Journal: Vermont Commons, Secession, & Collapse

Secession is Constitutional, Abraham Lincoln’s unconstitutional pillaging and looting of the South not-with-standing.   Few are sufficiently educated to actually know that Lincoln did not free the slaves of the north and west and did not have the Constitutional authority to suspend habeas corpus, conscript men of the north, borrow money to wage war on peacefully …

Review: Agenda for a New Economy: From Phantom Wealth to Real Wealth

A Four Pumped to Five to Stave Off the Ideologues November 27, 2009 David C. Korten I would normally rate this book a four because of its lack of reference to Buckminster Fuller (see Critical Path; the Open Money movement; or the literature on wealth of networks, fortune at the bottom of the pyramid, and …

Worth a Look: Google Does Data Not Thinking

Finding the laws that govern us 11/17/2009 09:05:00 AM Starting today, we’re enabling people everywhere to find and read full text legal opinions from U.S. federal and state district, appellate and supreme courts using Google Scholar. You can find these opinions by searching for cases (like Planned Parenthood v. Casey), or by topics (like desegregation) …

Review: Prisoner of the State–The Secret Journal of Premier Zhao Ziyang

Editors Did Great, Could Have Gone Extra Mile October 31, 2009 Zhao Ziyang Most people miss the two bottom lines that I found engaging: 1. China’s government is a screwed up bureaucracy with petty egos just like ours. 2. China produced moderate pragmatist Premier Zhao Ziyang, promoted him, and empowered him. With all due respect …

Review: Empire of Illusion: The End of Literacy and the Triumph of Spectacle

Potential Straw to Break the Camel’s Back September 19, 2009 Chris Hedges I disagree with those who dismiss this book, however erudite their claims. The author first impressed me with American Fascists: The Christian Right and the War on America. Reading this book on the heels of Grand Illusion: The Myth of Voter Choice in …

Journal: Race, Class, Money & Truth

In keeping with our new-found commitment to focus on public intelligence and leave political reform to others, this commentary provides an overview  of the political scene (including political commentary from journalists lacking any independence), and concludes that what is missing from our national dialog are integrity and public intelligence. First, the political “terrain” of ideological …