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We Loved Ronald Reagan So Much
By Donella Meadows
–January 1, 1987–
Watching the nation writhe over another crisis of the Presidency, I am reminded of a chilling story called “We Love Glenda So Much” by the South American writer Julio Cortazar.
Glenda is a movie star. Everyone loves her. Her fans know her films by heart; they study her every gesture and word.
Of course Glenda has bad moments. [...]
Two Stories and a Whole Bunch of Morals
By Donella Meadows
–December 25, 1986–
Here are two simple stories for the holiday season and a question. The question is, what is the moral? What point do these stories make?
* * * * *
Bobbi Jo Free of Meredith, New Hampshire, is a mother, a toy-designer, and a businesswoman. When she first heard the devastating statistics of world hunger, she thought of [...]
Folly in Iran, Folly in Nicaragua
By Donella Meadows
–December 18, 1986–
The perfect word for U.S. policy in Iran and Nicaragua is folly.
In The March of Folly Barbara Tuchman defines government folly as “the pursuit of policy contrary to the self-interest of the state.” To put it bluntly, folly is official stupidity.
As examples Tuchman describes the corruption of the Renaissance Popes, which provoked the Protestant secession; the [...]
Nuclear Weapons After Reykjavik – Join the Debate
By Donella Meadows
–December 11, 1986–
Since Reykjavik the superpowers have gone right on insulting each other. They have expelled each other’s diplomats. The Soviets have revoked their nuclear testing moratorium. The U.S. has violated the SALT II agreement.
Only one thing seems to have changed. Nuclear disarmament has become a legitimate subject of discussion. Both superpower leaders have endorsed it. There is [...]
Why Would Anyone Want to Play Starpower
By Donella Meadows
–December 4, 2011–
When leaders in socialist countries wonder why their people are disaffected, when my conservative friends tell me how lazy and undeserving the poor are, when my liberal friends tell me how greedy and scheming the rich are, I wish they could all play Starpower.
Starpower is a deceptively simple classroom game. I have played it all over [...]
