The new Bing Chat plays it safe when (not) talking about Donald Trump

Some time ago I argued that America is transitioning in a way similar to the old Roman Republic when it became an Empire with Caesar and then Octavian. Before the change from Republic to Empire the Romans valued debate and if not full democracy, at least a voice – or voices – among various well-heeled… Read More The new Bing Chat plays it safe when (not) talking about Donald Trump

A little more on the idea of Hubris | Opinion re Toronto Mayor affair

Hubris (Greek: hybris) is a term often found in literary criticism to denote some kind of tragic flaw that brings disastrous fortune to a character or group.  The idea has a complex history in anci… Source: Hubris – Do criminals really want to get caught? – Earthpages.org Opinion: I wrote about hubris a few weeks ago… Read More A little more on the idea of Hubris | Opinion re Toronto Mayor affair

Will America’s “secret sauce” make it the best choice for the future?

This morning on GPS Fareed Zakaria argued that the “secret sauce” behind America’s ongoing success is its creativity, innovation, and ability to contain discontent without going off the rails. Last night while watching the Ken Burns film on Thomas Jefferson, I endured several historians preaching much the same. America is the place. Not just the… Read More Will America’s “secret sauce” make it the best choice for the future?

Thomas Hobbes – Life isn’t just nasty, brutish and short

Thomas Hobbes (1588-1679) was an English philosopher whose work emphasized society and politics. He is often described as the founder of modern political philosophy, although some attribute that honor to Niccolò Machiavelli (1469 – 1527) who outlined in ruthless detail how to be an autocratic leader. Concerning religion, Hobbes makes a distinction between knowing that… Read More Thomas Hobbes – Life isn’t just nasty, brutish and short

Just fixed a couple of links… and a minor Sunday afternoon grumble

You’ve probably noticed that I have reverted to a theme I used a long time ago. It’s not as wide as the previous theme but gives more control over the appearance of the blog. During the conversion, I noticed that WordPress.com is entirely about “blocks” and the old way of editing seems to have almost… Read More Just fixed a couple of links… and a minor Sunday afternoon grumble

Scientism: A Dying Faith? – The American Mind | Opinion

Hopefully, many people are starting to see that the future belongs to those who will be able to fill the post-technocratic void. Source: Scientism: A Dying Faith? – The American Mind Opinion: For a long time, I have talked about scientism in contrast to good, honest, and humble science. The two are as different as… Read More Scientism: A Dying Faith? – The American Mind | Opinion

Opinion | The Hellenistic Age – Culture on the skids or just a lot of change?

A bit of history Hellenistic civilization refers to the ancient Greek people and their culture after the death of Alexander the Great (323 BCE), extending to the beginning of the Roman Empire in 31 BCE. Hellenistic Greece was gradually losing the unity and political power enjoyed during the classical period but remained a respected cultural… Read More Opinion | The Hellenistic Age – Culture on the skids or just a lot of change?