Seeking truth together
President Trump’s April 2, 2025 tariff announcement imposes a 10% tax on imported goods, leading to increased prices for U.S. consumers and potential losses of $3,800 per household. While tariffs raise federal revenue, they may also encourage domestic production if U.S. goods can compete with cheaper foreign options. Protests against tariffs are expected as consumers react to rising costs.
Trump, Musk, and DOGE are rapidly downsizing government. But are these billionaires looking out for the interests of the American people or gutting government to enrich themselves?
Some of the pervasive systemic problems with this nation’s bureaucracy include the dispersion of distance, Parkinson’s Law (Parkinson, 1980), The Peter Principle (Peter et al., 1969) prospective budgets (Finkler et al., 2017), penalties for under-spending your funding, and other top-down interventionist tendencies that are prevalent in many large organizations.
The content discusses concerns over recent U.S. immigration policies, highlighting the potential detrimental effects of mass deportation and xenophobic legislation on individuals and society. It urges resistance to bills such as Missouri’s SB58 and SB72, advocating for dignity and responsibility in immigration discourse while reflecting on America’s foundational values of liberty and responsibility.
Super Bowl LIX aimed for historical significance as Kansas City sought to win three consecutive championships, a feat achieved by only the Green Bay Packers. The event featured notable ads addressing social issues and a halftime showcasing a bold music artist, though much remained unsaid during the festivities. Here’s my take on some of the messages behind the messaging…
The author expresses frustration with the U.S. Executive Branch’s actions, including the suspension of vital foreign aid and funding, and concerns about billionaires like Elon Musk influencing government. He calls for the Legislative and Judicial Branches to act against these issues if the Executive Branch fails to correct them. The author suggests people should petition for impeachment if conflicts of interest and corruption persist.
Government needs transparency and people who do the right thing. Resilient and rational government employees represent the best of our government’s civil servants. But three other types of government workers are more common: riders, risers, and rescuers or wannabe humanitarians. The current executive branch appears to be targeting left-leaning humanitarian or rescuer types in order to (1) consolidate power and (2) cut spending. But, would mandatory annual itemized financial reports do the job for them?
What do you do when individuals claim to speak for God? Is the statement manipulative, dogmatic, honest, or something else? Why not question the validity of personal revelations? This post highlights the tension between individual beliefs, urging for authenticity and active listening instead of control and dogmatism in discussions about spirituality and truth.
In the Hedgehog and the Fox (1953), Isaiah Berlin speculates on Leo Tolstoy’s inner turmoil. The famous Russian author self-sabotaged his own happiness (Valiunas, 1989). And Berlin suggests Tolstoy’s insatiable desire to find life’s unifying and absolute truth or principle may have been one of the reasons for his persistent discontent.
In “Delay, Deny, Defend,” Jay M. Feinman analyzes how insurance companies prioritize profits by postponing or denying claims, often using strategies to minimize payouts. He advocates for consumer awareness and legal action against unfair practices, emphasizing the importance of fair claim handling to uphold insurance’s role in economic security.
Deliberating Truth 