IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, HERE ARE SOME OF THE TOPICS;
You’ll note the absence of many political topics—except this one. The (fabricated) impeachment proceedings has overshadowed the real work of government. Whatever Trump said or did, it is clear to any (non-Democrat/liberal not afflicted with Trump Derangement Syndrome) that until they convince the American people, and the US Senate to alter the entire meaning of “high crimes and misdemeanors,” that nothing impeachable happened. The one GOP witness, Jonathan Turley, a professor at George Washington University Law School, testified on Wednesday that he didn't see any proof that President Donald Trump committed a crime and that Trump therefore should not be impeached. He was right.Why?
Anyone who doesn’t think that ”horse trading” during negotiations hasn’t and doesn't go on between heads of state for decades, is living in some imaginary world. The failure of any crime having been committed is simply the “icing on the cake.” If everyone who talked about anything “inappropriate” in the world of high level politics or who discussed doing something illegal (as long as it was not actually planning a violent crime) were indicted, tried and found guilty, there wouldn’t be enough prisons in the world to hold them all. Yes, it appeared Trump stalled making a payment to gain some leverage, but in a short few days, the payment was made as planned.
Here’s the problem when one party is so extremely determined to unseat a legally elected president that it will go to any extreme—and it is supported by 90% of the mainstream media—a lie told often enough can be accepted as the truth by too many people. There are countless scientific studies that support this principle. Tell a lie often enough, broadly enough and with enough vehemence, and it therefore becomes the truth—but it is not the truth—it is an often repeated lie. https://www.bbc.com/future/article/20161026-how-liars-create-the-illusion-of-truth
COULD PLANTING MORE TREESS HALT CLIMATE CHANGE?
YES, but it will take another 50-100 years to fully do the job. Tree’s absorb carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. And there is plenty of land on which to plant a trillion trees and let them grow. This is not a new discovery. It’s just the first time it has been modeled on a global scale. Industrial plants (like AK Steel in OH) surrounded its facilities with green belts for just this effect, on a much smaller scale. Instead of imposing crippling taxes and fees or penalties (the bureaucrats first choice), or spreading subsidized windmills (that are unsightly, wear out fast and have harmful secondary effects)—plant trees…thousands of them. Meanwhile use the best available technology to minimize carbon dioxide emissions while the forests grow
IS THE “GREEN NEW DEAL” EVEN REMOTELY PLAUSIBLE?
NO…not a chance. The economic impacts would be crippling to society, and the effectiveness is grossly unproven. This is an immature, amateur’s “pipe dream.” Any responsible scientist or economist or even a smart 7th grader can prove that the Green New Deal is a “Bad Deal” fo everyone.
DOES THE PUBLICITY OF SUICIDES ACTUALLY CAUSE MORE SUICIDES?
YES…and this has been known since the 1980’s. Robert Cialdini’s 1981 book, Influence: the Psychology of Persuasion contained evidence from the 1970’s so persuasive that mass media collectively agreed to downplay and not publicize suicides, because each time they did, another 35 suicides quickly followed. The more coverage in the media, the larger than number became. (Chart 4.1 p.148).
ARE BIG COMPANIES (LIKE IBM) ACTUALLY PURGING OLDER WORKERS?
NOT EXACTLY, BUT SORT OF… In general, older workers are more highly paid, less up to date technically, and more set in their ways/resistant to change and new ideas. This makes a compelling case for trading their costly and inflexible experience for a less costly, more up to date, and younger replacement. Some claim it’s “ageism;” other simply call it “pragmatism.” In an era where most developed countries and markets are growing at 2-3%/year, and human (people) costs are one of the largest expenses. One way to lower those expenses is replacing older, more expensive (and less healthy) people with younger, less expensive (and more healthy) people. Plus the growth of automation, machine learning and artificial intelligence replaces people, and younger, more up to date people are more likely to accept and use these new technologies.
WHY ARE TEENS SO SLEEPY—AND WHOSE FAULT IS IT
SCHOOL ADMINISTRATORS MOSTLY…but also parents, teachers, teacher’s unions, and everyone but the teens. There are few compelling reasons for school to start so early, and then get out so early. It might be justifiable if the extra time were put to use for more learning—but that’s not what happens. Everyone gets out mid afternoon, leaving time for everything else they want to do—except helping create better educated youth. It just creates sleep deprived youth, who have been proven to underperform academically and in other ways too.
AMERICA’S OBESITY EPIDEMIC IS REAL—AND SERIOUS. WHOSE FAULT IS THAT?
