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Civil Disobedience and the Spirit of American Democracy

As fear and retaliation become tools of political control, this piece calls for collective dissent to defend democratic norms and constitutional freedoms under increasing pressure from the Trump administration.

"Something has happened to the fabric of society"

This essay contrasts Mister Rogers' vision of neighborliness with the harsh treatment of legal immigrants in the United States, focusing on the case of Kseniia Petrova. It explores how class resentment and institutional silence have enabled arbitrary cruelty toward those who came here to contribute.

It’s Political Power, Stupid

Today’s populist revolts against globalization are not only economic in nature—they are fundamentally political. As Hannah Arendt warned, the elevation of economics over politics, especially under imperialism and globalization, leads to the collapse of political judgment and self-determination. Her historical analysis now reads like prophecy: we are witnessing the return of politics in its most raw and terrifying form.

Hannah Arendt and the Constitution of Freedom

This week I gave a lecture at the University of São Paulo in Brazil that asked, Why Law Alone Can’t Defend Democracy—and why Only Power Can Check Power. 

When We Choose Knaves
 

The Alien and Enemies Act gives the President nearly unfettered power to expel non-citizens in times of war and the Supreme Court has given the President great leeway to determine what is and what is not a war. What we are witnessing is less a constitutional crisis than a cold and cruel manipulation of existing laws to stoke fear that is shocking to our humanist sensibilities. 

Democracy and Dissent

Today, it is worth recalling Arendt’s foundational defense of public dissent as well as her outspoken resistance to legalized denaturalization based on political opinions. 

Children of Light and Children of Darkness

When Melvin Rogers went looking for insight about politics today, he skipped over his old friend John Dewey and chose Reinhold Niebuhr.

More on Saving the Open Society

An 'open society' doesn’t endure simply because it promises freedom. Without a deeper sense of purpose, sacrifice, and shared values, people will turn to the structure and certainty of closed societies. Liberalism’s weakness lies in its rejection of the very virtues—duty, listening, loyalty, and struggle—that give life meaning. If an 'open society' cannot offer something equally compelling, people will inevitably seek purpose elsewhere.

A More Open Society

The future demands a genuinely open and participatory society—one built on awareness, deep listening, and ethical responsibility. Yet history moves in cycles, and the rise of strong gods reflects a reaction to the excesses of an "open society." The struggle is not openness vs. closure, but participation vs. domination. Power must be returned to the people through institutions that prevent both stagnation and authoritarianism. Governance must be driven by engagement, where citizens actively shape their future. The challenge is not just to defend an "open society," but to ensure openness does not become its own form of exclusion.