Author Archives: leotoribio
Limits of Ideology
Conservative writers teach their followers to adhere to “received wisdom,” to adhere to traditional ideas and rules, and resist or even reject new ideas out of hand. But the brain is a navigational device. People are in constant motion in an ever-changing world. When the … Continue reading
Overcoming Cognitive Dissonance in Politics
When you hear a politician running for office proclaim that “government can do no good,” think of him or her as someone applying for a job, because that’s exactly what he or she is doing, and think of yourself as … Continue reading
Lessons in Life
One of the most valuable lessons I learned, at a very early age, was how to deal with opinions expressed about me by other people. If someone praised me or something I did, I learned to look critically at myself … Continue reading
The Human Brain
A well-written article by Carl Zimmer in the NYT http://www.nytimes.com/2013/12/26/science/in-the-human-brain-size-really-isnt-everything.html?hp discusses recent research into what makes the human brain different from the brains of other mammals. He writes that “Once that cranial growth was underway, our forerunners started leaving behind … Continue reading
Economics 202
In a New York Times article, Thomas Edsall examines a question raised by MIT’s Daron Acemoglu: “Why can’t America Be Sweden?” Acemoglu is an economist, and economics is far from an exact science, so Mr. Edsall is able to find … Continue reading
The Ultimate Right
In an article in the New York Times , conservative ideologue Ross Douthat presents a one-sided view of suicide. Although there may be a shred of truth in what he wrote, he passed up an opportunity to examine the issue in … Continue reading
The Right to Bear Arms
There has been much discussion by people in the NRA and others against legislation restricting sales of firearms. Much of that centers on the 2nd amendment of the U.S. Constitution. But what does the 2nd amendment actually say? 2nd … Continue reading
Mind-Sets Revisited
I recently had a discussion with someone regarding the Constitution Project Report on “extraordinary renditions” and torture encouraged by the Bush Administration. This man still tries to make excuses for his own behavior or that of people he ideologically identifies with (right-wingers). He argued that the U.S. … Continue reading
Liberals and Conservatives Part II
In my February 2011 post ( https://corticalsense.wordpress.com/2011/02/22/liberals-and-conservatives/), I pointed out that during the American Revolution, conservatives were sympathetic to the British aristocracy, not the colonial rebels. But in today’s world of politics, conservatives will often claim to be the “real … Continue reading
On Education
Someone called me recently for assistance with a problem. They reported that they could access the internet via their cable ISP, but could not access their inherent email account from either of two computers. They called the cable provider first … Continue reading
