Category Archives: Social policy

A New Cancer Drug and the Nature of Scientific Discovery

Glen Campbell, who was a member of The Wrecking Crew, once remarked that he had worked hard for ten years to become an overnight success in 1967, with thanks to John Hartford. Without stretching too much, this same trajectory, extended by more than ten years, has been illustrated recently in biomedical research by the case […]

This entry was posted in Health care, Science and the scientific method, Social policy, Social values on June 17, 2026 by KLG.

How (And Why) AI is Eroding Democracy in the US

Big Tech elitists enlist AI for power grabs, from spying in our homes to profiting from militarism. Luckily, people are fighting back.

Green Growth Claims Are Overstated – Our Study Shows Three Reasons Why

Conor here: Perhaps what the authors call “the holy grail of environmental policy” (economic growth with less emissions) needs a rethink. Sooner rather than later they’ll have no choice as global warming will do the job if conflicts don’t, and degrowth will be imposed on us one way or another. The European Central Bank, for […]

This entry was posted in Environment, Global warming, Ridiculously obvious scams, Social policy, Social values on June 14, 2026 by Conor Gallagher.

‘This Is Oligarchy’: Nearly 100 Billionaires Are Funding Susan Collins’ Reelection Bid

My goodness, why are so many billionaires, the overwhelming majority of whom do not vote in Maine, so eager to see Graham Platner lose?

Wealth Is Not the Biggest Problem We Face: Inequality of Power Is

Is there any way back from the extreme concentration of power in societies across the world?

Increasing Employment in Pre-Retirement Years Slows Cognitive Decline

Older men show less cognitive decline if they keep working. Does this finding apply only to paid jobs or would charity roles be salutary too?

This entry was posted in Guest Post, Health care, Social policy, Social values on June 10, 2026 by Yves Smith.

Reclaiming the Pursuit of Happiness

A reminder on the Declaration’s 250th anniversary of the lack of freedom due to poverty and wealth inequality.

This entry was posted in Guest Post, Health care, Income disparity, Social policy, Social values on June 8, 2026 by Conor Gallagher.

Michael Hudson: Geopathology and the Econopathology Behind it

How pervasive behavioral disorders among what passes for elites are destructive not just to the social order but ultimately to them too.

Coffee Break: Theology at Work in the World, Eugenics Is Still Undead, Science Is Still Under Attack, and Ultra-Processed Foods in the Dock

Part the First: Pope Leo XIV and the Larger World. Of the academic historians currently writing for both their colleagues and students and the general reader, Greg Grandin is among the finest. In The Education of Pope Leo XIV he places the former Father Bob Prevost and current Pope Leo XIV in context of our […]

This entry was posted in Coffee Break, Free markets and their discontents, Health care, Social policy, Social values on June 5, 2026 by KLG.

Is Artificial Intelligence Social Evolution and Progress?

AI benefits are predicated on social progress. However, while societies constantly change, it is not always for the better

This entry was posted in Coffee Break, Politics, Social policy, Social values on June 4, 2026 by Curro Jimenez.

Fox News Defines Most Americans as Anti-American

Fox News brands the majority of Americans as official enemies, echoing extra-legal ““domestic terrorism organizations” in Trump’s NSPM-7.

How Propaganda and False Information Are Undermining Humanitarian Work

How the post-truth era makes it harder for humanitarian organizations to build trust, protect civilians, and save lives.

This entry was posted in Globalization, Guest Post, Politics, Social policy, Social values on June 3, 2026 by Yves Smith.

A Food Philosophy for Our Time?

It is clear that in much of the so-called developed world, food has largely lost its meaning beyond nourishment. Julian Baggini has written about this, ten years ago in The Virtues of the Table, which is especially useful in considering how and why we eat. More recently Baggini has expanded his range in How the […]

This entry was posted in Agriculture, Doomsday scenarios, Economic fundamentals, Environment, Food, Social policy, Social values on June 3, 2026 by KLG.