TOS Weekly - The Father of Long-Distance Communication
Plus the musical dystopian fiction of The Protomen, the rational alternative to the National Day of Prayer, Amtrak's legacy of decline, and the injustice of civil asset forfeiture.
Welcome to TOS Weekly!
New outstanding music and new outstanding fiction seem equally hard to find in today’s culture, so I was astonished to find a little-known band from Nashville that excels at making both. As I detail in my new article, the Protomen have created a three-part work of dystopian fiction in the form of innovative and intricate synthwave rock music.
We owe thanks for the fact we can discover such niche things in the age of the internet to the pioneers of electronic communication. One often under-recognized innovator in this field is Samuel Morse, whose heroic life Aditya Patil has profiled in detail. Despite being better known for Morse Code, Morse labored through all manner of hardship to create America’s first long-distance electromagnetic telegraph, the forerunner to the electronic communications network that has brought the world together over the subsequent two centuries.
I hope you enjoy this week’s articles,
Thomas F. Walker
Managing Editor
What’s New?
This Week’s Anniversaries
The National Day of Prayer versus Fidelity to Reason
The first Thursday of May, according to a 1952 Congressional resolution, is designated the National Day of Prayer. A website devoted to it says the event “stands as a call for us to humbly come before God, seeking His guidance for our leaders and His grace upon us as a people.”
A Private Rail Renaissance Percolates after Fifty Years of Amtrak Failures
At last, fifty-four years after the formation of Amtrak on May 1, 1971, America has an intercity passenger railroad worthy of pride. In the heart of downtown Miami stands the shining new MiamiCentral Station, the southern terminus of Brightline—a private railroad linking Florida’s largest city with Orlando.
V: An Outstanding Work of Dystopian Television
If you’re a fan of deep, thoughtful dystopian fiction—or of thoughtful, intense science fiction—then you should check out a little-known 1980s TV phenomenon. Its name is simply V, and it first aired on May 1, 1983.
End the Injustice of Civil Asset Forfeiture
On May 5, 2021, the Govenor of Arizona signed a bill to reform civil asset forfeiture in the state. To fully protect Americans’ property rights, we must abolish this practice at the federal level. Civil asset forfeiture must end if we are to have a just legal system.
“I believe the work The Objective Standard is doing is imperative to the future of our nation.” —Miguel
Hey Thomas, your content will never actually be written. Just so you know.
Best, Juno