"Too much capitalism does not mean too many capitalists, but too few capitalists."--Chesterton
Why the Americans put up with the American bashing U.N. is quite a mystery. The distortions we as Americans fund would be laughable were it not for the animosity it engenders. But every once in a while it is worth it. Read this grousing lament the U.N. recently put out: "The $1.5 trillion in tax cuts in December 2017 overwhelmingly benefited the wealthy and worsened inequality. …The tax cuts will fuel a global race to the bottom, thus further reducing the revenues needed by Governments to ensure basic social protection and meet their human rights obligations. …There is a real need for the realization to sink in among the majority of the American population that taxes are not only in their interest, but also perfectly reconcilable with a growth agenda." The U.N. wants the Americans to love taxes more. And there seems to be a risk if they don't: Other nations might have to start cutting taxes in response. That would be a real disaster for cultures where production is not a primary concern.
Here's another: "Successive administrations, including the current one, have determinedly rejected the idea that economic and social rights are full-fledged human rights." Well, the Americans recognize "aspirations," but do not think all aspirations are or should be enforceable. But the Europeans have never quite gotten away from their admiration of successful tyrants. And the idea of "Liberty" that the Americans so prize has always run in second place in Europe to the unachievable "Equality" of the French Revolution.
And it has never exported well.
When predictions of apocalyptic resource shortages repeatedly fail to come true, one has to conclude either that humanity has miraculously escaped from certain death again and again like a Hollywood action hero or that there is a flaw in the thinking that predicts apocalyptic resource shortages. The flaw has been pointed out many times. Humanity does not suck resources from the earth like a straw in a milkshake until a gurgle tells it that the container is empty. Instead, as the most easily extracted supply of a resource becomes scarce, its price rises, encouraging people to conserve it, get at the less accessible deposits, or find cheaper and more plentiful substitutes.--Pinker
Perry asks: "Stephanie Wilkinson, the owner of Red Hen restaurant in Lexington, Va., refused — as a matter of moral conviction — to serve the White House press secretary, Sarah Huckabee Sanders, on Friday night. Jack Phillips, the owner of Masterpiece Cakeshop in Lakewood, Co., refused — as a matter of moral conviction — to bake a wedding cake for a same-sex couple. For his refusal, Phillips paid a serious price: He was prosecuted and penalized by government officials, and subjected to protracted litigation that ultimately went all the way to the US Supreme Court. Should Wilkinson pay a similar price? "
A new Pew Research Center survey of more than 5,000 U.S. adults examines a basic step in that process: whether members of the public can recognize news as factual – something that’s capable of being proved or disproved by objective evidence – or as an opinion that reflects the beliefs and values of whoever expressed it. The main portion of the Pew study, which measured the public’s ability to distinguish between five factual statements and five opinion statements, found that a majority of Americans correctly identified at least three of the five statements in each set.
But this result is only a little better than random guesses. Only about one in four Americans (26%) surveyed were able to correctly identify all five factual statements and only about one in three (35%) could correctly identify all five opinion statements.
But this result is only a little better than random guesses. Only about one in four Americans (26%) surveyed were able to correctly identify all five factual statements and only about one in three (35%) could correctly identify all five opinion statements.
Under Republican guidance, the federal deficit will be roughly double what it was in the final year of the Obama administration.
Did Trump and Stormy have a "relationship?" Or was it more of a "transaction?" And there are more women, apparently. What exactly is the point? I remember an interview that George Clooney had where he was asked if he would run for office and he said, "No. Too many women."
#NoneOfTheAbove
What is...The Rational Bible?
The Justice Department’s inspector general referred its finding that ex-FBI deputy director Andrew McCabe repeatedly misled investigators who were scrutinizing leaks to the media to the US Attorney’s office in Washington, arguing that he should be prosecuted, multiple reports said.
The monks were primarily responsible for the preservation of wine-making (and wine drinking) through the Dark Ages.
