Civil War buffs say it’s self-evident the South was finished when Vicksburg fell on the fourth of July 1863. Niall Ferguson disagrees—the decisive event occurred earlier. History and human nature remind us how self-evident truth is not always self-evident. In the case of America for example, the decisive date might not be the Fourth of July 1776.
These aren’t the right witnesses.
In The Authenticity Hoax: How We Get Lost Finding Ourselves, author Andrew Potter describes how the Enlightenment created “a new kind of person” who prizes authenticity. Authenticity presents two problems, however. It relies entirely on an individual’s take on reality while rebuffing those who disagree with it.
As the Tyrelle Pryor scandal drags down Ohio State’s football fortunes, a few sports pundits suggest stipends as a solution for financially strapped student-athletes. It’s a bad idea. Stipends add weight to an already big tail that’s wagging the dog.
Commencement speeches have become con jobs.
To commence is to get underway. Yet sample some of this year’s commencement addresses and you’ll see they undercut graduate’s initiative by reinforcing a sense of entitlement. Studies indicate this saps the energy required for those entering a bad job market and inheriting a ruinous federal debt.
Sixty-seven years ago today, on D-Day, American paratroopers told a parable.
Parables are designed to connect friends and confuse foes. Landing behind enemy lines, American paratroopers had one, called a clicker. It located allies yet was lost on the enemy—the same reason C.S. Lewis penned his own parable a year earlier, in 1943.
Does Monday off make you long for retirement?
As Congress wrestles with our government’s soaring debt, one entitlement program might be the easiest to fix—Social Security. Trustees project a shortfall of $3.7 trillion over the next 75 years. There are essentially two solutions being proposed. While there is merit to both, a third way—proposed by a few and consistent with Judeo-Christian faith—is worth considering.
Prior to the 16th century, economics was considered a moral as well as a monetary discipline. The English word “credit,” for example, is from the Latin credo, “I believe.” Economists were trusted since they saw the forest for the trees. Our current models of capitalism and socialism don’t. Is there a third way to see the big picture?
Are they Picassos or Cézannes?
There’s a flurry of 50ish baby boomers entering “second acts.” If they are Picassos, the second half isn’t likely to be any better than the first. If, however, they are Cézannes, these “late boomers” could make a positive contribution in the faith community.
Ultimately, Rondo’s not the most critical player. But he is initially.
Andy Crouch suggests that our ways of talking about culture—how it works, how it changes—often do not serve us well. He’s right. Watching the NBA Playoffs might help, however. If you are a Boston Celtics fan, take note of point guard Rajon Rondo.
What’s so bad about being bored?
‘Tis the season to be bored—end of the school year, Senior Slump, and spring fever. Everyone assumes boredom is a bad thing. Now we’re learning that being bored might have some benefits.
