A key reference is Earth. This is an extract.  In a historic move, the United States has officially expanded its geographical territory by one million square kilometers. The catalyst for this territory expansion lies in the redefinition of the U.S. continental shelf boundaries.    By invoking international law, the US State Department  has outlined new areas under the sea where the continental shelf,  a seabed area surrounding large landmasses with relatively shallow waters, extends further than previously recognized.  This monumental addition is spread across seven distinct ocean regions, with over half of the new territory located in the Arctic. The concept of the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS) is pivotal in understanding this expansion. Under international law, coastal nations can claim these extended shelves, along with the right to manage and exploit their resources. With this territory expansion move, the U.S. joins over 75 countries tha...

A number of factual sections are from Chat GPT.   I will share the legal foundation in my view (first amendment and campaign finance laws) to which we can trace some of the dislocations in our politics and campaign systems.  Campaign and political speech are protected under the First Amendment in the U.S., but there are several constraints and regulations that apply: Defamation : False statements that harm a person's reputation can lead to civil lawsuits. Incitement to Violence: Speech that incites imminent lawless action is not protected. Obscenity: Speech that is deemed obscene (lacking serious literary, artistic, political, or scientific value) can be regulated. Electioneering Communications : Certain regulations govern the timing and funding of campaign advertisements, especially those that directly advocate for a candidate. Campaign Finance Laws : Restrictions on contributions to campaigns and the disclosure of funding sources aim to prevent corruption and ensure...

I put this together some time ago and wanted to share it in its original form. These are, in my view, the six major structural challenges the United States will face in the years ahead. The points remain largely as I originally wrote them, with only light refinement for clarity. These are, in my view, the six structural challenges that will shape the future of the United States. They are not short‑term political debates but long‑horizon forces that will influence our economy, security, and global position. Each challenge is complex on its own, but together they form an interconnected system that will test the country’s resilience and political will.  1. AI: Transformative Potential and Disruptive Risk AI has enormous potential to improve human life, but it also carries the capacity for major disruption. Impacts may include large-scale job losses, the need for retraining, and the obsolescence of entire industries. Ethical use is another major concern. It is unclear how to plac...

In this essay, I briefly describe the key income sources for state governments for 2023 or 2024 from individuals which is part of the cost of living for individuals in that state. My focus is more on what a senior citizen has to pay out, rather than what the state actually uses that revenue for. I live in Hawaii. I had collected this information for my own reasons and decided to share.  Property taxes are often levied by a county, and significantly influence the operational capacity of local services and infrastructure. Property tax is on the assessed value (less deductions like seniors or homeowners) which may be lower than the market value. Hawaii has the second lowest property tax rate in the US, but property prices are high, so the government gets quite a bit of money from this. Louisiana has the lowest rate. New jersey has the highest and New Hampshire and Texas are in the top three. Florida and California are in the middle. California (my old state) had three time...