This is an imagined monologue. I’m borrowing a modern habit—comedians and entertainers sitting on talk shows, reminiscing about the greats, circling their influences with equal
Category: Culture
New rule: let’s stop being mad about everything. Not “stop caring.”Not “look away.”Just stop living in a constant state of grievance cosplay. Outrage has become
And That Means Everyone Name’s Philip Randolph Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing buisiness. This country owes the working class. That’s not politics. That’s
The First four thought experiments in this chain. Before we go any further, here’s a brief recap of how this thought experiment started—and how we
Open Source the Future: Why Food, Water, and Healthcare Knowledge Must Belong to Everyone
Open the Knowledge or Admit the System Is a Lie Capitalism, regulated trade, markets—fine.I’m not here to argue against exchange or incentive. Capitalism is very
Merry Christmas
& Happy Holidays from the Blue Ribbon Team A Christmas Note From All of Us at Cernunnos Foundation & Blue Ribbon Team As the year
I think one of the strangest things about living right now is how little anyone is expected to see. Not in a moral sense.In a
Seasonal Amnesia
This piece is offered in honor of the long side of the winter solstice. We have crossed the dark hinge of the year and come
On the Winter Solstice The winter solstice is not loud.It does not announce itself with fireworks or proclamations. It arrives quietly, almost unnoticed, marked not
My name’s Phil Wright. Mister Wright if we are doing business. I’ve been around a long time. Long enough to hear every trick word folks
There’s never a wrong day to watch the internet rediscover political theory, but this morning’s show leaned Marxist. A cluster of very confident posters were
Grammina used to say the Garden story wasn’t about snakes or shame or any of the usual Sunday-school furniture. “It’s about ease, child,” she’d mutter,
A proposal to turn blighted malls into rescue colonies, living archives, and a non-invasive research platform for animal intelligence America has a growing inventory of
The trouble with freedom these days is not that we have too little of it, but that we have forgotten what it is made of.
What Happens When We Stop Starving Our Artists
A Long-Form Thought Experiment About AI, Creativity, and the Case for Universal Basic Income There’s a moment every artist knows, whether they say it out
There are towns where public art feels like it fell out of a grant application — stainless steel, vaguely geometric, installed by a committee that
Three Views on Wealth
An Editorial Conversation from The Blue Ribbon Team Every so often the internet kicks up a little dust that tells a much bigger story than
Thanksgiving Edition- republican Virtue Thanksgiving mornings always have a particular kind of stillness to them—a pause in the national tempo, a collective breath the country
Why Are WE Punching The Wrong Enemy There’s a strange irony in modern creative culture:people will use every labor-saving tool in existence — except the
or is it finding my inner Pennamite I didn’t expect to move to Pennsylvania and find myself admiring its political architecture. I’ve lived in enough
“A Republic, if you can keep it.” — Benjamin FranklinIn theory, a republic is a well-tuned mechanism. The many are represented in the House, the
So I Asked Around Last month, somewhere between a fever and a mountain of envelopes, I started texting a few writer friends — one in
Innovation Isn’t Property
The Future Belongs to the Builders, Not the Gatekeepers On my workbench sits a rust-red vise, older than I am. It was forged in Ohio
Starving the trolls as a thought experiment. In our modern circus of political warfare, the central battleground isn’t reality—it’s speculation. The vast majority of what’s
Scenario: Hybrid Manufacturing-Service Economy with Universal Childcare and Single-Payer Healthcare 1. Fundamental Concept In this scenario, the U.S. transitions toward a manufacturing-focused or hybrid manufacturing-service
I just can’t leave the idea alone. The more I let it bore into my brain, the more it seems like a tenable solution to
The United States of North America—A Continental Thought Experiment Introduction Previous discussions explored scenarios of authoritarian expansion. This edition, however, considers an alternative path—a grassroots-driven
Us and them. We do it in every level of our life. Us and them. What makes up each category? In your home? Neighborhood? Job?
Reminder: this is a thought experiment. THINK! TRIGGER WARNING: This blog involves direct and honest discussion of race and the ideas espoused by various racial
In January, we explored the provocative question: “Did the USA just elect an Emperor?” As a thought experiment, it raised eyebrows, incited discussions, and led
The War on Social Security: A Thought Experiment on America’s Future America stands at a crossroads. There are those—immensely wealthy, politically connected, and utterly indifferent
American’s institutions are under attack! Across the United States, Americans are witnessing the devastating consequences of an unprecedented attack on the vital institutions and services
It seems every day someone brings up how divided America has become—how we’ve never been so at odds with one another. Now, anyone who has
An Open Letter to Democrats: To the Democratic Party, You have spent decades selling yourselves as the Big Tent Party, the party of inclusion, the
Thought Experiment: The Political Dichotomy of Federal Tax Contributions and Returns Preface: Not a Political Argument, but an Exploration The following thought experiment aims to
Last time I was up in Maine, we did a little exploring around the historic neighborhoods of Bangor. This of course turned into a half
Applying Bill Mollison’s Teachings to OUR Struggle One of the greatest myths of modern civilization is the idea of self-sufficiency in isolation. The lone wolf,
A Thought Experiment: Divesting to Disempower the Oligarchy In the ongoing struggle against entrenched power, we face a crossroads: the path of violent revolution, which—though
This is mostly humor…but its annoying too. Ah, the sweet, ironic travesty of it all! Here we are, living in an age where the majestic
Reimagining State Borders Around Population Centers to Fix Representation I. Introduction: A Call for a New Kind of State II. The Current Problem: Representation in
A Thought Experiment on American Resistance and Reclaiming Collective Prosperity We like to tell ourselves that America is built on the idea of standing up