Ben Van Dyke

The United States is functionally an oligarchy. Three people direct almost all federal policy: the president, the speaker of the House, and the Senate majority leader. The real threat to democracy is this unrepresentative power structure, regardless of which party controls it.

Do we really need school? I don't mean education, just forced schooling: six classes a day, five days a week, nine months a year, for twelve years. Is this deadly routine really necessary? And if so, for what?

It’s wild that the country with the largest prison population, in which inmates are enslaved, and in which people are routinely publicly executed by police, can ever call another country ‘authoritarian’

Politicians will not only find a way to make inflation worse, but they’ll also call it the Inflation Reduction Act and insist that you thank them for it.

How about we give Russia Trump and they free Brittney Griner? @brittneygriner

More than 700K sign petition calling for Clarence Thomas to be impeached trib.al/UswNdH0

@justinamash Count me In

71 percent don’t want Biden to run again. 61 percent don’t want Trump to run again. It seems likely that both will run again, which makes this an incredible opportunity for the American people to reject the two old parties and try something new.

If we are to embody the democratic values for which we say we stand, we must abolish the Electoral College.

“BLACK LIVES MATTER” painted on the street leading to the White House. Video from the DC mayor.

Please do not take medical advice from a man who looked directly at a solar eclipse.

This video should be playing on every screen on the planet.

Incredible work @davidbenque opencall.sciencegallery.com/fabulous-fabbe…

** Today, Chelsea was not only put back in jail, but Judge Anthony Trenga ordered her to be fined $500 every day she is in custody after 30 days and $1,000 every day she is in custody after 60 days. This is unprecedented. sparrowmedia.net/2019/05/statem…

Students and faculty from the Department of Art, Art History, and Design are painting a mural, titled “The Groovy Opportunity,” on the parking structure at the corner of Division St and Albert Ave in @DowntownEL. Check it out during the @elartfest! statenews.com/article/2019/0…

Subverting academic metrics... Zach Kaiser: 1, Academia: 0 @zacharykaiser artjournal.collegeart.org/?p=9844

This week, two colleagues in @msuwrac & @CALMSU published books and a third won a Guggenheim! Y'all are crushing it! #ProudResearchDean :)

Go me!

We in #MSUCAL are very proud of our 3 newest Associate Professors with tenure! Congrats Ben, Nathalie and Aline!

“Design will always be in demand—graphic design will always require human thinking & creativity.” buff.ly/2hIZQtL #msucal @MSU_AAHD

This deepened my appreciation of a song I already loved: Holocene by @boniver buff.ly/2iojsFr Thanks, @TheeNerdwriter