Perceptions and Passages of a Lifelong Participant by Stephen G. Harding
Published in 1972, this little book left an indelible imprint on knowing the relationship between the academy, bureacracy, the government, and the governed. My old copy was dogeared and falling apart so I went on-line to see if there was anyway I could find a copy of this long out of print 88 page pamphlet.... Continue Reading →
"Is this America's Vichy Moment? Richard J. Golsan argues the demise of French democracy in 1940 holds important lessons for Americans grappling with the realities of life under Donald Trump. "For the historian of modern France and Vichy and World War II in particular, the situation in theUnited States today calls to mind a number... Continue Reading →
"Now the trumpet summons us again--not as a call to bear arms, though arms we need--not as a call to battle, though embattled we are-- but a call to bear the burden of a long twilight struggle, year in and year out, "rejoicing in hope, patient in tribulation"--a struggle against the common enemies of man:... Continue Reading →
Given that I am on civic (political) overload, I've had to reorganize my thoughts by going back to some of my old undergraduate texts. Steeped in political theory, these are just a few of my primary sources on governance and mankind. As dated as they are, they still provide a foundational understanding for what ails... Continue Reading →
Remarks From a Distingushed Alum As a member of the third graduating class, I had the distinct honor and pleasure to be selected as this year's Distinguished Alum of the Graduate Center for Public Policy and Administration at Long Beach State. But the greater pleasure was serving as this years commencement speaker. What an impressive... Continue Reading →
What These Volumes Are About As outlined by Best Reads: There are four books in a continuing body of work about renewal of the principles and values of democracy, which the author labels “Civitas.” The two foundational books are: The American Adventure: Rediscovering Civitas for a Renewed Democracy, Vol. 1, and The Cosmopolitan Uprising: Rebuilding... Continue Reading →
The Ezra Klein Show Ezra’s podcasts are always informative, insightful, and professionally done. This particular program, one that Ezra decided to provide as a YouTube Video, provides data that explain the shift in the mind sets of the electorate as evidenced by the results of 2024 national election. If nothing else, and as Ezra states:... Continue Reading →
Good timing from The Atlantic Magazine. I had already included the concept of Patrimonialism in my upcoming course at the UC Riverside Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. The term traces back to German sociologist Max Weber. "In essence, Patrimonialism refers to a system where the leader treats the government as their own personal project based on... Continue Reading →
In 1996, the Interfaith Council of the Murrieta/Temecula Valley asked me to make the opening remarks for that year's ecumenical service. As the City Manager of the City of Murrieta, pretty well versed in public speaking, you would think that this would be a walk in the park. Well, guess again. This was not the... Continue Reading →
A Glimpse of the Future of the USA? Back in the Fall Quarter 2023, I presented a six week course entitled: "Let's Talk About Dictators in the 21st Century. Over eight years, this was my 30th class as an Instructor for the University of California's Osher Lifelong Learning Institute. This subject area was one of... Continue Reading →