Tuesdays with Muerte

Nixon predicted the current state of U.S.-Russian politics back in 1992. Say what you will about Nixon's involvement in the Watergate coverup, he was one smart guy and a heck of a statesman. Despite his shortcomings, when Nixon was right, he nailed it. After the U.S. "won" the Cold War with Russia in 1991 , the ideals of freedom (free-market capitalism and educated democracy) have stood trial on the world stage. The Cold War isn't over. The opponents of liberty and justice for all are lying in wait. As the Great Experiment of democracy has succumbed to the consequences of pride (e.g., a false sense of security ) and constant subversive influences (e.g., Russian imperialism ) over the years , free nations (including the U.S.) have begun to revert to (not communism, which has failed) but a new despotism or authoritarian demagogism . The Book of Mormon demonstrates this same dynamic in the book of 3rd Nephi. In Chapter 1, we read that though signs and wonders abound,...

1. The Moral Roots of Liberals and Conservatives • Disabuse yourself of your natural self-righteous position by acknowledging that everyone believes they are right, and by being open to others' experiences. • Step out of the moral Matrix to which we are all connected. "If you want the truth to stand clear before you, never be for or against. The struggle between 'for' and 'against' is the mind's worst disease;” ― Jianzhi Sengcan (15:10) 2. How to Step Outside your Biases • The phrase, "man is the measure of all things," is a self-serving rationalization disguised as philosophy. Seek truth. not confirmation. (5:00) • It's seductive to believe that all your believes happen to be true. Being right feels good, which leads to seeking support your position and acting in bad faith. (5:58) • Social media (including Google) is designed to feed us information that cooresponds to beliefs we already espouse, re-inforcing our respective confirmat...