A stressful year

**40+ major elections around the world in 2024**

Authoritarianism increasing

Almost half of the world’s population will vote for their national leaders this year. And right-wing candidates appear to be favored in many countries including the US. Some pundits see this as the end of liberalism that has been in place since WWII. That is, the old European definition of “liberalism” - free trade, free markets, and limited government. All of that could change.

Why are Americans trying to move to the right? Politicians bring up many causes: immigration, national debt, corruption, reverse racism, inflation, climate change, social media, and global conflicts. To me the move to the right boils down to power - the world is messy and an authoritarian leader might make life easier. Give up freedom for security. That has its appeal, to some people.

This will be my 14th Presidential election. A number of these have been very consequential - Nixon, Reagan, Bush 2, Obama. A second Trump term would send shock waves through the country and the world. Trump is a narcissist who cares only about himself. Even if he loses, the push to the right will not stop. Read Project 2025.

Found my draft number from 50 years ago here - #335 thank goodness.

187 MINUTES OF DERELICTION

why care about the middle ages?

The years from 400 to 1400 in Europe have been described as “the dark ages.” Some authors have said that the best roads in Europe in the year 1400 were the ones the Romans built in 1000 years earlier. Were the Middle Ages a wasteland? Others see that time as a bridge from antiquity to the Renaissance, creativity and change hidden from view but slowly bubbling up.

There was both decline, fragmentation, and domination by the Catholic church as well as the preservation of classical knowledge, the seeds of capitalism, and preparation for the Renaissance. Below are several books to read this year.

Maybe we are heading into a “dark” age which will lead to a Renaissance, hopefully it will not take 1000 years.

Trump - evangelical tool

get the big picture

Franciscan Richard Rohr sees the universal in the particular, looking for the bigger picture rather than focusing on inconsequential particulars. He draws connections between many religions, finding what they have in common instead of what makes them different.

One way to get the big picture is through education. But MAGA Republicans attack public education and higher education. Even conservatives will say that the economy needs more educated people though they want to avoid any of that DEI / liberal stuff. Read the Chronicle of Higher Education.

Check out the “great books” curriculum from St John’s College, 400 books read by all students over their 4 years in school.

St john’s Freshman reading list

In 2023 the TX House voted to impeach AG Ken Paxton and the TX Senate listened to testimony for several days then decided to acquit him. Paxton admitted to disparaging senior lawyers in his office but wanted to House to pay his $3.3 million settlement - meaning he wanted to us Texans to pay for his illegal activities. The House tried to stop him. The Senate said he is innocent. Lots of fighting back and forth - he is also under federal investigation. He is a weasel and could get off.

After voting to convict Paxton, my local TX Senator Kelly Hancock made a statement - “Specifically, records will show that a great deal of money was invested by registered political entities as well as dark money organizations tied to interested parties with a stated goal of applying political pressure on Senators to sway votes, including an organized campaign to dismiss all articles before conducting the trial.” (page 13)

Hancock is as conservative as they come in the TX Senate. He had the guts to stand up to Abbott, Patrick, Paxton, and most Republicans.

TX State Senator Hancock on Paxton impeachment

Books on the Middle Ages

A Distant Mirror: The Calamitous 14th Century Barbara Tuchman

Beatrice’s Last Smile Mark Gregory Pegg

Medieval Foundations of the Western Intellectual Tradition Marcia Colish

The Rise of Western Christendom Peter Brown

The Making of the Middle Ages R W Southern

Epic and Romance W P Ker

And as always, check out “5 books” recommended on the Middle Ages

Books read (or re-read) so far this year

Meditations Marcus Aurelius translated by Gregory Hays