occasional reflections on culture & politics
I. My Personal Journey I have a complicated relationship with religion. As far as I can tell, so probably has everyone else. But I believe it may be helpful to explain my specific complications, given that among my work are some poems, musical pieces and other writings that may create an overall confusing picture. It… Continue reading #225: Religion, Transcendence & Nature
I. When we speak (or write), does our positionality in this world matter? I recently stumbled upon a video in which someone expressed their ire against people starting a variation of a sentence like “I am speaking as an x person.” The position here – if I may simplify it as follows – is instructive:… Continue reading #199: Why Positionality Matters
We all have probably heard people say things like the following: “I don’t know anyone who got sick / died from this.” “As far as I can tell, summers have always been warm.” “I can get anywhere with a bike, I don’t know why people need cars.” “I cannot imagine anyone voting for x.” “I… Continue reading #184: Anecdotal Thinking, Science, Religion, and Policy
If persons who are have chosen to not be vaccinated are wearing a Star of David with the designation "unvaccinated", the following considerations should be made: 1. Is the category "unvaccinated" an identity comparable to the category "Jew" defined by the Nuremberg Racial Laws? No. Everyone is free to be vaccinated or not. This would… Continue reading #141: Is Wearing a Star of David Labeled “Unvaccinated” Anti-Semitic?
In a previous post, I wondered whether vaccine mandates are a possible route to end the pandemic. We need vaccination, but too few people have received their necessary shots (including the “booster”). My earlier argument was based on the idea that we should acknowledge people’s fear of the vaccine, and not enforce vaccination through a… Continue reading #140: We Need Vaccine Mandates After All
Some years ago, I talked with a person about conspiracy theories surrounding the terror attacks of 9/11/2001, during which Al-Quaida terrorists flew airplanes into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City and the Pentagon, with a fourth probably headed for the White House downed by passengers. The person was completely… Continue reading #135: Conspiracy Belief, Science, Ego and Humility
Frequently, we hear the line “we have to learn to live with Covid.” It sounds nice. It sounds like there is a way of coexisting with the spikey bugger. But it is not realistic. We have seen now that countries that used to be able to open up (Denmark, the UK, Sweden, even to some… Continue reading #122: Only a Zero Covid Strategy Will Bring Success
Disclaimer: I am neither a doctor nor a lawyer; this is therefore only my individual opinion, which of course is based on current assessments by experts in the field as far as I can tell. The medical data and opinion regarding Covid-19 vaccinations approved in Europe and the US is clear: They are – statistically… Continue reading #120: Differential Treatment of Vaccination Opponents Is not Discrimination
I am fully vaccinated against Covid-19, including a booster. Moderna. From all of the information I have on hand, it is safer to get vaccinated than to contract the virus. The disease is serious; although it mostly affects the elderly, it also affects some who consider themselves younger than they are, and the long-term consequences… Continue reading #119: Thoughts on Covid Vaccine Mandates
There seems to be a narrative going around in some churches and religious communities that says, directly or indirectly, that we would not need to protect ourselves with masks and vaccines because God would save us. Any measure to protect yourself from the pandemic is thus construed as a sign of a lack of faith.… Continue reading #111: Faith, the Pandemic, and the Drowning Man
Some of the criticism – if you can call it that – put forth by those believing that the Coronavirus pandemic would not be so dangerous, that you could certainly go without the vaccine, that you should stop wearing the mask, that you should stop avoiding unnecessary contact – is that those who do follow… Continue reading #108: Carefulness Is Not Fear
It is seductive to think that we can go back to normal anytime soon. At least within the so-called “Western” World, we have safe and functioning vaccines, masks, abilities to work remotely for many of us, and to distance physically. There should be no debate as to how to proceed, and yet, it is not… Continue reading #105: We May Think We’re Done with the Virus, but the Virus is not Done with Us
The resistance to the pandemic abatement has revealed the strength of a very popular narrative: The story of the lone hero, in this case, the lone renegate scientist who knows something that nobody else knows, that shows that everyone else is wrong, and that there is a different reality waiting to be discovered underneath what… Continue reading #103: The Story About the Lone Renegate Scientist Showing That Everyone Else Is Wrong
If you are vaccinated against Covid-19, you may be safer now from serious illness and death, with the caveat that virus mutations may still bring some uncertainty. Many vaccines seem mostly safe and effective, and adverse reactions are statistically not relevant, as far as we know now. But for many, vaccination does not seem to… Continue reading #101: The Mask Does not just Protect You but Others as Well
When the pandemic hit the world, it unleashed more than just a deadly virus. It has put us all in a crucible. Nature has been testing our ability to be political animals, forcing our societies and our politics to make impossible decisions. Who shall we protect? Am I my fellow citizen’s keeper? How much economic… Continue reading #98: The Populist Attack on Democracy During the Pandemic
The Pandemic has made me a bit nervous. As a consequence, I have felt it to be difficult to concentrate on any new form of entertainment, and have chosen – as I understand, like millions of other people – to revisit some older shows or formats that are still familiar. This has led me to… Continue reading #87: Stargate as Classical Science Fiction
Plato already talked about the difference between logos and mythos. Put very simply, the first, λόγος, stands for truth, reason, and science, whereas the second, μῦθος, stands for story, narrative, and mythology. Both can describe approaches to learning and truth, but they differ critically in how they function and of use they can be to… Continue reading #74: On the Difference Between Scientific and Mythological Thinking
Democracy is a participatory activity. While not everyone can (or should) run for office, being a good citizen extends to much more than engaging in the business of politics. It begins with embracing the dignity of being the sovereign – or, more clearly, part of the group that constitutes the sovereign – and recognizing that… Continue reading #66: Democracy Needs Well-Educated Citizens
There are all kinds of stories out there claiming that the threat posed by the New Coronavirus (Covid19 / SARS-CoV-2) would not be real, and that everything is a big global conspiracy for some typically unspecified sinister purpose. Allegedly, the tests are said to be meaningless, and even if there was a threat, it would… Continue reading #60: How We Know that the New Coronavirus Is a Real Threat
We are living in a world where people expect easy answers, quick soundbites, witty tweets, and individualistic, even solipsistic and narcissistic approaches to the big questions of life. It is your feelings that matter, not those of most people; it is your thoughts, not those of others; it is your desires and needs, not those… Continue reading #57: What Is Science?
Erratic Attempts 