About
This space is intended to help sort out some of my confusion about the political landscape in which we find ourselves, and hopefully to start an illuminating, open forum for discussion. I chose the name “The Ethical Realist” after seeing a book called Ethical Realism by Anatol Lieven and John Hulsman, distinguished policy experts from opposing political camps. I liked the way it sounded and what it evoked for me, and while the book applies the philosophy specifically to foreign policy, I hope to give it a more general application here. To that end, contributions are welcome. Submissions can be up to 750 words, on the themes of our electoral process, the two-party system, third parties, the politicians themselves, the influence of modern media, campaign fairness and reform, specific policy issues, and/or reactions of the voting public, including friends and family. And any ideas on how we can make things better, or what the term Ethical Realism evokes for you. It seems like a good time to not be idle about our future, and to share what you have to say. Please send your piece to: info@ethicalrealist.com.
As for me, under the cover of the ironic pseudonym given by my clever sister, I was born in upstate New York and studied classical ballet before graduating from the University of Texas with a BA in Russian Studies and minor in Journalism. From the university newspaper job as reporter and then editor, I went on to start a weekly magazine in Kiev, Ukraine, where I lived and worked for four years before returning to Brooklyn in 1996, where I still live. In addition to translating minor works from Russian to English, I contributed to a collection of interviews about Americans and their jobs published by Crown/Random House, as well as the New Yorker. Currently, I’m working as a freelance writer and in the art department at Publishers Weekly.
–Hope Dascher
(aka Dana Davison)