April 2013 – The Scholar's Stage

Striking It Rich in Ancient Times: An Example From the Song Dynasty

26 April, 2013Dogs of War, History, The Middle Kingdom, Wealth

In “Notes on the Dynamics of Human Civilization: the Growth Revolution” and “A Flawed Comparison: Inequality, Ancient and Modern” I contended that the process through which premodern societies and individuals acquired their riches is fundamentally different from the way fortunes are created and acquired today. An interesting example is provided by the Song Dynasty and […]

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Global Temperature, 0-2000 AD

23 April, 2013Climate, History

This week a 78-man team of international researchers organized as the PAGES (Past Global Changes) 2k Network published a report for Nature Geoscience reconstructing Earth’s climate for the past 2,000 years. The report is the most comprehensive of its type yet published, and its focus on detailing regional (vs. hemispheric or global) temperatures is unique. Each […]

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Mourning For Boston

19 April, 2013To My Countrymen

Boston will always have a special place in my heart. In October of 2010 I was called to serve as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. I was asked to serve in the Boston-Massachusetts Mission. I accepted the call and for the next two years New England was my […]

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Notes From All Over (14/4/2013) – Digital Feudalism, Macrohistory, and Energy

14 April, 2013Culture, Energy, Epidemiology, History, Japan, Military Affairs, Notes From All Over, Political Theory, Southeast Asia, The Middle Kingdom, Tyranny, Wealth

A collection of articles, essays, and blog post of merit. This collection is a large one. TOP BILLING Our Internet Surveillance StateBruce Schneier. Schneier on Security. 25 March 2013. The Internet is a surveillance state. Whether we admit it to ourselves or not, and whether we like it or not, we’re being tracked all the […]

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“Winning Hearts and Minds” Is Dead

13 April, 2013Dogs of War, Military Affairs

“The primary objective of any COIN operation is to foster development of effective governance by a legitimate government. Counterinsurgents achieve this objective by the balanced application of both military and nonmilitary means…. Governments described as “legitimate” rule primarily with the consent of the governed; those described as “illegitimate” tend to rely mainly or entirely on […]

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Far Right and Far Left – Two Peas in a Pod?

10 April, 2013By The People, Community, Complex Systems, Electoral Intrigues, Monied Interests, Oligarchy, Political Theory

Infographic from Ty Morteson. Image Source.One might add “Governments consistently bails out corporate interests with tax-payer money” to the center of the diagram. Several months ago I published a post that describes how the extreme partisanship emanating from Washington is a really just a surface veneer that covers a plutocratic consensus lying beneath. [1] Ashwin Parameswaran, blogging […]

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Whence Springs a Strategic Canon?

09 April, 2013Europa Regina, History, Military Affairs, Political Theory, Romans and Grecians, The Middle Kingdom

Scrolls containing the Seven Military Classics of the Chinese strategic canon. Image Credit. Last month I wrote a post on the difficulties Westerners face learning about China’s military history and expansive strategic canon. Reflecting on this military tradition, Martin Hewson (who blogs at Breviosity) posed a few interesting questions: Why does China have such a sophisticated tradition […]

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Testing Your Knowledge of Indian Politics

04 April, 2013Bharat, Humor

How well do you know Indian politics? High school history text books often include political cartoons students must interpret to demonstrate their understanding of the period in question. When I saw the following political cartoon, published in Outlook India earlier this week, it occurred to me that modern political cartoons can be just as useful a test. Krish […]

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March Round-Up

03 April, 2013Notes From All Over

©Dave Walker, image from weblogcartoons.com After a two year hiatus the Scholar’s Stage opened up its doors to discussion once again. All significant essays published since the re-boot began in February are posted below. I thank all of the readers and commentators that make posting here a rewarding experience. THE REPUBLIC Ominous Parallels: What Antebellum America […]

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West and East and How We Think

02 April, 2013Books and Literature, Culture, Education, Japan, Korea, On Humanity, The Middle Kingdom

What impact does culture have on cognition? Psychologist Richard Nisbett has conducted dozens of studies to find out the answer to this question. Presented in The Geography of Thought: How Asians and Westerners Think Differently, the results of his study are fascinating – and their implications far reaching. “Perception: How Germans and Chinese See Each Other” from […]

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Monthly Archives: April 2013

Striking It Rich in Ancient Times: An Example From the Song Dynasty

Global Temperature, 0-2000 AD

Mourning For Boston

Notes From All Over (14/4/2013) – Digital Feudalism, Macrohistory, and Energy

“Winning Hearts and Minds” Is Dead

Far Right and Far Left – Two Peas in a Pod?

Whence Springs a Strategic Canon?

Testing Your Knowledge of Indian Politics

March Round-Up

West and East and How We Think

Archives