American Democracy

Buddhism and Hope.

In October 2025, immigration reform proposals that staff presented to Trump stated that acceptance of refugees has made the country too diverse. “The sharp increase in diversity has reduced the level of social trust essential for the functioning of a democratic polity,” according to one of the documents. The administration should only welcome “refugees who can be fully and appropriately assimilated, and are aligned with the president’s objectives.” The Administration had already implemented many of these policies.
Added to Reform “the System”: A Manifest

The Transcendentalist, by Ralph Waldo Emerson —excerpt from a January 1842 lecture at the Boston Masonic Temple

How Corporate Feminism Went from “Love Me” to “Buy Me”
A decade ago, Sheryl Sandberg’s “Lean In” aimed to tear down the obstacles that kept women from reaching the top. Now her successors want to tear down everything.
By Katy Waldman, The New Yorker, October 20, 2025