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This blog explores various socio-political themes and the content is composed of select excerpts from a multitude of books. The published source of each excerpt is identified within each Segment article. The list of books used for each Series is on the Book Listings page.
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To navigate, you will find themes are organized by Series. Each series is organized in a syllabus, which contains various Segments and Epilogues. Within each segment/epilogue, excerpts from books are in black text and my introductory comments are indicated in blue text.
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I have also included a short personal commentary section that includes my thoughts exclusively.
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PAST Series
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What is Happening to Our Country The Progressives are decidedly taking our country further to the left. The series excerpts analyze its policy results to date in nine different categories – governance, climate change, criminal justice, immigration, Covid, foreign policy, China, economy, and cultural wars. Six additional segments provide perspectives on the longer term and where the trend might take us. Click here to read this series.
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Generations The study of generations is an extremely good way to understand the ebb and flow of history as it incorporates attitudes, beliefs, prejudices, norms and values, and a perspective of why they change. Further, it is a good way to get and understand the perspectives of four to five living generations on various issues. This series focuses on the nineteen American generations with particular emphasis on the last four – Boomer, Generation X, Millennial, and Generation Z. Click here to read this series.
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Seeking Wisdom for America Three different historical analyses indicate that America is in a state of decline. This calls for wisdom to identify the issues and define the specific problems. The follow-up beckons for additional wisdom to develop actions to resolve the problems. Wisdom is then needed by the voting public to select leadership to reverse the decline. The understanding of decline and the identification of this collective wisdom is the objective of this new 23 segment series. Click here to read this series.
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The Great Reset: Is democracy (worldwide) in danger? The World Economic Forum (WEF) and its founder Klaus Schwab are calling for a revamping of all aspects of our societies and economies worldwide – a “Great Reset” of capitalism. A global world best governed by a coalition of multinational corporations, governments, and civil society organizations. The WEF is funded by 1,000 large corporations many of whom are American. Guests at their annual meeting in Davos, Switzerland have included such dignitaries as Xi Jinping, Joe Biden, Emmanuel Macron, Justin Trudeau, and King Charles. Klaus Schwab was a featured speaker and the 2022 G20 meeting in Indonesia. The series presents the WEF advocacy and its critics responses, so you can formulate your own opinion on its merits. Click here to read this series.
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COVID Pandemic Critique Historians will undoubtedly be writing about the COVID pandemic for decades to come. Yet today we know substantial aspects of the pandemic from hundreds of books already penned. Thirty-four such books were researched for this series which address such questions as: How well did U.S. Public Health Agencies and the White House Task Force perform? How well did we do as a country in “controlling the spread of the virus?” How does that compare to other countries? Why didn’t we have any early treatments (therapeutics)? Did our government, politicians, and media execute their responsibilities during this tragedy? What about the vaccines – how were they developed, the merits of them being mandated, their effectiveness? Was America’s doctor – Anthony Fauci a hero or a villain? Where did the virus originate? Was the widespread fear warranted? This series attempts to answer these questions and more. Developed in summer-fall 2022. Click here to read this series.
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Big Tech & Artificial Intelligence (AI) Big Tech is a substantial force in our country, economically, socially, and in shaping our future. Many big tech companies are monopolies who are taking advantage of their users by capturing personal information from their platforms and monetizing it via targeted marketing. Further, they are not only controlling much of the information we receive (some through censorship) but they are also attempting to influence our views and beliefs via information manipulation. Artificial Intelligence is predicted to have a very significant impact on society globally as profound if not more than the Industrial Revolution. There are many aspects that could substantially alter societies around the world. AI will undoubtedly shape the inevitable power struggle between the United States and China. This series provides some insight into all of the above. Developed in 2021; expanded in 2022. Click here to read this series.
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Nihilism: Good or Bad? Nihilism is defined as “a viewpoint that traditional values and beliefs are unfounded, and their existence is senseless and useless.” Wokeness has become a new term for issuing such challenges. Being “woke” is a new term for an old idea. Karl Marx, the father of communism, and his disciples wrote about achieving “class consciousness” – a state of being in which a person finally understands that the working class is all oppressed so commit themselves to revolution to overthrow their oppressors. Today, until you recognize your oppression (or your role in oppressing others) and commit to revolution you are asleep or woke. This series is less about judging the merits of “Wokeness” and more about informing you which of our society’s values and beliefs are being challenged and what the social justice advocates would like to substitute. Developed in 2021; expanded in 2022. Click here to read the series.
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China: A New Cold War? The Chinese Communist Party (CCP) has announced two long-term goals: becoming the world’s technology leader by 2025 and replacing the United States as the economic, military, and political leader and the world’s only superpower by 2049. Undoubtedly the United States/China relationship will define the 21st century for the world. The forces of globalism that have dominated our government and our media for the better part of a half-century have blinded too many Americans to the threat we face – an enemy who means to destroy us. This series puts some light on the threat, some of the CCP preparations that are underway, as well as describes how some of our politicians and elites are intertwined with officials of the CCP government. Additionally, there is one epilogue devoted to understanding the very disturbing human rights atrocity -- the imprisonment of Muslim Uighurs. Developed in 2020; expanded in 2022. Click here to read the series.
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Socialism Socialism is a very broad subject. This series breaks it down into three sections: understanding socialism and its history in the world; the creep of socialism in the United States; and hard socialism (communism) particularly in China. The series covers items such as the seven pillars of socialism, the 46 goals of international socialism, how the U.S. founders protected against socialism, how China successfully attained economic prosperity by adopting a capitalistic economic approach while maintaining a communist government, current socialistic institutions in the U.S, and the drift to socialism that is occurring in our country. Developed in 2018; expanded 2022. Click here to read the series.
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Climate Change This series begins with a scientific climate change debate based on excepts from the writings of prominent climate change advocates and climate change deniers spanning 2006 to 2017. Following the debate some key questions will be addressed by authors publishing in 2020 – 2021. The questions include: Is the science underpinning the climate change reports completely settled or are there uncertainties? How accurate are the computer model scenarios that are predicting the dire consequences of the future? How likely are the extreme weather conditions predicted for hurricanes, floods, droughts, wildfires, sea level rise, and food shortages to occur? What is the current trend line for each? Can the U.S. meet our future energy needs solely via renewable energy sources and are there any known consequences of doing so? Are there any other alternatives to “save the planet” besides eliminating fossil fuels? Developed in 2018; expanded in 2022. Click here to read the series.
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Globalization Innovation has fueled massive global communication, transportation and market changes and an integrated supply chain. This has dramatically increased interactions and trade among different people and nations resulting in a much greater integrated world. As economic globalism abounds it is fostering changes to multi-national corporations such as “stakeholder capitalism,” as well as questions concerning a future global governance process. The excerpts look at the global problems that need to be addressed, what has worked and not worked in the past, debate the merits of “stakeholder capitalism, and highlight the paradox that exists in achieving global governance. Developed in 2018; expanded in 2022. Click here to read the series.
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