‘Capitalist’ US vs ‘Socialist’ Finland

Finland vs America is simply socialism vs capitalism. The Finnish are running their public education system according to the model of democratic socialism (in case you didn’t know, democratic socialism is what Marx was advocating). In Finland, their social democracy doesn’t encourage or prioritize capitalist competition but instead encourages and prioritizes democracy in its best sense. In [...]

We’re Number 1! Economic Statistics USA

US Peace Index (state comparison)

More fascinating data about the US. This is further data which confirms my analysis in a recent blog post: America’s North/South Divide (& other regional data) I’m, of course, not surprised. It makes sense why such patterns exist once you understand some of the underlying factors. We might not normally think about their influence, but [...]

Political Labels – Meaningless? Divisive?

I keep coming across the problem with political labels. I’m actually a fan of labels when they are used to accurately represent fundamental differences, but too often that isn’t how they are used. I probably don’t have much hope to disentangle that which has been intentionally tangled. Still, I can at least explain my own [...]

America’s North/South Divide (& other regional data)

I’ve observed in the US certain regional patterns of culture and demographics, the North/South divide being the focus of my present analysis. The basic pattern of a North/South divide originated with the first colonies and was emblazoned upon the national psyche through the trauma of the Civil War. And, despite the change that has happened [...]

The US States as Countries (GDP)

Looking at each of the US states if they were their own countries – as The Economist recently did – reveals just how staggeringly big the US economy is. These are the ten biggest states in America (by population) and their equivalent countries (by GDP). 10. North Carolina = Sweden 9. Georgia = Austria 8. [...]

Columbia: Goddess of America

It seems few Americans are aware of Columbia (feminized version of Columbus) who is the goddess of liberty and the personification of America. As a quasi-mythical figure, Columbia first appears in the poetry of Phillis Wheatley starting in 1776 during the revolutionary war [ . . . ] This detail is very interesting. Phillis Wheatley was a [...]

GRITtv: Patrick Hennessey: Refighting Old Wars

I thought this was perfectly symbolic of America’s role in the world. The US government putting bases all over the world, attacking countries sometimes with little or no good reason given, the military and CIA toppling governments, allying with theocracies and supporting dictatorships when it’s convenient, funding and training foreign military and para-military groups…. and [...]

US Presidents Speaking Truth

Not so long ago, some US presidents were willing to speak the truth.

US Currency: Gold & Guns

I was listening to Coast to Coast AM a couple of hours ago and the guest was discussing gold. The show in general attracts many right-wingers and libertarians which is why gold is a topic that would be discussed. I found the interview a bit educational. At one time, US currency was backed up by [...]