What’s new: The Power of Lies: The age-old strategies for using lies to consolidate power have assumed new forms.
Coming soon: “The Remains of the Day and the Desire for Hierarchy”
So, find a comfy chair, settle in, and scroll down to see if anything interests you.
“He who knows only his side of the case knows little of that.”
–John Stuart Mill, On Liberty
“The spirit of liberty is the spirit that is not too sure it is right.”
–Learned Hand
1. Understanding Our Current Moment
“Kanefield synthesizes insights from prominent scholars across different academic fields to give us a deeper understanding of how we got here. A brilliant book that everyone should read.”
—Peter Arenella, UCLA Law Professor Emeritus
Here I quote The Music Man and suggest that life imitates art.
It’s all in Chapter 2, from the founding conditions, to laws governing rape and race, to modern militias.
Which is the best economic system, and which is the best song from South Pacific?
Performance outrage and how conspiracy theories happen.
Includes lessons frm my own social media adventures.
The Power of Lies
The ancient art of using lies to consolidate power have assumed new forms.
Let My People In: The History of Immigration in the U.S.
This short piece will explain ICE and our current immigration politics.
It’s All About the Tenth Amendment (No, really, it is)
The history of the Tenth Amendment explains [almost] everything happening in politics and government today.
how the Party of the Confederacy Became the Party of Civil Rights
The history of the two major parties is the history of America.
2. Make political Philosophy Cool Again
3. Constitutional History
The Second Amendment
It’s not about the gun. It’s about who is holding the gun.
The Ninth Amendment, Abortion, and Reproductive Rights
If you thought Constitutional history was boring, you’re in for a surprise.
(For a history of laws governing rape, see Chapter 2 of Why Intolerance and Extremism Happens.
4. It’s All ABout the Law
Everything You Always Wanted to Know About Criminal Law In The U.S.A.*
*And I hope more than you will ever need to know.
Plus a few stories from the trenches of criminal defense.
What Does The Right To Appeal Really Mean?
You are in trouble. You have the right appeal. What exactly does that mean?
The Power of the Supreme Court
How much power does the Constitution give the Supreme Court? Are the power dynamics of the Supreme Court power unfolding as the founders intended? If not, what is happening?
5. A Few Notable People
Thurgood Marshall
Before taking his place on the United States Supreme Court, he desegreated the schools and helped launch the modern Civil Rights Movement.
Susan b. Anthony
There is more to her story than most people know. There is also some bad information out there, so let’s set the record straight.
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Before she became a Supreme Court justice, she changed the law for women.
After Free to Be Ruth Bader Ginsburg was published, the host of a local radio station had some interesting questions for me about Ruth Bader Ginsburg.
Barbara Rose Johns
After The Girl from the Tar Paper School was published, Scholastic Magazine asked me to write a piece about Barbara Johns.
6. Something Just For Fun
This short story was published in Cricket Magazine.
