By Oliver DeMille Modernism dislikes all types of elitism-- except for meritocracy. When elite status is merited, according to this view, it is a good thing. In such a society, our elites are: “…made up for the most part of bureaucrats, scientists, technicians, trade-union organizers, publicity experts, sociologists, teachers, journalists, … [Read more...]
Property and Freedom
September 26, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille We can learn a lot about freedom by understanding how Marx wanted to establish communism. One of his ten planks of establishing communism was this: 1. Abolition of property in land and application of all rents of land to public purposes… Take away property and you take away freedom. If a man or woman cannot own land, a … [Read more...]
A Genie & Entrepreneurship
September 12, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille The old Cold War-era joke is told of an American, a Frenchman, and a Russian, lost in the wilderness, who find a lamp and rub it. Out comes a Genie. He offers them each one wish, for a total of three. The American pictures the large ranch owned by the richest people in the valley where he grew up, and wishes for a ranch ten … [Read more...]
Do These Shackles Make Me Look Fat?
September 9, 2011 by Leave a Comment
Humans tend to remain oblivious to all but the most tumultuous changes. Few of us notice the first few pounds we’ve put on. It’s not until our clothing becomes obviously and uncomfortably tight that we suspect something is amiss. Even then few are willing to step on a scale to confirm the suspected weight gain and fewer still are willing to … [Read more...]
A New Definition of Success
August 29, 2011 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille The Religion of Prosperity The lasting legacy of the twentieth century may be its materialistic definition of success. Indeed, the “religion” of prosperity has grown to dominate politics, philosophy, religious debate, family and community culture and even education (people sent their children to school with patently … [Read more...]
The Party System’s Newest Flaw
August 26, 2011 by 1 Comment
By Oliver DeMille I recently watched a televised debate on whether America’s two-party system is making our nation ungovernable. During the debate, New York Times columnist David Brooks said something fascinating. He mentioned that political scientists keep track of how much cooperation there is between the two parties in Congress, and … [Read more...]
Lies We Choose To Believe
August 24, 2011 by 1 Comment
“Of course I’ll still respect you in the morning.” “We know exactly where the WMD are located.” “This election is the most important election of our lifetimes.” Of all the lies we choose to believe, that last one is the most pathetic. We hear it repeated ad nauseum during every single election cycle. It’s a manipulative platitude, … [Read more...]
The Decline of Civilizations
August 17, 2011 by 1 Comment
by Orrin Woodward Why do civilizations rise, decline, and fall? Civilizations as diverse as the Sumerians, Egyptians, Persians, Greeks, Romans, and Chinese all declined, eventually falling under their own weight. Is decline the natural condition of life, with growth being a temporary anomaly in the march of history? Arnold Toynbee, an English … [Read more...]
Groupthink and Crimes of Opinion
August 8, 2011 by 2 Comments
by Bryan Hyde The Age of Political Correctness The beauty of totalitarian concepts like groupthink and crimes of opinion is that everyone is a potential thought criminal in need of sensitivity training. For instance, when a student at Alta High School jokingly donned a white pillowcase with eye-holes during a school pep assembly last spring, a … [Read more...]
A Wisdom Society
July 15, 2011 by 3 Comments
By Oliver DeMille “A powerful tide is surging across much of the world today, creating a new, often bizarre environment in which to work, play, marry, raise children, or retire. In this bewildering context, businessmen swim against highly erratic economic currents; politicians see their ratings bob wildly up and down.Value systems splinter and … [Read more...]
