Yesterday I wrote about why any JCPOA 2.0 that Trump manages to enlist Iran in today—in 2025—will be a far cry from the JCPOA that he foolishly exited in 2018, having yielded to Jewish Nationalist importuning.
I am a newer reader, having started following you just before you transitioned to substack. I imagine your older philosophical writings spanned many posts (that could probably fill a book), but do you have any suggestions of where to begin?
Ok, so we replace economic liberalism (libertarianism) with what? The state planned economy, the one responsible for the tens of millions dead of starvation in Maoist China or the other tens (hundreds?) who died an early death from malnutrition in comunist Eastern Europe? For better or worse it was economic liberalism that pulled China from the economic disaster of the 60s. In my country (Romania) the life expectancy before the fall of comunism was 65, now it's 75 and climbing. I'm not an economic expert either but if I were to choose between socialist, colectivist, state planned, national centrist economy, or whatever you call it, and the Austrian school of economics (libertarian) I would choose the latter without a spare thought. Without freedom, economic freedom, detached from state power, there is no prosperity, the chinese being the best case study: only after the Party "granted" economic freedom to its citizens, China begun to develop and the present prosperity was the result of every individual being able to pursue its own economic goals and was achived DESPITE not because of the Party "wise" planning like comrade Xi would like us to believe.
YOUR WORDS: in Western liberal democracy, the freedom of the individual actually becomes an instrument of social control
LEGALLY BLIND THUS CAPS
I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR A LOGICAL ANSWER TO MY CURIOSITY…WHAY DID TRUMP CHOOSE MORE THAN 15 CATHOLICS AS CABINET MEMBERS. DOES IT MATTER? I KNOW THAT THE THINKTANK HERITAGE FOUNDATION IS A CATHOLIC ORG….BUT DOES THAT MATTER?
ON APR 16
…THE GUARDIAN CARRIED THE STORY BELOW.
Trump has put Christian nationalists in key roles – say a prayer for free speech
Adam Gabbatt
Experts warn that a specific brand of Christianity will be prioritized and lead to a ‘further dismantling’ of institutions
The Trump administration’s promotion of white Christian nationalists and prosperity gospel preachers to key government roles will lead to the “further dismantling of government institutions” and the chilling of free speech, experts have warned.
Christian nationalists? Did the article define the term and name the nationalists? Does it mean those who take their faith seriously and lets it guide their lives and their political views? I don’t buy it and I’ve seen no evidence for any widespread Christian advocacy for the diminution of the rights of others. What I have seen are liberals who see most free speech as a threat, particularly if it challenges their immoral lifestyles.
Most Christians are not bold, and are afraid to speak up, or to even speak the name of Jesus. There is nothing to fear from them. But we should fear the elimination of Christian values and freedoms that we’ve known for centuries. As we know, the devil disguises himself as a angel of light.
SORRY …I DIDNT MEAN TO IMPLY THAT THE GUARDIAN POST WAS ABOUT 15 CATHOLICS.
IN 2016 I READ AN ARTICLE QUESTIONING WHY TRUMPS CABINET WAS MOSTLY ASHKENAZI JEWS. CURIOUS NOW IN 2025 I WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE CABINET PICKS WERE. OVER AND AGAIN..CATHOLIC. NOT ALL BUT TOO MANY TO THINK IT AN ACCIDENT. SUPREME COURT WITH THE HELP OF OPUS DEI LEONARD LEO WE HAVE 6 CATHOLICS AND 3 JEWS.
MY FAMILY IS CATHOLIC. IM NOT AGAINST CATHOLICS. JUST WONDERING WHY CATHOLICS..
MARK: DID YOU KNOW?
FROM THE FIRST PAGE OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS (U S THINK TANK)
THe Power of the Pope
For the past two thousand years, the pope has been a major player in global affairs. He is frequently called upon to act as a peace broker, a mediator, an advocate, and an influencer; and with over 1.3 billion followers around the world, the pope and his governmental arm, the Holy See, have the power to shape the future. How has the pope's power changed over time, and what is his role today
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS VIDEO? HILLARY CALLING THE CFR THE MOTHER SHIP.
15 Catholics to **Cabinet positions** in Trump 2.0? I'll believe it if you send me a list. I don't doubt that there are Catholics in high positions, but not 15 at that level. In any event, I'll be my own judge on who's a Catholic in more than name and what org is Catholic in more than name. Poll after poll shows self IDed "Catholics" disagreeing with Catholic positions--even that guy who wears white and lives in a hotel in Vatican City.
