“Societies become modern . . . when news replaces religion as our central source of guidance and our touchstone of authority. In the developed economies, the news now occupies a position of power at least equal to that formerly enjoyed by the faiths. . . We approach it with some of the same deferential expectations we would have harbored for the faiths. Here, too, we hope to receive revelations, learn who is good and bad, fathom suffering and understand the unfolding logic of existence.... Read More

One of my housemates in college wore a T-shirt with the lyrics to Bob Dylan’s “Blowin’ in the Wind” on it:   “Yes, 'n' how many years can a mountain exist Before it is washed to the sea? Yes, 'n' how many years can some people exist Before they're allowed to be free? Yes, 'n' how many times can a man turn his head And pretend that he just doesn't see? The answer, my friend, is blowin' in the wind ... Read More