I recommend the following article under either "the good" or the "beautiful": Pano Kanelos welcomes the Class of 2028 to the University of Austin. This occasion, including Pano's speech, is the most inspiring event I have seen in a long time. Pano: "Ours is a revolutionary institution—revolutionary in the proper sense. False revolutions propose only the tearing down of the established order; they are an exercise in nihilism. Yet the word revolution—in its original sense, revolvere—means to revolve, to turn back to a point of origin, with the purpose of renewing an original spirit or ideal." Read the whole thing:
I think the best part of history are the miracles of the present. Despite everything, we basically live in the best of times. You can say, write, anything, watch movies and TV shows on your cellphone, there's incredible medical technology- sure, all may be under threat from State regulation and tyranny, but that has virtually *always* been the case. Freedom has never been secured, it never will be. Things could be better, but history suggests it could be much, much worse.
Putin isn't overrunning Europe, Islamic fundamentalism is a threat, for now, only because of *moral* weakness. If the US so much as encouraged Israel, Hamas would be finished in days rather than months, Hezbollah would retreat, and Iran? They don't even have the balls to do things themselves, and even pinprick of a single assassination sent packing (until being handed back a few billion of a cowardly President). On the actual physical threat category, our own cowardice is literally our only threat.
Compare that to fighting slavery, an unimaginable conflict. Or World Wars 1 or 2. Or the Great Depression. We just don't have it all that bad yet. I look at AI and Bitcoin and Silicon Valley, and what looks like a new Great Migration to freer States in the South (which I plan to join from NYC to Texas). I think those are all hopefully trends. Look at Biden, Kamala, and yeah, even Trump. Are these craven, power lasting nothings going to be the end of the freest, greatest country in human history? They may be an indication of decline, or a slight depressing dip. But they're nothings in the long run. I have to believe a better type will prevail here, in the end.
I would reclassify Jim Brown's recommendation as productive in that it offers a solution to all the "bad" news and is my preference to happy news. My favorites are Glenn Loury and Michael Pettis as their work is on the root causes of our distress, and the solution of social and human capital. Yours is great stuff btw so I don't see a need for change. Thanks.
I listened to a podcast discussion with David French and Jonah Goldberg. Kind of interesting, but my bottom line is pondering a write-in candidate since I will vote for neither the Dem or Rep candidate.
Great post, Brad.
I recommend the following article under either "the good" or the "beautiful": Pano Kanelos welcomes the Class of 2028 to the University of Austin. This occasion, including Pano's speech, is the most inspiring event I have seen in a long time. Pano: "Ours is a revolutionary institution—revolutionary in the proper sense. False revolutions propose only the tearing down of the established order; they are an exercise in nihilism. Yet the word revolution—in its original sense, revolvere—means to revolve, to turn back to a point of origin, with the purpose of renewing an original spirit or ideal." Read the whole thing:
https://www.thefp.com/p/a-revolution-begins-in-austin-texas?utm_source=post-email-title&publication_id=260347&post_id=148418759&utm_campaign=email-post-title&isFreemail=false&r=8ahgv&triedRedirect=true&utm_medium=email
Good call, Jim. Thanks.
September 2, 1946, a day that will live in History-
Ayn Rand begins to write Atlas Shrugged
I think the best part of history are the miracles of the present. Despite everything, we basically live in the best of times. You can say, write, anything, watch movies and TV shows on your cellphone, there's incredible medical technology- sure, all may be under threat from State regulation and tyranny, but that has virtually *always* been the case. Freedom has never been secured, it never will be. Things could be better, but history suggests it could be much, much worse.
Putin isn't overrunning Europe, Islamic fundamentalism is a threat, for now, only because of *moral* weakness. If the US so much as encouraged Israel, Hamas would be finished in days rather than months, Hezbollah would retreat, and Iran? They don't even have the balls to do things themselves, and even pinprick of a single assassination sent packing (until being handed back a few billion of a cowardly President). On the actual physical threat category, our own cowardice is literally our only threat.
Compare that to fighting slavery, an unimaginable conflict. Or World Wars 1 or 2. Or the Great Depression. We just don't have it all that bad yet. I look at AI and Bitcoin and Silicon Valley, and what looks like a new Great Migration to freer States in the South (which I plan to join from NYC to Texas). I think those are all hopefully trends. Look at Biden, Kamala, and yeah, even Trump. Are these craven, power lasting nothings going to be the end of the freest, greatest country in human history? They may be an indication of decline, or a slight depressing dip. But they're nothings in the long run. I have to believe a better type will prevail here, in the end.
I would reclassify Jim Brown's recommendation as productive in that it offers a solution to all the "bad" news and is my preference to happy news. My favorites are Glenn Loury and Michael Pettis as their work is on the root causes of our distress, and the solution of social and human capital. Yours is great stuff btw so I don't see a need for change. Thanks.
I listened to a podcast discussion with David French and Jonah Goldberg. Kind of interesting, but my bottom line is pondering a write-in candidate since I will vote for neither the Dem or Rep candidate.
Horrors, both of them.
Where has this type of talent gone? You see it lacking in everything, involving the arts or architecture.