Catholics aren't Christian nationalists and they''re not prosperity gospel preachers.
Happy Easter. Our parish priest decided to include politics into his homily this morning. Spoke of the suffering of the immigrants as if it was similar. Ugh.
Meanwhile Trump 2.0 gave Bibi early breadcrumbs so far but learned from his 1.0 experience to sideline him to get a deal. YMMV though.
Yeah, really weird. Witkoff does a 180, then another, so it's a 360. Like deja vu all over again. Obviously, if he hadn't the Iranians woulda walked out, but what was the point?
What happened with the pallets of cash shipped over there by Obama? I have trouble agreeing with anything Obama might have done, as he was not honest about his own life.
Both of my sisters are public middle school teachers. The horror stories of today’s curriculum is astounding. Johnny can’t read, write, or do math. But Johnny can protest and demand from others. We are doomed.
Elementary school kids haven’t learned how to write in cursive for decades, but they can swipe those touch screens. There’s concern that they lack some basic motor skills and dexterity that comes from writing and playing with real things, not virtual make-believe. And the new generation won’t have to research anything. Just grok it. It will be an intellectually diminished generation. No math without a calculator. Can’t make change but won’t need to since cash will be eliminated.
Also Happy Easter to you and family Mark. Tx again for marshaling these important thinkers and writers to challenge and enlighten us! You are a beacon and a blessing.
A Happy Easter to you and your family!
I am a newer reader, having started following you just before you transitioned to substack. I imagine your older philosophical writings spanned many posts (that could probably fill a book), but do you have any suggestions of where to begin?
Thanks, simply at the beginning. On the homepage there are links to the archives. This is a good way to browse topics:
https://meaninginhistory.substack.com/p/admin-the-earlier-meaning-in-history
Happy Easter to one and all.
Ok, so we replace economic liberalism (libertarianism) with what? The state planned economy, the one responsible for the tens of millions dead of starvation in Maoist China or the other tens (hundreds?) who died an early death from malnutrition in comunist Eastern Europe? For better or worse it was economic liberalism that pulled China from the economic disaster of the 60s. In my country (Romania) the life expectancy before the fall of comunism was 65, now it's 75 and climbing. I'm not an economic expert either but if I were to choose between socialist, colectivist, state planned, national centrist economy, or whatever you call it, and the Austrian school of economics (libertarian) I would choose the latter without a spare thought. Without freedom, economic freedom, detached from state power, there is no prosperity, the chinese being the best case study: only after the Party "granted" economic freedom to its citizens, China begun to develop and the present prosperity was the result of every individual being able to pursue its own economic goals and was achived DESPITE not because of the Party "wise" planning like comrade Xi would like us to believe.
Right. Economics is a binary choice.
state planned economy is the road to ... well, you're a historian, you should know where it leads to
Curious. Which is the US? Central planned or Libertarian?
It was libertarian until FDR
Why would anyone trust a treaty with Trump. He does not honor them.
I voted for Trump to stop wars, not start them.
MARK:
YOUR WORDS: in Western liberal democracy, the freedom of the individual actually becomes an instrument of social control
LEGALLY BLIND THUS CAPS
I HAVE BEEN WATCHING FOR A LOGICAL ANSWER TO MY CURIOSITY…WHAY DID TRUMP CHOOSE MORE THAN 15 CATHOLICS AS CABINET MEMBERS. DOES IT MATTER? I KNOW THAT THE THINKTANK HERITAGE FOUNDATION IS A CATHOLIC ORG….BUT DOES THAT MATTER?
ON APR 16
…THE GUARDIAN CARRIED THE STORY BELOW.
Trump has put Christian nationalists in key roles – say a prayer for free speech
Adam Gabbatt
Experts warn that a specific brand of Christianity will be prioritized and lead to a ‘further dismantling’ of institutions
The Trump administration’s promotion of white Christian nationalists and prosperity gospel preachers to key government roles will lead to the “further dismantling of government institutions” and the chilling of free speech, experts have warned.
THE GUARDIAN, U S NEWS, APRIL 16, 2025
MARK..CARE TO COMMENT?
Christian nationalists? Did the article define the term and name the nationalists? Does it mean those who take their faith seriously and lets it guide their lives and their political views? I don’t buy it and I’ve seen no evidence for any widespread Christian advocacy for the diminution of the rights of others. What I have seen are liberals who see most free speech as a threat, particularly if it challenges their immoral lifestyles.
