October 2020 – Historic Fantasy Books

Statue of Shiva in Karnataka

The Nine Unknown Men Who Control India

Post published:October 9, 2020
Post category:Historic Fantasy

This is a curious story which dates back more than 2,000 years. The great king of India, Ashoka (ruled 268 to 232 B.C.) expanded the empire left to him by his father Bindusara and his grandfather, Chandragupta. By 260, Ashoka ruled over most of modern India and Pakistan - but not including the southern quarter. He famously converted to Buddhism and his court became, in the eyes of later Buddhist priests, the most perfect realm in the history of the world. Like most other Buddhist kings, Ashoka's realm disintegrated soon after his death as Buddhist kings are rarely effective at real state-craft. Another example would include Xiao Yan, King Wu of Liang. However, during Ashoka's thirty years of peace and relative harmony, he became famous for his wisdom, and the…

US Federal Land Ownership

Reforming the USA #2 – Land Ownership

Post published:October 1, 2020
Post category:Historic Fantasy

#2 in my series on needed reforms to the USA. (last updated 10/1/2020) The USA is deeply and unfairly divided by the federal government's ownership and control over land. In the states east of the Rocky Mountains, the federal government owns and controls less than 5% of the land; in the original 13 states, the federal government owns little more than 1% of the land. But, in the lands north and west of Texas, the federal government owns and controls more than 50% of the total land area. In some states, like Nevada, the federal government owns 80% of the total land area. See an example of the data here. The map above was created by the American Lands Council. They have been advocating for this change for nearly a…