The Catholic Prophet of Inequality

I’ve written a new piece for Compact on the necessity of confronting the economic roots of cultural and spiritual problems, framing the argument around the work of Nicholas Oresme, a 14th century French bishop. You can read it here: https://compactmag.com/article/the-catholic-prophet-of-inequality

My book, The Chronic Crisis of American Democracy: The Way is Shut, is available here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-28210-2

Revolution without the Risks: Enjoying the Adventures of Yevgeny Prigozhin

I have a new piece out for Sublation today commenting on the way Prigozhin’s rebellion was experienced by online westerners. There’s no paywall. You can read it here:
https://www.sublationmag.com/post/revolution-without-the-risks-enjoying-the-adventures-of-yevgeny-prigozhin

If somehow you haven’t heard, I also have a book out, available here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-28210-2

Biden Edges Toward Repeating Obama’s Worst Mistake

President Biden is negotiating with congressional Republicans to raise the debt ceiling, and there are reports that progress is being made on a deal that involves “cutting spending.” There has been talk that Biden might try to avoid a deal by minting the coin or invoking the 14th amendment. But Biden has always emphasized that he values consensus and compromise. The conservative Supreme Court might not go along with an attempt to use the 14th amendment, and shoving the coin down his opponents’ throats has never really been Biden’s style. It all reminds me of the debate from a decade ago. This blog was young back then, and I wrote a lot about Obama’s negotiations. Let’s revisit that period, shall we?

Continue reading “Biden Edges Toward Repeating Obama’s Worst Mistake” →

Equality of Political Participation versus Equality of Political Capabilities: A Fundamental Dilemma at the Heart of Democratic Theory

I’ve written a piece for Isonomia on the tension between the democratic commitment to ensuring all citizens are able to participate in politics and the worry that some citizens are more capable of participating effectively than others. It’s a bit of a history of thought piece, albeit a bit zoomed out. I discuss ancient perspectives, 18th and 19th century liberal views, Marxist critiques, and 20th century attempts to bring these different commitments together. It was a really fun piece to write, and I hope it’s fun to read. There’s no paywall. You can read it here:

https://isonomiaquarterly.com/archive/volume-1-issue-1/the-heart-of-isonomia/

Also, if you haven’t heard, I have a book out. If you want to read it, the best deal is the paperback, available here: https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-3-031-28210-2