Most Christians are not bold, and are afraid to speak up, or to even speak the name of Jesus. There is nothing to fear from them. But we should fear the elimination of Christian values and freedoms that we’ve known for centuries. As we know, the devil disguises himself as a angel of light.
87 AND LEGALLY BLIND THUS CAPS
SORRY …I DIDNT MEAN TO IMPLY THAT THE GUARDIAN POST WAS ABOUT 15 CATHOLICS.
IN 2016 I READ AN ARTICLE QUESTIONING WHY TRUMPS CABINET WAS MOSTLY ASHKENAZI JEWS. CURIOUS NOW IN 2025 I WANTED TO KNOW WHO THE CABINET PICKS WERE. OVER AND AGAIN..CATHOLIC. NOT ALL BUT TOO MANY TO THINK IT AN ACCIDENT. SUPREME COURT WITH THE HELP OF OPUS DEI LEONARD LEO WE HAVE 6 CATHOLICS AND 3 JEWS.
MY FAMILY IS CATHOLIC. IM NOT AGAINST CATHOLICS. JUST WONDERING WHY CATHOLICS..
MARK: DID YOU KNOW?
FROM THE FIRST PAGE OF THE COUNCIL ON FOREIGN RELATIONS (U S THINK TANK)
THe Power of the Pope
For the past two thousand years, the pope has been a major player in global affairs. He is frequently called upon to act as a peace broker, a mediator, an advocate, and an influencer; and with over 1.3 billion followers around the world, the pope and his governmental arm, the Holy See, have the power to shape the future. How has the pope's power changed over time, and what is his role today
HAVE YOU SEEN THIS VIDEO? HILLARY CALLING THE CFR THE MOTHER SHIP.
Hillary Clinton admits the CFR gives the Orders
YOU TUBE
Send me a link to the Guardian article.
15 Catholics to **Cabinet positions** in Trump 2.0? I'll believe it if you send me a list. I don't doubt that there are Catholics in high positions, but not 15 at that level. In any event, I'll be my own judge on who's a Catholic in more than name and what org is Catholic in more than name. Poll after poll shows self IDed "Catholics" disagreeing with Catholic positions--even that guy who wears white and lives in a hotel in Vatican City.
Catholics aren't Christian nationalists and they''re not prosperity gospel preachers.
No, they are not, that is fully Protestant in it’s formulation.probably stems from Calvinism, an intolerant supremacist ideology.
Happy Easter. Our parish priest decided to include politics into his homily this morning. Spoke of the suffering of the immigrants as if it was similar. Ugh.
Meanwhile Trump 2.0 gave Bibi early breadcrumbs so far but learned from his 1.0 experience to sideline him to get a deal. YMMV though.
Yeah, really weird. Witkoff does a 180, then another, so it's a 360. Like deja vu all over again. Obviously, if he hadn't the Iranians woulda walked out, but what was the point?
What happened with the pallets of cash shipped over there by Obama? I have trouble agreeing with anything Obama might have done, as he was not honest about his own life.
https://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2025/04/test-scores-plummet-low-income-students-as-woke/
https://www.yahoo.com/news/chicago-teachers-union-ratifies-groundbreaking-130004811.html?guccounter=1&guce_referrer=aHR0cHM6Ly93d3cuZ29vZ2xlLmNvbS8&guce_referrer_sig=AQAAAJrbJgOpMVY5kbD8JoA671_DpBgKf4vXzNac1yjFcp1R2a0iVO4Bjn34DRo6gfbbHgP4lG4_27QoJhIubyU-JGzNcmIDgm7eIGm9C1mVnWzaTpb7IqqJieRbvTHp0OZVvmkQCR8ifht38r8PMu-V5xvOBuY4s7n_vzrUMqZE7Lhd
Both of my sisters are public middle school teachers. The horror stories of today’s curriculum is astounding. Johnny can’t read, write, or do math. But Johnny can protest and demand from others. We are doomed.
Elementary school kids haven’t learned how to write in cursive for decades, but they can swipe those touch screens. There’s concern that they lack some basic motor skills and dexterity that comes from writing and playing with real things, not virtual make-believe. And the new generation won’t have to research anything. Just grok it. It will be an intellectually diminished generation. No math without a calculator. Can’t make change but won’t need to since cash will be eliminated.
Also Happy Easter to you and family Mark. Tx again for marshaling these important thinkers and writers to challenge and enlighten us! You are a beacon and a blessing.
Thanks!