Published inArc Digital·Oct 7, 2020Member-onlyDietrich Bonhoeffer Had a Secret Weapon for Resisting EvilHow Bonhoeffer became the type of man who resisted the Nazis and Hitler to the death, when so many of his countrymen did not — This article is adapted from my book, Dietrich Bonhoeffer’s Ethics of Formation, about how Bonhoeffer became the man who resisted the Nazis and Adolf Hitler to the death.Dietrich Bonhoeffer7 min readDietrich Bonhoeffer7 min read
Published inArc Digital·May 21, 2018Member-onlyThe Wars on Guns, Drugs, and TerrorThree unwinnable struggles — Last year, here at Arc, Nicholas Grossman addressed developments in the Trump administration’s approach to fighting what has become known as “the Forever War” — the war the United States has been fighting in Afghanistan for almost two decades now. The “Forever War” Keeps Going Evaluating the Trump administration’s plan for Afghanistanarcdigital.media In doing so, Grossman also helpfully summarized significant elements of…Guns11 min readGuns11 min read
Published inArc Digital·Mar 30, 2018Member-onlyThe California Dream Is DeadEven being in the top 20 percent of U.S. earners doesn’t mean much in the Golden State — In 2015, if your household income was $186,000, you were average. Average, that is, for the upper quintile (20 percent) of earners in the United States, making about 3.5 times the median household income. By all accounts, that should make you rich or really well-off — wealthy, even — according…Politics9 min readPolitics9 min read
Published inArc Digital·Feb 27, 2018We Should Discount People’s Experience“Experience” has become too respected as a source of authority in recent years. This is unwise. — After the shooting at Marjory Stoneman Douglas High School in Parkland, FL on February 14 — which left 17 people dead and more than a dozen injured — the Boston Globe noted that many survivors of the shooting have become public activists for nationwide changes on gun control. The students…Guns7 min readGuns7 min read
Published inArc Digital·Feb 17, 2018Paul Ryan’s White Whale Is America’s Most Important Unfinished Political TaskWe have a pressing national problem that neither Trump nor Congress seem interested in solving — As we gaze into the murky future of the 2018–2020 political landscape, the circus that is the Trump administration and the semi-functional theater that is our current Congress have concealed a possibility that could have significant consequences: GOP House Speaker Paul Ryan may retire soon. After years of resisting the…Politics11 min readPolitics11 min read
Published inArc Digital·Jan 13, 2018MLK’s Soul In Trump’s BodyWhat if Martin Luther King took over for The Donald? — Even after a contentious and, for many Republicans, disappointing first year of the Trump Administration, Donald Trump’s most reliable bloc of supporters continues to be middle-aged working-class white men. In a recent piece for The Atlantic, Ronald Brownstein cites survey results which show Trump losing ground over his tumultuous first…Martin Luther King8 min readMartin Luther King8 min read
Published inArc Digital·Jan 10, 2018The Undeserving Rich?Is Elizabeth Bruenig right that the rich are the real welfare queens? — In a recent article in the Washington Post, Elizabeth Bruenig argues that, contrary to GOP aims, it shouldn’t be the poor that society requires to work for government largesse, but the lazy rich. After laying out her case, she concludes: In other words, the well-to-do already do what workfare advocates…Economics13 min readEconomics13 min read
Published inArc Digital·Dec 30, 2017The Good of 2017In a year that some have described as ‘A Scooter to the Ankle,’ here are some of the highlights — News and commentary are overwhelmingly negative. Views and clicks and advertising money don’t go to the people running the most positive or optimistic websites, after all. Reporters and pundits in this industry are most often rewarded for breaking scandals on Twitter, criticizing the other team with razor-sharp wit and finely-honed…20177 min read20177 min read
Published inArc Digital·Dec 11, 2017Why People Hate GovernmentA meditation on parking tickets in Los Angeles — Sitting on my front porch in the middle of Los Angeles, California, I saw a drama unfold that encapsulates why many of us dislike the ways in which governments affect our everyday lives. …BlackLivesMatter5 min readBlackLivesMatter5 min read
Published inArc Digital·Nov 9, 2017Why People Want Sports Broadcasters To “Stick to Sports”ESPN personalities have become increasingly political. The only problem? They are not good at political commentary. — Bill Simmons was once ESPN’s hottest talent, and now — backed by HBO and Vox Media — he runs his own media empire through The Ringer, its various extensions on social platforms, and its accompanying podcast smorgasbord. Jemele Hill has risen through the ranks of ESPN to become one of…Sports6 min readSports6 min read