Former Democratic presidential nominee Bernie Sanders has backed rapper Cardi B’s plea for America to strengthen social security. Our thought leaders are all on the same page.
North Korea’s fingerprints have appeared recently in some surprisingly sophisticated cyberattacks, including on central banks and cryptocurrency exchanges. Pyongyang is cultivating elite hackers much like other countries train Olympic athletes. (wsj)
Historian and author Jerry Muller of Catholic University, in his latest book, The Tyranny of Metrics, argues that public policy and management are overly focused on measurable outcomes as a measure of success. This leads to organizations and agencies over-focusing on metrics rather than their broader mission. The conversation includes applications to education, crime, and health care.
This has been a growing opinion recently. One wonders what subjective endpoints will be favored. We did have a lot of this in the last century and it did not go well.
According to a report from IQVIA Institute for Human Data Science released Thursday, the number of opioid prescriptions filled at retail pharmacies dropped 10 percent in 2017, “the steepest drop in the amount of painkillers dispensed to patients in 25 years.” The NYT took a typically half-empty view of this, asking if this meant people were now being undertreated.
Stanton has struck out in 38.7 percent of plate appearances this season (29 in 75 trips).
New York City has an eight-cent 'bagel-cutting tax." For some reason, unsliced bagels are not taxed. California has a 33% tax on fruit bought through a vending machine.
Maine imposes a one-and-a-half-cent per pound tax on blueberries shipped out of state.
(from a new book, "How Do I Tax Thee? A Field Guide to the Great American Rip-Off.")
Maine imposes a one-and-a-half-cent per pound tax on blueberries shipped out of state.
(from a new book, "How Do I Tax Thee? A Field Guide to the Great American Rip-Off.")
British actress Rachel Weisz announced in a New York Times profile released on Friday that she is pregnant and expecting her first child with husband Daniel Craig.
“I’ll be showing soon,” the 48-year-old actress shares in the interview. “Daniel and I are so happy. We’re going to have a little human. We can’t wait to meet him or her. It’s all such a mystery.”
Weisz is already the mother of 11-year-old Henry with her ex, director Darren Aronofsky, while Craig, 50, is dad to 25-year-old Ella with his actress ex Fiona Loudon.
Anita Sethi, a British writer, slammed Prince Charles for a comment he made to her during their brief interaction at the Commonwealth Heads of Government meeting this week. In an article about the experience for The Guardian, Sethi writes that when she had a chance to meet Charles after speaking during the Commonwealth People’s Forum, he asked her where she was from. When she responded Manchester, a city in northeastern England, he reportedly responded: “Well, you don’t look like it!”
Sethi, who is of Indian descent, said she was “stunned” by the remark.
Sethi, who is of Indian descent, said she was “stunned” by the remark.
The human brain has 86 billion cells and axons and trillions of synapses. A universe.
Golden oldie:
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steeleydock.blogspot.com
The West has been indulging an orgy of self-recrimination of late. One element that seeps into this self-loathing is a strange hatred of technology and a fear of progress.
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The new tax law makes local taxes non-deductible and there is evidence that some are leaving high tax states as a result.
The new "Westworld" is back. It is a collection of ambiguities, unfollowed leads, unanswered hints and suggestions, and inaudibility at crucial moments. They learned a lot from X-Files. And they have raised the level of male nudity, I suppose as a paean to equality and anti-science.
The "Rational Bible" is number two in national sales--but not on the NYT best seller list.
The U.S. pays 22 % of the U.N. costs, 28% if you include peacekeeping.
I saw an interview with the two guys who wrote Russian Roulette, a book on the Russian efforts to influence the election. It has not received favorable reviews as it sounds mostly chatty. One of the authors said during the interview, "And that's when Trump invaded Crimea." Not an insignificant slip.
Ashville is in a county that totals about one million people. Asheville itself has over 10 million tourist visitors a year.
Wise corporation makes great potato chips. They have been sued for putting too much air in their chip bags.
AAAAAaaaaaannnnnnnddddddd......a graph:
Image: taxnotes.com
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