It has now become satirical how woke statements parallel what racists are stating. But it makes sense for people who share the same basic world view to speak using the same language and framework. The shared language and conclusions are but mere symptoms of a much deeper illness: a world view based on power struggles between groups of people divided primarily by race. While one group wants their own race to be on top, the other believes that it is time for other groups to “take their turn.” However, both are wrong. …

Of all the tribes of people, why is it that a group of pastoral tribal nomads, who were minorities then and minorities now, seem to have such an enduring presence in our world? Why is the Judeo-Christian god chosen by more people on the planet than any other? Because ideas and the details matter. Their ideas have stood the test of time and ended up shaping many assumptions we take today to be self-evident in Western civilization.

Throughout history, as far back as our hunter gatherer ancestors, humans thought in the form of symbols. And what they saw in their…

Several years ago, as what was then called “political correctness” began its popularity, it was little more than a curiosity that people could take or leave. For the most part, nobody sought to negatively affect your livelihood if you slipped up and uttered the word “Oriental” in reference to someone whom we today would call “Asian.” Usually, it was just our older relatives that complained and wondered how “Oriental” could apply to a rug from the far east but a person from the same location needed a new reference moniker. Big deal? No, not at all.

But something has definitely…

It can be easy to dismiss such silly objections to a private toy company looking to go genderless with a toy potato. (Just typing it out seems ridiculous.) What exactly happened? Well, in February, Hasbro announced that it would drop the “Mr.” from the brand’s name in order to be more inclusive. To be fair to the toy company, it later announced that it would be selling the unit without the designations as to allow children to create their own versions of families. …

This is the first part of a series where I explore different aspects, events, and ingredients necessary for the concept of universal human equality. Not being the normal expectation throughout the majority of human history, I wanted to understand where the concept came from and how it has come to be “self-evident.” …

Cut-flower ethics is the concept that when an idea is separated from its roots, the manner in which it was developed, it is at great risk of dying. Much like flowers we traditionally send to our loved ones, they are beautiful when first presented but quickly wither and die without the nourishment of the soil transmitted through its deep roots and constant care. Cut-flower ethics is a term I’m borrowing in part from Will Herberg, who coined the term “cut-flower culture.” As for what “cut-flower culture” is, here’s Herberg in his own words:

“The attempt made in recent decades…

“What gets us into trouble is not what we don’t know. It’s what we know for sure that just ain’t so.” — Mark Twain

Rhetoric is a staple of political persuasion tactics, so we should not be surprised by our politicians that use those techniques. But what can be surprising is the effectiveness of those techniques on how we view the world and what we consider to be factual. Trickle-down economics, or the “trickle-down theory,” is one of those rhetorical techniques that has been used so effectively, its existence forms the foundation for how many people characterize a whole…

Individualism, as a means to analyze and operate in the world, is likely the most misunderstood concept in popular political discourse. Descriptions of it from its detractors are rarely articulated as anything outside of being selfish. In truth it is primarily focused on a proper analysis of society through understanding the details of individual incentives and actions, and not a call for individuals to shun any collective action. And to be fair, most people are not very interested in philosophical discussion regardless of how deeply important those ideas are in shaping our culture. Most of us are much more…