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"Luke Ford reports all of the 'juicy' quotes, and has been doing it for years." (Marc B. Shapiro)
"This guy knows all the gossip, the ins and outs, the lashon hara of the Orthodox world. He’s an [expert] in... all the inner workings of the Orthodox world." (Rabbi Aaron Rakeffet-Rothkoff) LATEST POSTS:
- Robert Putnam: The Man Who Counted What America Lost
- W. Bradford Wilcox: The Sociologist Who Tells America to Get Married
- Peter Moskos: The Cop Who Talks to People
- Julius Krein
- Ryan Burge: The Numbers Man in the Empty Church
- Emily Oster: The Economist in the Delivery Room
- The Most Ridiculous Story Ever Told
- Tanner Greer
- Economist Tyler Cowen
- Richard Reeves: A Life in Institutions
- Jake Adelstein: The Reporter Who Became His Story
- Jim Goad (1961-2026)
- Moira Greyland
- Robert Oscar Lopez: The Inconvenient Witness
- Two Ledgers: Decoding the Gurus and the Price of Talk
- The Pervert’s Progress: Costin Vlad Alamariu and the Making of Bronze Age Pervert
- Curtis Yarvin: A Life Against Democracy
- Mark Helprin: Against the Current
- Mark Brandt: The Man Who Asked Who Else Is Prejudiced
- John T. Jost: The Psychologist of Acquiescence
BEST POSTS:
- * The Enlightenment Wasn’t Enlightened (6-23-26)
* Mr. Burge Draws The Line (6-23-26)
* 'Improving on Democracy' (6-17-26)
* People Leak To People Who Are Fun (6-11-26)
* Why Does Australia Produce So Many Great Journalists? (6-11-26)
* Steve Wynn and the Press: Power, Litigation, and the Contest Over Las Vegas (6-3-26)
* Sheldon Adelson and the Journalists (6-3-26)
* The Vigilant Animal: Thinkers Who Reject the Myth of Human Gullibility (6-2-26)
* The Cost of Refusing the Misunderstanding Myth (6-2-26)
* Show Me How It Travels (6-2-26)
* The Norm Explainers (6-2-26)
* Centering Marginalized Voices (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Washington Post put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What would it look like if the Financial Times put its reader first? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for the Los Angeles Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* What It Would Mean for The New York Times to Put the Reader First? (6-1-26)
* Why Wembanyama Lives on the Perimeter (5-31-26)
* The Emotional Palettes Of San Diego, Los Angeles, San Francisco & Sacramento (5-27-26)
* The Administrative Capital: Sacramento Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* San Diego - The Quiet Republic (5-27-26)
* The Quiet Bar: San Diego Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* SF v LA Legal Culture (5-27-26)
* Why Talent Travels Poorly Between San Francisco and Los Angeles (5-27-26)
* San Francisco and Los Angeles as Rival Models of Urban Access (5-27-26)
* Social Cliques in New York, 2026 (5-25-26)
* Social Cliques in San Francisco, 2026 (5-25-26)
* The Rival Courts of Washington (5-25-26)
* The City of Private Rooms (5-25-26)
Category Archives: Alliance Theory
Decoding Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Initiative Against Hate
Gemini says: Robert Kraft’s Blue Square Initiative, launched through the Foundation to Combat Antisemitism (FCAS), provides a vivid case study for Alliance Theory. By examining the campaign’s symbols, narratives, and stated goals, we can see how it functions as a … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Anti-Semitism
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Decoding ISIS
The rise of ISIS in 2013 and 2014 occurred in a vacuum created by the breakdown of state authority in Iraq and Syria. In the Syrian Civil War, the group used a strategy of selective alliance and aggressive expansion. It … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, ISIS
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Why Did The NFL Choose Bad Bunny For Its Halftime Show?
The New York Times reports: “League executives may be nervous about the Latin superstar’s outspoken stance on immigration, but their priority is attracting popular halftime performers.” The N.F.L.’s decision to book Bad Bunny for the 2026 Super Bowl halftime show … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, NFL
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When Did The Super Bowl Become So Gay?
The transformation of the Super Bowl from a profane celebration of traditional masculinity into a sacred platform for “inclusive” health narratives and LGBTQ+ visibility reflects the shifting coordination strategies of the American elite alliance. This evolution followed a specific trajectory … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Homosexuality, NFL
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Why Does The NFL Hate Its Fans?
The NFL’s push for diversity slogans, pink ribbons, and social justice messaging often feels hostile to its legacy fans because it represents a strategic shift from the profane (the game itself) to the sacred (moral status signaling). Using my four … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, NFL
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Decoding Those Useless Sign Language Interpreters
The ubiquity of sign language interpreters at modern press conferences, even when high-quality closed captioning is universally available, reveals how a “profane” communication tool is transformed into a “sacred” ritual of institutional purity. The Shift from Profane Utility to Sacred … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Elites
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Decoding The Super Bowl
Gemini says: The Super Bowl is the ultimate “liminal” event in American life. It is the one day where the profane reality of a fragmented country is suspended to create a shared, ritualized experience. By applying your four favorite tools, … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, America, NFL
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Decoding Pep Guardiola
ChatGPT says: Manchester City manager Pep Guardiola, according to Alliance Theory, is best understood as an alliance engineer who mastered legitimacy before dominance. His genius is not tactics alone. It is coalition construction inside elite football. Start with Barcelona. Guardiola … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Soccer
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Decoding Sports Illustrated’s Bathing Suit Issue
When I was young, I looked forward to the Sports Illustrated bathing suit issue so that I could see gorgeous women way out of my league having fun in minimal clothing. In real life, intimacy is often frightening and I … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Dallas, Elites, Sex, Sports
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Decoding Japan’s Election Results
Alliance Theory reads this election as coalition repair under external threat, not a swing on policy minutiae. At the center is Sanae Takaichi as a coalition focal point. She presented a clear alliance offer to median voters. Stability, speed, and … Continue reading
Posted in Alliance Theory, Japan
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