Jul 4Proud to be an American?I hope you, dear reader, will forgive the indulgent, autobiographical nature of this essay. I have made it an irregular tradition to wax philosophical on Independence Day, usually about how awesome America is. …America11 min readAmerica11 min read
Jul 3, 2021On National Narratives“Posterity! You will never know how much it cost the present generation to preserve your freedom! I hope you will make good use of it. If you do not, I shall repent in Heaven, that I ever took half the pains to preserve it.” — John Adams What our national…Independence Day6 min readIndependence Day6 min read
Published inThe Startup·Nov 1, 2020Member-only2020: The Media, the Election, the Non-SensePartisanship is the defining characteristic of the American media landscape. Historically, the media seemed less partisan and more reliable because it did not have any competition. The structure of 20th-century communications technology facilitated the rise of a national, cultural elite. This elite class has an inordinate influence on American culture…2020 Presidential Race26 min read2020 Presidential Race26 min read
Jul 4, 2020American CivilizationOn Independence Day, I like to reflect on the historical improbability of my circumstance. I could have been born in a different place, at a different time. If I had been, I almost certainly would have lived a life of relative suffering. I might have been born in pre-history and…Independence Day5 min readIndependence Day5 min read
Jun 23, 2020Signal TestThe current cultural climate imposes self-censorship on reasonable individuals by threatening personal relationships and career prospects for breaking with the perceived consensus. This dynamic will only grow more extreme as our civic culture continues to fray and we view each other as enemies rather than neighbors. I have refrained from…Current Events5 min readCurrent Events5 min read
May 11, 2020ColumbusI stood beneath a statue of Christopher Columbus, in one of many cities bearing his name, and read the following inscription: THE SPIRIT OF DISCOVERY HAS THE POWER TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF HUMAN HISTORY AS DEMONSTRATED BY THE VOYAGES OF CHRISTOPHER COLUMBUS WHOSE IMAGINATION SHATTERED THE BOUNDARIES OF THE…Creative Writing4 min readCreative Writing4 min read
