Welcome to Destabilized
A newsletter about the forces straining American society
Welcome to Destabilized, a newsletter about the internet and other forces straining American society.
Polarization, rising authoritarianism, and increasing civil violence signal the growing socio-political strains in the US. What’s driving this trend and why is it happening now? What can we do about it? And if it continues, how do we mitigate risks and capitalize on opportunities?
*If you’re receiving this via email it’s because you were subscribed to my 2016 Good Weekend Reading newsletter. That was a simpler product for a simpler time, but this will have similarities so if you liked GWR you may like this, as well. And of course if you’re not interested you can - and should! - unsubscribe.
May we someday, again, live in less interesting times.
DEMOCRACY / SOCIETY / TRUST
“may her memory be a revolution” - Anne Helen Peterson, Culture Study (4 minutes)
The U.S. shows all the signs of a country spiraling toward political violence - Rachel Kleinfeld, Washington Post (6 minutes)
CLIMATE CHANGE
How Climate Migration Will Reshape America - Abrahm Lustgarten, NY Times/ProPublica (24 minutes)
The U.S. Is on the Path to Destruction - Annie Lowrey, The Atlantic (4 minutes)
INFORMATION SYSTEMS / TECHNOLOGY
The Rise of Tribal Epistemology - David Roberts, Vox (17 minutes)
Fact of the Week: Of the five Supreme Court justices who voted to legalize same-sex marriage in 2015, only three remain. The other current justices are: three (of the four) dissenting justices, Gorsuch and Kavanaugh, and one seat vacant (RIP RBG).