Inertia Wins!

It only took six years, the first three largely dormant. But Inertia Wins now has 1,000 posts. To mark the occasion, here are links to a few classic posts that newer readers might enjoy, and that older readers might re-enjoy.

–The Certainty: most people have a little too much Certainty about their view of the world, me included. The causes and consequences of capital-C certainty have become one of my main research interests in my reading for pleasure, and I hope to give the subject a full scholarly treatment when I’m a little older and wiser. This post from Earth Day 2008 was my first decently-executed crack at the topic.

–Responding to Media Matters: This was a fun back-and-forth from last year. I wrote an article about why cell phones don’t cause cancer. Media Matters for America took issue with it, but not because of its content. They didn’t try to counter a single argument I made. What they said is that because my employer accepts corporate donations, therefore my arguments are invalid. This post, which links to a longer article I wrote in response, explains why this is a curious worldview.

Is this Grounds for Pessimism?: The second-ever post on this blog, from September 2005. It recounts an experience I had on Capitol Hill that was an important moment in my political education.

I Get Hate Mail: Most people have a binary progressive-conservative view of politics. I don’t fit either paradigm very well. So progressives think I’m conservative. And conservatives think I’m progressive. This can be frustrating, especially since the Internet’s anonymous nature leads people to vent more angrily than they would in person. But when I take the time to engage a correspondent politely and respectfully, they often come around. This exchange was a particularly heartening example.

–Why Good Men Don’t Become President Anymore: I wrote this post the day Obama was inaugurated. But it isn’t about him. It’s about the presidency itself. Modern campaigns are so nasty and so exhausting that only especially power-hungry people can endure them. There is a selection bias against qualified candidates running for office. The last several presidents from both parties are proof.