1. The supreme law is the well-being of the people. It is not the well-being of the economy. 2. The Right Wing - Left Wing dichotomy is a product of Revolutionary politics and does not exist outside them. They mean the same thing today as they meant in 1793: Right Wing means favoring a limited … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Mostly Politics, with a Godzilla Chaser
History
Saturday Sundry: US History, Politics, Strategy
1. There are two possible readings for the American Revolution: either it was a matter of sincere, but politically incompetent idealists blundering their way into civil war or it was a matter of men who had settled on rebellion from the start taking every opportunity to deliberately escalate the situation (or, most likely, a combination … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: US History, Politics, Strategy
Friday Flotsam: Last Week, Sabaton
1. Came down with a bad cold this week, leaving my classes as something of a Nyquil-fueled haze. 2. Legend Haven was mostly a success and a good time. My small talk was sparsely attended and even more sparsely participated in, but I was able to get some good industry information and hopefully spark a … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Last Week, Sabaton
Close Call
The Articles of Confederation, which served as the US Constitution from 1781 to 1789, were designed to give the Congress essentially the powers relative to the States that the Revolutionaries claimed they thought the British government should have relative to the colonies. Among these was that the Congress had no right to imposes taxes, only … Continue reading Close Call
Friday Flotsam: Washington, ‘Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Odyssey’
1. My judgment is that the American Revolution was one of the stupidest, most asinine and unnecessary revolts in history. And yet, the figure of Washington gilds this absurdity with such sublime heroism that it nearly outweighs every other consideration. I think that might be a good summation of the American character: objective absurdity overlaid … Continue reading Friday Flotsam: Washington, ‘Dorian Gray’ and ‘The Odyssey’
Sunday Sundry: Miscellaneous, Including Talleyrand and Slavery
1. We've been having torrential rainstorms here in Arizona. I technically shouldn't have tried to drive home on Friday, but I only noticed the "do not travel" warning after I arrived (I don't check my phone all that often). I made it home alive, in case you were wondering. The last few months have been … Continue reading Sunday Sundry: Miscellaneous, Including Talleyrand and Slavery
The Pre-Boston Massacre
To my mind, the main takeaway from the so-called ‘Boston Massacre’ is that martyrs to British tyranny were so thin on the ground in New England that the Sons of Liberty were reduced to using five morons who thought it was a good idea to goad and attack a group of armed soldiers. A lesser … Continue reading The Pre-Boston Massacre
US Colonial History Meme!
Saturday Sundry: Fallacies, History, and Some Superman
1. I missed last week entirely: that might be a first, at least in a long time. Such is the state of my life at the moment. 2. One of my lessons this week was a run down of common logical fallacies. As part of my research I tried using AI for a list. Every … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: Fallacies, History, and Some Superman
Saturday Sundry: On Gods, the Ocean, and Bad Books
1. Still in Maine, but about to head home. The next three days will be travel, one way or another. 2. Spending a week by the sea was a fascinating experience; to look out to the very edge of the world, to watch the tides rise and fall, to hear the waves crashing against the … Continue reading Saturday Sundry: On Gods, the Ocean, and Bad Books
Serpent's Den 