The institution of democracy already supposes an ideal core that is actually an illusion created by a transition from a previous state. The democratic spirit strives to be universal but is created in particular cases and implies some exclusion and a nondemocratic source. Democracy is not automatic or necessarilly a natural state.

 
Independent film in the middle to late 1990's introduced new directors such as Wes Anderson who created a new visual aesthetic that was new but also sentimental in some respects. These themes have spread to other films and novels and offered a new type of narrative that is far different from the rough character of previous artists.

 
The question of revolution concerns itself with whether acts of rebellion should be diverse or united into one organization. What is vital is the recognition that revolution must have as its goal the disruption of the power structure and not the taking over of the power structure. In order to keep revolution intact there must be an approach that refuses replacing authority with itself and able to enact positive change.

 
The implementation of a basic income guarantee would not only create economic benefits but further a sense of freedom. This would be the freedom to make economic decisions without being forced into exploitation out of necessity. With a minimum income one would be able to make a wider range of choices that could benefit society as a whole while still earning a stable living.

 
This review of a book by John Rawls looks at how principles of liberalism are not metaphysical but constructed through culture and political actions. There is no outside objective point of view where a sensibility of justice can be imposed, but it is realized through particular cultures.

 
The critical theorist Georges Bataille put forth a study of trangression as a new way to gain insight into human nature. He held that knowledge caused one to move beyond their own self-perception and that it is through the special position of the sacred and profane that one could return to the self and its special insight.

 
The use of cultural symbols in new ways shows the influence that these symbols have had on people through their lives, as well as the imagination of the people within that culture. Here is a clever outlook on the Sesame Street world.

 
The use of the term Infinite Justice in the beginning of the war on terrorism revealed an inner contradiction. It showed that a sense of moral right had superseded a real procedure of justice through established law, as seen in the suspension of international law and legal protections for prisoners. In order for justice to be truly infinite, there would be a different overall attitude toward terrorism that does not cause an escalation of hatred. Only justice can be universally applied, not moral virtue.

 
A new type of taxation takes into account the use and positive effects of community currencies. It allows for a tax on applied value that is made possible when local economics have their own form of exchange.

 
The author Neal Stepehnson is a science fiction writer who has expanded his realm of work to deal with history, economics, and science. His latest series of books called "The Baroque Cycle" deal with these themes and how the modern nation emerged from the age of Reason and Enlightenment.

 
The poverty of the developing nations is exacerbated by the debt that is owed to the World Bank and IMF. Here is a plan that would allow for these debts to be paid while insuring that the local economy is not deprived. Once freed from debt, the developing nations could build sustainable economies that would be fully independent of multinational corporations.