current events
thoughts on living
interesting books

How To Fight Racism

How to fight racism was a topic we were discussing. But then all at once, she insisted, “If you don’t actively fight racism, you are a racist.” “WHAT!” I exclaimed. “What do you mean by racism? And who is to decide what ‘actively fight’ means? Are you trying to instill a guilt trip on me?” I think her idea came from Ibram X. Kendi’s book How to be an Antiracist, which book is full of circular definitions, which are logical fallacies. How would you respond to her statement? What is racism? It is important when discussing racism to be explicit about what you mean by the term. Words are important. …

Read more

Fossil Future

Fossil Future: Why Global Human Flourishing Requires More Oil, Coal, and Natural Gas – Not Less by Alex Epstein The full title of Fossil Future may seem at odds with the dominant media and government doomsday stories, but Epstein refutes them with fact after thoroughly researched fact, based on the ethical premise that the “good” is what supports human flourishing. The New York Times best selling author of The Moral Case for Fossil Fuels draws on the latest data and new insights to challenge everything you thought you knew about the future of energy. For over a decade, philosopher and energy expert Alex Epstein has predicted that any negative impacts …

Read more

Conquests and Cultures

Conquests and Cultures: An International History by Thomas Sowell Do you ever wonder why some societal groups rise and why others fail or fall behind? And what is the influence of conquests of one society over another? Conquests and Cultures  is an ideology-free look at human history fabulously researched and well written. Sowell provides us with new insights into the complex process of social evolution and offers a comprehensive historical account of why some groups rise and why others fail or fall behind. This book helped me gain a better understanding of the role of cultural differences within nations and between nations, today and over centuries of history, in shaping …

Read more

What Are “Rights”?

Many issues of the day concern the concept of “rights.” Most of us are familiar with the three rights named in the Declaration of Independence – the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. But now we hear of a plethora of rights – the right to a free education, the right to healthcare, the right to an abortion, the right to a living wage, the right not to be offended, and so on. To have an intelligible discussion of any of these, it is important to define what is meant by a “right” and what is the source of rights. Only then can you decide whether a …

Read more

Student Loan Forgiveness

Student loan forgiveness is an issue of integrity Just as a bridge needs physical integrity to function properly, so you need ethical integrity to function properly. In both cases, when integrity is breached, disaster is the result. Putting aside the government’s role in creating outlandishly high college tuition through tuition subsidies, and why the government should not be in the student loan business in the first place, what is the morality of student loan forgiveness? Facts of student loans The facts are that you borrowed money from the government. That is, you borrowed money from me and the other American taxpayers, and you promised to pay it back. Regardless of …

Read more

Islam and Faith

Once again in August 2022, Islam rears its ugly head in the attempted murder of author Salman Rushdie because he dared (over 30 years ago) to criticize Islam. And now Harry Potter author JK Rowling is receiving threats for her support of him. Evils committed in the name of Islam The continuing terrors conducted by Islamic jihadists are a major concern in both America and the rest of the world. Today, we read about increased incidents of shootings, knife attacks, cars crashing into crowds, suicide bombers, female genital mutilation, and so on, all by Muslims following the dictates of Islam. Even the tragedy of 9/11 was not something new. And …

Read more

Maverick

Maverick: A Biography of Thomas Sowell by Jason L. Riley Thomas Sowell, born in 1930, is perhaps the greatest economist and social theorist of our age. He is the author of more than 45 books, covering topics from economic history and social inequality to political philosophy, race, migration, and culture. Jason L. Riley, the author, does a masterful job of describing Sowell’s mindset and integrity. Sowell doesn’t back down from empirical data, facts, and logic. Years ago, I read Sowell’s Culture trilogy: Race and Culture: A World View (1994), Migrations and Cultures: A World View (1996), and Conquests and Cultures: An International History (1998). I was very impressed by the …

Read more