Here’s the comedy/news bit from yesterday’s “Real Time”: another New Rules bit called “The MUSKeteers,” so you know what the subject is. Maher takes up Musk’s suggestion that we create a new political party comprising the 80% of Americans “in the middle.” Maher admires Musk’s engineering ability, but not his ability to manage the government; […]
Bill Maher: The MUSKeteers (with Fetterman lagniappe)
Bill Maher: The MUSKeteers (with Fetterman lagniappe)
16 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in politics - USA, television, TV shows Tags: political correctness, regressive left
John Rawls’ Theory of Justice
16 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
John Rawls’s A Theory of Justice (1971) is a seminal work in political philosophy, offering a systematic approach to defining justice within a liberal democratic society. Rawls critiques classical utilitarianism, which judges actions solely by their consequences in maximizing overall happiness, arguing instead for a conception of justice rooted in fairness and equality. His approach is known […]
John Rawls’ Theory of Justice
BBC can’t verify a Hamas tunnel visited by international journalists
15 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Gaza Strip, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

Previously we discussed BBC coverage of the May 13th strikes adjacent to – rather than ‘on’ – the EU founded and Hamas ministry of health run European Hospital in Khan Younis, including two items produced by BBC Verify: BBC NEWS WEBSITE REPORTING ON STRIKES AROUND THE EUROPEAN HOSPITAL BBC VERIFY’S AGENDA-DRIVEN RETURN TO THE EUROPEAN […]
BBC can’t verify a Hamas tunnel visited by international journalists
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
15 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, economics of media and culture, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, media bias, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror

On the morning of June 13th the BBC News website’s ‘Middle East’ page had little to offer its visitors in the way of reporting on the strikes that Israel had carried out in Iran in the early hours of that day. Coverage on that page itself was limited to a live page: In the ‘updates’ […]
Initial BBC News website coverage of events in Iran and Israel
“In the Spirit of Your Loyalty”: LA Citycouncil Member Asks Police to Warn Citizens of Federal Operations
15 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in law and economics, politics - USA Tags: economics of immigration, law and order

There was an extraordinary moment this week in Los Angeles where City Councilmember Imelda Padilla asked LAPD Chief Jim McDonnell to monitor and warn citizens whenever the federal authorities are conducting an operation or seeking to make an arrest. Padilla asked McDonnell if they could use “AI” and other means to give immigrants a heads […]
“In the Spirit of Your Loyalty”: LA Citycouncil Member Asks Police to Warn Citizens of Federal Operations
The French Counter Attack At Matz I THE GREAT WAR Week 203
15 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, war and peace Tags: World War I
Stefan Theil: Medical Incapacity and the UK Constitution
15 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in constitutional political economy, economic history, politics, Public Choice Tags: British constitutional law

In the United Kingdom, the mental health of politicians has traditionally commanded relatively little attention, perhaps due to popular cynicism and distrust towards elected officials. Still, those involved in UK political life have characterised it as a ‘rough old game’, with MPs referencing broken marriages, overwork, loss of friendships and poor sleep. Over time, MPs […]
Stefan Theil: Medical Incapacity and the UK Constitution
Carlsen’s New Ammonia Opening is Brutal! [Art of Attack in Chess]
15 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in chess
Effects of Zoning: when we restrict supply, prices go up.
14 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, econometerics, income redistribution, law and economics, property rights, Public Choice, public economics, rentseeking, urban economics Tags: housing affordability, land supply, zoning
The Unprecedented Nature of Israel’s Strikes on Iran
13 Jun 2025 Leave a comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace Tags: Atomic bomb, Iran, Israel, Middle-East politics, regressive left, war against terror
How New Zealand invented inflation targeting
13 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in business cycles, history of economic thought, inflation targeting, labour economics, macroeconomics, monetary economics, politics - New Zealand, unemployment Tags: monetary policy
…the very next day, [Roger] Douglas appeared on TV declaring his intention to reduce inflation to ‘around 0 or 0 to 1 percent’ over the next couple of years, and then went on to make several similar comments in the following days. Douglas would soften his stance on specific timelines but ask the Reserve Bank and […]
How New Zealand invented inflation targeting
What happened when Spain brought back the wealth tax?
13 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in applied price theory, Public Choice, public economics Tags: Spain, taxation and entrepreneurship, taxation and investment, taxation and savings
From the Journal of Public Economics Twitter feed: What happened when Spain brought back the Wealth Tax in 2011? Using variation in exposure, this paper finds: – No drop in savings, but drop in taxable wealth—mainly via legal avoidance – Asset shifting caused most revenue loss – Estimated revenue loss was 2.75x initial 2011 rev. […]
What happened when Spain brought back the wealth tax?
War vs Genocide
13 Jun 2025 1 Comment
in defence economics, International law, laws of war, war and peace
War and genocide differ fundamentally in intent, target, and the methods used. Here are the main distinctions: 1. Definition and Intent 2. Targets 3. Scale and Methods 4. Legal Classification 5. International Response 6. Historical Examples Thus, while wars can be tragic and devastating, genocide specifically targets a group’s existence and identity, constituting one of the gravest crimes in international law. […]
War vs Genocide


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