Democracy in America by Alexis de Tocqueville was a heavy read, to put it mildly. Tocqueville visited the United States in 1831 to study the country. Initially, his focus was the prison system, but his study expanded to include the government structure and the socio-economic conditions of the country. Once he completed his research, he … Continue reading Book Review: Democracy In America
Tag: Politics
When Politicians Use Christianity as a Prop
There is a lot going on in the U.S., and now in the Middle East with the conflict there, which seems to be expanding, especially after today’s attacks. Carl Von Clausewitz, a Prussian general and military theorist, said that "war is a continuation of politics by other means.” That is exactly what is happening in … Continue reading When Politicians Use Christianity as a Prop
On Learning and The Information Environment
While reading Letters from a Stoic by Seneca, specifically the chapter on learning wisdom in old age, I came across the following passage: “You should keep learning as long as you are ignorant—even to the end of your life, if there is anything in the proverb. And the proverb suits the present case as well … Continue reading On Learning and The Information Environment
Chasing Immortality: A Philosophical and Political Reflection
"While you live, while you may, become good.” – Marcus Aurelius It seems that the subject of immortality has entered my world over the past couple of months. First, I watched a Netflix documentary, Don’t Die: The Man Who Wants to Live Forever, which narrates the bizarre experiment that Bryan Johnson, a tech millionaire, is … Continue reading Chasing Immortality: A Philosophical and Political Reflection
The Tariffs Debate
"There is no better teacher than history in determining the future. There are answers worth billions of dollars in a $30 history book.”— Charlie Munger I’m not sure how much the state of Illinois paid for the history book my son is using in high school, but I found a copy for $6.79 on the … Continue reading The Tariffs Debate
When Leadership Fails: A Diplomatic Disaster on the World Stage
Last Friday, the world witnessed one of the worst interactions between leaders in recent memory on national television. The behavior of this country’s leaders was, without a doubt, an example of counterproductive and poor leadership. Counterproductive leadership falls into five categories: abusive behaviors, self-serving behaviors, erratic behaviors, leadership incompetence, and corrupt behaviors.1 Last week, we … Continue reading When Leadership Fails: A Diplomatic Disaster on the World Stage
Meritocracy
Meritocracy—a word that has been bounced around a lot lately. We’ve heard it frequently during U.S. senate confirmation hearings in the past few weeks. But what actually is meritocracy? Well, my trusty Merriam-Webster dictionary defines it as: "A system, organization, or society in which people are chosen and moved into positions of success, power, and influence on … Continue reading Meritocracy
I Just Want a Normal Life
I was reading a news article about politics in Germany this weekend, and something a 20-year-old said caught my attention. This young man said, "… but we just want a normal life.” All politics aside, this declaration took me back to when I was 20—yes, a little over 31 years ago for those who want … Continue reading I Just Want a Normal Life
Book Review: The Forgotten Americans
For the past 20 months or so, I have read several books focused on the subject of marginalized citizens. This interest partly comes from my desire to understand how social scientists, political theorists, and historians perceive our current problems and the solutions they propose. Books such as Poverty, By America, Evicted, There Is Nothing for … Continue reading Book Review: The Forgotten Americans
Religious Freedom?
While recovering from the flu, I read an online article since I was too tired to actually sit and read a book or The Economist. The title of the article is "Evangelicals Divided as Sharia Courts Expand in the Philippines," and you can read it in Christianity Today if you are interested. Here is the link. According to … Continue reading Religious Freedom?
Thoughts about leadership, history, and more 