May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future

May Tomorrow Be Awake: On Poetry, Autism, and Our Neurodiverse Future by Chris Martin

The author is a poet that works with many neurodivergent people, especially non-verbal autists. He talks about the benefits of treating people with the benefits that they can provide to society rather than trying to pigeonhole them into certain roles. Then he comes across as a "savior" who seems to be above the people he is creating poems with. On one side, he says there is "no normal", while on the other he wants people to be part of "his ideal". It felt like a "difference" fetish rather than a true respect. How can we really allow different people to achieve their full potential rather than talk about one's personal "privilege" because of certain characteristics that they think make them better?

The World According to Star Wars

Cass Sunstein draws understanding of the world based on the story of Star Wars, while also delving into why Star Wars succeeded. There are a lot of different views presented, with favor given to some, but little concrete decisions made. (For example, a "Christian" interpretation of Star Wars makes more sense than that of the Empire being the "desired good".) 

The success of Star Wars is also explored. It was not expected to be a very popular movie, yet it had extremely good word of mouth. Eventually, the popularity was part of the news. Was Star Wars popular because it was the right movie at the right time? Was it just a really good movie? Or was it just luck that caused a few influencers to like it, leading to a snowball of popularity?

The book was written shortly after The Force Awakens was written. There was an afterward that mentioned the remaining 3rd trilogy (along with Rogue One, but not the Han Solo movie.) There is little attention to the vast expansion of the franchise under Disney. It is mentioned, but the greater focus is on George Lucas's vision and how it was influenced and how it was carried out. Our "favorite" Star Wars movies tend to change over time and is influenced on other opinions. I had previously preferred Return of the Jedi. Later, Empire Strikes Back became my favorite. I liked Phantom Menace when I first watched it. Later, I found myself starting to sour on the prequel trilogy. Then I reassessed and decided they were among my favorites. I enjoyed Force Awakens, but then soured on the Disney trilogy. Rogue One was challenging. The movie was good. However, the music was just not quite right. How much has this been me following public opinion versus my personal opinion? Star Wars has played such a role in our society that this can be discussed.

Can It Happen Here?: Authoritarianism in America

Could the United States of America become an authoritarian state? The answer in this collection of essays is "probably not, but we need to be careful" The framers of the constitution put in many checks that help prevent the rising up of a dictator. However, many of those protections are being gradually chipped away. Indirect elections of presidents and senators provided a protection from populist appeals. The division of powers had created a weak executive that lacked some of the strength the modern president has.

One essay identified "Identitarian" and "Nativist" as the two prevailing viewpoints. These do not line up with the left/right alignment. Another talked about "common sense" in politics. What all these have in common is a conviction that a core set of beliefs is self-evident. People that do not hold appropriate beliefs are seen as irrational. The points are so basic that there is not even a point of debating. It would be like debating whether or not the sun would come up. Unfortunately, not everybody holds these same beliefs.

The essays do look at some other countries that have slipped into authoritarianism. There is no standard model. Sometimes it is in response to aa perceived external threat. Other times it is internal populism. Hungary and Poland had a short history of democracy and moved towards authoritarianism. Taiwan also has a short democratic history, yet seems entrenched with democracy. China and Singapore seem to be doing fine with centralized control. Venezuela has been a basket case.

American institutions can both be means of hurting and helping democracy. The "deep state" intelligence agencies can use their knowledge to influence political outcomes. They can also prevent excesses and stop unlawful actions (like Watergate.) Active judiciaries can come up with logic to justify anything they want. Sometimes the results are on the "right side" of history, like in civil rights rulings. Other times, they are the "wrong side" (such as Japanese Internments.) 

It is not very likely that a figure such as Trump would became a dictator of the country. However, shocks (such as terrorist attacks) can result in the executive having greater power. Gradual changes could whittle away at limitations in power. Elections can turn on minor events, with well placed media use influencing election outcomes. If enough things fell in line, we could see the President gaining huge amounts of power. Luckily, the probably is small, but not zero.

The Self Driven Child

In listening to Self Driven Child, two thoughts went through my mind: 1. This is the parenting style that I aspire too, and 2. The school district has tried to pick and choose some of these principles, leaving education as a muddled mess.
One of the authors comes from a test-prep background. Thus, a lot of the examples are of "highly achieving" students that are stressed beyond belief trying to get into dream schools. Thus time is spent emphasizing that parents should not force children into these routes. The child that has their parents manage all the details needed to get into the good college often ends up partying hard and then dropping out. Instead, children should be given more autonomy to make their choices. Advanced schooling may not be for everyone. (One chapter in the book is even devoted to anecdotes from people who have gone down non-standard paths.)
Successful parenting (and leadership in general) involves helping people to make good choices and carry them out effectively. If we force people to do something, they do not develop the skills to make the choices in the future. They may also build up resentment and fight against what we are doing. Instead, a parent should often be more like a consultant. They are there to help the child in the process, but not dictate every detail. (However, there still are general rules and regulations that must be put in place.)
Schools also have a knack for doing many things that are not in the best interest of students. The emphasis on testing leads to students being good test takers, not good learners. External rewards motivate initial compliance, but internal reward systems are needed for long term success. Too much homework often leads to tired students rather than more learning - especially when it is of the busy-work variety.
We want children to be productive, self-driven members of society. We need to treat them appropriately. Even those with learning disabilities and special needs can be self-motivated. It just requires different behaviors.