How To Keep The Law In Its Rightful Place The only legitimate purpose of legislation is to establish some level of justice in society. However, it doesn’t take long for that proposed intent to be abused. Human beings have a tendency to self-interest and legislators are no different. The French physiocrat Frederic Bastiat, popularized the … [Read more...]
A Propaganda-Proof People
September 6, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Last week a friend emailed me the following: "Hi Bryan, "How are you doing? "Just wondering, a friend of mine at work was pretty ticked off at you for a show of yours she listened to this weekend. She said that you were saying that Fox [N]ews fans are delusional, and that you didn't reference what people should be watching or listening to … [Read more...]
Why Our Current Brand of Capitalism is Inconsistent With Freedom
August 26, 2010 by 2 Comments
"The system of corporate life is a new power for which our language contains no name. We have no word to express government by moneyed corporations." -Charles Francis Adams Equal opportunity is the bedrock of freedom. This nation was established to preserve, protect, and ensure that opportunity. The United States (and the world) will need to … [Read more...]
What “Freedom” Means For a New Criminal Justice System
July 15, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Freedom. Let it ring! Freedom. What does it mean? Although the Greeks and Romans discussed Liberty and Independence and what it meant in their city-states and republic, Freedom is essentially an Anglo-American concept in political philosophy, having its origin in ancient Germanic languages and being used in the culture of the … [Read more...]
Sunday Poem: Bury Me in a Free Land by Frances Harper
July 4, 2010 by Leave a Comment
Explore the Sunday Poem archives here. Bury Me in a Free Land Frances Harper Make me a grave where'er you will, In a lowly plain, or a lofty hill; Make it among earth's humblest graves, But not in a land where men are slaves. I could not rest if around my grave I heard the steps of a trembling slave; His shadow above my silent tomb Would … [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...]
