This is the question Americans should be asking themselves right now; that is, aside from the fifty million who have already voted. Which of these two men – both in their seventies, both unafraid to go on the attack, and yet with two very different visions for America – do you want flying the plane … Continue reading Trump vs. Biden: Who Do You Want Flying the Plane?
Midway through the Vice Presidential debate, it was already obvious how the media was going to spin it. The narrative was predetermined: all Mike Pence had to do was challenge Kamala Harris (a guarantee considering the nature of the event, a debate), and they could accuse him of sexist bullying, or – to use a … Continue reading Do Women Need Equal Treatment or Special Treatment?
There are many things to know about Kamala Harris. Americans will take a closer look at the former presidential contender tonight, as she debates Vice President Mike Pence. But in this post, I'd like to start with her unique background. Most Americans will be surprised to find Kamala Harris among the most elite-pedigreed candidates to … Continue reading Kamala Harris Privilege
October is paradoxically both a favorite month for many and also a time typically associated with fear and death. Leaves turn orange, gold, and crimson before falling to the ground to shrivel and decay. The faint chill lacing the morning and evening air is a clear warning that summer, with all its easy lethargy, is … Continue reading Memento Mori and Be Not Afraid
Perhaps it is no surprise that the best characterization of American life comes to us via an outsider: the French aristocrat Alexis de Tocqueville, who published Democracy in America in 1835. Outsiders have a way of noticing unique and bizarre aspects of society that can seem “normal” to those who live there. We are all … Continue reading How Tocqueville Predicted Cancel Culture and Political Correctness
The last few months have been difficult for many Americans. We have watched our nation struggle with a global pandemic, a history of unresolved racism, and violence in the streets. Economic and social turmoil have engendered feelings of helplessness and despair, as events continue to spiral out of control. Many are left doubting the foundations … Continue reading Solzhenitsyn’s Critique of the West as a Warning for Our Times
Two separate but related movements are playing out across our country right now. The first is a grassroots protest movement driven by widespread outrage over the tragic death of George Floyd. Over the past few weeks, it has taken the form of speeches, peaceful demonstrations, discussions about the persistence of racism in America, and debates … Continue reading On Liberty, Order, and Revolution
People are trying to sort through conflicting information on the coronavirus pandemic. How did the virus originate? How serious is it? What is the best treatment? How long should lock-downs continue? Should we encourage herd immunity or keep flattening the curve with stay-at-home orders? How likely is it that we will be able to develop … Continue reading Diagnosing the Pandemic Conspiracy Theories
I recently read Nassim Nicholas Taleb’s four-book Incerto collection. In the first book, Fooled by Randomness, Taleb posits that we know much less about the world than we think. Published just months before 9/11, he infamously floated the scenario of terrorists flying planes into the Twin Towers. In the second book, The Black Swan, Taleb … Continue reading Viewing the COVID-19 Pandemic through the Lens of Fragility
Can you feel the memory of this place? Or does the weight of time erase Blood from the root, leaving only fear? Do you know what happened here? In 1893 they hung me from a hickory tree; Still hungry, they tore its branches free And cut my clothes for souvenirs Like something great had happened … Continue reading The Ballad of Thomas Smith
The Front Porch Philosopher 