Category: Discussion

What Can DOGE Do For You? – career civil servant types, anti-humanitarian budget cuts, & why wasteful government spending is likely to continue

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?

Beware of those who speak for God(s): On Trump’s Inauguration Statement & Those Who Claim Divine Revelations

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.

Do we have a hedgehog problem?

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.

Naming, Blaming, & Claiming or Litigating: Jay Feinman’s Antidote to Delay, Deny, Defend, & Depose

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.

On Where The Water Goes by David Owen: The Crisis, Negotiation, & Paradox of Civilization’s Most Precious Resource

Hotter average temperatures and overconsumption of water threaten life in the North American Southwest. David Owen’s “Where the Water Goes” examines negotiations over Colorado River water as he traces the river’s journey from its headwaters in the United States to its delta in Mexico. Inadequate stakeholder cooperation and willingness to address environmental and geopolitical issues maintains the interventionist status quo.

Who is best qualified to replace President Biden?

The media is speculating on potential replacements for President Biden, such as Vice President Harris, Governor Newsom, and Governor Moore. I proposed Admiral (Ret.) McRaven should also be considered. Who is your favorite potential alternative? Harris, Newsom, Moore, or McRaven?