Michael Ostrolenk and Kevin Rollins talk about what it means to not hide behind a "philosophical barricade".
“Lizard tails” are problems created by attempting to hide a problem from our view without actually changing the constraints that we face. The lizard tails must then be hidden by another cosmetic reform, which itself creates real problems.
— Kevin Rollins, Lizard Tails and Perverse Effects: Social Change without Social Destruction
"Being a superpower is expensive. Its not something we 'earn' or 'deserve' or are given by God. We actually have to pay for it. It costs billions in foreign aid, military and intelligence operations."