In the early 1940s, as a young teenager, I was utterly appalled by the racist and jingoist hysteria of the anti-Japanese propaganda. The Germans were evil, but treated with some respect: They were, after all, blond Aryan types, just like our imaginary self-image. Japanese were mere vermin, to be crushed like ants.

The threat and use of violence is stimulating nuclear proliferation along with jihadi terrorism.

Popular support for alternative energy has been very high for years. But it harms corporate profits.

The term "intellectual" is used conventionally to refer to people who happen to have unusual opportunities in this regard, and as always, opportunity confers moral responsibility.

If you are giving a graduate course you don't try to impress the students with oratory, you try to challenge them, get them to question you.

Farming out atrocities to paramilitaries is standard operating procedure.

If there was an observer on Mars, they would probably be amazed that we have survived this long.