An illusion of transparency
A week ago, I was listening to The Ben Shapiro Show, a conservative podcast. For those familiar with Shapiro’s sharp wit and rapid speech, it shouldn’t come as as a surprise when I say that I had to rewind to fully process something he said in passing. In reference to...
Rediscovering democracy
It seems to me that more and more, we have come to expect less and less of each other. It’s a phrase from one of my favorite TV shows, but increasingly, it no longer seems like the stuff of melodrama. It is far from unrealistic to say that American politics...
Democracy threatened by authoritarian ideas
In a previous version of this article the name of Lawrence Lessig’s book was incorrect, The Mercury regrets this error. America’s imperialist ambitions are known to be heading toward the status of empire, and together with our declining leadership in science, technology and education, the American people have become prone...