Long-form analysis on tabletop RPGs, video games, sports, politics, and culture
My thoughts on various social issues, which can cover a wide variety of topics.
The Golden Age of TV? Darker is Not Deeper: The Hidden Toll of TV’s “Mature” Storytelling I recently came across a Wikipedia article that says we’ve just experienced an extraordinary moment in modern broadcasting. In its entry on the “Golden Age of Television (2000s–2023),” the era is described as: “…having such a number of high-quality … Read more
George Washington’s Presidency and Legacy Read Part One Here To understand the American founding, we have to stop looking at George Washington as two completely different people. We tend to split him into a double portrait: on one side the marble saint of democratic liberty and national survival; on the other the compromised Virginia planter … Read more
Is Donald Trump a Fascist? Yes and No Yes it’s a provocative question, and it can sound inflammatory. But instead of asking if the United States is a fascist state—which it is not—a better question is whether Donald Trump, based on his words, actions, and use of power, has behaved in ways that match key … Read more
George Washington: The Formation of a President Read Part Two Here After reading and writing about Reagan, I realized there is a lot I don’t know about our Presidents. I decided to start at the beginning, with George Washington. I’ve always been interested in him, but he’s so often seen as a marble statue that … Read more
Ronald Reagan’s Presidency and Legacy Read Part 1 Here By January 1981, Reagan’s beliefs were firmly set. Earlier I described how he spent thirty years gathering experiences, frustrations, and ideas that shaped his philosophy. He saw government as more of a problem than a solution, and he trusted that free people, open markets, and voluntary … Read more