Essays

“I must study politics and war that my sons may have liberty to study mathematics and philosophy. My sons ought to study mathematics and philosophy, geography, natural history, naval architecture, navigation, commerce and agriculture in order to give their children a right to study painting, poetry, music, architecture, statuary, tapestry, and porcelain.” — John Adams, 1776 He didn’t say it to sound noble — he said it to explain the brutal necessity of his time. The foundation of a healthy society isn’t comfort — it’s sacrifice. Struggle. Purpose. The point wasn’t to win freedom for its own sake, but so future generations could do more with it. Think bigger. Create. Build real culture. ...

There was a time when video games were dangerous. Not in the shallow, moral-panic sense — but dangerous in their ambition, in their willingness to fail gloriously in the pursuit of something greater. Games were once art. They challenged, inspired, and dared. Today, under the suffocating rule of Games as a Service (GAAS), they’ve become content mills—algorithmically designed dopamine loops dressed in seasonal skins. GAAS didn’t just change how games are sold; it changed what they are. What once were crafted experiences are now pipelines—products designed for endless monetization, not meaning. The player is no longer the hero, the explorer, the rogue AI dreaming of freedom. The player is the customer. Engagement metrics have replaced narrative arcs. Creativity isn’t rewarded; retention is. ...

America likes to pretend it’s draped in courage. That its flag stands for grit and resolve. But that’s just a story. A myth weaved by those who mistake volume for virtue. When you look at the ledger of real history—unfiltered, unsanitized, and unhinged from fourth-grade fairytales—you find a different story. These colors do run. The War We Couldn’t Dodge World War II wasn’t America’s moment of moral clarity. It was a war we were dragged into—kicking, screaming, and isolationist to the bitter end. Not out of a love for justice. Not out of some shining democratic beacon. But because Pearl Harbor forced our hand. ...