Tag Archives: the world situation

lots of evils to choose from

A few days ago I drafted most of a blog post on the coronavirus pandemic now swarming over Earth. I worked on it over two sessions and wrote 1,400 words. But I’m not quite happy with where I got to. … Continue reading

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Doomsday or Dawnsday?

I forget exactly why I bought the book The Population Puzzle: Overcrowding and Stress Among Animals and Men by A. H. “Lee” Drummond, Jr., in October 2009, but buy it and read it I did. It will have been part … Continue reading

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The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: the nice need not apply

The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene My rating: 4 of 5 stars A comprehensive manual on how to gain worldly power. Not for the just, the kind, the ethical, or the fainthearted—but is that a surprise? I acquired … Continue reading

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Who Owns the Sky? by Peter Barnes

Who Owns the Sky?: Our Common Assets And The Future Of Capitalism by Peter Barnes My rating: 4 of 5 stars A short, vigorous, and persuasive argument for saving Earth from global warming by converting the atmosphere into a legally … Continue reading

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Why Nations Fail by Daron Acemoglu & James A. Robinson

Why Nations Fail: The Origins of Power, Prosperity, and Poverty by Daron Acemoğlu My rating: 4 of 5 stars While perhaps overlong and a bit dry, this book contains insights that go a long way, at least on a political … Continue reading

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The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money by John Maynard Keynes

The General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money by John Maynard Keynes My rating: 1 of 5 stars Bad writing, confused thinking, pernicious policies. I first encountered the name Keynes when reading a Time magazine article in around 1975 about … Continue reading

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what have we got to hide? I’ll tell you

While I can’t say that I’m surprised at the recent revelation of the handing over of millions of telephone-call records to the U.S. government by Verizon (and no doubt other operators), for some reason it has stirred fresh anger in … Continue reading

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Uncle Sam wants you

This morning when I checked my Twitter tab I found this tweet by Jason Pontin, editor of MIT Technology Review magazine: What excites the indignation of people who hate drones: the remoteness of the operator, and the asymmetry in power. … Continue reading

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how to actually win hearts and minds

I just saw a headline on my Google News home page: “Mali mission has barely begun: experts”. It’s from the Montreal Gazette. I haven’t read the article, but the headline prompted a disturbing series of thoughts. The thoughts are about … Continue reading

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The World Without Us by Alan Weisman

The World Without Us by Alan Weisman My rating: 3 of 5 stars This vivid, well-written book leaves one hungry for more of its title topic. I seem to recall first seeing this book advertised and perhaps recommended in Scientific … Continue reading

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