This part 3 in a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here Some might argue that our elected representatives should keep an eye on such things and take care of them for us. True enough; except for one thing: Despite of all their good intentions and willingness to step up and lead, most of these representatives are ultimately just … [Read more...]
How to Destroy the Constitution, Part 2: The Power of the Fine Print
September 16, 2010 by Leave a Comment
This is part 2 of a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Many Americans ignore the fine print in job contracts and mortgage papers, blithely signing our signatures and trusting others to handle the details. Consider how lax we are with proposed bills in Washington DC: They are written by someone we don’t know and voted on by people few of us … [Read more...]
How to Destroy the Constitution, Part 1: Vital Foundations of Freedom
September 15, 2010 by 2 Comments
This is part 1 of a 3-part article. Subsequent segments will be published daily. DEMOCRATS, REPUBLICANS, AND INDEPENDENTS don’t agree on much, but most of them do believe in the excellence and effectiveness of the U.S. Constitution. A group this diverse will, of course, have some disagreements on the details, but it is amazing how nearly all … [Read more...]
What Does it Mean to Be “American?”
July 8, 2010 by 7 Comments
Minnesota Representative Michele Bachmann once accused Barack Obama of holding positions that are "anti-American" (and she was not the first). What did she mean? In order to define what it means to be "anti-American" we should define what it means to be "American" and use examples from history to see if our judgment is fair or even … [Read more...]
Basic Tribal Culture, Part 3: Major Weaknesses of Tribalism
June 24, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 2 of a 3-part series, which is continued from this series. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here At this point, we should note that while traditional tribal culture does have much to teach us from its idyllic simplicity, it is far from perfect. Studying its pitfalls and common flaws is also instructive. When tribes are run by … [Read more...]
Things You Don’t Talk About In Polite Company
June 17, 2010 by Leave a Comment
In 2002 President George W. Bush said, “The public education system . . . is where children from all over America learn to be responsible citizens, and learn to have the skills necessary to take advantage of our fantastic opportunistic society.” At first blush this is just a gaffe, Freudian in my opinion. But there is much that is more of … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 3: Foundations of American Freedom
June 16, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 3 of a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here The most accurate way, then, to diagram the American governmental system is to diagram the local system correctly, then the federal and state levels with their three branches each, separations of power and checks and balances. But how exactly does one diagram the local … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 2: Freedom at the Local Level
June 15, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 2 of a 3-part article. Read Part 1 Here Civics 101 The first constitutions and governments in America were local, and there were hundreds of them. These documents were the basis of later state constitutions, and they were also the models in which early Americans learned to actively cooperate to govern themselves. Without … [Read more...]
Why Tribes are Vital to Success in the 21st Century, Part 1: Our Tribal Roots
June 14, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 1 of a 3-part article. Subsequent segments will be published daily. SETH GODIN'S RUNAWAY BESTSELLER Tribes took a quaint anthropological label and turned it into a pop culture buzz-word. And while his timely ideas helped articulate a fresh and needed approach to marketing and beyond, the power of tribal culture is far greater … [Read more...]
Changing Lanes, Part 5: Future Leaders
April 24, 2010 by 1 Comment
This is part 4 of a 5-part article. Read Part 1 Here Read Part 2 Here Read Part 3 Here Read Part 4 Here Thus far, I have proposed a specific solution to a specific problem. This trend towards federalism, and the opportunity it provides jurists and scholars to empower mediating entities gives me hope for a unified America. But I … [Read more...]
