William A. Fischel (Dartmouth): The Coase Theorem, Land Use Entitlements, and Rational Government. From World Policy Institute, a special series on the Arctic in Context. Amanda Marcotte on Ralph Nader’s dishonest, sexist rant against Hillary Clinton. Matthew Pulver on Bernie Sanders and Cornel West, the radical alliance that could change everything. This is matchmaking season for Republican presidential candidates and economists. Dean Baker on the rehabilitation of Glenn Hubbard, economic adviser to Bush II and Bush III. Conservatives blame God, abortion, gay marriage, and immigrants for California’s drought — everything, of course, except climate change. Joke as a weapon: Emmanuel-Pierre Guittet on five theses on “fun guerrilla”. Altruism Shrugged: Elizabeth Stoker Bruenig on the unforgiving morality of Ayn Rand’s forgotten novel. Lindy West’s pro-fat feminism is identity politics gone wrong: Ruth Fowler on how equating dress size with racism, sexism and poverty wrongly suggests that size is a privilege. Capitol Hill Buzz: Meryl Streep asks Congress to revive ERA. George Scialabba reviews The World Beyond Your Head: On Becoming an Individual in an Age of Distraction by Matthew Crawford. Meet the diehard Right wingers who just can’t quit Obamacare. Cristian Farias on Chief Justice Roberts’s big health-care moment — in one sentence, and trolling the Supreme Court’s conservatives.
Baynard Woods on how Charleston’s battle against white supremacy has only just begun. The remarkable history of Charleston’s racial divide, as told by the city’s silent statues. The National Park Service moves to stop sales of Confederate flags. Yes, Amazon and eBay can ban sales of Confederate merchandise — is that good or bad? Germany banned its ugly historic symbols — should we do that too? Removing a symbol of racism doesn’t remove racism — let’s not congratulate ourselves yet (and more). The Confederate-flag debate spotlights the GOP’s moral cowardice. It is almost as if the modern Republican Party is the heir to the political traditions of the conservative white South. Republicans say goodbye to the Confederate flag — and hello to a new strategy. Rand Paul refuses to return contributions from these white separatists. Congressional Democrats Patrick Leahy and John Lewis to introduce ambitious new bill to restore the Voting Rights Act. Sincere calls for stricter gun laws are wrong: Without racial justice, it will backfire on minority communities. Casey Quinlan on how they teach South Carolina students about slavery. From Sanford, Fla., to Charleston, S.C.: “Why does blackness equal a threat?” The real origins of “lone wolf” white supremacists like Dylann Roof.
