Beyond the Told

by Dr. David M Robertson

Category: Education & Money

Money and education ideas to consider

The Crisis of Declining Literacy in the U.S.

I recently discussed reading habits and declining literacy rates in one of my Telegram groups. The discussion centered on “pleasure reading,” but as I thought about it further, something began to feel “off.” So, I decided to do some digging, and I saw a troubling shift in how Americans engage with written material. This shift […]

Why Ideologues Rewrite the Success of Others

Modern ideological movements have developed a predictable habit. Whenever a nation, culture, or group achieves visible success, someone attempts to rewrite the origin of that success and assign it to another source. It’s rarely an academic argument. In fact, it’s usually a political tactic. Japan appears to be the latest target. Articles and Youtube videos […]

End of the Road, Revisited

Have you seen what gold has been doing? Are the forecasts finally upon us? In 2012, the documentary End of the Road: How Money Became Worthless made a claim that was widely dismissed as alarmist at the time. The film argued that once money was severed from constraint, political incentives would overwhelm discipline, debt would […]

Why SNAP and Credit Cards Are Not the Same

There is a growing tendency to compare the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), distributed through Electronic Benefit Transfer (EBT) cards, with ordinary credit cards. The argument usually arises during discussions about government spending or poverty assistance, with someone asserting, “What’s the difference? Both are plastic cards used to buy food.” It sounds simple, but the […]

The Quiet Power of Journaling

A student recently asked me why I push journaling so much. It’s a good question. In truth, I can think of a lot of reasons, but at the very least, it seems to me that if you’re going to pay tuition in the school of hard knocks, you damn sure better squeeze the most out […]

The Shadow Banking System

The financial world you know (JPMorgan Chase, Bank of America, your local credit union) has a hidden counterpart. It’s a $65 trillion network called shadow banking, larger than traditional banking and critical to the global economy. In 2008, when this system faltered, it nearly brought down everything. Most people still don’t know it exists, yet […]

Fostering Critical Thinking in Students

When it comes to real education, fostering critical thinking and reflective skills is paramount. While research proficiency is essential, developing critical analysis abilities requires dedicated instructional strategies. One effective approach involves structured argumentative assignments that challenge students to evaluate diverse perspectives critically. However, ideal outcomes can be hard to achieve if the student is left […]

The History and Status of Active Measures

Throughout history, nations have employed various strategies to manipulate perceptions, sow discord, and shape the ideological landscape of adversaries. The United States is not immune. This is evidenced by the immense division we have experienced in recent years. Of course, the word “psyop” has been of particular interest to Americans, with the volume of monthly […]