To my American friends: There is an election next Tuesday, November 4th. Vote. I'll say it aloud: our political system is corrupt. Vote anyway. Though your ballot is outgunned by billionaires and their funded campaigns, vote. The candidates are disappointing, discussion of...
Fifteen former presidents of the American Foreign Service Association - not a bunch of wild-eyed radicals - have sent a letter to the US Senate opposing the appointment of Noah Mamet as Ambassador to Argentina, along with two other obviously...
A fascinating experiment in technology-enabled participatory democracy is happening, right now, in Argentina. They are called the Partido de la Red, and the Argentina Independent did a quality, thoughtful interview (in English) with their founders. The basic idea is as follows: (1)...
This elegant graph documents party swings and shifts from 1788 to 2012. The darker the color, the further from the center. To add an extra frisson, this was created by Randall Munroe, the mastermind behind xkcd. Edward Tufte would approve....
In 2008, I went to Denver to work for the Obama campaign. Below is the second of two reports that I sent to California, describing the experience. Fellow Citizens -- Colorado revels in an unexpected grace. It is an article of faith...
In 2008, I went to Denver to work for the Obama campaign. Below is the first of two reports that I sent to California, describing the experience. Fellow citizens, This communique comes at you from America, which I reached via aeroplane from...