Monthly Archives: November 2010

I love that idea from W. Edwards Deming that most every improvement we can wish for in this world depends upon our figuring out how to imagine and how to create better systems. Every system is built around an aim or mission. What does a community seek to accomplish when it willingly taxes itself to finance a system of public education? In Kettering, a K-12 education costs more than $150,000. There are fair questions a community needs to ponder: What is the purpose of this taxation? What is the common good that justifies this taxation? Continue reading →

In response to a previous post, Rick writes, “Mike, you speak of authentic community. However, let’s face it, you and I can never be part of the same community. So does that mean the majority of an authentic community get … Continue reading →

Madeleine Albright, writing in the Huffington Post, summarizes conclusions she and 18 other former foreign ministers made last month in a meeting in Madrid — concerning “the relationship between the West and the Muslim World.” Her words, concerning overcoming ignorance … Continue reading →

At a speech given on October 29 at Boston University, as a part of the Howard Zinn Lecture Series, Bill Moyers spoke passionately about rising inequality in this country.  He condemned what he called a deliberate “wage repression” that has … Continue reading →

In honor of Veteran’s Day, the Dayton Tea Party, has organized an impressive “Liberty Film Festival” that begins today and runs through Sunday. The films are free to the public. Here is a schedule: Thursday, November 11, Veteran’s Day 2:30 … Continue reading →

Diane Ravitch says David Guggenheim’s new movie, “Waiting for Superman,” is effective — and unfair — propaganda: “a powerful weapon on behalf of those championing the ‘free market’ and privatization.” Ravitch writes in the New York Review of Books: “Guggenheim … Continue reading →