Wednesday, May 17, 2017

In the news, Thursday, May 4, 2017


________

MAY 03      INDEX      MAY 05
________


Information from some sites may not be reliable, or may not be vetted.
Some sources may require subscription.

________

from BBC News (UK)

There are diseases hidden in ice, and they are waking up
Long-dormant bacteria and viruses, trapped in ice and permafrost for centuries, are reviving as Earth's climate warms.

________

from Conservative Intelligence Briefing

Mnuchin Confirms Obama Administration Used Fannie And Freddie Funds to Pay for Affordable Care Act
Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin joined Fox Business Network’s Maria Bartiromo to discuss items including a potential border adjustment tax, a tax plan for economic growth, and the future of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.

________

from FEE (Foundation for Economic Education)
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

How Star Wars Can Lead America Off the Dark Path
Luke Skywalker’s heroic victory was that he resisted terror, renounced hate, and rejected aggression. Inspred by his son’s example, Anakin finally turned back from the dark side, and so was redeemed. If we would but be similarly inspired, America could be redeemed as well. And we would finally step off the dark path.

Have you ever really stopped to consider why the Galactic Empire in "Star Wars" is actually bad?

People Are Enraged about Unfairness, Not Inequality
To say that inequality is a bad thing is something of a platitude. So universal is the condemnation of the chasm in income between rich and poor that it would be reasonable to assume that mankind has an instinctive preference for equality over inequality. Markets can't deliver equality, but they can deliver fairness.

Should Taxpayers Be Fleeced Forever Because of the Deficit?
As anyone could have predicted, after President Trump released his tax proposal last week the response from the left was a familiar one about "tax cuts we can't afford" and "mountains of debt" that will supposedly result from reduced penalties placed on work, investment, corporate profits, and of course, death. So while the left acted as expected, the truly unfortunate part of this story is that Republicans and conservatives responded to the criticism of Trump's proposal in a similarly predictable fashion. Wouldn’t it be a nice change to see Republicans promote tax relief that penalizes American workers less while also reining in politicians?

Trolling Isn't the Answer to Political Correctness
Political correctness seems to invite trolling. At the same time, it's pretty obvious that the more pleasant conversation is, the more we're likely to converse constructively.

________

from First Things

MEDIATORS
Modern society is structured not according to a principle of communitas, but of immunitas, an order that enables us to keep safe distance from one another.

________

from Investor's Business Daily

What Caused Venezuela's Collapse Is No Mystery — Except To Economically Illiterate Journalists
Why is it that reporters keep scratching their heads about Venezuela's descent into extreme poverty and chaos? The cause is simple. Socialism. End it and you will end the misery. Here is how the Times explained the reason for Venezuela's dire situation: "The growing economic crisis (was) fueled by low prices for oil, the country's main export; a drought that has crippled Venezuela's ability to generate hydroelectric power; and a long decline in manufacturing and agricultural production. There's no mention — not one — of the fact that Hugo Chávez tried to turn Venezuela into a socialist paradise, policies that his successor Nicolás Maduro has continued. The Times' coverage is par for the course.

________

from Mises Institute
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

How Governments Outlaw Affordable Housing
In many places, rent growth means more housing is badly needed. Unfortunately, local governments are working hard to limit the supply of housing.

Only Trump Has Been Honest About This One Issue
About a year ago Trump committed what some economic pundits considered his greatest gaffe, suggesting that the US may not pay back all of its debt. According to Serious People at the time, the very notion was “stupid and ridiculous,” “insane,” and a threat to “incinerate the world economy.” Trump was also entirely correct.

________

from The New American Magazine
[Information from this site may not be reliable.]

John Lott: Half of All U.S. Murders Happen in Just Two Percent of Counties
In 2014, the latest year for which sufficient data is available, half of all murders in the United States took place in just 63 U.S. counties — two percent of the 3,144 counties in the country. Two-thirds of all murders that year happened in 157 counties — five percent. On the other hand, according to John Lott, the author of the study by his Crime Prevention Research Center, more than half had no murders at all.

________

from New Statesman
"The leading voice of the British left, since 1913."

Leader: The god that failed
One hundred years ago in St Petersburg, the world received a shock as momentous as that of the French Revolution. The Russian experiment on 1917 today serves not as an example but as a permanent warning against tyranny.

I despair at how quickly couples give up on each other – but then, what do I know about dating?
I sometimes wonder how the hell I’d cope nowadays.

Emmanuel Macron's debate with Marine Le Pen set the tone for the next five years
Emmanuel Macron played the role of the president, and Marine Le Pen was the disrupting opposition.

________

from Shift Washington

Inslee on bipartisan bill: Nah, the enviros won’t let me
Washington’s Growth Management Act (GMA) is so restrictive that some school districts can’t even find appropriate land for building new schools. In a way, the law is fulfilling its goal: to be greatly restrictive of growth. But as the state grows, new schools have to go somewhere.

________

from The Spokesman-Review

________


No comments:

Post a Comment