The Violence of Property

There is a long and perhaps self-evident entanglement between unlimited property rights and violence. Violence is, of course, necessary to the right to destroy or kill, and private property — full ownership — will brook not even these extreme limits. In fact, to exercise and maintain unlimited property rights is to systematically employ death and… Continue reading The Violence of Property

Lenten Fast for the Planet

Today, Ash Wednesday, is the beginning of the spring fast, Lent. The name lent derives from an Old English word meaning “spring season”. Other languages name this 40-day period before Easter with words that derive from “fasting”. We can see from these names that Lent is not merely a season of preparation for the Christian… Continue reading Lenten Fast for the Planet

Participatory Democracy

Today is Town Meeting day in Vermont. For the uninitiated, this is the day when Vermonters pack themselves into school gyms and various meeting halls to vote on town governance for the upcoming year. Officials are elected. Laws are debated and passed. Budgets are assigned.  If there are complaints or disturbances, these are given voice… Continue reading Participatory Democracy

Tragedy of the Uncommons (Part 1)

I’ve been working on my notions of private property for weeks now. Actually, one might say that I’ve been trying to determine my relationship to the concept of owning property for much of my life, though the recent activity was inspired by ideas on property ownership presented in The Dawn of Everything. But this idea… Continue reading Tragedy of the Uncommons (Part 1)

On Beauty

I made the mistake of watching some of the Olympics last week. Except for brief YouTube intrusions in the music I listen to while working, I haven’t watched programming with advertisements in several years. I don’t like the disruption to my attention, and of course I despise the goal behind advertising generally. I don’t watch… Continue reading On Beauty

Of Hearts and Wolves

Like many people, I find the American version of Valentine’s Day and the saccharine and monochromatic view of love it promotes to be repulsive. In my younger days I assumed the whole farce was invented by the greeting card and gifting industry, along with the rise of all manner of fake holidays intended to get… Continue reading Of Hearts and Wolves