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Category Archives: America
The Jurisdictional Wars: Alliance Theory and the Battle for Status in Nonfiction
No one says they want prestige because it gives them power. They say this book clarifies the moment, it is deeply researched, or it changes how we think. This is the central insight of David Pinsof’s Alliance Theory. Literary status … Continue reading
Why isn’t the world convulsed with anti-American riots now given the Iran War?
The world knows about the Iran War. Protests have broken out from Karachi to London, from Baghdad to New Delhi. A U.S. consulate was breached in Karachi, leaving more than twenty people dead. Since Operation Epic Fury began on February … Continue reading
The Jurisdictional Wars: Alliance Theory and the Battle Between Gay Rights and Religious Rights in America
The conflict between gay rights and religious rights in America is a jurisdictional struggle over which moral language sets the default for law and public life. No one stands up and says they are competing for institutional control. They say … Continue reading
Posted in America, Freedom, Homosexuality, Religion
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The Jurisdictional Wars: Alliance Theory and the Battle to Define Morality in America
No one stands up and says they decide what is right and wrong. They say they protect the vulnerable, defend freedom, follow the Constitution, or uphold tradition. This is the central insight of David Pinsof’s Alliance Theory. Moral vocabularies are … Continue reading
The Jurisdictional Wars: Alliance Theory and the Battle to Define Reality in America
Actors who compete to define reality in America do not present themselves as competing for power. They present themselves as defending truth, protecting the vulnerable, restoring common sense, or preserving science. This is the central insight of David Pinsof’s Alliance … Continue reading
Posted in America, Epistemics
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The Jurisdictional Wars: Alliance Theory and the Battle for America’s Master Institutions
America’s high-status actors do not compete for power by admitting they want it. They compete by deploying moral languages that frame their authority as necessary, virtuous, or inevitable. This is the central insight of David Pinsof‘s Alliance Theory: moral vocabularies … Continue reading
Posted in America, Elites, Epistemics
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Trump reacted with hilarity to the news that the Ayatollah might be gay. How might previous American presidents reacted?
Each president would have filtered the intelligence through his own coalition logic, personal temperament, and the specific political moment he occupied. Franklin Roosevelt would probably have found it useful and filed it away without laughing. He was a ruthless collector … Continue reading
Posted in America, Homosexuality
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What are the strongest America First arguments for and against attacking Iran?
The strongest America First case for attacking Iran rests on five arguments, though not all of them hold equal weight. The first is prevention. Iran is the only hostile state in the Middle East capable of going nuclear and dominating … Continue reading
I Like It That Trump Doesn’t Want To Know Anything About The Missile Strike On The Iranian School
I don’t want America bombing schools. I want someone to investigate the February 28 strike on the Minab school, but I don’t want the president spending time on it. Every minute Trump thinks about it makes him look weaker. That … Continue reading
Posted in America
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Doom & Gloom Analysis
Per Alliance Theory, declinism never disappears. It migrates between coalitions depending on who holds power. When a coalition feels dominant, it adopts a narrative of renewal or historic mission. When it feels threatened, it shifts toward catastrophe. In the 1970s … Continue reading
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