Episodes

Summary A ratchet is a device that allows something like a nut or bolt to be turned in one direction–but not in reverse. It allows movement in one direction only; it does allow for the object to remain stationary, but no reverse–no “going back.” Isn’t that exactly what is happening almost all around us; in politics, religion, fashion, behavior and “what’s acceptable”, and in technology? In politics we are moving steadily to the left, in fashion and behavior ever more libertine, and technology co...

Summary Most of us have taken a position on climate change. How do we know what the facts are, and what solutions would be effective? Here is my position: I want a cure that is not worse than the disease. For those who agree with, “The world is going to end in 12 years if we don’t address climate change.” virtually no cure would be too draconian. But do any rational people really believe we might have only 11 years and 10 months left before the world ends? Others are saying the world’s climate ...

Summary What is the similarity between the well-known Salem witch trials and American politics today? Wait, Will, are there any similarities? Are there really things that tie witch trials and our politics together? Yes, several, in fact. I am sure that we all recoil in horror when we think about witch trials; trials that demonized the use of the wrong words, simple accusations treated as proof, being afraid of standing up for the truth for fear of being similarly accused, and the horrific and pe...

Summary These five names represent people who have been much in the news, in part due to alleged crimes. Unless you count OJ’s conviction for stealing sports memorabilia, none were convicted in criminal court. They also represent the sad state of affairs in American politics, and gross imbalances in our vaunted system of justice and highly touted national meritocracy . For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about imbalances in our politics, justice system and merit system. Continuing Let’s start ...

Summary Have you heard a politician or a friend say, “I’m colorblind?” I am not colorblind, and I am not blind to gender, either. I am aware of color, gender, body type, accents, education, manners, wealth, personality type, and a lot more. And so are you. We all are. The question comes when we decide what to do with the observations that we all ma For the next 10 minutes, we will discuss what these observations–and any actions that may stem from these observations–mean to us as individuals and ...

Summary If you ask someone why they want to go to college and the answer is, “To get a job.” they intend to treat college as a vocational school. If the answer is something along the lines of learning from the great minds that went before them, to learn about our shared history and to learn how to think, then they are going to college. In either case, partying and other non-academic pursuits will be involved (more in the former case), but that is where the similarity ends. Individually and as a...

Summary The recently often used word, inequality, is frequently used as an accusation or a condemnation rather than simply an observation. When people use inequality as a criticism, as something that needs to be corrected, are they talking about inequality under the law, inequality of opportunity (apart from the law), inequality of results or inherent inequalities e.g., height, longevity genes or attractiveness? For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about the answers to these two questions. Tran...

Summary Have you ever celebrated St. Patrick’s Day–even just a bit? Do you know of anyone else who has? I don’t mean only things like marching in a St. Patrick’s parade, drinking a bathtub full of green beer, or running around with a sign saying “Kiss me, I’m Irish!” I mean wearing a tiny piece of green to school because you were afraid that people would have a license to pinch you if you didn’t. Or planning on having corned beef and cabbage for dinner. Or maybe faking your best Irish accent as ...

Summary An echo chamber is a space where all the voices sound like all the other voices. Do you live in a political echo chamber? Do all the voices you hear, family and friends, neighbors, co-workers, news media, etc., say (preach?) basically the same thing? Do most of your conversations end with head nodding agreement and wonderment–or worse–at how anyone could think anything substantially different? If any of that is true, be aware that equally intelligent, equally good-hearted people, people ...

Summary Question: Does what’s going on at our southern border constitute a national crisis? Answer: Yes. Could this crisis have been avoided? Of course. And fairly easily. Whose fault is it? “Round up the usual suspects.” Trump and his administration, Democrats in Congress, and, well, us. You and me. For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about what this means to us as individuals, and to the future of our republic. Transcript Question: Does what’s going on at our southern border constitute a na...

Summary Part of the miracle of 1776, pulled off by a then nondescript group of nobodies from a tiny, backwater British colony, was the correct observation that our rights to “…life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.” come from our Creator, not from monarchs or elected governments. Those rights, which are not the subject of this podcast, are everyone’s responsibility. God granted those rights, and we must have each other’s back to defend them. The so-called rights that are today’s subject mat...

Summary Representative Ocasio-Cortez, D-NY, AOC as she identifies herself, or “Alex from the Bronx”, as others call her, is a product of our lazy thinking times. I can remember participating in discussions with as much passion for making everything right, and the same naive, uninformed and misinformed information base, and wandering approach to logistics and planning as AOC’s. But we were sophomores in high school then. This goes far beyond AOC; many of her party’s leaders are actively supportin...

