28 results for author: Rick Lohr
Does Preamble to the Constitution Still Speak to Us
The six goals of the preamble to our Constitution are: To form a more perfect union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty. In our day, we seem to have lost the serious consideration of those goals. We tend to go from story to story in the constant pursuit of the most up to date “news” without taking the time to consider our foundational goals. Where do we fit in the broader picture of American history? What is our position in the continuing story of our country?
What does it mean to form a more perfect union? Nations are new invent...
History Does Not Provide a Road Map To a Better Future
Each historical age deals with the same basic issues. They are dealt with different technologies, but the issues themselves would be recognized from the stone age until now. How will individuals and their social/government groups make a living? What kind of family units will exist? How will children be cared for and taught? What kind of spiritual practices will satisfy the needs of thee people? What kind of social grouping will function as a social and economic unit? How will order and security be arranged? How will the sick and the elderly be cared for? While modernity has changed lifestyles since the rise of science and technological ...
Left vs. Right is not the Issue, Rather Democracy vs. Extremism
What is the political left that our current administration attacks vehemently and relentlessly? It is not a single entity of opposition to any current leader, nor does it describe any single political position. The political left describes a broad spectrum of ideologies that favor governmental reform in the general direction of more social equality. This political stance has, historically, stood against hierarchy and privilege. This puts the political left in the crosshairs of the one-percent oligarchs who have grabbed control of our government. Are there some extremists on the political left? Certainly, just as we are finding extremists working ...
Deja Vu History or a New Society?
Contemporary times have a feeling of deja vu, especially for a history teacher. Our new administration has its inspiration in an incompletely understood past. We can begin with an economic system built on protectionist tariffs which harkens back to the 16th to the 18th centuries in Europe. It was called mercantilism.
The system was simple, a country’s rulers wanted to produce wealth. What better way was there to do that than by having a trade surplus with every kingdom the country traded with. That resulted in countries trying to produce items, at higher cost and effort, than what other kingdoms could do. In effect, tariffs are a domestic ...
THE IMPORTANCE OF HISTORY
As a former world history teacher at Wausau West and Newman high schools, I am dismayed by the attacks on this academic discipline in contemporary United States. As Mark Twain said, “History doesn’t repeat itself, but it does rhyme.” History is a story of the past and cannot be repeated because change has occurred, but history does present us a narrative of the development of contemporary society. According to Twain, human behavior and the development of societies follow rhythmic patterns that are consistent over time. In that way we can discern repeating patterns in the past that can help us interpret the present and predict, to some ...
I Am Woke and Liberal
I am woke and liberal in philosophy, so people are surprised that I have MAGA friends. I am a bit concerned, however, that they may no longer consider me a friend. I have much in common with the MAGA people I know, whether it be the Packers, Badgers, Brewers, Bucks or golf, we can always talk about sports. The weather is good, too, “Been pretty nice lately, but we could use a little rain.” We can talk about common friends, histories and jokes. Many times we know members of each other’s families and can ask about their welfare.
Being woke and liberal, I am always open to political discussion. There are a lot of issues to talk about. ...
Don’t Let Fear In
Our American society is a big house. There is room for MAGA, Woke, liberals, conservatives, non-political, but not for the plutocratic oligarchic kleptocratic authoritarians now in charge of our government. We, as the people of the United States, are not in favor of a small group of billionaires taking over the government and mining it for our data and taxpayer money. What was it that Willie Sutton said when asked why he robbed banks? “That’s where the money is.”
Why are Musk, Zuckerberg and Bezos, and other one-percenters congregating around this administration? That is where the money and power are. Plutocracy is government by the ...
Tariffs and Oligarchy
What is a tariff? It is a tax placed on items imported from another country. Does the other country pay the tax? No, the American importer pays the tax and then passes the increased cost of the product on to the consumer. Who benefits? If tariffs become the major way of collecting taxes it is the wealthiest members of society. People with lower incomes spend most of their salaries or hourly wages on their daily needs. When prices rise, because of the across the board tariffs, they will pay taxes on most everything they buy. Wealthier people make money they don’t need for their subsistence, that surplus would then go untaxed.
I traveled ...
A Need for Empathy
What is empathy? It is the capacity to “walk in another’s shoes.” To walk in another’s shoes means to understand, feel, and identify as an other. It is different from compassion, which is when one in a superior position feels sorry for a less fortunate other.
Empathy is a two-way street. The feeling of understanding for the unfortunate must go the other way as well. It involves understanding as well as being understood, and trust and respect that go both ways. I must understand who I am in my shoes, before I can walk in those of another. Empathy is a feeling of equality of the humanity among all humans.
In current politics, Mr Musk has ...
Realigning the U.S. Towards Dictatorships is Dangerous
The new administration is realigning US foreign policy in a dangerous direction. Instead of traditional alliances with democratic countries, current leadership has expressed admiration for, and aligned interests, with dictatorial leaders. Principle among these countries is Putin’s Russia. Russia, is basically a failed state. Putin’s leadership has handed power to an billionaire class (oligarchs), who he has given license to to exploit the wealth of the state as long as they remain loyal to him. Education and research have declined. Life expectancy is years shorter than in Europe or the US. Great Russians are declining in numbers ...