Facing up to the Consequences of our History

A little article about the lingering financial crisis. (Click here for link.)

The problem of bigness

Do people who work for corporations promote the interests of the organization or of themselves? (Click here for link.)

Pioneers for Reform: Women in American History

This is probably the last new essay that will make it in my upcoming book. It filled a big gap in my American history overview. (Click here for link.)

The Revolutionary War: Why the Underdog can Win

A discussion of the reasons why the United States may have been successful in winning independence from Great Britain. (Here is the link.)

Post-War America and the Cost of Security

An article (and future book chapter) about how people looked for safety during the late 1940's through the 1960's. (Here is the link.)

Hoover vs. Roosevelt: The Battle Continues

Here's a quick overview of the last eighty years of American history, with the focus on the changing fortunes of the ideologies represented by these two men. (Here is the link.)

World War II, Appeasement, and Hindsight

The latest chapter of my almost completed little book. (Here's the Link.)

Car Culture (and the Uncertain Future of Transportation)

Another chapter of my future book. It describes the far-reaching impact of automobiles on every facet of Americans' lives. (Click here for link.)

What is the Least Unfair? (Thoughts on the Debt Ceiling Crisis)

Here the best two-page summary that I could write describing my political beliefs and their relation to the current so-called "crisis." (Click here for link.)

Abraham Lincoln: Man vs. Myth

Here's the latest essay in my (hopefully) soon to be completed book. It's an expanded version of a blog post from a long time ago. (Click here for link.)

So You Think We have Problems.

A comparison of our current problems with those who lived through the Great Depression and World War II. (Click here for link.)

World War II Fascination

Why do so many people find World War II fascinating? Here are some thoughts. (Click here for link.)

The American Revolution and What it Means to be American

A discussion of the causes of the American revolution and of the difficulty of defining American culture. (Click here for link.)

Nat Turner: Terrorist or Freedom Fighter?

The story of the most famous slave revolt in American history, and speculation about how future generations will judge our current enemies. (Click here for link.)

The First Progressives: Liberal / Conservative Hybrids

My latest article is about Progressive reformers of the early 20th century, and how they had both liberal and conservative ideas and traits. (Click here for article.)

Watergate, Conspiracy Theories, and the Internet Age

Could something like Watergate happen today? Here are some thoughts. (Click here for article.)

Creating Jobs

This is an attempt to dispel the notion that current politicians have a major impact on the current state of the economy. (Click here for link.)

Lessons from the Salem Witch Trials

Latest article. This will hopefully one day be a chapter in a book. (Click here for link.)

Making History Relevant (My Future Book)

I recently decided on a plan for how to compile some of the stuff I have written in a book. We'll see if I can pull it off, and if anyone would ever want to read it. (Here is the link.)

Political Apathy and "Fahrenheit 451"

My latest article is inspired by a novel that I read recently. How is Fahrenheit 451, written 60 years ago, still relevant today? (Click here for link.)

Is Faith a Virtue? (Thoughts on the Latest Rapture)

I couldn't resist writing about the latest end of the world prediction. (Click here for Link.)

"The Big Thirst" (The Future of Fresh Water)

An article that I wrote in response to an NPR podcast of "Fresh Air." (Click here for link.)

If the Ten Commandments were a Legal Code.

I try to show here why the ten commandments does not work well as a legal code, and that they are not the primary legal foundation for the United States. (Click here for link.)

What does the Death of Osama Bin Laden Mean?

I wrote this as soon as I heard the news. (Here is the link.)

The Royal Wedding: Why I Don't Care

The title speaks for itself. I apologize ahead of time for people who take any interest in the lives of the British royal family. (Here is the link.)

The Old West: Images & Myths vs. Reality

This new article that I just wrote pretty much summarizes most of what I talk about with my community college classes regarding the late 19th century American West. (Here is the link.)

Reconstruction: Success of Failure?

I just wrote this article analyzing the choices that the United States made in the years immediately following the Civil War. It mostly focuses on the situation faced by former slaves. (Here is the link.)

Community College Cuts: A "Liberal" Response

As the title indicates, this is partly a response to the community college budget cuts that are looming here in California. It is also a more general response to the conservative notion that spending and tax cuts are the answers to all of our problems. (Click here for link.)

