It’s a common refrain: We have bubble-wrapped the world. Americans in particular are obsessed with “safety.” The simplest way to get any law passed in America, be it a zoning law or a sweeping reform of the intelligence community, is to invoke a simple sentence: “A kid might get hurt.”
Category: Blogs
The official Everything-Voluntary.com blog.
Smallest Actions Can Have Big Effects
It’s a quirk of human nature that a crisis can bring people together, bring out our best, and give our lives meaning. Sure, it can also bring out the worst in some damaged people, but we can acknowledge their existence then continue to ignore them as insignificant.
No, the Politicians Didn’t Save Us From COVID-19
Politicians don’t start parades. They notice parades that we regular people have spontaneously organized, then run as fast as they can to the front of those parades, hoping to be seen “taking charge.”
Setting an Example
My parents gave me the gift of deciding many critical issues on my own. They told me there were religions, and it was my responsibility to either choose one or reject all or to cherry pick among several. They never asked me to select a political bent, although they were both dyed in the wool Democrats, but my Dad was a dixiecrat, prejudiced, and fiscally conservative, while my Mom was a Bostonian liberal, who broke the color line on Chattanooga city buses. I was watching them.
On Feminism
When I think of feminine energy, I think creation. Like birth, Spring, and newness, feminity is this and many other things. As such, markets are feminine, because markets are the result of the latticework of creative actions.
Gouge Is Good
If you’ve bought anything in the past six weeks, you’ve seen shortages. In grocery stores, you’ve see empty shelves. Online, you’ve seen long waits. If you know econ 101, there’s an obvious explanation: price-gouging laws. When supply falls, the market’s normal reaction is to raise prices. Government’s reaction, however, is to paint the market’s normal reaction as vicious exploitation – and order prices to stay flat despite reduced supply. Shortages inevitably result. While this story has great merit, you don’t have to look closely to realize that it’s not the full story of shortages. Why not?
Licenses Don’t Impress Me
Licenses are BS. Yes, all of them.
I don’t care whether you have a license; I care that you can do whatever you claim you can do.
I have nothing against training, certifications, endorsements, etc. I might even be impressed if you can show m…
Let’s Play a Game
Kids – especially young boys – are infinitely willing to play, infinitely willing to try new games, infinitely willing to suspend disbelief if it means they can compete and practice. Seeing this is one of the most charming things in the world.
If Gas Prices Jump at the Pump, Thank Trump (and Other Politicians)
“Remember $2 gas?” former House Speaker Newt Gingrich asked in 2012 as he sought the Republican Party’s presidential nomination. Politicians love to remind us of low gas prices in the past and promise their return in the future. But in early April, Reuters reports, US president Donald Trump threatened to severely curtail the US government’s military relationship with Saudi Arabia unless the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) reduced oil output to drive prices back UP.
Expectations Create Your Subjective Reality
The mind can play tricks. Your expectations can alter the way you experience reality. Years ago I experienced this effect and have never forgotten the lesson it taught me.