Who has the largest military system in the history of the human race? And who has the largest corporate welfare system to support the industrial arm of that military? Who has the largest public schooling program in the world? Could it be China, or India? I don’t know, but let me know if you are aware of real evidence that it is not the USA.
Tag: world
Climate Strike
I was the chauffeur last Friday who took my youngest granddaughters to the Climate Strike demonstration in front of the Fayette County, KY, Courthouse. I did this at the request of their mother, my daughter, the hydrologist who works for the Kentucky Environmental Protection Agency. The young women are a teen and a pre-teen on the cusp. These may seem to be odd arrangements and relationships for someone, such as I, who has a very decided stance on global warming.
Mistakes and Wrongs
I’ve made so many mistakes over the course of my life. And I’ve committed so many wrongs. Many of my mistakes haunt me when I think of them. Each one undoubtedly set my life on a different course. When I think of them I sometimes want to punch myself in the face and mutter “Stupid, stupid, stupid!”
Social Media Companies “Struggle” to Help Censors Keep us in the Dark
According to CNN Business, “Facebook, YouTube and Twitter struggle to deal with New Zealand shooting video.” “Deal with” is code for “censor on demand by governments and activist organizations who oppose public access to information that hasn’t first been thoroughly vetted for conformity to their preferred narrative.”
Try Before You Know
In design thinking, there’s a process known as “Proof of Concept.” This is when you create a pilot version of a project in order gauge your idea against the feedback of some real world experience. This works not only for developing products, but also for developing your self.
Reward Someone’s Faith
Wouldn’t it be nice to live in a world in which humans had faith in other humans? Wouldn’t it be nice if people had faith that good wins out over evil, that virtue leads to happiness, and that freedom creates the best kind of society? Answer: it would be very nice.
The Difference That Difference Makes
If everyone was inspired and irked by the same things as you, there wouldn’t be much of a need for you. You can despise the differences that exist between yourself and others OR you can embrace those differences as evidence for the existence of a unique contribution that you’re here to make.
Lawmakers Want to Give Voting Rights to Teens They Treat Like Toddlers
Teenagers are capable of being valuable contributors to civil society. They should be granted greater freedom and responsibility. Lowering the voting age while trapping them in compulsory schooling gives teenagers neither freedom nor responsibility.
Some Men Just Want to Watch Mexico Burn
If you share this romantic vision, you might even welcome my analysis: “Yes, I’m inspired by revolutionary idealism. At least they tried.” Yet calmly considered, this romantic vision is inexcusable. Launching a bloody war without even asking, “How likely is this war to improve the world?” is as “romantic” as drunk driving at a playground. Giving revolutionaries credit for “trying” is ridiculous. If you combine brutality with wishful thinking about the consequences, your real goal isn’t to make those consequences a reality. Your real goal is just to exercise brutality.
Being Wrong and Being Smart
Imagine someone who plays Trivial Pursuit. Getting a lot of answers right is impressive. But if someone gets every single answer perfectly correct every single time, something’s up. They memorized all the correct answers. They’re unerring, but also kinda dumb.