Well Adjusted to a Bad Situation
The man at the bar had a steady hand. That was more than could be said for most of them. He lifted his glass, took a sip,…
Latest Articles
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The Obligation of Dignity
It is one of the peculiar tragedies of modern civilization that we have learned to calculate with astonishing accuracy the orbits of planets and the decay of…
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Beyond Profit: Building an Economy That Works for People
For centuries, the driving force of economic progress has been the pursuit of profit. Factories churned, assembly lines hummed, markets expanded, and societies reaped the material rewards…
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The Misery of Minor Inconveniences
It is a curious feature of modern life, particularly in the affluent portions of the world, that comfort has not engendered contentment, nor abundance brought with it…
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The Library, the Fire, and the Flicker of Hope
T.S. Eliot, not often accused of excessive optimism, once remarked that the very existence of libraries affords the best evidence that we may yet have hope for…
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Build Your Dream or Dig Another Man’s Ditch
A man wakes up early. He puts on his boots. He eats his breakfast. He walks out the door. He goes to work. He does this every…
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The Other Kind of Safety Net We Keep Forgetting
When we talk about safety nets in America, the conversation almost always swings back to money. Retirement accounts, emergency savings, insurance policies, college funds; we build them,…
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Susu: A Time-Honored Tradition of Community Lending
In the modern economic landscape, one where credit scores and bank loans are the go-to ways to get financial help, there’s a system that has been around…
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The Man Who Didn’t Starve
The man knew how to fix a roof. Not beautifully, but well enough it didn’t leak. He could wire a house without burning it down. He could…
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The Question of a Life Unshackled
I have often wondered why a man, when given the choice, so often chooses to be a beast of burden. It is not that he delights in…