By Oliver DeMille Independents are swinging their support of Republican candidates to more support of President Obama in the 2012 election. This is a huge change from the past three years. Independents put Republicans into control of the House in the historic election of 2010, and they have leaned strongly against President Obama since the … [Read more...]
The Grand Strategy for 2012
February 20, 2012 by 2 Comments
By Oliver DeMille 1. Two Speeches Several years ago I spoke at a seminar on international affairs and I predicted that in the next few years the United States would adopt a new Grand Strategy. I outlined America’s historical Grand Strategies, from Constitutionalism (1789-1820) and Manifest Destiny (1820-1900) to Nationalism (1900-1945) and … [Read more...]
How to “Hold the Reins” of Government Tightly
February 17, 2012 by 1 Comment
By Stan Szczesny "Stick to your objectives and examine the results to see how they match; take hold of the handles of government carefully and grip them tightly." -Han Fei Tzu, translated by Burton Watson It is the way of an enlightened people never to allow their representatives to speak words that cannot be matched by results. When … [Read more...]
Why Citizens in a Republic Must Cultivate “Stillness” & “Emptiness”
January 30, 2012 by 3 Comments
By Stan Szczesny “So still he seems to dwell nowhere at all; so empty no one can seek him out.” —Han Fei Tzu, chapter 5, translated by Burton Watson To retain their freedoms, the ruling masses must be still and empty. In theory, this is possible, but it is exceedingly difficult. Crowds are naturally not still. The reason of a crowd … [Read more...]
How Republics Sow the Seeds of Their Own Destruction
January 24, 2012 by 3 Comments
By Stan Szczesny “The ruler must not reveal his desires; for if he reveals his desires his ministers will put on the mask that pleases him.” —Han Fei Tzu, chapter 5, translated by Burton Watson The ruling masses must not reveal their desires; for if they reveal their desires, their representatives will put on masks to please them. The … [Read more...]
Mini-Factories: The Greatest Freedom Trend of Our Time
January 13, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille The following is an excerpt from Oliver's recent book, The Coming Aristocracy: Education & the Future of Freedom. If freedom is to reverse the onslaught of American and global aristocracy, it will likely do so through the greatest freedom trend of our time. This trend is revolutionizing institutions, organizations, … [Read more...]
Leaders Break the Cycle of Learned Helplessness
January 11, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Orrin Woodward Here is a portion of the Adversity Quotient Resolution chapter from my new book RESOLVED: 13 Resolutions for LIFE. Learned Helplessness, by definition, is a learned behavior; therefore, it can also be an unlearned behavior. This is exactly what leaders do for other people, helping them unlearn poor attitudes, … [Read more...]
Choose your Money View; Don’t let it Choose You
January 9, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Chris Brady "World View" is a term recently popularized by philosophers and media pundits who debate spiritual and political matters. It refers to the lens through which people see (and therefore interpret) the world around them. All information and observations must pass through this lens and be colored by one's World … [Read more...]
What to Look for in 2012
January 4, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille Here are some things to consider in 2012, several possible trends which could make significant changes in our world by the end of the year ahead: 1-Barring major events, the news of 2012 will most likely be all about the election, especially the presidential election. But the real potential for election change will be in the … [Read more...]
How to NOT Ruin Freedom
January 2, 2012 by Leave a Comment
By Oliver DeMille In the American founding era, most of the leading thinkers were rationalists. This means that they believed in reason as a top method of determining truth. Note that the general concept of reason has changed since then. When most people think of reason today, they tend to mix it with the ideas of logic, science and … [Read more...]