LOTS OF BLAME TO SPREAD AROUND: First the terribly flawed, misstated information that created a “sweetness”/sugar-depended society, by blaming everything else for obesity and bad health. The the bureaucrats made matters worse by creating dietary plans that are way to heavy in carbohydrates. The companies who sell food discovered that sweet, fattening, unhealthy foods, heavy in simple carbohydrates sell really well—especially to time stressed workers and students (e.g. Twinkies!). Healthy foods are not as sweet and tasty to palates trained for decades to crave sweetness. Everything has more sweetener in it than needed. Why? because it sells and tastes good. But it makes us obese, unhealthy, and prone to lifetime diseases like Type 2 diabetes. Add the increased sedentary lifestyles of both youth (video games!) and adults (office work at desks/computers and at home TV) and you have perfect setting for obesity. Changing these behaviors will take decades—only after some crisis drives a large group to decide that change is a good idea (which has not yet happened very widely).
IS AMAZON AND JEFF BEZOS TOO POWERFUL?
YES…WITH TOO GREAT REACH INTO TOO MANY INDUSTRIES. Amazon controls about 40% of e-commerce, and a like percentage of books sold (and owns the Washington Post newspaper) About 2 million small businesses use amazon’s services; and amazon does more searches than Google (many of them to find one of the millions of items it sells). Amazon Web Services is now one of the largest (maybe actually the largest if there was data to measure it) cloud computing and storage companies too. It’s growing ability to sell and deliver everything faster and cheaper than competitors, actually runs many companies out of business... and into amazon’s arms as parr of the huge group of amazon secondary “Sellers.” Amazon’s clout allows it to create or “seize” brands, and control entire market segments. Monopolistic practices and privacy violations may ultimately be amazon’s Achille’s Heel, as it comes under growing government scrutiny. Time will tell, how big is too big!
HOW COULD BOEING’S CEO KNOW SO LITTLE AND BE BLAMELESS?
EITHER PURPOSEFUL IGNORANCE OR GROSS NEGLIGENCE are two likely reasons. Plausible deniability is the popular term used, but when planes full of people fall out of the sky—someone should have been MORE responsible. There is growing evidence that the very top of Boeing was in deep denial and didn’t want to know just how bad its problems were. As more and more information comes to light, it’s clear that many people knew, but those at the top, chose to “not know” most likely, on purpose. The organization flaw of insulating top management from the dirty secrets widely known at lower levels has always been a problem. This time, it was a “fatal flaw."
IS AN MBA WORTH WHAT IT COSTS THESE DAYS—ESPECIALLY FROM THE BLUE CHIP COLLEGES
NO, UNLESS YOU WANT TO BUY PRESTIGE OR INTO A POWERFUL NETWORK. Not only are MBAs declining in value and credibility, but demand for them is dropping. The cost far exceeds the value as measured in simple dollars and cents. At $75,000/year for a Harvard tuition, it’s likely that the diploma will come with $100,000-$150,000 in student loan debt. There are many quality universities at half the cost. The MBA, as prestigious as it might be, can only convey second hand knowledge via cases, and professors. As a credential if might be more valuable than for what was learned. There is a lot to be said for “the school of hard knocks” and learning via OJT (On The Job training).
IS THE ELECTORAL COLLEGE OBSOLETE?
NO—IT’S MORE RELEVANT THAN EVER, FOR DOING WHAT IT AS INTENDED TO DO—AVOID CONCENTRATION OF POWER IN A FEW LARGE CITIES/STATES. The big cities, located heavily on both coasts, are filled with low-income/poor folks, and immigrants (legal or illegal). Those dense population centers could use a direct popular vote to elect a president, and elect the one who would ”take from the value creators” and give to the "value destroyers.” Ayn Rand’s classic novel, Atlas Shrugged, described the situation that results when the value creators are driven away. “Where is John Galt” is a famous line from that book. If you are willing to slog through a great 1000 page novel, (good for winter reading) you will be amazed and appalled at how eerily familiar it sounds, more than a half-century later.
SHOULD WE BE WORRIED THAT THE GOVERNMENT IS BY FAR THE LARGEST EMPLOYER IN THE USA?
YES…BUT IT APPEARS UNLIKELY TO CHANGE. Not only is the government the largest employer, but contractors who work for the government make up an even large bloc of people. Worst of all, the government has no money except that it collects in taxes. It creates no wealth. It only spends taxes and fees collected from wealth others create/earn. When the largest employer creates no wealth, the country is in a perilous place. But nobody want to rein-in the government. Even Donald Trump, who reined in regulations, still spent enough to increase the budget deficit. Only wealth creating profitable growth can solve this huge problem. And it seems that the members of both political parties would rather spend (and run up debt) instead of being frugal. (Democrats worse than Republicans—but only in how they go about it)
ARE NEW HOME BUYERS BEING FORCED OUT BY HOME PRICES AND STUDENT LOAN DEBT?
YES—TO BOTH…And no solution is in sight. Hence the explosion of apartments. Those who can’t afford to buy, rent. Shortages of construction workers runs up wages, and adds to housing costs, making the problem worse.
OK, THAT’S PLENTY FOR THIS EDITION. THE TOPICS SEEM TO PILE UP…BUT HOPEFULLY THERE WAS SOMETHING USEFU IN THIS BUNCH.
MERRY CHRISTMAS AND HAPPY NEW YEAR.
JOHN
Recent Comments