George Monbiot - Neoliberal Economics - the root of all our problems - The Guardian
A superb summary of the problems that we are facing as a result of the economics of Reagan and Thatcher.
E Saez and G Zucman - The Triumph of Injustice - How the Rich Dodge Taxes and How to Make Them Pay
A graphic description of the effect of the reduction of corporate taxes on equality. Turns out that in the US, corporations contribute less than the working class.
Angela Nagle - The Lost Boys - The Atlantic
Describes the belief of adherents to the Alt Right that civilization is in decline and that feminism and egalitarianism are to blame.
Paul Thagard - Jordan Peterson's Murky Maps of Meaning - Psychology Today
Assesses Peterson's psychological theories in the light of actual research in the areas he covers and concludes that "Peterson's ideas are a mishmash of banal self-help, amateur philosophy, superfluous Christian mythology, evidence-free Jungian psychology, and toxic individualistic politics."
Grant Maxwell - Why are so many young men drawn to Peterson's Intellectual Misogyny?
Maxwell offers a straightforward critique of Jordan Peterson as an champion of the status quo who appeals to the adolescent aspects of masculinity, likening his appeal to that of Trump.
Stuart Kauffman - Reinventing The Sacred - Beyond Reductonism
This is a fascinating two hour lecture delivered by Stuart Kauffman explaining his ideas about science, the error of scientific reductionism (the belief that everything can be explained in terms of matter and the laws of physics), and the sacred.
Michael Hudson - The Vocabulary of Economic Deception
Michael Hudson is interviewed about his book, J is for Junk Economics. He says today's economists and financial institutions "...try to portray their product – in this case, neoliberal economics, dismantling protection of the environment, dismantling consumer protection and stopping of prosecution of financial fraud – as ‘wealth creation’ instead of impoverishment and austerity for the economy at large. So basically, my book reviews the economic vocabulary and language people use to perceive reality."
Ann Applebaum - The Twilight of Democracy: The Seductive Lure of Authoritarianism
Ann Applebaum is interviewed about her book, The Twilight of Democracy, where she looks at the causes of the rise of the authoritarian right or "new right".
