Lessons from Thomas Paine: Our Democratic Aristocracy

We need to recover and adapt Thomas Paine’s critique of political power. Paine delivered a devastating blow to the notion of the British monarchy, and its attendant aristocracy, with his “Common Sense.” Just as the granting of a monarchy in the Old...

Learning About Authority While Flying Without Engines

I am learning to fly sailplanes. It is a fine hobby for someone who enjoys an adrenaline rush. I feel like a little kid, a 48-year-old kid, when I am coming in on final approach and know that there is no throttle which can be advanced, no engine upon which I might...