Tag Archives: democracy

The Kings Never Smile

Posted on November 7, 2012 by nathanalbright

Today I was sent an interesting scholarly essay on kingship that compares two contemporary monarchs, Juan Carlos of Spain and Bhomipol of Thailand [1]. The essay argues rather convincingly that both personal and structural elements are at the base of … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 1 Comment

A Nation Gets The Government It Deserves

Posted on November 7, 2012 by nathanalbright

In less than a week the nation of China will choose its new generation of leadership, and that will include a great deal of Generation Xers. Currently, China is being governed by a phony populist who pretends regard for the … Continue reading →

Posted in History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 7 Comments

2 Chronicles 33:21-25, 36:1-4: The People Of The Land

Posted on October 26, 2012 by nathanalbright

Two places in the often-neglected book of 2 Chronicles, the Bible records electoral behavior by a group of people known as “the people of the land.” Some question remains as to the identity of the people of the land, though … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, Church of God, History | Tagged , , , , | 2 Comments

Don’t Blame Me, I Voted For Nathan

Posted on September 30, 2012 by nathanalbright

As the story goes, in 1928, as soon as Herbert Hoover knew that “Silent Cal” Coolidge was not running for re-election, that he tossed his hat into the ring to acquire the power and prestige of the presidency. As the … Continue reading →

Posted in Bible, Biblical History, Christianity, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

On Soldiers And Democracy

Posted on September 15, 2012 by nathanalbright

During my graduate studies at Norwich University, one subject that came up several times in the course of my research was the relationship between soldiers and democracy [1]. Two of my long papers (one of them my capstone paper [2]) … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, History, Military History, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 3 Comments

Book Review: The Ox-Bow Incident

Posted on July 17, 2012 by nathanalbright

The Ox-Bow Incident, by Walter Van Tilburg Clark It is unjust that such a moving and powerful book should be so neglected in these days after having its virtues praised and known during its own time, but there are at … Continue reading →

Posted in American History, Book Reviews, History | Tagged , , , , , | 12 Comments

Hard Habits To Break

Posted on June 22, 2012 by nathanalbright

As human beings we tend to exaggerate the capacity or inclination of of institutions for change, something I have written about a fair bit [1] [2]. Rather than repeat what I have already said, I would like to examine the … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, Church of God, History, International Relations, Musings | Tagged , , , , | 5 Comments

Tyranny Is A School From Which No One Is Ever Permitted To Graduate

Posted on June 4, 2012 by nathanalbright

Throughout history, the standard line of people defending unjust and tyrannical regimes, whether they be the enslavement of people or the denial of civil rights, has been that the people in question are too barbaric or too immature to use … Continue reading →

Posted in Christianity, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , , | 5 Comments

Politics And The Tyranny Of Geography

Posted on November 4, 2011 by nathanalbright

As a student of both geography and politics, I am constantly intrigued by election maps.  In looking at election maps over a period of time, one can gain a sense of the cores and peripheries of different nations and political … Continue reading →

Posted in American Civil War, American History, History, Musings | Tagged , , , , , | 10 Comments

Landslide

Posted on July 4, 2011 by nathanalbright

“Well, I’ve been afraid of changing, / ‘Cause I’ve built my life around you, / But time makes you bolder, / Even children get older. / I’m getting older too. / I’m getting older too [1].” These words, written and … Continue reading →

Posted in History | Tagged , , , | 4 Comments