Pragmatism

My Struggles With Anti-Intellectualism

Paul Stoller | Posted 05.08.2012

Read More: Philosophy, Critical Thinking, Education, College, Pragmatism, Anti-Intellectualism, Anthropology, Elitism, Higher Education, College News
Paul Stoller

"Can do" pragmatism was the fuel of America prosperity. But that pragmatism was reinforced with an abiding respect for knowledge and critical thinking. It's hard to do anything in a place devoid of new ideas, a place where dreamers are discouraged from dreaming.

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1937, 2011: Déjà Vu All Over Again -- Stimulus Wanes, Unemployment Increases

Paul Abrams | Posted 09.18.2011

Read More: Infrastructure, Direct Hiring, Koch, Tax Cuts for the Wealthy, Pragmatism, Government Spending, Josef Stalin, Soviet Union, 1937, 2011, Stimulus, Scientific Economic Data, Ideology, Fdr, Politics News
Paul Abrams

One of the reasons the U.S. economy did so well in the last half of the 20th century is that we ignored ideology in favor of pragmatism. That is no longer true. Ideology has again become fashionable. And, we are paying for it, dearly.

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Muddling Through in the Middle East Is Not a Substitute for Strategy

Leon T. Hadar | Posted 06.05.2011

Read More: Vietnam, Middle East, Pragmatism, George W. Bush, Libya, Obama, Iraq, Congress, Cold War, Obama Libya, Middle East Policy, Obama Middle East, World News
Leon T. Hadar

Obama's "pragmatism" is based on a process of muddling through the path of least resistance, under which pressure from powerful political players, and the impact of the media, end up determining the final policy decision.

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Towards Truly Progressive Education Unions

Conor Williams | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Collective Bargaining, Conor Williams, Public Sector Unions, Pragmatism, Progressivism, Conor P. Williams, History of Progressivism, John Dewey, Education Reform, Education News
Conor Williams

I know that workers need a voice to advocate for their interests when negotiating with their employers .... But I also know that teachers unions, in their current iteration, have lost their way.

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So Much for the Art of the Possible: Obama's Pragmatism Refutes Itself

Roger Hodge | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Corruption, Midterm Elections, Pragmatism, Barack Obama, Politics News
Roger Hodge

Now that the election is over and the Democrats have officially abdicated control of the House of Representatives, is it too much to hope that we can have a candid national debate about what has gone wrong with the Obama Administration?

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Treacherous Politics

James Miller | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: John McCain, Democrat, Goerge Bush, Pragmatism, Founding Fathers, Compromise, Thomas Jefferson, Libertarian, Sarah Palin, 2000 Election, Barack Obama, Ideology, Ideological, Politics, Luke Skywalker, Change, 2008, Republican, King George, Socialist, Muslim, Constitution, John Adams, Founding Brothers, 14th Amendment, Death Star, Politics News
James Miller

Anyone who has read Founding Brothers, or any other great read about the men who founded this country, can't help but be blown away by how different p...

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November and the Calculus of American Centrism

Dennis Santiago | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Dennis Santiago, Triangulation, 2010 Elections, Barack Obama, Pragmatism, Professional Left, Elections 2010, Politics News
Dennis Santiago

The ensuing aimless frustration and fury in politics are the cards that excite the media as the pursuit of ratings turns everything into reality television. But where are the voices of the American center?

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India's Burma Policy Is Not Pragmatism, It's Realism

Matthew Smith | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Corruption, Earthrights International, Aung San Suu Kyi, India, Human Rights, Pragmatism, United Nations, Burma, Oil, Environment, Natural Gas, Realism, World News
Matthew Smith

India graciously hosted the Burmese Dictator Than Shwe this week, raising the question as to why the world's largest democracy would welcome one of the world's worst dictators, a man associated with crimes against humanity.

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Balanced Life -- Act the Way You Want To Feel

Gretchen Rubin | Posted 11.17.2011

Read More: Emotions, Philosophy, The Balanced Life, William James, Pragmatism, Psychology, Autonomy, Self-Regulation, Happiness, Healthy Living News
Gretchen Rubin

Although we presume that we act because of the way we feel, in fact, we often feel because of the way we act.

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Keeping the Wheels on the Obama Presidency

Lincoln Mitchell | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Bill Clinton, White House, Europe, Public Option, Pragmatism, Joseph Lieberman, Economy, Bailouts, Progressives, Compromise, Jobs, Iraq, China, Democratic Party, Realism, Barack Obama, Marriage Equality, Wall Street, Rahm Emanuel, Oresident Obama, Single Payer, Health Care, Russia, Health Care Reform, Medicare, Joe Lieberman, Afghanistan, Politics News
Lincoln Mitchell

Because he cannot provide peace and prosperity, Obama needs to pass some meaningful legislation to demonstrate that he is doing something positive. Just getting a health care bill passed will mean nothing to many Americans.

