HeyJaredJim Mittelman
- Indexed articles, last 90 days
- 5
- Latest publication
- Sep 27, 2026
- Outlet visibility, for Daily Camera
- Top 500K sites
- Earliest in this view
- Jul 12, 2026
Latest articles
Mittelman: The bite of barbarity is infecting the US (opens the original)
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After visiting Zanzibar, a semiautonomous archipelago in Tanzania, in past decades and, more recently, taken by its Nobel laureate Abdulrazak Gurnah’s novel “Paradise,” I returned this month. I was interested in learning more about how this predominantly Moslem society absorbed indigenous African, Persian, Portuguese, Omani, South Asian and British cultures. Yet touring its slave market proved to be a shocking experience. I was stunned by the extreme barbarity practiced there until 1909, with ob
Mittelman: The decline of public intellectuals bears a cost: What to do about it? (opens the original)
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The decline of public intellectuals is a threat to the performance of the U.S. economy and political and social life. The pressing questions are: What is driving this trend and how can society regain the heft that public intellectuals offer? One reading of general intellect in America is reflected in an exchange between Adlai Stevenson, Dwight D. Eisenhower’s Democratic opponent in the 1952 and 1956 presidential elections, and a supporter who assured him: “Governor, every thinking American will
Mittelman: What’s wrong with American democracy and how to fix it (opens the original)
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With primary elections in full swing, many people are expressing dissatisfaction with the state of American democracy. Surely it is backsliding during Trump’s years in the White House. The urgent question is: How to fix it? Among the 167 countries ranked in The Economist Democracy Index, the United States slipped from 28th place in January 2025, when Donald Trump was inaugurated, to 34th in 2026. Given low voter turnout (35.9% in Colorado’s June 2026 primaries) relative to most European countrie
Mittelman: To lead a meaningful life, fight for democracy (opens the original)
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My last column in these pages (July 12) focused on responding to the crisis of meaning. Meaning is a glue that holds society together. It is a way to attain buy-in. This crisis manifests as conflicting narratives of U.S. history, widespread disenchantment with present-day governance and despondency about the future. To be concrete about the collapse of meaning, consider Fourth of July celebrations. This year, I joined in July 4 festivities in Crested Butte. In this vibrant mountain community, I
Mittelman: Writing is a way to respond to the ongoing crisis of meaning (opens the original)
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I am often asked why I continue to write — what motivates me? The honest answer is that I’m not very good at anything else. In a famous essay published in 1946, George Orwell offered a more thoughtful response. He noted four motives for writing. First is “sheer egoism.” Serious writers try to be clever, a characteristic that verges on being vain and self-centered. Second, “aesthetic enthusiasm” reflects a desire to share a view of beauty or a special event. Third, “historical impulse” is wanting
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