Great piece, thank you! Speaking of words, I keep coming back to the conclusion that we as a nation are all too often asking the wrong questions. Like: big government or small government? A binary that has no meaning. Instead, the question should always be, how can WE make OUR government work better for US? In recognition of the fact that government is the U.S. is “by the people, of the people, and for the people.” WE are meant to be the government - and that only works if we treat it that way, not as some alien institution dropped down upon us in our midst. Surely, Reagan’s assertion that “government is not the solution but the problem,” ranks as one of the most damaging (and inane) things ever said by a president.
And thank you for your thoughtful comment, Claudia!. I totally agree with your statement about Reagan—ranks right up there with the worst. And it's ironic that he was seen as such a positive fellow, and that is such a downer of a belief. I think his presidency was at least one of the catalysts for the divisions we see today.
One of the "attitudes" of critical thinkers is "a tolerance for ambiguity", and it seems that we tend to lack that attitude, thus the idea that government is either good or bad. I truly believe our government can be a force for good and want to (somehow!) help make it that way...
Ah! excellent distinction, Claudia. Unfortunately, the masses gravitate to simple solutions and simple slogans. The questions you ask require personal responsibility and to many folks don't want to dig that deep. They want personal freedoms but not responsibility.
While I can’t trace it’s impact to public policy and laws, I would suggest Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a huge influence on our country.
I’m embarrassed to say I never learned about Rachel Carson or Ralph Nader until I was an adult and working in environmental conservation myself. These things are just not taught in our schools. At least they weren’t when I was in school.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of Business Insider's "Top Ten" books that impacted Public Policy. There's a link in my post to that article—it's a good piece that briefly but intelligently explains why each of their selected books has an impact. They didn't use those books in my school either. I'm not sure how I came to know of them, (those two in particular), but I tend to read constantly...
Great piece, thank you! Speaking of words, I keep coming back to the conclusion that we as a nation are all too often asking the wrong questions. Like: big government or small government? A binary that has no meaning. Instead, the question should always be, how can WE make OUR government work better for US? In recognition of the fact that government is the U.S. is “by the people, of the people, and for the people.” WE are meant to be the government - and that only works if we treat it that way, not as some alien institution dropped down upon us in our midst. Surely, Reagan’s assertion that “government is not the solution but the problem,” ranks as one of the most damaging (and inane) things ever said by a president.
And thank you for your thoughtful comment, Claudia!. I totally agree with your statement about Reagan—ranks right up there with the worst. And it's ironic that he was seen as such a positive fellow, and that is such a downer of a belief. I think his presidency was at least one of the catalysts for the divisions we see today.
One of the "attitudes" of critical thinkers is "a tolerance for ambiguity", and it seems that we tend to lack that attitude, thus the idea that government is either good or bad. I truly believe our government can be a force for good and want to (somehow!) help make it that way...
I believe your newsletter is a great contribution towards that, Joan!
Thanks you, Claudia!
Ah! excellent distinction, Claudia. Unfortunately, the masses gravitate to simple solutions and simple slogans. The questions you ask require personal responsibility and to many folks don't want to dig that deep. They want personal freedoms but not responsibility.
Exactly. personal freedoms but no responsibility. It's infuriating, particularly with the Covid debacle.
While I can’t trace it’s impact to public policy and laws, I would suggest Uncle Tom’s Cabin had a huge influence on our country.
I’m embarrassed to say I never learned about Rachel Carson or Ralph Nader until I was an adult and working in environmental conservation myself. These things are just not taught in our schools. At least they weren’t when I was in school.
Uncle Tom's Cabin is one of Business Insider's "Top Ten" books that impacted Public Policy. There's a link in my post to that article—it's a good piece that briefly but intelligently explains why each of their selected books has an impact. They didn't use those books in my school either. I'm not sure how I came to know of them, (those two in particular), but I tend to read constantly...
Ah! I'm happy to know it impacted public policy! I'll have to look at that article.