Reading dictionaries is fun. I especially like the Oxford English Dictionary (OED), along with its two companions, the Compact Oxford English Dictionary, and the Compact Oxford Thesaurus. Seriously, this isn't nerdy at all. It's really entertaining. For example, my brother Will told me the other day that he had an interesting experience. He … [Read more...]
Why Freedom is Losing: The Battle for Our Future – Oliver DeMille
February 12, 2014 by 7 Comments
De Jouvenel said it all in one profound paragraph: "From the twelfth to the eighteenth century governmental authority grew continuously. The process was understood by all who saw it happening; it stirred them to incessant protest and...reaction. In later times its growth has continued at an accelerated pace...And now we no longer understand the … [Read more...]
Are You Really an American? – Oliver DeMille
January 29, 2014 by 4 Comments
The more I watch the news, the more I wish we had more farmers in modern America. I grew up in a small town, and when I was a boy there were lots of farmers still left in the county. The town was small enough that I knew, at least by face and name, pretty much every man and woman -- and I noticed something different about farmers. They didn't … [Read more...]
The Legacy of 2013? -Oliver DeMille
January 8, 2014 by 1 Comment
The year 2013 is over, and it may go down in history as another drastically negative year like 1913. The hundred year itch? Maybe. The year started out with high political drama as Republicans and Democrats argued late into the nights on January 1 and 2 in search of a fiscal cliff agreement. In May and June we watched a domino series of … [Read more...]
A Huge Shift is Coming to America – Oliver DeMille
December 18, 2013 by 17 Comments
We entered a new cycle of history during 2013. Like any cycle, this one started small. But it is growing quickly, and it is already swaying the future. To understand this, let's briefly go back to the beginning -- when this cycle was first described. In 1836, even before Alexis de Tocqueville finished his famous classic, Democracy in America, a … [Read more...]
The Big Lie in America – Oliver DeMille
November 20, 2013 by 1 Comment
The Big Lie dominates Washington and much of our American culture. The lie, in a nutshell, argues that as government increases regulation, our society improves. This lie has lasted a long time, mainly because our society is divided between two versions of The Big Lie. The Democratic version contends that as the government increases regulation on … [Read more...]
The Only Two Ways to Fix Washington – Oliver DeMille
November 6, 2013 by 2 Comments
Washington is broken, and the problem is short-term thinking. In our current system, there is little or no incentive for our leaders to do what is right for the next generation -- if it in any way conflicts with immediate concerns. We know debt is bad, but in the short-term it's easier to keep spending. And we realize that deficits are a problem, … [Read more...]
Why Washington Can’t Be Fixed, But America Can – Oliver DeMille
October 23, 2013 by 11 Comments
The problems in Washington D.C. aren't going to be fixed, because Washington is the problem. One fundamental way Washington operates is incompatible with freedom, prosperity, and common sense. Specifically, Washington today is caught in the rut of post bellum auxilium, and there is little chance of this changing any time soon. This phrase … [Read more...]
The Three Kinds of Nations – Oliver DeMille
October 9, 2013 by 11 Comments
There are two kinds of laws, one good and the other bad. The first kind includes only laws that protect inalienable rights. Such laws are necessary to maintain freedom in any society. This kind of law is called Fundamental Law. Societies without good Fundamental Law fail to grow and succeed, because the basic inalienable rights of the people … [Read more...]
Government Secrecy Kills Freedom – Oliver DeMille
September 25, 2013 by 5 Comments
It's one of the main plots in Hollywood movies and popular TV dramas. The government knows some secret information, but won’t share it because it might cause panic in the regular people. This is the justification for modern government secrecy, spying on its people, and even torture. In the name of security, apparently everything is okay for the … [Read more...]
