A blog by Leon Oudejans
Do we have good reasons to believe in beliefs?
5 Jun, 2023 | Knowledge
Recently, I noticed this strange question above in an Aeon-Psyche article: Do we have good reasons to believe in beliefs? A radical philosophy of mind says no. Last Saturday, a new friend said the following: "Believing is in the nature of mankind; it's a clear...
It’s Xi, not the West, busy humiliating Putin (The Times)
4 Jun, 2023 | Knowledge, Love, Power
The Times title: It’s Xi, not the West, busy humiliating Putin Times subtitle: Far from being engaged in a partnership of equals, China is exploiting the war to eclipse Russia By: Roger Boyes Date: 30 May 2023 “It’s the privilege of a centenarian to change his mind at...
America’s Faustian Pact with runaway debt is coming due (Telegraph)
3 Jun, 2023 | Knowledge, Power
INTRODUCTION LO: While the article below is correct, it is not complete. Americans believe in lowering taxation and increasing spending (eg, military). Even a child should be able to understand that such a situation is - ultimately - unsustainable. Quite possibly, the...
World of Debt
2 Jun, 2023 | Knowledge
My blog title has been borrowed from a recent Project Syndicate article: A World of Debt. Early 2018, I published my blog Deficits, Losses, and (Government) Debt. My 2018 diagram (obviously) excluded the impact of the 2019-2023 pandemic, which created lots of new...
Has morality become a benchmark for others?
1 Jun, 2023 | Knowledge
Ethics and morality used to be a benchmark for evaluating our own deeds, words and intentions (eg, good-bad, right-wrong). Today, other people insist on evaluating what we say or do. We could call them prudes (Dutch: fatsoensrakker), the righteous (Dutch:...
Inequality and polarization
31 May, 2023 | Knowledge, Power
Recently, Belgian newspaper De Standaard published an article stating that a feeling of impoverishment pushes voters towards extremist sides. Hence, more inequality is responsible for more polarization in our societies. Also see my April 12 blog: Politics, a belief in...
Why does a week have 7 days?
30 May, 2023 | Knowledge
The answer to my question above is quite interesting. The ancient Sumerians used a Base-60 numeral system (eg, 60 seconds). Wiki: "The number 60, a superior highly composite number, has twelve factors, namely 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 10, 12, 15, 20, 30, and 60, of...
Is time ‘a stubbornly persistent illusion’?
29 May, 2023 | Knowledge
It's impossible giving a definition of time without including geographical location, gravity, and/or speed in that definition. “The distinction between the past, present and future is only a stubbornly persistent illusion”, according to theoretical physicist Albert...
They’re openly saying it: Brexit has failed. But what comes next may be very dark indeed (the Guardian)
28 May, 2023 | Knowledge, Love, Power
The Guardian title: They’re openly saying it: Brexit has failed. But what comes next may be very dark indeed Guardian subtitle: The ‘remoaner elite’, the civil service, the BBC, universities, unions, refugees: anything is blamed but Brexit itself By: Jonathan...
Europe is beginning to turn against the prophets of climate alarmism (the Telegraph)
27 May, 2023 | Knowledge
The Telegraph title: Europe is beginning to turn against the prophets of climate alarmism Telegraph subtitle: Levels of eco-anxiety are rising among the young, but the planet’s future is brighter than many think By: Fraser Nelson Date: 18 May 2023 "A few days ago, I...
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