Scott Alexander argues that accusations of Trump being an 'openly white supremacist' candidate are exaggerated and harmful, and calls for more measured criticism of Trump's actual flaws. Longer summary

In this post, Scott Alexander argues that accusations of racism and white supremacy against Donald Trump and his supporters are exaggerated and harmful. He contends that while Trump has said and done problematic things, claims that he is an 'openly white supremacist' candidate are not supported by evidence. Alexander reviews various arguments about Trump's alleged racism and rebuts them, citing statistics and providing context. He argues that treating Trump as uniquely racist compared to past presidents is inaccurate and counterproductive. The post ends with a call to stop 'crying wolf' about racism, as it causes unnecessary fear and may desensitize people to real instances of racism in the future. Alexander makes several predictions about what will happen under a Trump presidency to back up his argument. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander argues that, contrary to his reputation as an isolationist, Trump's statements suggest he may be more likely to engage in military interventions than Clinton, who represents a more predictable foreign policy approach. Longer summary

Scott Alexander examines claims that Trump is an isolationist and safer choice than Clinton regarding foreign policy. He argues that Trump's statements and past positions suggest he may be more likely to engage in military interventions. Alexander analyzes Trump's statements on ISIS, Syria, Libya, Iraq, Iran, and North Korea, finding many hawkish positions. He discusses Trump's criticism of NATO and international trade agreements, suggesting this could destabilize the post-WWII peace. Alexander then examines Clinton's positions, arguing they are more moderate and predictable. He concludes that while Clinton's foreign policy isn't perfect, she represents a lower-variance, more stable choice compared to the unpredictability of Trump's potential actions. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering science, education, politics and culture, with Scott Alexander's commentary and analysis on each. Longer summary

This is a links post collecting various interesting articles and studies. Notable topics include: an IQ study predicting US gains, a social site called Omnilibrium trying to improve filtering, FDA allowing 23andMe genetic tests at higher prices, evidence about pre-K education having potentially negative effects, and news about polio eradication. The post also covers topics like genetic engineering in China, studies about police reducing crime, and cultural analysis of urban violence. Many links come with Scott's brief commentary or analysis putting them in context. Shorter summary

Scott analyzes California's water usage, critiques media coverage of the drought, and proposes a market-based solution focused on reducing alfalfa farming. Longer summary

This post analyzes California's water usage and the current drought crisis. Scott breaks down water consumption by sector using data from various sources, comparing it to a family budget for easier comprehension. He then examines recent news stories about water usage, pointing out how some concerns (like fracking and bottled water) are insignificant compared to agricultural use, particularly alfalfa farming. Finally, he discusses the potential for a market-based solution, suggesting that paying alfalfa farmers not to grow their crop could be more cost-effective than current water-saving measures. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander criticizes misleading media reports on drug testing welfare recipients, showing how flawed methods and misrepresented data led to false conclusions about drug use rates. Longer summary

Scott Alexander critiques media coverage of drug testing programs for welfare recipients in Tennessee and Florida. He points out that the widely reported extremely low drug use rates (0.12% in Tennessee) are due to flawed testing methods, not actual low drug use. The Tennessee program only used a written questionnaire, while Florida's program, which used urine tests, was misrepresented by not accounting for those who refused testing. Alexander argues that these misleading reports are worse than Brian Williams' helicopter story embellishment because they misinform on important policy issues and display arrogance in criticizing those who believe welfare recipients use drugs at higher rates. Shorter summary

A collection of interesting links covering history, science, politics and culture, with Scott's commentary on each topic. Longer summary

This is a link roundup post covering various topics. It starts with interesting historical anecdotes like Kipling designing an engineering ritual and the passage of the Habeas Corpus Act. It covers recent news and developments in politics, technology, and science, including Elon Musk's SpaceX ships, cancer therapies, and climate change agreements. The post also discusses several academic papers and studies, addressing topics like citation practices, telomere research, and financial returns to education. Throughout, Scott maintains a skeptical eye toward overblown claims and provides commentary on various social and political developments. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links covering topics like international relations, medical research, technology, and social issues, mixing academic discussion with curious anecdotes. Longer summary

