I’ve put together a simple thought experiment for those who consider themselves political enemies. (As always, I stand on the shoulders of giants.) Those who consider themselves a part of “the Left”, such as liberals, progressives, social justice warriors, et cetera, aren’t really divided from those who consider themselves a part of “the Right”, such as conservatives, beltway libertarians, alt-righters, et cetera.
Tag: history
The New Normal: Our Evil Gift to a Generation Which Didn’t Deserve it
“Nothing,” economist Milton Friedman once observed, “is so permanent as a temporary government program.” And nothing makes a government’s programs — or, more importantly, changes in its core values — more permanent than the loss of collective memory that comes with generational changes. We’re hitting a big one soon. It worries me.
President Trump, Please Free Ross Ulbricht
There is no universe in which life without the possibility of parole is a reasonable penalty for the crime of running a web site. Especially a web site which arguably reduced both drug-related street crime and death by drug overdose.
A Proposal: Cut the Court
President Trump should announce that he is holding off on appointing a successor for Kennedy and asking Congress to reduce the size of the Court to seven justices, effective with the NEXT retirement. If Congress complies, that next retirement will likely be Ruth Bader Ginsburg, who is 85 and holding on for dear life rather than allow her successor to be chosen by a Republican president.
Is the US National Debt Finally Coming Home to Roost?
The US government is basically the guy who took out a huge home mortgage, then kept refinancing and borrowing against equity, while trading in his car for a new one (and a larger payment) every two years, and now finds himself visiting car title and payday lenders every week just to keep himself in groceries.
An Unschooling Tale: From Watching YouTube to Reading Financial Statements
Were you voluntarily reading financial statements at age nine? I certainly wasn’t. And I’m fairly certain that the first time I read one was to prepare for a test, not because I was personally curious about an organization’s economic health.
Negative Social Preferencing, ICE Edition
If you work for ICE, you should be denied service at restaurants, denied communion at churches, and have to explain to your kids why they aren’t invited to other kids’ birthday parties or play activities. And thanks to Sam Lavigne, we know who you are.
Stop Locking People in Cages!
So, the good news from this week is that immigrant families are not being kidnapped, separated, and thrown in cages anymore. They’re just being kidnapped and thrown in cages. But together, so that’s an improvement, I guess. The ludicrous nature of what passes for progress in a fascistic society is on display once again as we’re supposed to consider it a victory that peaceful people now get to go to the gulag as a family unit. Color me unimpressed.
Taxed Enough Already, You Say? Trump Disagrees.
Don’t be fooled. No matter how he gussies them up as correctives for “unfair competition” and “trade imbalances,” tariffs are taxes on American consumers, and that’s all they are. They aren’t paid by Chinese manufacturers. They’re paid by you, at the cash register, in the form of higher prices on the goods you shop for.
Child Abductions: A Conversation It’s Hard to Believe We’re Even Having
Don’t get me wrong. I’m glad he said it, as I’m far from sure I could have said it nearly as well. But I’m just completely floored by the idea that, in this day and age, Americans need the Archbishop of New York to remind us of something as obvious as the fact that it’s wrong to abduct children.