Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva won Brazil’s election on Sunday in a squeaker, defeating incumbent Jair Bolsonaro by a mere two points. It was a victory for more than Lula. In an election perhaps more important for all of us than the U.S. midterms, Lula’s victory improves the chances for survival of
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Views from the Beltline: The international macho fraternity
Macho men have throughout history dominated societies—kings, warlords, military leaders and assorted demagogues. Despite the advance of democracy in the past few centuries, modern societies still have their share. Three good examples today, presidents all, are Vladimir Putin of Russia, Xi Jinping of China and Jair Bolsonaro of Brazil. These
Continue readingViews from the Beltline: Conservatives Struggle with Science
When conservatives talk about “the elites,” and they talk about them a lot, it isn’t always clear who they are talking about. They certainly aren’t referring to the rich, who many of us think of as the elites, because conservatives are the party of the rich, the party of privilege.
Continue readingEvangelicals and Their Populist Prophets
Christian evangelicals are having good innings in the political sphere these days. First, their man Donald Trump becomes president of the U.S.; then another of their populist heroes, Jair Bolsonaro, becomes president of Brazil; and now Bible-toting evangelical Jeanine Anez has assumed the presidency of Bolivia. Hallelujahs all around. Curiously,
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