The Chinese Coronavirus (COVID-19) hit American shores — officially, anyway, there is significant evidence that it arrived earlier — in late January 2020. The American public was then told that a two-week shutdown of the economy would “flatten the curve,” relieving the pressure on hospital intensive care units and saving lives in the long run. The average American, including conservatives,…
Tag: lying
Life-Years Lost: The Quantity and The Quality
A few weeks ago, the NYT reported that “The Coronavirus Has Claimed 2.5 Million Years of Potential Life.” If you read the original study, you’ll discover one crucial caveat: The authors’s calculations assume that COVID victims would have had the standard life expectancy for Americans of their age. They freely admit that this is unrealistic and inflates their estimate.
Dominating and Bullying
Government officials, who purport to know what is good for us better than we do, are rarely content simply to advise us of this superior knowledge and recommend that we act in its light.
Entrepreneurship Is Accelerating at the Fastest Rate in Decades During This Pandemic
This week, the Wall Street Journal reports that entrepreneurship during the pandemic is accelerating. Several metrics point to this growth, including the number of people applying for tax identification numbers. The Journal cites US Census Bureau data revealing that applications by small businesses rose nearly one-third between January and September, compared to the previous year. In particular, applications skyrocketed between July and September, rising 77 percent from the previous quarter—the biggest quarterly increase in 16 years of tracking this data.
Harvard Researchers: Nearly Half of Young Adults Showing Signs of Depression Amid Pandemic
Mounting evidence shows that pandemic-related lockdowns and restrictions have inflicted much more harm on younger people than the coronavirus itself. A new report reveals that nearly half of 18 to 24 year-olds are “showing at least moderate depressive symptoms,” and for many the depression is severe.
Fried Chicken in a Hardware Store
Or, horror fiction on a libertarian website, if you prefer (see my bio below). Most of us have heard this expression, but for the uninitiated, it means attempting to market a product, service, or idea to the wrong or inappropriate audience or demographic. Thing is, I recall a hardware store in New Hampshire about 20 years ago that did sell fried chicken – and it was delicious.
Gun Control and Racism: The Laws and Taxes Meant to Limit Minority Gun Ownership in America
There’s long been a struggle between the ideals of America and the reality on the ground with regard to race. What’s more, minorities in the United States are disproportionately the victims of violent crime. Both of these things together make it crucial to understand self defense and the Second Amendment from the perspective of race in America.
How to Stop Bullying
Bullying is a strategy that results from certain psychological incentives and coercive institutions. There is a reason it is highly prevalent in coercive atmospheres (school, prison), but very rare in freely associated atmospheres (business).
Addressing the Emotional Signals
Most discussions of racism and abuse from police is often more about signaling rather than addressing anything useful.
Utter Folly
Perhaps the most idiotic aspect of all the rules and guidance documents governments have made, disseminated, and enforced in connection with the COVID-19 pandemic is the common underlying assumption that dealing with the disease is the only thing that matters.