Blog

[Book Review] ‘Harvest the Vote’ by Jane Kleeb

December 27, 2020 By Erik Curren

Jane Kleeb thinks that Democrats shouldn’t reject rural white voters as racists and dupes because they voted for Trump. Give them a choice beyond the lesser of two evils, and those voters will be open to a pro-rural left.

[Book Review] ‘Caste’ by Isabel Wilkerson

December 27, 2020 By Erik Curren

America has a race problem, and it’s as bad as it ever was. But talking about racism and hatred won’t help. We need to go deeper, writes Isabel Wilkerson.

Why Rural Voters Swung from Obama to Trump — and Stayed Loyal to Trump

December 9, 2020 By Erik Curren

It’s a mistake to dismiss rural white voters who swung from Obama to Trump as racists or dupes. Their economy shows that rural white people have good reason to distrust Democrats.

Trump Loves Polarization and His Opponents Love It Too

October 24, 2020 By Erik Curren

Ezra Klein explains the partisanship that allows Republicans to put party before country by embracing Trump. But he says that Democrats aren’t much different in the ways they oppose Trump.

No Better Chance than Covid to Read ‘The Plague’ by Camus

October 17, 2020 By Erik Curren

Camus didn’t predict Covid, but he studied enough about pandemics throughout history to depict how predictably we’d all respond with denial and ego but also courage.

Trump is the Worst Kleptocrat, but He Won’t be the Last

October 11, 2020 By Erik Curren

Sarah Chayes spent decades studying networks of corruption in the Third World. Now she’s finding the same level of kleptocracy in the US. Removing Trump will only be a start to making America fair again.