Fractional Reserve Banking, Energy Economics, and Nikki Haley

I was actually surprised to see that a Presidential Candidate could even think of trying to raise the retirement age or cut social security benefits at a time when record numbers of ‘entitlement recipients’ are a distinct demographic voting group sought after by all. Reducing the purchasing power of older people puts them at dramatically

Conditions for Peace in Ukraine

I have not commented on this web log for months on the ongoing conflict between Ukraine and Russia for a variety of reasons. Understanding time, risk, and history, help in formulating a cogent analysis of the situation that continues to deteriorate on that battlefield. Vladimir Putin seems intent on redrawing the physical borders of Russia,

Prince Harry

The international media frenzy continues with the release of the cryptically-named memoir of Prince Harry, ‘Spare’. The psychology of captivity is very interesting and this latest output from the Prince may be simply be evidence of a man who has lost his honor and surrendered his will to resist. https://www.cnet.com/culture/entertainment/prince-harry-book-leaks-claims-so-far-from-upcoming-memoir-spare/ https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Joost_Meerloo

The Tragedy of the Commons

I continue to read the bad news the New York Times is kind enough to publish on its front page related to the human habitability of the biosphere. Apparently the new projections see a 3.0C temperature rise by 2100 – which is devastating. I do find some hope when I study Ancient Rome as the

The Golden Rule

The Governors of Texas and Florida have found it fashionable to transport migrants to the vacation areas of prominent Democrats, using public money in a very political way. From a personal standpoint, when these people leave office, they can expect reciprocal treatment – who knows who might show up at their doorstep? https://www.cnn.com/2022/09/16/politics/desantis-marthas-vineyard-migrants/index.html

Mansa Musa’s Camel Caravan to Cairo

I was reading in the New York Times yesterday that a high school advanced placement (AP) exam would now be offered for African-American history. While I cannot claim an African heritage, I have done extensive research into the nature of ‘peak’ civilizations of other cultures such as the Maya, Romans, Greeks, Germans, British, Chinese, etc.

Joe Biden’s Honor

The Hoefstade Cultural Dimensions Theory does not incorporate the concept of ‘honor’ as a virtue. It does, however, contain a measurable social parameter of ‘Individuality and Collectivism’, which is presented as a left-right axis. This is measured through individual responses to questions on a standard questionnaire and then aggregated as a group. At a time

Global Warming and Farmland

Trump stealing nuclear secrets and getting his followers killed

It has been a busy news day. The FBI raided Mar-a-Largo and recovered troves of classified documentation, which may have also included nuclear secrets. Did this guy take strategy documents, targeting data, organizational plans? If so, he probably set up a viewing room for spies to come and view and copy them. The Country’s first

Institutional Killing and Apologies

Pictures say thousands of words, and the New York Times coverage of the Pope’s visit to the indigenous peoples of Canada was something to read slowly this morning. Holding the children several generations removed from acts of genocide or murder responsible for those acts is immoral. If the Nazi party, an institution, had survived WWII