BOB TOPPER – Using language to attack, control, and manipulate others conceals the underlying fear, ignorance, and insecurity of Christian extremists. This tactic serves not only as a mask for their own anxieties, but also as a tool to demean, intimidate, and incite hatred toward those with differing views. . . . Their reliance on language as a weapon derives from a refusal to reconcile faith with actual inquiry and perpetuates discord within American society. . . . No wonder we are so divided.
Trump is manipulating national security to stop energy projects he doesn’t like
PETER GLEICK – On Monday, December 22, the Trump Administration announced it was pausing five major offshore wind energy projects, citing “national security risks” in new classified studies from the Defense Department that suggested the projects could cause “clutter” or radar interference. It’s hard not to conclude that this claim is specious—a new excuse to try to stop wind projects that Trump personally doesn’t like—especially since these projects had all previously been reviewed and approved by the Defense Department with no objections.
A Christmas story: The courage Jesus learned as a refugee
KARY LOVE – Jesus’s birth was a silent night, when all was calm and all was bright, but there was a context to the Christmas story critical to understanding the lesson of Christmas. This context gives insight into why Jesus taught what he later taught.
The Blue Road: Author Norman Solomon Warns of Democrats’ Missteps in New Book
NINA SCHMIDT – Ultimately, The Blue Road to Trump Hell is both a memorialization and a warning: a chronicle of Democratic Party leadership’s mistakes and the political and economic conditions that produced them. The book stands as an act of resistance to complacency and collective amnesia, offering a moment of accountability, while being in and of itself an artifact of cautious optimism about a party’s ability to learn from its failures.
Nonviolently Removing a Dictator: How Other Countries Have Done It
GEORGE LAKEY – As research seminar students at Swarthmore continue to wade through history finding new cases, they are digging up details on struggles that go beyond democracy. The 1,400 already-published cases include campaigns for furthering environmental justice, racial and economic justice, and more. They are a resource for tactical ideas and strategy considerations, encouraging us to remember that even long-established dictators have been stopped by the power of nonviolent campaigns.
Trump’s Ukraine Proposal Is the Least Bad Option
REID SMITH – It would seem obvious that a perfect peace, i.e., one that gives every party everything they want, is not possible. This analysis addresses that issue head on by asserting that “an imperfect peace is better than a worsening war.”