017 • by Claire Potter

Given that context, the neighborly approach would be to say: “Fine, we won’t compel you to do something you believe violates your sacred principles. But we would like to hire you to bake other cakes for us. We would like to invite you into our home for dinner and bake ...

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Ricoeur and Castoriadis in Discussion

An excerpt from Suzi Adams’ new book

December 5, 2017 • by Suzi Adams

The dialogue is, however, peppered with some persistent misunderstandings. At one point, Castoriadis notes that they seem to be speaking ‘at cross purposes’. This can be attributed – at least in part – to the various seminar series that each had given in the years prior to the radio encounter, ...

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An American in France on Sexual Harassment, Resistance, Bravery, and Pigs

Trump year 1

December 5, 2017 • by Jim Neal

Now is a precious moment, when the female body politic has risen with indignation and outrage at the inglorious misogynist Trump. Though he seethes with contempt for women, his hatred has emboldened rather than stifled them. He is losing. Across the nation walls of silence, non-disclosure agreements, fear and intimidation ...

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Selling Bad Therapy to Trauma Victims

Patients and therapists should ignore new guidelines for treating trauma

December 5, 2017 • by Jonathan Shedler

The guidelines are supposed to reflect the best scientific evidence. In fact, they ignore all scientific evidence except one kind of study, called randomized controlled trials (RCTs). RCTs randomly assign people to treatment or control groups. They can answer certain questions (Is a medication more effective than a sugar pill?) and not others ...

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Grounding in Trump Time

Trump year 1

December 5, 2017 • by Tim Lacy

Since those first shocking days after the November 2016 presidential election, I’ve grounded myself by becoming, ironically, more radical and more alert to injustice. We’re now living in what I’ve taken to calling “Trump Time” -- a bizarre image of regular time wherein we’re all on alert for abuse. It ...

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Why Both Parties May Regret a Government Shutdown

The continuing resolution showdown has risks for everyone

December 4, 2017 • by John Lawrence

Since Congress failed, as usual, to pass the appropriations bills by the October 1 deadline, legislators must extend existing spending levels to avoid a government shutdown. Despite the highly partisan atmosphere, virtually all extensions since 2011 have required the majority Republicans to seek Democratic votes because something less than 218 ...

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Bill Clinton, the NYC Subway, and GOP’s Tax Plan

Past Present Episode 109

December 3, 2017 • by Natalia Mehlman Petrzela, Nicole Hemmer and Neil J. Young

In this episode, Niki, Neil, and Natalia debate the recent reckoning with Bill Clinton’s legacy, the state of the New York City subway, and the new tax reform measure.

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Bill Clinton, the NYC Subway, and GOP’s Tax Plan

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Trump’s Head and Women’s Blood

Is Kathy Griffin’s controversial image a work of protest art?

December 2, 2017 • by Lisa Aslanian

Kathy Griffin released a picture of herself, wearing a navy or royal blue pussy-bow blouse and holding up a faux severed and bleeding head of Donald Trump. How to describe her gaze? Emotionless? Steely? Resolved. I am not going to spend this essay defending the image or deconstructing the fallout around ...