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John Livingston

Time to Gird Our Loins

The expression “girding up of loins” is referenced in The Bible many times. It originally referred to the tucking up of a long robe into a girdle so it would not hamper physical activity. It was part of “preparing for battle” or physical activity. Today it has become an expression referring to not only preparing […]

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John Livingston

Assault on the Idaho Freedom Foundation

The fake news and “the swamp” are alive and well in Idaho. For all his faults Donald Trump had the courage and fortitude to confront the corruption in Washington DC. Like a modern-day King Cyrus who helped the Hebrews escape 70 years of captivity and return to their homeland and reestablish the Temple, Mr. Trump’s […]

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John Livingston

Dummy Scrimmage Hero

Anyone growing up in Ohio and playing football in college and high school like I was blessed to do, would early in life become familiar with the term “dummy scrimmage hero”(DSH) It is not a term of endearment, nor was it ever invoked in a haphazard fashion. Call an opponent a “dummy scrimmage hero” and […]

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John Livingston

It is All about Families

Two years ago, I approached a “Conservative Think Tank” in Idaho about developing a strategy and then tactics to make a plan that would focus political issues in such a way to encourage people who are not usually involved in politics to become engaged in the process. Many new people coming into our state have […]

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John Livingston

The Political Economy of Mass Hysteria

Never underestimate the power of peer pressure or the power of the mind. Mass hysteria or technically Mass Psychogenic Illness (MPI) is defined as the spread of symptoms either psychological or physiological that have no bases or environmental or pathologic causes. When I was the Medical Officer on the USS Virginia our Nuclear reactors were […]

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John Livingston

The Great Awakening Part II

Sun Tzu in THE ART OF WAR warns us: “If you know the enemy and know yourself, you need not fear the result of a hundred battles. If you know yourself but not the enemy, for every victory gained you will also suffer a defeat. If you know neither the enemy nor yourself, you will […]

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John Livingston

Where’s the Beef?

Every night I read the EYE ON BOISE review post edited by award winning journalist Betsy Russell. I am amazed at how many bills are brought up before legislative committees that remind me of the famous Wendy’s add from the early 80’s. A little old lady gets a burger from a drive in and bites […]

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John Livingston

Asymmetry

The political and moral courage of the conservatives running for governor in Idaho is to be applauded. Janice McGeachin has suffered the slings and arrows of misogynistic abuse from members of her own party and continued to fight for the principles she believes in. Many of the wounds that she bears are self-inflicted and come […]

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John Livingston

Help

I am really tired of politicians putting their fingers up to the wind and trying to figure out what their constituents want and what to promise to be re-elected. How about just telling the people what you believe and if you win fine and if the people want someone else with different ideas, then fine. […]

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John Livingston

The Great Awakening

Theologians and historians identify several great awakenings that have occurred in our country prior to and after our founding. The unique time in history when the ideas of the Enlightenment merged with a sharp increase in religious piety of the people, and with a sense of humble reverence and a belief in God was the […]

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John Livingston

The Medical Industrial Complex

I have spent an hour as often as possible watching the Idaho Joint Finance Appropriations Committee (JFAC) proceedings. Without making comments about the process of setting a budget, the absolute disconnect between economic reality and public policy is astonishing. During the course of the political pandemic all fifty States have seen a surplus in their […]

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John Livingston

Corruption

As we are very quickly approaching the primary elections in May and then the general elections in November the single most important issue that needs to be addressed by Idahoans is corruption at all levels in our state government. Corruption doesn’t have to be illegal to be devastating, but often it is both. Corruption is […]

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