I’m going to make predictions about 2020—a fool’s errand for sure. But this fool’s guess is probably just as valid as anyone else’s—I do follow economic trends. Being diligent readers, you will save this article and pull it out on January 1, 2021 to see if I was right. It will be fun.
Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren are angry critics of free markets and rich people. They paint a bleak picture of America as a population of downtrodden, defeated people subjugated by billionaires and capitalism. The record is just the opposite, so one wonders why they and their supporters have this view of our world. The answer is that their anger is driven by envy and a desire to deprive successful people of the fruits of their success, a thing the envious have never achieved. Politicians exploit this primitive emotion for their own political ends which is the power to control us.
A recent poll stated that half of Californians have thought of leaving the state. Once the land of golden opportunity, California is losing its dynamism. The reason for that is that it is by far the most regulated state in the union and it has the highest tax rate among the states. Now two new laws, one trying to kill off the gig economy, the other statewide rent control, threaten the promise that once made California the land of opportunity. (UPDATED Oct. 18, 2019)
(more…)By supporting Trump’s disastrous trade policies, his apologists are fomenting the destabilization of a world order of prosperity and peaceful coexistence created by free trade. These new “conservatives” are not conservatives, but Big Government advocates who seek the reins of power.
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.
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.
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.
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? (more…)
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.
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.
Recent Comments