politics
A nation of chatterers
A people who make a living selling words. Arrogant enough to expect to be fed, clothed, and housed simply because they push around words and ideas. A people proud of their position as traders in information, not needing to make anything to earn a living. A nation that lauds great gifts of money on those... »
software is for little people
The rich have UBS Warburg and Switzerland. We have Turbo Tax. The rich have travel agents, we have travelocity and kayak. The rich have nannies. We have the nanny cam. The rich have drivers. We have GPS Tom Tom. The rich have lobyists. We have blogs. The rich have nutritionists. We have the Carb... »
Cleaning up the Pacific Garbage Patch
If there are a large number of freighters idled by the recession, they could be put to good use cleaning up the big Pacific Garbage patch. I see two freighters trolling with a big net between them, picking up a current of garbage, and then maybe using it as fuel, rather than storing it (incinerating... »
YOU have to pay for a free press
Information wants to be free, but YOU have to pay for a free press. We always hear the first clause these days, touted as some kind of rationalization for free, ad-sponsored journalism online. I have not heard the second clause in a long time. Yet, if consumers want an independent, brave, hard-hitting, press, they are... »
Illegal Immigration: Finally Attacking the Problem at its Source
Finally, the government gets it right with illegal immigration. ICE is forcing employers of illegal immigrants to fire them, or else the employers face stiff fines. This has been the right solution all along. The best quote in the article is from Mr. Morton, who is in charge of ICE: The goal, he said,... »
First Time Home Buyer Credit Should not be Extended
There’s a lot of whining out there from the real estate industry about extending the First Time Home Buyer Credit past its upcoming December 1, 2009 deadline. Let them whine, and let it expire. The program is a boon and lifeline to the industry, not to the homebuyer. It amounts to a price inflating... »
Reform of Existing Health Insurance Laws
Even if a public health care option is not passed into law, there is ample argument for strong reform of the laws covering private insurance. All of us can think of someone who, while well employed or retired with private coverage, has found themselves shut out by their insurance companies, coverage terminated simply because... »
Public Health Insurance
Without a doubt, there should be public health insurance for all who are not covered by employer provided insurance. Private insurers also need to be reigned in so that these common “no coverage” excuses can be eliminated: pre-existing conditions, loss of a job, lifetime or annual expense cap. Obama’s speech tonight did a good... »
My lesson from “The Shock Doctrine”: The most dangerous idea is that taken to the hilt
“The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism“, by Naomi Klein, is a wellspring of sad and horrifying revelations. It is a terrifying account of how Milton Friedman’s economic theories have been murderously put into practice throughout the world for the last 40 years. This interview on You Tube is a nice digest of the... »
The Drug Wars
A complete waste of time and money. The real solution: Make addictive drugs legal like addictive cigarettes and alchohol, and spend millions on anti-drug education and addiction treatment. Any employer could still require employees to be drug free, and test. Jobs involving public health, safety, and transportation could and should, of course, require drug free... »
