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Aaron Ross Powell's Blog

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Aaron Ross Powell's Blog

Politics, culture, and philosophy through a radical liberal lens. Co-host of the Inner Life of Liberalism podcast.

@aaronrosspowell.com45readers136posts15d ago

LatestRecent writing

American History as Fandom Lore

On MAGA canon and cosplay.

Out Now: Liberalism's Inner Life

The first episode of The Inner Life of Liberalism podcast.

podcastpolitics

My New Project: The Inner Life of Liberalism Podcast

Subscribe now in your favorite podcast app.

The Thing About Griping About Bluesky

Let a thousand mutually suspicious communities bloom.

social mediabluesky

Don't Harm Your Enemies. Make Them Less Harmful.

Speaking with intent to harm trains the speaker in habits of hatred. The cost of online cruelty isn't only to the target.

What the Ancients Knew About Posting Well

An early Buddhist text gives us four questions to ask before posting—and most of what we post fails the test.

social mediaethics

Two Helpful Essays Illuminating Liberal Practice

Two short Buddhist essays from Thanissaro Bhikkhu on karma as feedback loop, identity as inheritance, and intention as a skill you can practice.

liberalismbuddhism

The Ethics of Not Being Offended

Discomfort isn't harm. Treating it as harm burns the finite moral attention we need for the suffering that actually exists.

The Kids Aren’t Into Retro Tech Because of Surveillance Capitalism

Teenagers buying CDs aren't making a political statement. They just like CDs.

technologyculture

ReImagining Liberty Ends (And What's to Come)

After 101 episodes, it's time to move on to new projects.

Who Is AI Music For?

Google's music-making AI makes songs. I just can't figure out why anyone would listen to them.

artificial intelligencemusic

The Inner Life of Liberalism

The practices that make your life better are the same ones that sustain a free society. It's time liberalism took that seriously.

inner life of liberalismliberalism