Summary This is not a podcast about race, sexual preference or left vs. right. This is a podcast about how agendas are so important to some that a supporting alternate reality, a series of lies, is created to support the agenda. The alternate reality, the lies, is then defended as the truth For the next 10 minutes, we will talk about what this means for everything from our personal integrity to the future of the republic. Transcript This is not a podcast about race, sexual preference or left vs....

Summary Socialism in much in the news. At first glance, it might sound appealing. Needs driven by inequality will be erased. Everyone gets what they want, and no one is the worse for it. How does socialism stand up to a deeper dive into what it is and how it works? For the next 10 minutes, we will unpack those two questions: 1. What is socialism? and 2. How does it work? Transcript Socialism in much in the news. At first glance, it might sound appealing. Needs driven by inequality will be erased...

Summary Life is indeed hard, and it is correctly designed to be that way. As soon as we get that, life becomes dramatically more manageable. And we then have a chance to lead our best lives. Those who cry foul, teaching all who will listen that if life is hard that means that something must be unfair, are doing all of us and our society a huge disservice. For the next 10 minutes, we will unpack why life being hard is exactly the way it should be. Transcript Life is indeed hard, and it is correct...

Summary The term “celebrity opinions” is neither an oxymoron, nor is it a signal that we are about to hear the truth. “Expert opinion” is different. A celebrity is clearly qualified to give an expert opinion in their sport or art, but that’s it. Kanye West and Robert De Niro can give a legitimate expert opinion on rap or acting, respectively, but their opinions on finance or politics, are about as valuable, as, well, my opinions on rap and acting. For the next 10 minutes, we will unpack the diff...

Summary Have you heard about the man from India who plans to sue his parents for being born without his permission? The remedy he seeks is lifetime financial support. Everyone sees this man, Raphael Samuel , as somewhere between being the most entitled person on earth, or simply a lunatic. Perhaps both. We’ll look at Mr. Samuels’ demands of his parents, and compare them with the Green New Deal’s demands of American taxpayers. The Green New Deal , among other things, requires: “4.15 providing all...

Summary Ralph Northam, Governor of Virginia, should resign. But not for the reasons that most people are citing–the outrageous photo on his medical school yearbook page showing youths, one in blackface and the other in full KKK garb. He originally admitted to having been one of the men, and later simply denied it. He is clearly backpedaling, and not telling the truth. Perhaps to soften the lie, he then admitted to having appeared in blackface at least once when impersonating Michael Jackson. Onc...

Summary The Declaration of Independence in 1776 (Revolution 1.0) was the Founders’ Love Letter to America. Revolution 2.0™ is mine. Dr. Martin Luther King called the Declaration’s breakthrough vision for a new nation “a promissory note”. I have called that vision a “statement of direction.” Whatever the descriptor, let these words sink in: “ We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed, by their Creator, with certain unalienable Rights, that amon...

Summary We are being told by a growing crowd that health care and housing are human rights. “Human rights” being another way of saying “should be provided by taxpayers.” Given that in most cases people can live longer without healthcare and housing than food, the next thing we hear will be that food is a human right. And not long after that, clothing. And isn’t some sort of entertainment necessary for good mental health? When the necessities of life are all seen as human rights, who will work–an...

Summary If you think that healthcare and higher education are expensive now, wait until they are free. When people pay for goods or services with their own money, they are price sensitive, and shop carefully, balancing their needs and wants with what those things cost. When they shop for the same goods or services with taxpayer money, price sensitivity is replaced by the simple desire to have what they want. Healthcare and college costs are soaring far faster than inflation for just these reason...

Summary Identity politics is quickly becoming a dangerous trend. It is bad enough when we do it to ourselves, for example, “I am Asian, therefore I will vote for Asian candidates because only they will have my best interests in mind.” It gets far worse when the identity group is assigned to us, and then we are kept in line, by being told, for example, “You are a woman, and if you don’t vote for women candidates wherever possible, you are being a traitor to your gender.” Nazi Germany identified g...

Summary This is a highly controversial subject, but it should not be. Using simple common sense, it becomes so very clear cut. In the United States alone, we perform over one million–one million–abortions each and every year. I start with this concrete fact to alert all of us to the critical nature of this discussion, and to the vital importance of getting the answer to this much discussed and controversial question absolutely right. The core of this question is life and death on a massive scale...

Summary Don’t like this choice? How about a choice between leftover cube steak and a bunless hot dog? This is how about a third of the electorate saw the 2016 Presidential choice. In round numbers, about a third hated DJT, another third hated HRC, and the last third hated the choice. Yes, many voters genuinely wanted one candidate or the other, and were quite happy with their choice. I am in the third that was unhappy with the choice I faced. Of the 17 Republican primary candidates, I saw Trump ...