Kakistocracy

Fascism is an easy enough tag to apply to current political trends; but it is not a fully appropriate label. America has been slowly morphing into something else over the past fifty-plus years. The super-rich now own the vast majority of wealth, income, and most of the shares in publicly traded companies, including the 6 […]

A SHORT HISTORY OF FEUDALISM

Feudalism is arguably the most important and recognizable characteristic of Medieval life. Feudalism was a form of political and social organization which evolved from the dissolution of Charlemagne’s empire and the rise of absolute monarchies. Feudalism remains the common model of European society in the Middle Ages. Urban life for most citizens declined significantly after […]

OBEY!

Obedience to authority is one of the hallmarks of the Trump cult. Dozens of recent studies have shown how the “conservative” mind is different from normal human brains. People with fascistic views are ruled (fittingly enough) by the ‘reptilian’ part of the brain – the most primitive and un-evolved region of the brain stem. Because […]

PIMPIN’ JEFF

People are missing the big picture regarding this whole sordid Jeffery Epstein affair. Here is the Truth: Jeffrey Epstein was part of a global pedophile ring – part of a human trafficking network which has been operating behind the scenes of global geopolitics since Biblical times. Call them Satanists, Reptilians, Freemasons, the Illuminati or whatever […]

Why [ANCIENT] Greece matters

The unique character of ancient Greek civilization can be attributed to several factors: synthesis, adaptation and constant improvement are recurrent themes in ancient Greek society. It was a fluid, constantly evolving yet relatively stable world. The Greeks created a distinctive culture which subsequent civilizations admired and copied: one based on logic, reason, and the exaltation […]

THE RISE OF WESTERN CIVILIZATION

According to scholars, the key elements associated with a ‘civilization’ generally include the following requirements: cities and a system of government; creation of enforceable laws; formalized religion; social stratification; specialization of labor; writing and record keeping; comprehension of mathematical principles; engineering; metallurgy; and support for the arts. Each of these inter-related criteria is vital to […]

Ideologies and discourse in MASS MEDIA

Hegemonic institutions pervade our culture, as diverse agendas are presented and reinforced by different cultural structures throughout society. It is important to recognize these power structures and the dominant ideals they represent in our everyday lives. James Lull’s famous essay Hegemony defines the subject as, “The power or dominance that one social group holds over […]

What we need today: another Renaissance

Much of Europe was devastated by the “Black Death” during the late Middle Ages: The Bubonic Plague wiped out approximately two-thirds of the population on the continent. Urban areas in Northern Europe were severely depopulated. However, some Italian city-states like Venice, Milan and Ferrara managed to survive the times virtually intact, due primarily to their relative […]

Sutton-Hoo

The Sutton Hoo ship burial provides a remarkable insight into early Anglo-Saxon society. It reveals exquisite craftsmanship and the existence of extensive trading networks, spanning to the Mediterranean Sea and beyond. It also proves that the world of formidable warriors, glittering treasures and great halls depicted in Beowulf and other Anglo-Saxon poetry was not a […]

In Praise of Unions

Unions have done a lot of good things for working people in America. Labor unions like the AFL-CIO, Teamsters and UAW helped to create the middle class. Because of all the benefits unionization has provided for working men and women over the years, Republicans have tried to demonize them as part of some vague socialist […]