This is a links post where Scott Alexander shares various interesting links he found, with brief commentary on each. The links cover diverse topics from North Korea's Twitter account to medical research about nutrition, and from academic gender studies to technological development. Scott provides context and sometimes critique for the linked articles, maintaining a mix of serious academic discussion and lighter curiosities. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander critiques feminist stereotyping of nerds, arguing that nerds' social struggles are real and not simply male entitlement. Longer summary

Scott Alexander responds to Laurie Penny's article about 'nerd entitlement,' arguing that feminists often unfairly stereotype and shame nerdy men. He contends that nerds' social difficulties and pain are real, and not simply a result of male entitlement or privilege. Alexander criticizes the tendency to dismiss nerds' struggles and accuse them of misogyny, arguing this perpetuates harmful stereotypes. He calls for more understanding and nuance in discussions of gender, privilege, and social dynamics in nerd culture. Shorter summary

Scott shares a collection of interesting links covering various topics from American chestnut restoration to scientific findings, political events, and cultural observations. Longer summary

This is a Links post where Scott Alexander shares and briefly comments on various interesting news and findings. The post covers diverse topics including the genetic engineering of American chestnut trees, revelations about Dr. Strangelove's accuracy, malaria eradication efforts, scientific studies on topics like exercise and weight loss, and cultural observations. Scott provides his characteristic analytical commentary on each item, often highlighting surprising connections or ironies. The post maintains a mix of scientific, political, and cultural topics, with Scott's commentary ranging from serious analysis to humorous observations. Shorter summary

Scott criticizes interpretations of a study suggesting psychiatric care might cause suicide, arguing this ignores the more likely explanation of selection bias. Longer summary

Scott critiques a study and subsequent editorial suggesting psychiatric interventions might increase suicide risk. He argues that the correlation between psychiatric treatment and suicide doesn't necessarily imply causation, using analogies like police contact and murder rates to illustrate the flawed reasoning. Scott points out that the original study authors acknowledged this limitation, but subsequent interpretations ignored it. He argues that while psychiatric interventions may have negative effects worth studying, this particular study doesn't provide useful evidence for that claim. The post ends by acknowledging that the relationship between psychiatric care and suicide is complex and deserves careful, high-quality research. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander examines how debates often revolve around vague concepts with positive or negative associations rather than specific claims, leading to logical fallacies and tribal thinking. Longer summary

Scott Alexander explores the concept of 'ethnic tension' in arguments, showing how debates often center around vague concepts loaded with good or bad karma rather than specific factual or moral claims. He argues this leads to motte-and-bailey fallacies, tribal affiliations, and motivated reasoning. The post analyzes how concepts become associated with groups, creating proxy ethnicities and making rational debate difficult. Scott suggests precision and separating concepts as a potential solution to this problem. Shorter summary

A links roundup post from June 2014 covering various topics from e-cigarettes and gender studies to technology and healthcare, with critical analysis of recent research and developments. Longer summary

This is a links roundup post collecting various interesting articles and studies from June 2014. The links cover a wide range of topics including economics, gender studies, politics, technology, and healthcare. Some notable items include evidence about e-cigarette effectiveness for quitting smoking, new findings about gender differences in brain blood flow, discussion of hurricane naming patterns and gender bias, and developments in areas like Uber, licensing requirements, and climate change research. The post maintains Scott's characteristic style of critically analyzing studies and findings while remaining skeptical of simplistic explanations. Shorter summary

Scott Alexander presents a diverse collection of recent news items, studies, and interesting facts, covering topics from public health to economics to quirky trivia. Longer summary

This post is a collection of diverse news items, studies, and interesting facts curated by Scott Alexander. It covers a wide range of topics including public health policies, economics, scientific discoveries, social issues, and quirky facts. Scott provides brief commentary on many of the items, often with a touch of humor or irony. The post doesn't have a central theme but rather serves as a roundup of interesting information Scott has come across recently. Shorter summary

Scott shares and comments on various interesting links, ranging from charity history and religious debates to scientific discoveries and technological developments. Longer summary

This is a link roundup post covering various interesting articles and findings. The topics range from efficient charity and religious debates to scientific discoveries about pain medication and sleep, and from unusual technological developments to curious psychological phenomena. The post includes commentary on each link, often with Scott's characteristic humor and skepticism, particularly about certain scientific claims. The links cover subjects as diverse as tiny mobile houses, digital-biological converters, and unusual seizure triggers. Shorter summary