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Pluralistic: Post-political (09 Jul 2026)
2 days ago
- False equivalence between left and right extremism is highlighted, with right extremism involving violence and left extremism being trivial (e.g., moving zines).
- Horseshoe theory is rejected, emphasizing substantive life-and-death disagreements between left and right, not just cultural signifiers.
- Centrism's pathology is mistaking identity markers for politics, focusing on replacing ruling class demographics rather than abolishing the ruling class.
- Corey Robin's definition: conservatism believes some are born to rule, and elevating the ruled leads to disaster.
- Wilhoit's law: conservatism has in-groups protected by law but unbound, and out-groups bound but unprotected.
- Steven Brust's definition: left prioritizes human rights over property rights, viewing property as a tool for human rights.
- Leftists support property rights as a means to ends like health care, shelter, and food, not as ends themselves.
- Paradigm shift: left's paradigm sees property as tool for human rights; right's paradigm sees property rights as the only human right.
- Post-political movements misunderstand politics as cultural signifiers rather than fundamental choices about rule or freedom.
America pays workers just 27% of what its wealth allows – the worst in the OECD
14 days ago
- The United States, despite its wealth, consistently underperforms in providing basic economic and social rights compared to other high-income nations.
- The U.S. scores around 80% on health, below peers like Canada (90%) and Australia (93%), with declines expected due to policy changes reducing health insurance coverage.
- On the right to food, the U.S. scores about 81%, ranking 30th out of 37 OECD countries, with recent cuts to food assistance programs increasing hunger.
- For work and income, the U.S. achieves only 27% of its potential, the worst among OECD members, reflecting growing economic inequality and insufficient wages.
- In education, the U.S. scores 76% overall, with strong access (90.7%) but low quality (61.3%), placing it 20th among 38 OECD countries.
Automated Moderation Is Here to Stay–Accountability Must Keep Pace
16 days ago
- Automated content moderation systems frequently produce errors in low-resource languages like Arabic, with significant inaccuracies in detecting nonviolent content and hate speech.
- Moderation algorithms exhibit systemic biases, including suppressing content from specific regions like Palestine and misclassifying LGBTQ+ material as explicit, harming marginalized groups.
- The Santa Clara Principles 2.0 emphasize human rights and transparency, recommending automation as a supplement to human moderators rather than a replacement, with accountability measures such as appeals and audits.
Woman in Brazil enslaved for 55 years by 3 generations of the same family
17 days ago
- A 62-year-old woman, known as Maria, was rescued after spending 55 years in slave-like conditions as a live-in domestic servant for three generations of the same family in Fortaleza, Brazil.
- Maria entered the household at age seven, never received wages, vacations, or education, and lived in near-total isolation without contact with relatives; she will be compensated with a $30,000 apartment and $10,000 in compensation, but remains with the family temporarily.
- The case highlights systemic exploitation of domestic workers in Brazil, often poor and Black women, and underscores challenges in rescuing victims due to their dependency and lack of autonomy; it was revealed through an anonymous tip, reflecting growing public awareness.
Russian Surveillance Software Suppresses Georgian Civilians Rights
19 days ago
- Georgia built a face recognition enforcement system using software from a Moscow-based company linked to the FSB, which suppresses protests through fines and bank freezes.
- Protesters like Nino and Luka were identified via surveillance cameras, fined heavily, and faced frozen accounts, leading many to stop demonstrating due to fear and financial pressure.
- The government escalated repressive laws: from 2023 to 2026, assembly rules tightened, face covering became criminalized, and online criticism was outlawed, eroding constitutional freedoms.
- The surveillance software, Polyface, uses automated identification, operator-directed searches, and watchlist alerts, integrated with civil registry data and social media for cross-platform monitoring.
- Psychological impact includes paranoia, route changes, and reduced protest participation, with a chilling effect fracturing society and creating moral divides among activists.
- Strategic risks involve Russian control over biometric data, potential integrity attacks, and long-term dominance threats to Georgia's national security and European integration path.
- Despite ongoing surveillance, hundreds still gather daily on Rustaveli Avenue, but the cost of protest has shifted from monetary fines to the loss of personal freedom.

human rights

Pluralistic: Post-political (09 Jul 2026)

America pays workers just 27% of what its wealth allows – the worst in the OECD

Automated Moderation Is Here to Stay–Accountability Must Keep Pace

Woman in Brazil enslaved for 55 years by 3 generations of the same family

Russian Surveillance Software Suppresses Georgian Civilians Rights