It’s important to note that other mergers in both camps have not led to any shifts in the overall political map, and that is most likely the fate of the creation of the Democratic Camp as well. According to the polls, a stalemate still remains, with no leader having a clear path to forming a government.

If the new Democratic Union of the left truly wants to build a serious and sustainable camp that promotes liberal values, it must soon integrate the internal democratic structures that will enable its supporters to influence its future character. This is the answer to all those who want a stronger left, but have their reservations about some of its present figures.

So while it is conceivable that Peretz will move some minds, it is also a huge gamble. He will be hearing from many people that the gamble is too high… If Peretz gave in, and united with the “Democratic Camp,” he will lose most of the potential to draw right-wing voters. That need not, however, be the end of all hope for removing Benjamin Netanyahu from power. This is because of the second way of improving performance, and that is to fire up the base.

I won’t deny that Antifa employs physical violence and destroys property for political aims. But they typically confine their actions to throwing punches when they see the need to de-platform someone inciting violence against vulnerable populations…

The far right traffics heavily in projection, and this “antifa panic” is no exception. The far right is desperately trying to depict the radical left as doing what the far right itself is actually guilty of: engaging in sustained, murderous violence with deliberate indifference from the highest levels of the government.

Anarchy is equal to, if not worse than, tyranny, and if history is a guide, unless governments come to their senses and govern, a Leviathan always rises. In between, a lot of people like Ngo will have their heads caved in.

A no-politics-unless-it’s-sports-related policy seems especially naive and tricky to navigate when the president of the United States not only makes overtly racist comments, but also lays into women’s-soccer players, NBA owners, and other sports figures who disagree with him.

…the current political climate essentially hijacks every conversation, everywhere, all the time. And for all that we jockey to show to the world that we’re the maddest about the latest controversy, I’m not sure we’re changing minds at this point so much as we are preaching to our various choirs and compelling those that disagree to dig in further behind their opinions.

On one hand, people with a large platform may feel, legitimately, that they have a responsibility to call out injustice. On the other hand, as the rest of the media is so consumed with politics, some sports fans may be aching for a break. When the world seems to be shuttered in by outrage and offense, it’s nice to find an apolitical space.

Policymakers should consider offering direct aid to Brazil to reverse deforestation, similar to how Norway and Germany have through the Amazon Fund. The European Union should not ratify any trade deal until they get concrete and verifiable promises from Bolsonaro’s government… Policymakers need to broaden their definition of threats, incorporating climate change into policy decisions.

Declaring that “the Amazon is ours” might have been politically expedient in 1989, and Bolsonaro’s nationalist rhetoric has gotten him far. But, in today’s globalized world, no economy can thrive by itself. Countries can and must hold one another accountable for policies – such as those that destroy the environment on which we all depend – with consequences that extend far beyond national borders.

there is a prevailing sentiment that the Amazon belongs to all of humanity, rather than to Brazil, and that any country claiming to represent humanity is perfectly entitled to tell Brazil what it can and cannot do in or with the Amazon. That is irrational.

Within Brazil, there is a prevailing sentiment that any foreign country opining on the Amazon is plotting to diminish Brazil’s sovereignty over the region… That is irrational—it might even be psychotic.

Millennials are indeed in an unhealthy relationship with Disney, having granted control of so much of their leisure time and personality to a single, enormous corporate entity meant for children. Want to see a movie? Let’s go to the remake of 1994’s “The Lion King” or 1992’s “Aladdin.” Want to go on vacation? Sure, let’s jet off to the new Toy Story Land at Disney World, based on my favorite film from 1995. While we’re at it, why not return to the safety and comfort of the womb?

Disney is for everyone. It’s for young kids and big kids at heart. It’s for all kinds of families, in all shapes and sizes. It’s for all races and backgrounds and abilities. It’s as much for each of these groups as it is for any other one. It is as much for the mothers with their young children as it is for the child-free women.

Chasing millennial dollars, Disney offers adults-only cruises. Even in its mixed family-cruise lines, the company offers separate areas for adults-only pools, lounges and nightclubs to offer parents respite from their active children.

Once holding to a strict alcohol-free policy, Disney even loosened up last year by announcing it would serve cocktails in all its restaurants.