Weekly Reflection: May 12 – May 17
Each week, I share a clear-eyed summary of recent Outside Reflections articles—from core rights to shifting political strategies.
May 12: Echoes Across the Border: The Unintended Fallout of U.S. Drug Policy
This piece examines how America’s domestic drug enforcement ripples outward, especially across Latin America. It explores the destabilizing effects of U.S. demand and militarized interdiction, raising questions about accountability, sovereignty, and the real cost of a failed war on drugs.
Read here: Echoes Across the Border: The Unintended Fallout of U.S. Drug Policy
May 13: The Gospel of Musk: Building Towns, Selling Promises
This article dissects Elon Musk’s plan to build a private Texas town, positioning it within a broader trend of tech visionaries pursuing utopias on their own terms. It explores the dangers of corporate-led governance, where freedom is promised—but often selectively granted.
Read here: The Gospel of Musk: Building Towns, Selling Promises
May 14: Due Process Denied: The Thin Line Between Justice and Politics
This reflection investigates how legal systems can be subtly eroded when political motivations seep into prosecution. With a focus on public trust, it questions how due process can be preserved when fairness becomes subjective—and how easy it is to justify exceptions when it's "our side."
Read here: Due Process Denied: The Thin Line Between Justice and Politics
May 15: The Lion in the Vatican: Pope Leo and the War Against Modernity
This historical piece revisits Pope Leo XIII’s tenure and his struggle to defend religious authority in a rapidly changing world. It draws connections between his papacy and today’s ideological battles, offering insight into how institutions resist reform when their influence is on the line.
Read here: The Lion in the Vatican: Pope Leo and the War Against Modernity
May 16: The Sympathy Scam: When the Mob Buys the Microphone
This post explores how online mobs manipulate public sentiment, weaponizing selective empathy for attention or revenge. It challenges readers to distinguish real compassion from performative outrage—and to recognize when the crowd’s cause is more about clout than justice.
Read here: The Sympathy Scam: When the Mob Buys the Microphone
May 17: The Uniform Standard: When Patriotism Becomes a Dress Code
Closing the week, this piece critiques the idea that love of country must look and sound a certain way. From flag displays to speech codes, it unpacks how performative patriotism can become a tool of exclusion—more interested in optics than in shared values.
Read here: The Uniform Standard: When Patriotism Becomes a Dress Code