Hunter-Gatherer Hardware in an Industrial World
How lessons from early humans are useful in understanding human psychology in the modern world, and the politics that results in.
Reaganomics Celebrates 43 Years of Making the USA Worse
The derailment of a train carrying dangerous chemicals in East Palestine, Ohio is once again a problem whose cause lies entirely at the feet of the free market system and everyone who upholds it, meaning 2023 has already locked itself in as the 43rd straight year that the free market system has made the United States a worse country
Inflation: The Fed’s Coffin Corner
The situation the Fed is in now can be broadly equated to aviation’s coffin corner. The best way to deal with a coffin corner is to avoid it in the first place, but we already failed at that. This situation has been inevitable for decades, and at this point, inflation is unfortunately the best option left to get out of it.
Democracy Survived Trump, But The Fight Is Far From Over
After the January 6 attack on the Capitol, it’s clearer than ever that democracy itself was on the ballot in 2020. The only reason it ever got to that point was because the rest of the Republicans helped Trump.
How to Undermine Democracy
A list of 20 steps to undermine a democracy, and how Republicans have done all but the last one.
Our Own Worst Enemy
A look at how the USA has recently become more like Russia, Venezuela, and the Middle East
The Next Pandemic: Fascism
At best, Trump has been an incompetent leader who allowed tens, maybe hundreds, of thousands of Americans to die unnecessarily, and just happens to echo the tactics and rhetoric of some of history’s worst leaders.
That’s the best case scenario.
Republicans: The Party of Fiscal Irresponsibility
When Obama signed the stimulus bill into law, Republicans and conservative commentators harped on its historically large impact on the national debt. However, today, I hardly hear any of the same chatter from the right over Trump’s even larger deficit.
You’re Not On Their Team
Do you really think, once a select group of people that’s keen on oppressing others takes authoritarian control of a country, that they’ll spare those who voted for them in the past? If you do, you need to read up on your history.
Everyone Should Support Free College
It can be tempting for those who don’t have student loan debt to say “that’s not my problem”, and oppose any sort of loan forgiveness or tuition subsidy effort, but that’s missing the most important point about this student loan debt burden: it impacts everyone.
Master’s is the New Bachelor’s
The quicker we can realize that, over time, more people will need to go to college, the quicker we can start to address how to accommodate it, and prevent further negative economic side effects.
George Floyd, and So Much More
This country was like a gas leak, just waiting for a spark to ignite. George Floyd’s death was that spark.
The 1%’s Playbook
There are two kinds of policies the ultra-wealthy people support:
Those that benefit the ultra-wealthy
Those that keep in power the people who support the policies in [1]
The Political Cycle
What arises is a cycle of populist uprising, which typically happens quickly, followed by a slower degradation of power among commoners, until elites regain control. If the elites are oppressive enough, this leads to the next round of upheaval from the commoners to repeat the cycle.
The Problem With Inequality
Inequality has been rising for decades in the US, and the US has the worst inequality of any western nation.
Overcoming Nature
It was only once a robust enough society with law and order was built up that humans were able to achieve truly remarkable feats
COVID-19 Will Change The World
We’re going to have to live differently, and when it’s over, things aren’t just going to go back to the way they were before
The Technology-Policy Gap
Technology is like a rip current - you can try to resist it, but that won’t stop it, and resisting will only cause more problems.
The Trickle-Down Myth
When was the last time you bought something you didn’t want, simply because you had enough money to do so?
Coronavirus Blunders
A short piece on Coronavirus and how this administration has made several irresponsible decisions that will cause it to be worse than it needs to be.