Category Archives: England

British Political Drama Tropes

Posted on September 5, 2022 by Luke Ford

I’m watching the new BBC drama series Shearwood and I’m recognizing some patterns in the genre: * In most British dramatic series about politics, there’s an old character who’s done terrible things who kills himself rather than reveals himself. Characters … Continue reading →

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Fairness and Freedom: A History of Two Open Societies: New Zealand and the United States

Posted on July 5, 2021 by Luke Ford

Here are some highlights from this 2012 book by David Hackett Fischer: * When one compares these many accounts, one notices that the same language of description tends to occur. Karl Popper described New Zealanders as “decent, friendly and well-disposed.” … Continue reading →

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Albion’s Seed: Four British Folkways in America

Posted on June 13, 2021 by Luke Ford

Here are some of my favorite bits from this 1989 book by David Hackett Fischer: * Folkways in this normative sense exist in advanced civilizations as well as in primitive societies. They are functioning systems of high complexity which have … Continue reading →

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Dominic Cummings

Posted on June 1, 2021 by Luke Ford

From the New York Review of Books: “Cummings, while individually odd, is in many ways a familiar political archetype. The annals of politics are replete with advisers who seemed to be impregnable and uniquely insightful until, just like that, they … Continue reading →

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Middlemarch and Underearning II (4-11-21)

Posted on April 11, 2021 by Luke Ford

00:00 The need for an exciting life 10:00 Religion and happiness 1:00:00 What makes a marriage work? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Middlemarch

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