This is part 3 of a 4-part series exploring what is wrong with the United States’ government. Part 1, Part 2 Of the three branches of government, the presidency is the easiest to imagine getting rid of. Throughout history and today there are plenty of examples of societies without a president. It could be a parliamentary…
This is part 2 of a 4-part series exploring what is wrong with the United States’ government. Part 1 When it comes to scrapping it and starting over, Congress will be the hardest for most people to wrap their heads’ around. A legislature is probably the most basic part of a modern government. As many…
This is part 1 of a 4-part series exploring what is wrong with the United States’ government. The Supreme Court of the United States has been bad for a really long time, if it ever worked at all. And I don’t mean because it has a conservative majority. The conservative majority is a symptom rather…
It’s almost impossible for me to trust myself during, and just after, a depressive episode. I wrote this piece about confidence, Confidence | Nutmegger Daily – Quality writing on many topics, a little bit ago. Not trusting myself seems like a similar phenomenon to lacking confidence, but I think it’s different in some important ways….
I’ve never thought of myself as patriotic. I do have a certain affection for the United States, but only because it’s my home. I’ve long recognized that there are dozens of other countries I could have been born in where my life would be about the same or better. The whole “greatest country in the…
I’m really not a snob, but I’m afraid I’m going to sound like one in this essay. People can, and should, like whatever they like. I don’t believe in guilty pleasures. I just wanted to warn everyone. Pop Culture is an oligopoly. It is in the traditional, business sense; there are only a limited number…
Yesterday, Sen. Marco Rubio was trending on Twitter. He was complaining that he only had an hour to read an 80-page bill before having to vote on it. I don’t like Rubio, nor do I usually comment on trending topics on Twitter, but something struck me about this, and I tweeted: Strangely, two people pushed…
Dear Sirs, As I’m sure you’re all aware, gas prices are currently at record highs. The president is asking for a three-month federal gas tax holiday to try to help. The proposal would save the average driver $0.18 per gallon, and diesel drivers $0.24 per gallon. This proposal is a huge mistake and I want…
I’ve had a long running debate with myself whether Lincoln was right to fight the War Between the States. Part of me feels like what was the free states would have been better off if they just let the slave states go. Another part of me worries about the humanitarian nightmare that would have resulted…
There’s one lie/myth/misconception that I hate. It’s the idea that mental illness causes/boosts/enhances creativity. It’s common to the point of insidiousness. People think that those with mental illness are more creative than those without as if there’s some kind of causal link. This article in Aeon talks about how the connection is far from scientific…
