Month: October 2014

This post has been corrected. See the note at the end.

I had a dream this morning. The details fade rapidly, but for some reason I encountered a Caltrans (California Department of Transportation) worker) who warned me about giving power to “commoners.” I agreed.

Our underlying political analyses were different. That Caltrans worker sounds like a monarchist. And as a technocrat, he is entrenched in a notion that the expertise of some people ought to rule over everyone. In contrast, I am an anarchist. But the question is more basic than the specific details of political systems: Should anyone have power over others? Read more →

This post has been updated. Please see the note at the end.

I cross a bridge coming into Brookings, Oregon. On one side are the flags of all the United States armed services. On the other, U.S. flags line the span.

At every county line, the sign says, “We support our vets.” I have seen more black POW-MIA flags, the symbol of people who will never reconcile with the U.S. defeat in Vietnam, in one day than I have seen in my lifetime. Read more →