Institutional Blueprint

     Strength is two things: quiet and attractive. What is strong never needs to talk about how strong it is, what is respectable never needs to demand respect. The more it demands respect or voices claims of strength, the more repulsive it becomes. Stone finds no cause to claim its strength nor demand respect; it simply is, and so becomes the only true foundation.

     Today's graduates looking at the SR-71 are akin to 13th century magisters trying to replicate the Pont Du Gard. The substance of research, peer-review, and replication - that is to say the 'knowledge production' of academia - is irrevocably, irredeemably broken. The pursuit of truth, let alone the meaning of respect and masculinity, are reduced to little better than a punchline.

     Do not train boys to be dependent on technology; do not train them to ask another to fight for them. Do not train boys to seek grades or to 'check the box'; do not teach conformity.

     Train men to master the disciplines; give them first principles and self-mastery. Let the men direct technology, let them defend themselves. Let each man stand on his own feet, that his respect and honesty are neither suspect nor compelled.

     Every system is a product of its actors, every whole is the sum of its parts. The quality of a nation is the character of her men. Broken boys make broken nations. Build the man.

     Here is the institutional blueprint for something new and vital. Comment, question, scrutiny, and collaborators are invited.

     Let's discuss the plan, and the next steps. Let's build men.