Category Archives: Politics

A Word for the Experts

Posted on May 11, 2011 by Timothy Burke

I frequently use this blog to talk about the limits and problems of academic expertise, so it’s about time that I give some attention to its continuing value and strength. The New York Times recently profiled David Barton, an amateur … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Politics | 2 Comments

The Non-Science That Explains What’s Wrong with Science Explaining Non-Belief in Science

Posted on April 26, 2011 by Timothy Burke

I’ve found Chris Mooney’s past work on the politics of science and on scientific literacy interesting, but there is something that gently grates on me in his Mother Jones essay published last week. In the essay, Mooney reviews arguments from … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Politics, Popular Culture | Comments Off on The Non-Science That Explains What’s Wrong with Science Explaining Non-Belief in Science

Two Cups Short of a Full Service

Posted on April 19, 2011 by Timothy Burke

Jon Krakauer’s lengthy take-down of Greg Mortenson adds a lot of detail and bite to the expose aired on 60 Minutes this past week. Reading across a lot of message boards, I think it’s fair to say that a great … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 5 Comments

Burning Down the House

Posted on March 29, 2011 by Timothy Burke

Why ask for William Cronon’s email? Certainly it’s to intimidate him, and indirectly, his colleagues. I think that’s only the beginning. In the end, it’s a declaration by the organizations filing the requests in Wisconsin, Michigan and wherever else they … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Politics | 6 Comments

Lose the Future

Posted on March 25, 2011 by Timothy Burke

It sometimes seems like historians should be the first to provide some perspective when something in our lives seems to be going downhill. Like many readers, I felt that sense when reading a recent New York Times article about changes … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics, Production of History | 8 Comments

Today’s Captain Renault Moment

Posted on February 25, 2011 by Timothy Burke

London School of Economics faculty: Saif al-Islam Gaddafi was such a nice young man, we never knew he would have anything to do with the mass killing of the people of Libya. But we see now that he’s made a … Continue reading →

Posted in Academia, Politics | 5 Comments

Real and Fake Realism

Posted on February 11, 2011 by Timothy Burke

I think “realism” has to be reclaimed from the people who get called realists. Realists in policy circles flatter themselves relentlessly, saying that only they really know the way the world actually is, only they are prepared to accept and … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 2 Comments

Dear JF

Posted on February 8, 2011 by Timothy Burke

Dear J.F.: I’m really getting frustrated by the constant nit-picking and whining about my undemocratic regime by the United States. Every time I go to an international meeting not only do I have to worry about my security forces staging … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 4 Comments

The Real Jean Valjean

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Timothy Burke

Look, it’s not like you can’t find a heaping load of unjust judicial decisions in any decade of American life you care to name, and like as not, it’s an African-American at the receiving end. Still, the conviction and sentencing … Continue reading →

Posted in Politics | 6 Comments

Wait, Who Has Sinister Connections to Insiders That Influence Their Reporting?

Posted on January 31, 2011 by Timothy Burke

There’s a second story buried inside the story of events in Egypt and Tunisia. It’s the story of how mainstream American journalists find themselves perpetually staring at a magic mirror, telling themselves that they are the fairest of them all. … Continue reading →

Posted in Blogging, Information Technology and Information Literacy, Politics | Comments Off on Wait, Who Has Sinister Connections to Insiders That Influence Their Reporting?