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Dissident Spotlight: Étienne Fakaba Sissoko
Étienne Sissoko was sentenced to two years in prison for writing a book that described Mali’s military junta’s use of propaganda.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How to Productively Challenge What Others Think
Christopher Hitchens imparted a lot of wisdom in how to be a contrarian without falling for any conspiracy you cross paths with.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Ngo Oanh Phuong
Ngo Phuong criticized one of Vietnam's largest companies and has faced ongoing arrests and harassment for it.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How to Predict Unpredictable Events
Expanding your view of what could go wrong will prepare you for new emergencies, but trying to guess the next specific disaster is a fool’s errand.
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Christopher Gerlacher

April 2025

Dissident Spotlight: Anabel Hernández
Anabel Hernández has drawn the ire of Mexico's president over reporting on the ruling political party's ties to the cartels.
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Christopher Gerlacher
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How the South Reinstated Slavery After the Civil War
Slavery didn't end when the Union won the Civil War. It ended when federal law was clarified and enforced in the early to mid-1900s.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Mohamed Tadjadit
Mohamed Tadjadit is a poet who was sentenced to five years in prison for his outspoken opposition to Algeria's oppressive regime.
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Christopher Gerlacher
How to Tell Real Skepticism from Lunacy
Skeptics make sure their beliefs are well-supported. That means embracing doubt instead of claiming to be without out.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Alaa Abd El-Fattah
Alaa Abd El-Fattah is an Egyptian dissident who has been imprisoned by multiple government regimes.
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Christopher Gerlacher
An Exploration of Hope, Death, and Sanity
Dostoyevsky's The Idiot brings some of the most interesting existential conversations to life.
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Christopher Gerlacher
Dissident Spotlight: Chow Hang-tung
Chow Hang-tung is a lawyer who has represented herself in court against the Hong Kong government, which China's oppressive regime has taken over.
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Christopher Gerlacher
What Makes Even Experts Make Poor Judgments
Noise is the kind of information that diverts people from making their best decisions. It can also be harder to fix than bias.
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Christopher Gerlacher
© 2025 Christopher Gerlacher
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