A few days ago, I wrote about “progressophobia,” a term coined by Harvard linguistics Prof. Steven Pinker to describe the left’s reluctance to acknowledge its own successes. I thought that Bill Maher had done a brilliant job of explaining how that was playing out in politics and popular culture. But, to be fair, it’s notContinue reading “The Trouble With Nonprofits”
Author Archives: maplesdave
It’s Time to Drop the Masks, Madison
I am the furthest thing from a COVID denier, but continued mask wearing in Madison is just another form of liberal virtue signaling. I split my time between our place in the North Woods and our condo on the Near West Side. For virtually all of the pandemic I was frustrated with my Upper PeninsulaContinue reading “It’s Time to Drop the Masks, Madison”
The Anti-Tribalist
I am a member of a very large congregation: The Church of Fallen Away Catholics. I wish Joe Biden would join me here. I grew up in an observant Catholic family in a heavily Catholic part of the country and attended Catholic schools for my first 12 years of education. During the school year atContinue reading “The Anti-Tribalist”
Progressophobia
I have mixed feelings about comedian Bill Maher. But he got it dead right about the way the hard-left refuses to deal with the reality of progress on social issues. On the one hand, Maher almost perfectly captures my own politics: liberal, but willing to take on political correctness when it’s called for. On theContinue reading “Progressophobia”
It’s “Civic Season”
This could be great.. or not so much. The Madison City Clerk’s office is adopting a program developed by a national nonprofit. The nonprofit is Made By Us and the program is called “Civic Season.” This is the program’s inaugural year and the idea is for it to run from today (Juneteenth Day, now aContinue reading “It’s “Civic Season””
What Biden Can Get Done
Democrats are growing anxious over their stalled agenda. There’s actually a lot they can still accomplish. If you had told me a year ago that Joe Biden would be President, that the Democrats would control Congress and that, in his first year, Biden would reduce child poverty by half, I would have been giddy. That’sContinue reading “What Biden Can Get Done”
E-Bikes Will Charge You Up
It’s hot out there, people. So, let’s take a break from the serious stuff and talk bicycles. My wife, Dianne, bought an electric bike a couple of years ago. This year, after stubborn, but futile, resistance (a common theme in married life, I’ve found) I caved and bought one myself. For those of you whoContinue reading “E-Bikes Will Charge You Up”
Equality Under the Law
I don’t like much of what the Wisconsin Institute for Law and Liberty does, but they’re dead right to challenge discrimination. Yesterday I wrote about a liberal law firm, the ACLU, that I once revered, but that has now been mostly captured by the illiberal hard-left. Today, I’m going to turn to a conservative lawContinue reading “Equality Under the Law”
What’s Become of the ACLU?
Liberals are leaving the First Amendment behind. An organization I once revered is no longer recognizable. It’s an analogy for the growing split between my generation of liberals and the new hard-left. The American Civil Liberties Union was the first nonprofit I joined. I was 17 or 18-years old and the editorial director for myContinue reading “What’s Become of the ACLU?”
REFUND the Police
Defunding the police is the dumbest political slogan ever. But it will stick to Democrats like Velcro unless they take strong counter-actions. In my long career around politics, and commenting about it, I’ve learned the value of just shutting the heck up some times. This is a lesson the hard-left might want to consider, becauseContinue reading “REFUND the Police”
