“#arrestme”: JK Rowling Dares Scotland to Enforce Anti-Free Speech Law

We have previously discussed the growing anti-free speech movement in Scotland with the expanding criminalization of political and religious speech. The new Scottish law is a perfect nightmare for free speech, expanding the potential of a jail sentence for merely insulting language. In response, author JK Rowling has taken a stand and dared the Scottish […]

“#arrestme”: JK Rowling Dares Scotland to Enforce Anti-Free Speech Law

TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark recently found himself in a media furore as he asserted his right to use colourful racial terms. Ratepayers might regret the distraction from local concerns, but part of my job in Parliament is to consider speech issues in a serious way. And I’ve concluded that free speech is indeed under threat…

TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS

TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS

Invercargill Mayor Nobby Clark recently found himself in a media furore as he asserted his right to use colourful racial terms. Ratepayers might regret the distraction from local concerns, but part of my job in Parliament is to consider speech issues in a serious way. And I’ve concluded that free speech is indeed under threat…

TODD STEPHENSON: FREE SPEECH GOES BOTH WAYS

The crews bracing themselves for a rise in electric car fires

Firefighter: “Our preferred approach is to let them burn themselves out”. EV fires ