In 1938 Winston Churchill wrote one of the most important books in history, While England Slept. He argued that between 1932 and 1938 the British government ignored the rising challenges posed by Hitler’s Germany. Why didn’t the government see what was obvious to Churchill and many others? Why didn’t it make hard choices early in order to … [Read more...]
Are We In for a “Second Great Depression”? by Oliver DeMille
July 30, 2013 by 1 Comment
In my recent class on current events, I documented the effectiveness of one scholarly media source in predicting future national policies, elections and other governmental events. The source is Foreign Affairs, a quarterly publication that seems to actually influence Washington more than simply provide forecasts. Of course, forecasts are always a … [Read more...]
How the Obama Administration Will Divert Attention: A Prediction
July 23, 2013 by 1 Comment
History runs in cycles and patterns. People who think such cycles can help us precisely forecast every turn of events are always disappointed, but those who ignore the patterns as if they can teach us nothing are missing important information as well. My reading of the cycles makes me think that the Obama Administration may soon be at a … [Read more...]
Europe Calls Washington’s Spying Agenda “Orwellian”
July 22, 2013 by 1 Comment
Recently I wrote about how deeply concerned I am with the American public’s seeming apathy about the government spying on its own people. I received a lot of positive feedback, and I was excited that so many people still feel the importance of standing up for freedom. I got one email from a gentleman who seemed to feel that I had overstated the … [Read more...]
The Rise & Fall of Institutions: Commentary on Edward Snowden by Oliver DeMille
July 12, 2013 by 18 Comments
We are living through a major transition in America, and the Edward Snowden case illustrates just how significant it is. As recently as 1991, the American people were proud of their country, and highly impressed with their government institutions and leaders. The people looked up to the White House after what many considered a successful … [Read more...]
Sowing the Seeds of Rebellion
July 5, 2013 by 2 Comments
What do these things have in common? Providing someone with raw milk. Collecting rainwater to water your garden. Saving seeds from your garden to grow next year’s crop. All of them may be illegal depending upon where you live. It is the nature of government to seek to gradually expand its control over our lives. Seatbelt laws, legal tender laws … [Read more...]
Losing Faith in Washington?
June 21, 2013 by Leave a Comment
President Obama’s fundamental argument since his campaign and through his first term and second campaign has been that our society can benefit more from government than it has in the past. This is an easy sell in Europe, but not so much in the United States. The framers mistrusted government, and felt that freedom can only last in a society … [Read more...]
Another Federal Scandal?
June 14, 2013 by Leave a Comment
The Obama trifecta of scandals including Benghazi, IRS targeting, and AP phone records is now joined by another potential scandal. The EPA is accused of ongoing “Sue and Settle” practices, which means that they work with left-leaning environmental groups who file suits against a federal agency and then the attorneys work out settlements that … [Read more...]
When NOT to Settle Down
May 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
After every major U.S. election, there is a gradual wind-down of passion for a few months. For over a year now, people of all political views have been at high pitch on politics. They geared up for the Republican primaries, then the question of who would be the Vice President, and then the general election dominated the fall season. The … [Read more...]
Are You Ready for the LeaderShift?
April 6, 2013 by Leave a Comment
I'm excited for my new book, LeaderShift, and I think it’s incredibly important. As my co-author, business leader Orrin Woodward, put it: “Washington D.C. isn’t going to fix its problems anytime soon, so things are going to get worse in our politics and the economy until real leadership is found outside of government.” In short, it’s … [Read more...]