Questions to not Ask Your College Professor

This is a list of some of the less than stellar questions that I have periodically heard over the years. (Here is the link.)

Libya: President Obama's Bad Options

As the title indicates, I just wrote an article going through the various options that the United States had in dealing with the situation in Libya. It also talks about the impossible, thankless job of being President of the United States. (Here is the link.)

Can Democracy and Extreme Inequality Coexist?

This is inspired partly by current events in North Africa and the Middle East and partly by the early history of the English colonies. (Here is the link.)

How Would I Respond to an 8.9?

In this article, I speculate about how I would do if I was a survivor in an area devastated by a massive earthquake like the one in Japan. (Click here for article.)

Illegal Immigration in the USA: Practical Realities & Traditional Fears

About a year ago, I wrote a blog post about immigration throughout United States History, relating these events to the current debate. I went back and made some revisions to that post for this article, which I think better describes my current thinking on the subject. (Here is the link.)

A Defense of NPR (and Public Broadcasting)

This is a response to the latest controversy involving NPR, and a discussion of the general question of whether or not federal dollars should be spent on public broadcasting. Warning: I am an avid listener of National Public Radio. (Here is the link.)

American Health Care: Problems & Needed Reforms

I originally posted most of this as three separate blog posts. So for this article, I combined the three posts and made a few revisions. It's the best that I could do with one of the most difficult issues in American society. (Here's the link.)

The Myth of Race and the Curse of Racism

My latest article attempts to argue to there is no scientific basis for the concept of race, and eliminating this purely cultural construct would be a big step toward reducing prejudice. (Click here for link.)

Why I Like College: Thoughts on Freedom & Growing Up

Here's my latest article. It compares my personal experiences attending and teaching grammar/secondary school to my experiences in college. (Here's the link.)

Disneyland Advice, pt. 1: Rides for Small Kids

I decided to try something a little different in this post. It's about a subject that I have come to know very well. If you are ever planning a trip to Disneyland and have small kids, this could come in handy. (Here is the link.)

What is Presidents Day?

A new article that I quickly whipped together in honor of today. It's not meant to be taken too seriously. (Here's the link.)

Tecumseh: Enemy or Hero (or both)?

Here's my latest article. It's about the early 19th century Native American leader who tried to unite the various tribes to fight the United States. How should he be remembered, as an enemy of the United States, a hero, or a victim of conquest?

Pets: Why I Don't Want Any

A new article inspired by the death of my kids' guinea pig. I apologize if it is a little bit depressing. (Here's the link.)

Egypt, Tunisia, and American Foreign Policy

Thoughts on recent events in North Africa and on how the United States may need to rethink its foreign policy. Is it time for the United States to start encouraging democracy rather than promoting its perceived self-interest?
(Here's the link.)

God's Limitations

Here's the first new article that I've written in a while. It discusses how a perfect, all-powerful God would face some serious limitations. (Here's the link.)

Replace the Electoral College With Real Democracy

Here is my latest "rant" about the Constitution. It's a list of reasons why I think that the current system of electing presidents in my country should be changed. (Here's the link.)

Climate Change: Science or Politics?

I just wrote an article about one of the few controversial political issues that I had never directly addressed before. See if you can figure out where I stand. (Here's the link.)

The Meaning of Life

After writing some heavy posts about the Constitution, I decided to write about a lighter, less complex topic.
(Here's the link.)

Is the Federal Budget Constitutional?

I just finished part three of my little series on the Constitution. It compares the federal budget today with the guidelines set in the Constitution. (Here is the link.)

Alexander Hamilton, the Constitution, and Government Regulation

I just published the second part of my little series on the Constitution. It poses the question, among other things, of whether Alexander Hamilton, were he alive today, would be a Republican or a Democrat. Here is the link.

The Arizona Shootings, Mental Illness, and Human Responsibility

I originally wrote most of this about a month ago. But in response to recent events in Arizona, I decided to post it again with some additional commentary. (Here is the link.)

Why was the Articles of Confederation Replaced by the Constitution?

I've been doing some reading up on the Constitution during the Winter Break. Here is the first of what will be a series of posts: Click here for link.

2011 Predictions

In honor of the New Year, here are a set of predictions for 2011. They cover politics, sports, religion, and some aspects of my personal life. (Click here for link.)