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Here Comes Gov 2.0 -- and a New Generation of Federal Workers

Craig Newmark | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Civil Service, Government, Social Media, It, Barack Obama, Veterans Administration, State Department, Government 2.0, Pragmatism, Service, Washington, Libertarianism, President, Technology News
Craig Newmark

This is Gov 2.0. Not what you're expecting from federal civil servants, who have been seriously empowered to do their job, and told their jobs really matter -- something they haven't heard for years.

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Pragmatist Hope for Health Care

Michael Roth | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Health Care, Richard-Rorty, Obama, Pragmatism, Health Care Reform, Obama Health Care Reform, Politics News
Michael Roth

I don't expect Obama will satisfy those who are certain government shouldn't get bigger, or those who have no doubt that only government can address health care. But he will have made progress.

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Crazy Pragmatism

Peter Birkenhead | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Politics, Obama, Rahm Emanuel, Health Care, Barack Obama Pragmatism, Pragmatism, Health Care Reform, Afl-Cio, Aarp, Obama AFL-CIO, Politics News
Peter Birkenhead

The insidious irony of the pragmatism favored by Obama and Emmanuel is that it legitimizes a delusional worldview and makes practical goals more difficult to achieve.

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Memo To Rahm: Do You Think We're MotherF#@kin' Stupid?

Lee Stranahan | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Health Care Reform, Health Care, Iran Election, Rahm Emanuel, Barack Obama, Pragmatism, President Obama, Politics News
Lee Stranahan

In the past few days, a disturbing reality has come into focus -- the White House may be completely willing to go along with the lobbyist-funded Senators on selling out real health care reform for America.

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The Promise of Visionary Pragmatism

Elin Suleymanov | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Shimon Peres, Consul General, Pragmatism, Shimon Peres Azerbaijan, Obama Pragmatist, President Shimon Peres, Azerbaijan, Obama Cairo Speech, World News
Elin Suleymanov

Located at the global cultural crossroads of the Caucasus, Azerbaijan stands in a clear defiance of the "Clash of Civilizations" paradigm.

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Difficult Dilemmas in Word and Deed: The Costs and Benefits of Bipartisan Rhetoric in Resuscitating an Ailing Economy

Drew Westen | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Wall Street Crisis, Pragmatism, Economic Crisis, Obama Pragmatist, Financial Crisis, Obama Bipartisanship, Fdr, Obama Partisanship, Franklin Roosevelt, Bipartisanship, Politics News
Drew Westen

Obama ran as both the candidate of change and the candidate of pragmatism and bipartisan action. So does he tell the story of our economic collapse and what we need to do about it without mentioning that someone actually caused it?

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Walking the Contradiction

Jon Chattman | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Angelina Jolie, Benjamin Button, Jim Carrey, William Hung, Jon Chattman, The Curious Case of Benjamin Button, Wanted, Yes Man, Pragmatism, Optimism, Unrealistic Movies, Realism, Happiness, Entertainment News
Jon Chattman

I know it's "just the movies" and things can't happen like they do in them, but sometimes it'd be nice if these kinds of "message movies" held some concrete messages within them.

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Coming To Our Senses

Ryan J. Davis | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Pragmatism, Barack Obama, Rick Warren, Politics News
Ryan J. Davis

Finally, Andrew Sullivan stops being so ridiculous and acknowledges that the LGBT community doesn't have to overreact to every perceived slight. He's ...

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Is "Ideology" Bad When it Comes to Foreign Policy?

Shadi Hamid | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Democracy Promotion, Egypt, War on Terrorism, Pragmatism, Foreign Policy, Ideology, George W. Bush, Foreign Affairs, World News
Shadi Hamid

In the realm of foreign policy, "Ideology" is getting a bad name. "Pragmatism" is, apparently, all the rage. Problem is we aren't being careful with our terms.

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Progressivism Is Pragmatism: Steven Chu at Department of Energy

David Roberts | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Obama Pragmatist, Steven Chu, Department of Energy, Pragmatism, Barack Obama, Politics News
David Roberts

Chu represents the essence of Obama's approach. He's someone with the intelligence and empiricism to see that the status quo is unacceptable and that radical change is the only sensible -- pragmatic -- response.

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Oh I Get It, The Left Just Doesn't Want to Win This Year

Logan Nakyanzi Pollard | Posted 05.25.2011

Read More: Islam, John McCain, Pragmatism, Ralph Nader Presidential Candidacy, Nancy Pelosi, Don Imus, White, Fisa, Harry Reid, Obama, Black, Muslim, Politics News
Logan Nakyanzi Pollard

Obama's a pragmatist, not a messiah. He has to win in order to make the changes I want. What merit is there in attacking him for his stance on FISA, now?

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