Trust

US: 250 Years Later – Part 62: Guns

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In 1776, firearms occupied a practical place in everyday life as tools for hunting, protection, militias, and survival in a world with little centralized infrastructure or security. Two hundred and fifty years later, guns exist within a far more layered landscape of technology, politics, culture, identity, and public debate. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with firearms and asks whether the deepest question has ever truly been about weapons themselves… or about what people believe keeps them safe.

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US: 250 Years Later – Part 61: Gold and Silver

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In 1776, America attempted to finance revolution with a chaotic mixture of foreign coins, paper promises, and fragile confidence. Gold and silver became trusted anchors in a world where currencies rose and collapsed alongside political uncertainty. Two hundred and fifty years later, wealth increasingly exists as invisible digital systems, algorithmic markets, and abstract financial instruments. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with precious metals and asks whether gold and silver still represent economic value… or humanity’s enduring search for something solid enough to trust.

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US: 250 Years Later – Part 40: Door-To-Door Sales

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In 1776, commerce arrived with muddy boots and tired horses. Traveling peddlers carried not only goods, but also news, stories, gossip, and connection to a wider world. Two hundred and fifty years later, door-to-door sales still survives in a digital age of apps, algorithms, and online marketplaces. This letter follows America’s changing culture of direct selling and asks why face-to-face trust still matters in an increasingly automated world.

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US: 250 Years Later – Part 39: The Dollar

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In 1776, the United States did not yet have a stable national currency. Commerce operated through a chaotic blend of foreign coins, barter systems, paper notes, and sheer improvisation. Two hundred and fifty years later, the dollar has evolved into a global financial force moving mostly through invisible digital systems. This letter follows America’s changing relationship with money and asks whether currency ultimately rests on paper, metal… or belief itself.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 4: What’s better than money?

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Huckleberry Finn knew freedom didn’t come from accumulating wealth – it came from needing fewer permissions. Off-the-grid living shows us that value isn’t measured in dollars; it’s measured in community. Through barter systems, mutual aid, and local economies, we can reclaim wealth that isn’t found on a balance sheet, but in the trust and cooperation between people.

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An Introduction to Philosophy (RLL style) Week 13 – Society 1 (Money) – Part 2: Where does money come from?

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Most of us believe money comes from a mint, a vault, something tangible we can touch. But that’s a comforting myth. In truth, about 98% of the money we use doesn’t physically exist—it’s just numbers in a system. So what really gives money its value? It’s all about belief, agreement, and trust. And when we look closer at how money is created, we have to ask: who truly benefits from this system?

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