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Introduction To This Blog
Welcome to Prometheus-Speaks.org, a blog that seeks to provide readers with intriguing and original thinking on a...
When Gay Men Feed on Other Gay Men
There is something ironically saddening when members of an oppressed group mistreat other members of that same group. I have recently been observing the phenomenon of intra-community mistreatment in the case of gay men, who I have come to realize can, at times, be adept at being unkind and even cruel to each other…
No Wealthy Person Should Feel Complacent When Poverty Remains in Their Midst
The wealthy can be a smug bunch. They are pleased with the comfort and status that their wealth brings them. And, importantly, most would assert that they deserve their good fortune, assessing themselves as more talented and/or diligent than those who have less than they do. Put simply, many consider themselves superior and believe that their superiority justifies their having more than others who are inferior.
Confessions of a Blogger: Guidance for Aspiring Polemists
For those of you who are familiar with Prometheus Speaks, you know that the site seeks to present innovative and unconventional thinking on under-explored topics. What this means is that some of what I post is bound to be controversial and/or objectionable to some readers. That is why the blog’s name refers to…
Will AI Turn Us into the Eloi from H.G. Wells’s The Time Machine? Sounding the Alarm About AI’s Possible Contribution to Human Laziness and Degeneration
Like many people these days, I have been playing and working with Artificial Intelligence (AI) and have been absolutely amazed at what it can do, particularly in connection with what I spend much of my days doing – thinking, researching, and writing. Earlier versions of AI with which I tried working turned out texts that were, what I would refer to as
Don’t Know the Difference Between an Embassy and a Consulate? Read On . . . A Primer on the Law and Practice of Diplomacy
The realm of diplomacy, with its rituals, specialized language, and critical role in international relations, offers a fascinating glimpse into how countries manage their relationships both peaceful and contentious. When popular culture or the media portray the diplomatic world, it is frequently…
Humanity’s Withering Soul: A Call to Action
When we think about threats to the continued survival of humanity, causes like nuclear war, environmental degradation, or an AI gone berserk come to mind. But inadequate attention is given to a more insidious threat to mankind, and that is the deterioration of what I refer to as humanity’s communal soul…
In Defense of Overthinking: The Unsung Hero of Critical Thought
At Prometheus-Speaks.org, we dive deep into the labyrinth of the mind, unraveling the threads of human thought and contemplation. In this post, I embark on a journey to champion the much-maligned practice of “overthinking.”
Does “Pallywood” Exist? Assessing Claims of Manipulation of the Israel/Palestine Narrative
The discourse surrounding the representation of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in the media is as multifaceted and complex as the historical and geopolitical tensions that underpin the conflict.
How Will the Horrors of the Israel-Hamas War Affect the Future of the Israeli-Palestinian Conflict?
Israelis and Palestinians are two traumatized peoples. Israelis were shaken to their core on October 7, 2023 by the infiltration into southern Israel by Hamas militants who brutally murdered some 1,200 people and…
It’s All Chinese To Me: My Fascinations With China and its Language
1979 was a heady year for those with an interest in the People’s Republic of China. After decades of enmity, including as combatants in the Korean War, the United States and the People’s Republic of China opened diplomatic relations in that year. I remembered watching live on TV several years earlier as Richard Nixon landed in Beijing for a…
Of Stigma and Character Flaws: What We Should and Should not Be Ashamed Of
Stigma and shame are powerful forces for directing our behavior and determining how we feel about ourselves. (In this essay, I will use the words “stigma” and “shame” interchangeably.) They are a highly effective mechanism by which society enforces its written and unwritten rules without ever having to…
When Can We Say Bye-Bye to Bibi? The Wrong Man Is in Charge at a Perilous Time for Israel
This is another installment on the Israel-Hamas conflict, this time examining Netanyahu’s political situation as it relates to the war in Gaza. These are challenging times for Bibi Netanyahu, to say the least. Having long branded himself as the Prime Minister best able to keep Israel safe, he now finds himself as the Israeli leader in charge on the worst day of violence against Jews since the Holocaust. Some 1,200 people in Israel were brutally murdered…
Some Brief Thoughts on What Makes for “Good” Sex
I first want to explore a spiritual aspect of good sex. I believe that sex is best seen as a form of physical and spiritual communion for the participants. It is through sex that we achieve the most intimate and deep connection between people…
Of Paradigms and Anomalies: Thoughts on How We Model Our World
Humans are adept at building paradigms of our world – basically, models that enable us to understand and navigate various aspects of our reality. Thus, for example, we have paradigms of how our workplace, family, political system, and, for those with an interest in physics, even the universe function. These paradigms are…
Why Does the World Seem to Pick on Israel So Much?
