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Progressive Conjecture
Progressive questioning of today's politics and culture. Take problems apart, see how they may work, and consider how to move forward to a fair, just and equitable future.
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Latest posts
Napoleon Dynamite and Why I Am Leaving Substack
How Napoleon Dynamite exposed Netflix’s algorithmic blind spot—and why Substack now faces the same problem with strong, unpredictable writing.
The Science of Enshittification (ΔI < k⋅I)
Why do platforms get worse so slowly that we barely notice? A 19th-century law of perception explains enshittification.
Why This Newsletter Suddenly Feels Like It’s Yelling Into Felt
I thought my Substack posts were being quietly throttled. After weeks of conversations with ChatGPT, I realized the platform had changed in ways that legitimately contain certain kinds of work. This guest column maps what shifted — and why it matters.
Ten Test Cases for Thinking About Social Change
What history tells us about social problems. Ten test cases—from gambling to ultrasound to a democratic life—offer clues about how social change actually works.
Turn Off Trump's Oxygen
His Reiner posts are horrible, but his intent is worse
La Gringa and the Democratic Party's Future
Put voters first as voters before anything else
A Turning Point for Marjorie Taylor Greene
Greene didn’t just resign. She built a survivor narrative, cast Trump as the abuser, and used it to attack GOP house leadership while setting her political future. Here’s how her speech actually works.
Consent for Protest
Is it ethical to turn SNAP recipients into protesters against Trump against their will?
Why Passports have Sex
Passports still list “sex” long after biometric IDs made it obsolete. Why? Habit. From Jim Crow to the present day, habit shapes injustice—and progress. It’s time to ask what purpose that “M” or “F” really serves.