“On this episode of Out of Frame, we're talking about Edgar Wright's incredible film, "Hot Fuzz" and the dangerous idea of the "greater good".”
“Nestride Yumga experienced real corruption and civil rights abuses in Africa. Then she came to America, the land of opportunity, education, and freedom. So when Black Lives Matter protests declared America guilty of systemic racism and injustice, she knew she had to defend her adoptive country.”
“The documentary "Coup 53" explores how a seemingly easy regime change wrecked U.S. foreign policy for decades.”
“It sounds like Disney and the other theme parks in California have had enough. It sounds like they are starting to put some pressure on the state to get some REAL guidelines for reopening parks. CAPA, an organization representing California theme parks, has sent a formal request for these guidelines so that Disneyland and other parks can prepare for reopening...like nearly everything else in the country.”
“A huge amount of progress has taken place that a lot of people just don't take into account, especially smart people who are attending to the real problems of the world," says Ronald Bailey, Reason's science correspondent and the coauthor, with Marian Tupy of HumanProgress.org, of Ten Global Trends Every Smart Person Should Know: And Many Others You Will Find Interesting.
For instance: In 1990, the World Bank estimated that about 1.9 billion people lived in "absolute poverty," defined as surviving on the inflation-adjusted equivalent of $1.90 a day. By 2018, the number had dropped to 650 million, even as global population increased. If current trends continue, less than 5 percent of the planet's population will be in absolute poverty by 2030.Despite ongoing problems in the Amazon and elsewhere, forests are expanding on net across the planet. "If you look broadly across the entire globe," says Bailey, "what you find is forests have expanded since the 1980s to an area that's about the size of Alaska and Montana combined, basically 800,000 square miles of land." And the world is getting safer, too, especially for poor people. "The chance of a person dying from a natural catastrophe—earthquake, flood, drought, storm, wildfire, landslide, or epidemic—has declined by nearly 99 percent since the 1920s and 1930s," write Bailey and Tupy.Other positive trends include continuing economic growth and rising living standards around the globe, far fewer food shortages and famines, a decline in the number of autocratic regimes, and a reduction in major armed conflicts.Bailey tells Reason that this massive ongoing progress is largely ignored because politicians and the media have an interest in foregrounding bad news—and because human beings, at least in the past 200 years, tend to take progress for granted. He says that's a mistake. Progress is the result of implementing better ideas for organizing society. "Basically," he says, "the Enlightenment happened." With that came the rise of representative government, property rights and markets, and especially the free speech and open inquiry that are essential for technological and social innovation.Official figures from Ireland belie the narrative.
“Bridget Phetasy on why Trump and Biden fail to inspire and how new media are reshaping politics.
Until the Republicans and Democrats start appealing to voters like her, they will have to eke out tighter and tighter victories by scaring partisans with insane claims. Despite that, Phetasy is optimistic because she thinks new media are staging a conversation that speaks to politically homeless independents.”“It's a scary time in America. In the last few weeks, we've seen police violence, protests, riots, snitch lines... all framed by the backdrop of a viral pandemic. It's not hard to see that a lot of people are hurting and angry. It's also not hard to understand why.
Federal judge rules Christian web designer has 'monopoly' over her own creativity, must give equal access to LGBT customers
“In a 2-1 decision, the appeals court said 303 Creative founder Lorie Smith must design graphics and websites that "celebrate same-sex marriages" because Colorado's Anti-Discrimination Act "permissibly compels" her to do so if she also is going to create websites that celebrate heterosexual marriages.”
How Science Lost the Public’s Trust
“From climate to Covid, politics and hubris have disconnected scientific institutions from the philosophy and method that ought to guide them.”
A Seven-Day Journey Through The Revolt Against The American People
“Every single day, more and more Americans are finding their lives held hostage by the ideology of an elite that has the privilege of avoiding nearly all consequences for its own actions.”
Minneapolis battles judge's mandate to hire 730 police officers by next summer
“Legal hurdles follow Minneapolis City Council push to 'replace' police department in November election”
FBI breached rights of Beverly Hills safe deposit box holders, judge rules
“The FBI is trying to confiscate about $86 million in cash and millions more in jewelry and other valuables that agents found in about 369 boxes, based on allegations that the box holders engaged in unspecified criminal wrongdoing.”
Hillsdale College Counters 1619 Project With New ‘1776 Curriculum’
“The nearly 2,400 pages of curriculum from Hillsdale College in Michigan includes lessons on the founding of the U.S., the Civil War and the American government.”
