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- Dig Deeper Into World Events and U.S. Foreign Policy – In-Person
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Item Number: S25SOC204A
Dates: 4/4/2025 - 6/6/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: F
Sessions: 10
Maximum Enrollment: 19
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room B
Instructor: Karl Vischer
Registration for this course is closed. Does a lot of what you read in the news about the world concern you? Does it make you feel a bit overwhelmed? Do you wish you could understand the “big picture” better and share your concerns about the world with others? Over 10 weeks, this interactive class will discuss global issues confronting the new president as presented in the Foreign Policy Association’s “Great Decisions 2025” booklet: 1) the most pressing decisions before the U.S. in 2025; 2) American foreign policy; 3) U.S. changing leadership of the world economy; 4) U.S.-China relations; 5) India: between China, the West and the Global South; 6) international cooperation on climate change; 7) the future of NATO and European security; 8) artificial intelligence and American national security; 9) American foreign policy in the Middle East; 10) common themes and likely future directions. All participants in this course must have the ability to respectfully discuss viewpoints different from your own.
NOTE: Participants will be expected to read about 20 pages before class covering various points of view so that we’ll be able to dive in and spend most of our class time on informed discussion. The “Great Decisions 2025” booklet is required reading and will be distributed at the first class. (Cost: $35)
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- El Salvador and Democracy in the 21st Century – In-Person
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Registration for this course is closed. Why care about a small Central American country like El Salvador? One reason is that in a changing world, El Salvador is pointing the way to a different kind of democracy whose leader is not afraid to try things that would horrify our civics teachers. Those who quote Ben Franklin as saying, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety,” should have visited El Salvador in the 1990s, when the murder rate topped 100 per 100,000 people, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Today, the murder rate is lower than that of Canada. President Nayib Bukele’s approval rating is over 90%, and Salvadoran citizens are enjoying their new security. How did that happen? It’s due to massive arrests without civil liberties of all gang members, known and suspected, and the construction of CECOT, one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the world, with 40,000 inmates. This will be a lecture course with ample time for Q&A.
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- El Salvador and Democracy in the 21st Century – In-Person
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Item Number: S25SOC329A
Dates: 4/17/2025 - 5/22/2025
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 5
Maximum Enrollment: 53
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room D
Instructor: Terry Doyle
Registration for this course is closed. Why care about a small Central American country like El Salvador? One reason is that in a changing world, El Salvador is pointing the way to a different kind of democracy whose leader is not afraid to try things that would horrify our civics teachers. Those who quote Ben Franklin as saying, “Those who would give up essential liberty to purchase a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety,” should have visited El Salvador in the 1990s, when the murder rate topped 100 per 100,000 people, the highest in the Western Hemisphere. Today, the murder rate is lower than that of Canada. President Nayib Bukele’s approval rating is over 90%, and Salvadoran citizens are enjoying their new security. How did that happen? It’s due to massive arrests without civil liberties of all gang members, known and suspected, and the construction of CECOT, one of the largest maximum-security prisons in the world, with 40,000 inmates. This will be a lecture course with ample time for Q&A.
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- Hot News & Cool Views – Online
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Item Number: S25SOC139
Dates: 4/1/2025 - 6/3/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 10
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Rick Vann
Registration for this course is closed. Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion forum to explore and discuss breaking news from Oregon and around the globe each week. All differing views and opinions are not only welcome but essential to create lively discussion in the group. We cover a wide range of topics, from politics to climate change to technology, medicine and more. An agenda with articles will be sent to students a couple of days prior to each class. Students are encouraged to send in topics and news articles to add to each week’s agenda and our discussion. Please join us for a sizzling hot journey around the world with our fast, fun and sometimes controversial class. Better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going!
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- Hot News & Cool Views – In-Person
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Item Number: S25SOC139A
Dates: 4/1/2025 - 6/3/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:30 AM
Days: Tu
Sessions: 10
Maximum Enrollment: 35
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room D
Instructor: Rick Vann
Registration for this course is closed. Hot News & Cool Views is an open discussion forum to explore and discuss breaking news from Oregon and around the globe each week. All differing views and opinions are not only welcome but essential to create lively discussion in the group. We cover a wide range of topics, from politics to climate change to technology, medicine and more. An agenda with articles will be sent to students a couple of days prior to each class. Students are encouraged to send in topics and news articles to add to each week’s agenda and our discussion. Please join us for a sizzling hot journey around the world with our fast, fun and sometimes controversial class. Better than a strong cup of coffee to get your week going!
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- Show Me the Money: Finances of Local Government – Online
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Item Number: S25SOC330
Dates: 4/2/2025 - 5/21/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 2:00 PM
Days: W
Sessions: 8
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Sabrina Cotta
Registration for this course is closed. Ever wonder what Ashland’s food and beverage tax pays for? Curious how Ashland city revenue has changed over time? This class will provide attendees with a high-level understanding of how the city of Ashland raises and spends money to pay for public services and infrastructure. Each session will consist of a 30-minute presentation on a particular topic, followed by time for questions and answers moderated by City Manager Sabrina Cotta. This course is about local government finances. It is not a course on policy issues or political statements.
