Category Archives: Rhetoric

Thoughts on Discursive Modes and Critical Thinking

Posted on September 27, 2021 by robertpkruger

I have been a guest lecturer twice now for an undergraduate critical-thinking class at University of Wyoming, and these are among the notes I gave out, minus the last paragraph, which is a late addition.

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Happy liberal New Year!

Posted on January 4, 2020 by robertpkruger

I have been on Facebook for over ten years now, and my interactions have brought me to a couple points of emphasis in political discussions. 1. Properly defined, as opposed to how it’s commonly misunderstood, liberalism is the fearless pursuit … Continue reading →

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The Polluted Well of Social Media Discourse

Posted on January 20, 2019 by robertpkruger

These days, I mostly indulge myself with meta-political posts rather than get in the weeds on a specific issue, and when I do get specifically political on Facebook, I see much more clearly now how stupid I’m being. I cannot … Continue reading →

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When identity politics trumps all

Posted on January 6, 2017 by robertpkruger

In a recent Facebook thread on identity politics, I made the following contribution, with some redaction here. I see a dozen online memes an hour speaking to Trump’s “misogyny” and “racism.” These terms have suffered scope creep. They no longer … Continue reading →

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Je Suis un Jerk

Posted on January 14, 2015 by robertpkruger

I’ve seen a lot of my fellow liberals posting things to the effect of, “Yeah, it was horrible what happened in France. There’s no excuse for it. On the other hand, we should not be jerks, and the Charlie Hebdo … Continue reading →

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Climate Change: Framing a Scientific Issue

Posted on November 21, 2014 by robertpkruger

This is not a political entry, but it is about politicization, to elaborate on my post about a liberal credo. I was debating climate change with someone today who, I thought, was not confronting the real questions and stubbornly making … Continue reading →

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