Great

Fear-mongering has become a very popular tactic in modern political discourse.  You don't have to listen very long before you hear one party being accused of having a secret agenda to enslave the other.  Or, you hear that a rich class is using all of its power and influence to keep another group poor and helpless.  They're taking away your rights!  They're taking away your property!  Vote for me, vote for me.

In the Science of Being Great, Wallace D. Wattles said that "you can never become a great man or woman until you have overcome anxiety, worry, and fear. It is impossible for an anxious person, a worried one, or a fearful one to perceive truth; all things are distorted and thrown out of their proper relations by such mental states, and those who are in them cannot read the thoughts of God."

Now, more that ever, the world needs great men and women.  Now is the time to rise up above the din, and above the dust.  Now is the time to be great, and, in a great way, to show others the path to greatness.

The Great Divides

I have some pretty strongly held opinions about things.  If you look at my blog posts from several months ago, you will have a pretty good idea of which way I slant in terms of political and economic debate.  I have read a lot about politics and economics.  And, I have engaged in a lot of debate, and spent a lot of time thinking about those topics.  I say that to reasure you that my opinions are not thoughtlessly or casually held.

But, isn't it interesting that other people, people who appear to be of normal intelligence and average ability, much like myself, can hold opinions or belief systems totally different than mine.  And in many cases, not just totally different, but completely the opposite of mine.  For instance, I just finnished listening to President Obama's book, "The Audacity of Hope."  I enjoyed the stories he told about his life, they helped me understand him better.  However, I found myself disagreeing with every political and economic argument he made.  I just think he is plain wrong.  But, he, and many others, think that he is right on.

I don't think that we have dealt with this issue very well as a country over the last many years.  There are too many people living here to expect that we will all see things the same way.  There is no need make somebody your enemy, just because they have different political, economic, or even religous idea than you have. 

Think

Back in 1968, Aretha Franklin released her hit single, "Think", and it became a chart topping success.  I first saw and heard it performed during the movie "The Blues Brothers."  It's been a long time since I saw the movie, but it came back to my mind today as I thought about thinking.

This is the Information Age.  We are up to our necks in information.  The internet is like a firehose, gushing an inexhaustable supply of information into our minds faster than we can process it.  But, what are we doing with all that information?  What is the purpose in all our getting?  Is it really just a case of us “ever learning, and never able to come to the knowledge of the truth” ? – 2 Timothy 3:7

I do a lot of learning, reading, and listening, it's my job.  But it's much more difficult to take on the work of thinking, not just letting the information wash over you, but evaluating the information, and then rejecting it, or making it your own. Taking a few minutes a day to think deeply may be one of the best things we can do during our day.  Think about your role as a husband and father, or wife and mother.  Think about your religious and political views.  Think about your life, and begin to live deliberately.  Thinking is perhaps the hardest work that people can do, but it may also be the most rewarding.  Think!

Good, Better, Best

In October, 2007, Elder Dallin H. Oaks gave a talk in LDS General Conference entitled Good, Better, Best. It's been a while since I read it, but I've been thinking about it a lot lately. There is so much to do. I am so busy all the time, and I'm sure most folks are. There are so many good activities to be a part of, and so much good and interesting information to be consumed. How am I supposed to have time for it all. The short answer is, I'm not. In his talk, Oaks says that more information is created in one minute on the internet, than one person could consume in a lifetime. There just isn't time for it all.

If so, "better" and "good" are not good enough. My time here on earth is finite, and comparably short. And, this world has so many of the best things to offer. An honest evaluation tells me that there is probably not even enough time for all of the best things. If that is the case, why should I be spending my time on anything but the best things?

I suppose that the most difficult work, then, is to quickly and correctly identify the best things, and then to spend my time engaging in only those activities.

Information Fast

Back in April, I read "The Four Hour Work Week", an interesting book that really changed the way I see the world. On the author's recommendation, I decided to go on an information fast. I stopped listening to talk radio. I stopped reading Drudge. I even stopped looking at the FEE and CATO websites. I must say that eliminating these things brought me a great deal of peace, and I hope, a little clarity. The world hasn't stopped turning. Some fascist government hasn't taken over the United States. I still have U.S. Dollars in my pocket.

So, I stopped writing, because I stopped reading. But, because of the encouragement of friends and family, I have decided to start writing again. And, I am starting to let a little more media back into my life. However, my posts will likely be quite a bit different than they were. I may still write about economics and politics sometimes , but that won't be the main focus of the blog. Again, on the advice of those close to me, I plan to spend more time actually writing my thoughts and ideas, and less time linking to the ideas of others. I hope to provide a little perspective, peace and clarity. Let me know how I'm doing.

Great Myths of the Great Depressionn

Lawrence W. Reed discusses the latest edition of his primer, "Great Myths of the Great Depression." Recorded at the annual Austrian Scholars Conference, Ludwig von Mises Institute, 12 March 2009.

Again Mr. President, that is not true

During the electionn, the President Elect made the following statement: "Few challenges facing America and the world are more urgent than combating climate change. The science is beyond dispute, and the facts are clear." On Monday, the CATO Institute ran a full page in in the New York Times that contained the following statement, and signed by many top climate change scientists: (To see the full page add, click here.)

With all due respect Mr. President, that is not true.

"We, the undersigned scientists, maintain that the case for alarm regarding climate change is grossly overstated. Surface temperature changes over the past century have been episodic and modest and there has been no net global warming for over a decade now. After controlling for population growth and property values, there has been no increase in damages from severe weather-related events. The computer models forecasting rapid temperature change abjectly fail to explain recent climate behavior. Mr. President, your characterization of the scientific facts regarding climate change and the degree of certainty informing the scientific debate is simply incorrect."