How Close Is Humanity to the Edge? | The New Yorker


“In ecological terms, it is not a human that is remarkable, but humanity,” Ord writes, in his book. And yet it’s easy for humanity’s aims to be undermined by the short-term political calculations and selfish desires of individuals. We are a blip, Ord argues, in a chain of human life that stretches back two hundred thousand years, and that could in theory extend for hundreds of thousands, if not millions, more. One would have to be ruinously shortsighted or grotesquely narcissistic to risk obliterating all of that. And yet that is how we often seem to be.

Source: How Close Is Humanity to the Edge? | The New Yorker

Toby Ord
The Precipice: Existential Risk and the Future of Humanity.

Rolling Thunder – The Sunshine Is Ours


The establishment people think they have a pretty advanced civilization here. Well, technically maybe they’ve done a lot, although we know civilizations that have gone much further in the same direction. In most respects this is a pretty backwards civilization. The establishment seems completely incapable of learning some basic truths. The most basic principle of all is that of not harming others, and that includes all people and all life and all things. It means not controlling or manipulating others, not trying to manage their affairs. It means not going off and killing people over there – not for religion, politics or military exercises or any other excuse. No being has the right to harm or control any other being. No individual or government has the right to force others to join or participate in any group or system or force others to go to school, to church or war. Every being has the right to live his own life in his own way. Every being has an identity and a purpose. To live up to his purpose, every being has the power of self-control, and that’s where spiritual power begins. When some of these fundamental things are learned, the time will be right for more to be revealed and spiritual power will come again to this land.

Rolling Thunder spiritual advisor to the Grateful Dead–Source: searching for spiritual power: a quote from Rolling Thunder – The Sunshine Is Ours

Feminism’s Blind Spot: the Abuse of Women by Non-White Men, Particularly Muslims – Quillette


When she refused, they doused her with kerosene and set her alight. Some of the men arrested have since told police that the attack had been planned and ordered by the headmaster from prison.

Source: Feminism’s Blind Spot: the Abuse of Women by Non-White Men, Particularly Muslims – Quillette

Indigenous educators fight for an accurate history of California (A History of Violence) — High Country News


The Golden State is ignoring a history of violence against Native Americans.

Source: Indigenous educators fight for an accurate history of California (A History of Violence) — High Country News

To the newspaper that encouraged “discreetly” photographing fat airline passengers


USA Today Travel released a video instructing passengers to post photographs to social media if they felt their space was invaded. One fat…

Source: To the newspaper that encouraged “discreetly” photographing fat airline passengers