Fake news is an abundant commodity in public discourse these days. The reality of the situation is that all of us are hurt by it. By acknowledging the existence of untenable facts, it gives permission to everyone to ignore hard and fast evidence, and thus justification to hunker down in the echo chambers of their …
Although I did not make a substantial number of posts in 2013, the traffic to my site remained relatively vigorous. Throughout 2013 my blog had 24,007 hits from 21,042 unique visitors, accounting for nearly 30,000 page views. I had visitors from every state in the US and 158 nations around the world. Visitors from the …
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Are you sick and tired of politicians and their antics throughout the United States? Regardless of your political orientation, this is likely the case. Over the last 20 years there has been a rising tide of bitter partisanship, leaving a large contingent of US Citizens feeling frustrated and disenfranchised. Meanwhile both parties point their fingers …
Read more “Partisan Belief Superiority and Dogmatism as a Source of Political Gridlock”
It is often argued that the United States is exceptional with regard to its capabilities and responsibilities. With respect to its military prowess, and defense budget, it is certainly exceptional. I am curious however. To what extent is the US exceptional in other important ways? Is the US the envy of the world with regard …
Read more “American Exceptionalism: I’m all for it!”
Nobody likes a cheater. Such acts may stir deep feelings of loathing that erode trust and have ruinous consequences with regard to reputation and relationship. It’s one of those things that is hard to overcome. I’m not just talking about infidelity here. I’m referring to a broader type that does include infidelity, but also includes …
The true costs of crime are difficult to calculate. Different types of crimes inflict substantially varying societal costs. Violent crimes alone cost Americans about $50 billion dollars a year according to a report from the Center for American Progress.1 It is estimated that the costs of pain and suffering borne by the victims of violence …
Read more “Crime, Punishment, and Entitlements: A Deeper Look”
Although I did not make a substantial number of posts in 2012, the traffic to my site doubled. Throughout 2012 my blog had 35,819 hits from 31,960 unique visitors, accounting for over 46,720 page views. I had visitors from every state in the US and visits from people from 165 nations around the world. Visitors …
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Citizens of the United States are endowed with certain unalienable rights: one of which is the right to pursue happiness. Governments generally need to attend to the common level of happiness of its citizens in order to sustain power. As evidenced by the Arab Spring, unhappy people have the capability to overthrow ineffectual governments. As …
Read more “Happiness as Measured by GDP: Really?”
Often things are not as they first appear. This was point of the hit Broadway play Wicked. My wife, Kimberly, and I, went to see this show in New York City and we walked away very satisfied and at the same time, moved by this not so subtle message. The show was based on …
Read more “Wicked! Things are NOT as they seem.”
The year 2011 proved to be a challenging year. A number of serious health issues in close family members took center stage. The frequency of my posts declined in part due to these important distractions but other factors also played a major role. Although I published fewer articles, the number of visits to my blog …
Read more “2011- A Year in Review: How Do You Think?”