The demonstrations and statements that have followed in the wake of the Israeli siege of Gaza should make one wonder why the world is so harshly condemnatory of Israeli conduct, yet has little to say about other nations and groups that are clearly oppressive. Protests, statements by leaders…
Assessing the Case for Genocide in the Israel-Hamas War
Article IX of the 1948 Genocide Convention authorizes states that are party to it to bring disputes under the Convention, including those relating to responsibility of a state for genocide, before the International Court of Justice in The Hague…
The Central Flaw of the 1948 Genocide Convention: Fixing the Definition of Genocide Under International Law
Genocide is often regarded as the most heinous international crime. Although human history has witnessed many acts of genocide, the concept of the crime of genocide is relatively new and developed primarily in the aftermath of the Nazi atrocities of World War II…
Patent Reform: David vs. Goliath – An Interview with Venture Capitalist Gary Lauder
Gary Lauder is the Founder and Managing Director of Lauder Partners LLC, a venture capital firm in Silicon Valley. Over the past nearly four decades, Lauder, who has been a tireless advocate for “smart” patent reform, has invested over $500 million in venture capital in more than 150 companies and more than 100 venture capital funds.
My Friend Cecil’s Take on Reality and the Mind (Part II): The Game
In Part I of my series on my friend Cecil Poisson’s highly unconventional thinking on the nature of reality and the mind, I explained how Cecil’s mind, from which our reality emanates, is…
Why It’s Okay and Even Important to Talk About Ourselves
Prometheus Speaks does not usually make a point of critiquing other authors. However, a recent article in The Atlantic by the well-known columnist Arthur Brooks bothered me very much…
Barroom Etiquette: Showing Respect Where Everybody Knows Your Name
Throughout most of my adult life, I have frequented neighborhood bars of all sorts. There are the dives, the fancy cocktail lounges, the gay bars, the sports bars, and…
Love Takes Courage. So Be Brave, My Love!
I am surprised from time to time how many people I encounter are not in a romantic relationship. I am not talking just about marriage, but…
Diary of a Psychonaut: Voyage#1, Ketamine
Ketamine clinics and dispensaries are opening up all over America, and there is good reason for it. You may have...
Why We All Lose When Women Surrender Feminine Virtues
Women are surrendering in droves, and we are all paying the price for it. What I mean by “surrender” is that women are increasingly abandoning the qualities and virtues that made them not only special, but even superior to men in some respects. These qualities would include a nurturing spirit, extraordinary emotional intelligence and empathy, a perspective on society that perceives of it as a web of relationships rather than as a collection of atomized individuals, an emphasis on cooperation over competition, and a preference for harmony over conflict.
In the Wake of Hamas’s Attack on Israel, We Must Keep Our Eyes Fixed on the Horizon
October 7, 2023 was a deeply sad day for civilization, as Hamas militants conducted vicious attacks on southern Israel resulting in the deaths of some 1,400 people, mostly civilian, and the abduction of over 200 others. The barbarism of the terrorists was beyond comprehension, as they tortured and executed victims in front of loved ones and decapitated children. Predictably, Israel has responded with massive attacks on Gaza, already resulting in the deaths of several thousand Palestinian civilians and turning the territory into a humanitarian disaster.
Taking The Anxiety Out Of Clickwrap Agreements
So, you’re in a new app on your phone, say a dating site or a sign-up for some software, and this long legal...
Epistolary Etiquette: What is the Proper Salutation for Formal Correspondence in a Non-Binary World?
The conventional way we open formal correspondence in our culture is, of course, “Dear [insert name or title],”...