An Ode To Skepticism (You’ll Be Better For It)
The beauty of history is that, with the passing of time, it’s easy to see the flaws of conventional wisdom. In science, medicine, economics, finance, and public policy, the years eventually reveal the errors of what people then thought were incontrovertible facts. Society would have been better off being skeptical of conventional wisdom. You would be better off being skeptical of conventional wisdom. Here’s why.
How To Kill Off Civilization
There are lots of ways to kill off a civilization. Wars, politics, economic collapse. Rome did it. Could we do it? If we follow the Progressives and allow them to implement crackpot ideas like Modern Monetary Theory we could be on our way.
There is No Justice in Just Cause Eviction Ordinances
Just cause eviction ordinances have more to do with politics than “justice”. The unforeseen consequences in tight rental markets in California will be to reduce housing opportunities for poor tenants as apartment owners with less control over their property will be much more selective in choosing tenants.
How To Have A Closed Mind
I hear this a lot from readers: “I like your columns but I don’t agree with you.” When I ask why they disagree I get stonewalled. “I just don’t.” People just aren’t open to changing their minds. This is a dangerous evolutionary relic which trumps reason and logic. It divides us into critical thinkers or sheeple. Which are you? read more…
Bellosguardo: Santa Barbara’s White Elephant
An eccentric 104-year old woman left her $100 million Santa Barbara mansion to a foundation to “foster the arts”. Instead of benefiting many deserving existing arts organizations, her fortune will be tied up in a money pit property which will end up as a tourist attraction. The property should be sold and the income generated from its endowment used to foster local arts organizations.
Gender Neutered
Progressive feminists and transgender advocates wish to control language and thus control people’s behavior. There is a movement to ban the gender pronouns “he” and “she” in an attempt by these groups to gain political power. New York City criminalizes behavior not conforming to new politically acceptable pronouns. It is an Orwellian attempt to curtail free speech for political ends.
California’s Feminist Corporate Coup
California’s new law requiring publicly-held corporations to appoint women to their corporate boards is a triumph of feminist-Progressive identity politics. Mandating identity over competency is one more attack on corporate sovereignty by California’s politicians. This, along with the other 900 new laws passed, will continue to drive businesses out of the state.
Bernienomics Redux
In my Bernienomics article, I lamented the current fashionableness of socialism, formerly a subject that people would not discuss in polite company. I placed a lot of the blame on Democratic Socialist Senator Bernie Sanders and his rising popularity. I received several comments from readers which you may read along with my replies.
Atlas Mugged
Current events have revealed that Ayn Rand’s novel Atlas Shrugged is not just fiction, but almost a prophesy. Elizabeth Warren’s Accountable Capitalism Act and the cronyism of Trump’s tariff policies are straight out of Rand’s novel. It won’t end well.
U.S. Declares War On China!
Trump’s trade war is not about about being patriotic or Making America Great Again or protecting American businesses. It is about politics and bad economics. No one wins a trade war; everyone loses.
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