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- The Deficit Myth – Online
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Item Number: S25SOC317
Dates: 4/21/2025 - 6/2/2025
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 299
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Tom Woosnam
Registration for this course is closed. Our Congress regularly uses excuses to avoid passing important legislation: “How are we going to pay for it?” “Our deficit is out of control and our kids and grandkids will be paying the price.” “We can’t possibly have this social program because there’s no money to pay for it.” “We have to balance the budget.” If the federal budget worked like our own personal budgets those statements would indeed be appropriate. But it doesn’t, because the government, through the Federal Reserve, issues the currency. This course will examine how money works in light of what is known as Modern Monetary Theory. We will use the ideas in “The Deficit Myth” by Stephanie Kelton to guide our discussion. OLLI members may have heard of MMT in different contexts, the most common being the deliberate misinterpretation: “MMT says deficits don’t matter and you can print as much money as you want with no negative consequences.” No prior knowledge is required, and it’s not necessary to read the book.
NOTE: This course will be similar to a course of the same title taught in fall 2024, but will include additional information on money creation, inflation and buying and selling of Treasury securities. One-hour classes are planned, so we’re likely to end early but please reserve the full 90 minutes in your schedules. There is no class session on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day.
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- The Deficit Myth – In-Person
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Item Number: S25SOC317A
Dates: 4/21/2025 - 6/2/2025
Times: 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM
Days: M
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 53
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Room D
Instructor: Tom Woosnam
Registration for this course is closed. Our Congress regularly uses excuses to avoid passing important legislation: “How are we going to pay for it?” “Our deficit is out of control and our kids and grandkids will be paying the price.” “We can’t possibly have this social program because there’s no money to pay for it.” “We have to balance the budget.” If the federal budget worked like our own personal budgets those statements would indeed be appropriate. But it doesn’t, because the government, through the Federal Reserve, issues the currency. This course will examine how money works in light of what is known as Modern Monetary Theory. We will use the ideas in “The Deficit Myth” by Stephanie Kelton to guide our discussion. OLLI members may have heard of MMT in different contexts, the most common being the deliberate misinterpretation: “MMT says deficits don’t matter and you can print as much money as you want with no negative consequences.” No prior knowledge is required, and it’s not necessary to read the book.
NOTE: This course will be similar to a course of the same title taught in fall 2024, but will include additional information on money creation, inflation and buying and selling of Treasury securities. One-hour classes are planned, so we’re likely to end early but please reserve the full 90 minutes in your schedules. There is no class session on Monday, May 26, in observance of Memorial Day.
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- The Paradox of Wittgenstein – Online
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Item Number: S25SOC325
Dates: 4/3/2025 - 6/5/2025
Times: 1:00 PM - 3:00 PM
Days: Th
Sessions: 10
Maximum Enrollment: 74
Building: Online
Room: (Zoom)
Instructor: Ean Roby
Registration for this course is closed. The Austrian thinker Ludwig Wittgenstein was a major figure in the development of 20th century philosophy in Britain and America. In this course we will explore the paradoxical features of his life and writings For instance, Wittgenstein, an intensely private genius, came from vast wealth but eventually gave it all away. His first work, a small volume called the “Tractatus,” caused a sensation in intellectual circles. The Vienna Circle, a group of brilliant scientists and mathematicians, highly valued the book but, in Wittgenstein’s view, profoundly misunderstood it. His British mentor and friend Bertrand Russell wrote the book’s preface. Reading that preface, Wittgenstein despaired. Even Russell, he felt, had utterly misunderstood him. Later, Wittgenstein completely disowned the “Tractatus” and created a new philosophy of ordinary language. The course will try to make sense of these contrary events. Students need no background in the subject. Weekly notes will be furnished.
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- Waging Peace – In-Person
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Item Number: S25SOC327A
Dates: 4/3/2025 - 5/8/2025
Times: 9:00 AM - 10:00 AM
Days: Th
Sessions: 6
Maximum Enrollment: 53
Building: Campbell Center
Room: Meeting Room
Instructor: Diana Clennan
Registration for this course is closed. This course will provide a learning environment for understanding war culture. We will consider ways to promote critical consciousness and intellectual curiosity, and we will craft ideas for moving toward a democratic culture of peace. Students should be prepared to discuss all aspects of a war culture including strong anti-war endeavors such as “Howard Zinn on War.” “Waging peace” means learning to live with diversity instead of combating it. This course will be based on “After Empire: Myth, Rhetoric, and Democratic Revival” by Robert L. Ivie and Oscar Giner, 2024. Lecture slides will cover content from the book. Discussion questions will be provided ahead of each class session, and students will be encouraged to highlight portions of the book they would like to discuss in class. It’s a rich text. Within each chapter we will choose what we discuss as a class. Students are also welcome to arrive to class with no preparation!
NOTE: Students should acquire “After Empire: Myth, Rhetoric, and Democratic Revival” by Robert L. Ivie and Oscar Giner.
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