We live in a partisan age, and our news habits can reinforce our own perspectives. Consider this an effort to broaden our collective outlook with essays beyond the range of our typical selections.
FROM THE LEFT
From “Can the GOP Doofus Caucus Block Joe Biden on Jan. 6?” by Joan Walsh in The Nation at bit.ly/37H8VAq.
The context, from the author: If the likelihood of a plot’s succeeding correlates at all with the intelligence of the people behind it, then the far-right effort to block Joe Biden’s election in Congress on Jan. 6 is doomed. It’s being run by the Congressional Doofus Caucus.
The excerpt: (Vice President Mike) Pence has no business strategizing with the Doofus Caucus about their crackpot and certainly doomed effort to block Biden. He’s clearly continuing to try to stay in Trump’s good graces as well as court the GOP’s wing nut base in order to keep his political future alive.
From “Is Biden’s Bipartisan Optimism Naive, or Exactly What the Country Needs?” by Molly Sshwartz in Mother Jones at bit.ly/3nFPRrU.
The context, from the author: The recent news about President-elect Joe Biden seems all business: cabinet appointments, pandemic plans, transition teams. But who is Joe Biden, the person? And what kind of president will he be? That’s what Evan Osnos set out to explore in his new biography of Joe Biden.
The excerpt: Biden is a man who’s faced enormous personal tragedy and devoted himself to public service for most of his adult life. Yet one of the paradoxes of a public figure is that often the real person remains something of an enigma. In Biden’s case, however, and in this historical moment, Osnos has seen the enigma eclipsed by the reality of a canny political operator who, though known for his bipartisanship, is surrounded by a team of White House veterans who understand the forces they are up against.
From “Walmart and Amazon Are Making Record Profits. Their Workers Are Getting Scraps,” by Alex N. Press in Jacobin at bit.ly/2M4zbfR.
The context, from the author: Walmart and Amazon, millions of whose workers and suppliers have struggled to make ends meet amid the pandemic, are flush with cash — and just as virulently anti-union as ever.
The excerpt: These companies don’t listen to their workers, because they don’t have to. Their executives are swimming in money, and throwing the workers who produce all that wealth scraps — and the scraps would be even smaller were it not for the occasional burst of public outrage about these companies’ workplace abuses. Campaigns like Five to Survive are critical for publicizing what the workers at the heart of these companies need, but until those workers unionize en masse, they won’t win the compensation they deserve, and they’ll continue to bear all the risks of working on the front lines of a pandemic.
FROM THE RIGHT
From “What’s Wrong with American Health Care?” by Kevin D. Williamson in the National Review at bit.ly/3rnu3U5.
The context, from the author: I have for years argued that most people would be reflexive free-market capitalists if not for their experiences with a handful of businesses: airlines, banks, cable and Internet providers, etc. At the very top of this list is insurance companies.
The excerpt: What the United States needs is not a British monopoly-style system or a libertarian free-market fantasy or the Democratic dream of Scandinavia on the cheap, but instead a more multipolar system than the one we already have. Ideally, this would include health insurance that functions as insurance, i.e., as a financial product for risk mitigation, not as a dues-collecting membership club for medical care; an intelligently designed and administered form of social insurance that would see to the interests of those who cannot see to their own, including poorly provided-for children, the disabled, and others; and, perhaps most important, functional, consumer-driven markets for both health insurance and for health care per se, with most non-emergency care purchased out of pocket, the same way Americans pay for cars or mobile phones or Netflix rentals.
From “The Teacher Has Become the Student,” by Noah Rothman in Commentary at bit.ly/3pjDaU9.
The context, from the author: Slowly but conclusively, the forces arrayed in defense of indefinite school closures are losing the messaging war. And as losses mount, their circles become increasingly insular.
The excerpt: The “achievement gap” between white and Asian-American students and black and Hispanic students has long vexed policymakers. But whereas progressive reformers of the past sought to narrow that gap, this new generation is determined to eliminate achievement. A discerning reader can be forgiven for noticing that a lot of this seems to cater more to faculty than students. But that has been a recurring theme all year.
From “Spend Carefully This Christmas,” by Itxu Diaz in the American Conservative at bit.ly/3rhMRUO.
The context, from the author: In this extraordinary time, the least conservatives can do is to direct our dollars conscientiously. Retail is the frontline of the culture war.
The excerpt: I’m sure you’ve wondered why most big corporations surrender to politically correct language, gender ideology, or radical environmentalism. Take a look at their websites and you’ll see hundreds of campaigns that speak only one language: the language of the left. Rarely will you find the big brands betting on defending life or encouraging large families. This is not by chance. Advertisers know that conservatives are more reluctant to change products, so they don’t care about their ideals. Instead, they seek to rouse the lowlier progressive instincts. The left-wing consumer is more sectarian.
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December 26, 2020 at 05:46PM
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Here’s what to read from the left and the right | Column - Tampa Bay Times
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