What’s in a Name: Social Democrat, Capitalist, White Nationalist, Or?

August 29, 2026

[source: Pixel Free Photos] Words are like clouds; their forms and meanings are endless. I have always had a feeling that the word may not quite measure up to the object or experience it represents. Words only represent reality; only the thing, action, or event is reality. The representation may be accurate or not. Symbols … More What’s in a Name: Social Democrat, Capitalist, White Nationalist, Or?

Efficiency is Not Effectiveness

August 12, 2026

The entire history of ‘Industrial Civilization’ is one of seeking greater efficiency in all production processes, including labor, materials extraction and flow, production, technology, etc. Reduce labor costs by squeezing workers’ wages and minimizing the quality of working conditions. Optimize supply chains, so that needed materials arrive at the factory “just in time.” Reduce inventories … More Efficiency is Not Effectiveness

The Future of Poverty, the Earth System, and Us

July 1, 2026

As any reader of this blog knows, an interest in social illusions is central to the ways I interpret the goings on as the end of industrial civilization approaches. Several important analyses of the global ‘poly-crises’ that confront us have been presented in the climate and economic literatures as well as in government reports—e.g., those … More The Future of Poverty, the Earth System, and Us

TOXIC TECHNOLOGY: On the Convenience and Trauma of Industrial Modernity

June 3, 2026

Image source: Modern Times, Charlie Chaplin. My fascination with technology of all kinds can be traced back to my earliest memories. I wanted to know all I could about any object that might be applied to doing or making something, and about any action with a tool that can make something happen. In a fundamental … More TOXIC TECHNOLOGY: On the Convenience and Trauma of Industrial Modernity

THE ANTI-EXPERT: Illusions of Truth in a World of Facts

May 20, 2026

The extent to which some folks can wallow in illusions so far from reality has always amused, and sometimes terrified me. Of course, when we look back in history we can find plenty of examples where collective illusions led to not mere folly, but massive suffering and death. The Salem Witch Trials and the infamous … More THE ANTI-EXPERT: Illusions of Truth in a World of Facts

ILLUSIONS AND INTERDICTIONS: Imaginary Progress and the Real World

May 6, 2026

I have been interested in social illusions for a long time. However, I never expected to discover the extent to which they drive the terminal trajectory of the industrial/militarist era toward oblivion today. I’m not saying that we are destined to collapse and never recover as a species on this planet, although that is possible, … More ILLUSIONS AND INTERDICTIONS: Imaginary Progress and the Real World