Political Thought

Welcome to EPISODE ONE of “Ask Me Why The Thought of a Donald Trump Presidency Scares the Shit Out of Me.” I started this ebook series not to convince anyone to change their damn vote or to get you to commiserate with me over the shit-show that primary season has been so far. Nope. I’m writing this to document the madness for myself and to help deal with the stress of it all. And to share some thoughts…

Tempest at Dawn, my first novel, brought me some unexpected attention. I had a few scary television appearances and some surprise endorsements. It also brought me invitations to write for Constituting America and What Would The Founders Think? Soon I was in the thick of political blogging. Along the way, I also wrote for RedState and The American Thinker. It should be obvious from names of these sites that I wrote from a conservative perspective, so, fair warning, this is a collection of conservative opinion pieces.

The presidential election of 1968 forever changed American politics. In this character-driven narrative history, Aram Goudsouzian portrays the key transformations that played out over that dramatic year. It was the last "Old Politics" campaign, where political machines and party bosses determined the major nominees, even as the "New Politics" of grassroots participation powered primary elections. It was an election that showed how candidates from both the Left and Right could seize on "hot-button" issues to alter the larger political dynamic.

Deepak Chopra's passionate new book, Peace Is the Way, was inspired by a saying from Mahatma Gandhi: "There is no way to peace. Peace is the way." In a world where every path to peace has proved futile, the one strategy that hasn’t been tried is the way of peace itself. "We must not bring one war to an end, or thirty," Chopra tells us, "but the idea of war itself." How can this be done?

Opening with the notorious bonfires of 'un-German' and Jewish literature in 1933 that offered such a clear signal of Nazi intentions, Burning the Books takes us on a 3,000-year journey through the destruction of knowledge and the fight against all the odds to preserve it. Richard Ovenden, director of the world-famous Bodleian Library, explains how attacks on libraries and archives have been a feature of history since ancient times but have increased in frequency and intensity during the modern era.

Political rhetoric in America has become toxic. We are constantly force fed the "polarized" Left vs. Right narrative, yet few pause to reflect. Why do our politics work this way? Who benefits from such a system? If there could be a new narrative, what would that look that? It is actually shocking how obvious the truth is, how deceived we all have been. It's the 2020s now, and a revolution of the narrative can no longer be suppressed. It's time for both "sides" of the debate to learn the truth. Nothing is as it seems in the media. Everything is about to change.

Professor Mario Marcel Salas is a retired Assistant Professor of Political Science, having taught Texas Politics, Federal Politics, Political History, the Politics of Mexico, African American Studies, Civil Rights, and International Conflicts. He has served as a City Councilman for the City of San Antonio, and was very active in the Civil Rights Movement in SNCC for many years. He is also a life time member of the San Antonio NAACP. He has authored several editorials, op-eds, and writings. Professor Salas helped to develop the first economic relationship with an African country for the City...

Special Agent Ayden Holmes is leading the FBI’s top domestic counter-terror squad while juggling a secret task from the president. After a shocking tweet from the president refers to "sealed indictments," chaos pulls Agent Holmes into the peak of a hysterical cycle gripping Washington, D.C. In real time, America's most unpredictable 24-hours unfold. As day turns to dusk, the hunt is on. Now, Detective Holmes must sleuth through the swamp of shrouded intentions haunting our nation’s capital at every breathless hour of the night.

The advocates of socialism and communism assume, on principle, that the individual belongs to the state and the state can do whatever it wants to him. This premise, being the singular operative premise of communism and socialism, makes their moral natures and actions so similar that they can be understood solely on this basis. Contrast coercive governments with capitalist systems based upon the individual, and you will understand why communism and socialism oppose capitalism. The proponents of these coercive systems do not want the people to know that force and capitalism are opposites. In ...

Words are powerful, life-changing tools. By focusing our attention on how we speak and think, we can change our lives for the better. The Power of the Spoken Word emphasizes the importance of affirmations to help listeners make the positive changes they've always wanted to make.

More than three-quarters of Americans today, from all across the political spectrum, fear for their democracy. While most popular attention centers on America’s political institutions–presidents, legislatures, courts, political parties, & elections–historian, entrepreneur, and political philosopher Raphael Chayim Rosen argues this approach is upside down. The foundational strength of American democracy does not lie within institutions beyond the reach of ordinary Americans, but rather inside the quotidian thoughts, words, and deeds of citizens themselves. Merging insights across ...

Special Agent Ayden Holmes is the star of America’s FBI violent crimes division and a dedicated family man. Life is going his way until an audacious serial killer stabs the very heart of government power one Friday night. Now, Agent Holmes is on a chase to stop the highest profile murderer in memory. His familiar world is turned on its head when the killer leaves a bizarre manifesto letter and a smartphone beside his first victim.

Dive into the enigmatic world of Jacques Derrida with "Fractured Foundations: Challenging Derrida's Deconstruction," a compelling and accessible exploration of one of the most influential philosophical movements of the 20th century. This book invites readers of all backgrounds to unravel the complex tapestry of deconstruction, a theory that has reshaped our understanding of language, literature, ethics, and politics. In "Fractured Foundations," we journey through the intellectual roots of Derrida's thought, from the genesis of deconstruction to its profound impact on literary theory and ...

Lost? Seeking answers to live a fulfilling life? As the golden sun kisses the green hills on the horizon, a wise and weathered old traveler, a spiritual but not religious man, who is simply known as the Sage, quietly walks into yet another village to spread the word of the One. The Sage’s message resonates with the villagers and with all readers since his words are based upon practicality and simplicity, rich in metaphor, and composed of varied examples that make the Sage’s words easy to understand and, therefore, easy to apply to one’s own spiritual journey.

We are living in an age of turmoil, destruction and uncertainty. Global warming has reached terrifying heights of severity, human expansion has caused the extinction of countless species and neoliberalism has led to a destructive divide in wealth and a polarisation of mainstream politics. But, there is a constructive way to meet this challenge, there is a reason to keep on fighting and there are plenty of reasons for optimism.

An essay included in Emma Goldman’s 1910 collection Anarchism and Other Essays. This essay argues that the modern drama (live plays in theatres) can spread radical thought and disseminate new values. Each performance operates through the double channel of dramatist and interpreter. Affecting as it does both mind and heart, it is the strongest force in developing social discontent.

Synopsis - A government approved "author” is tempted to show the world the words they are missing. After Dinner Conversation is a growing series of short stories across genres to draw out deeper discussions with friends and family. Each story is an accessible example of an abstract ethical or philosophical idea and is accompanied by suggested discussion questions. Podcast discussions of this short story, and others, is available on iTunes, Spotify, Stitcher, and Youtube. ★★★ If you enjoy this story, subscribe via our website to "After Dinner Conversation Magazine" and get this, and ...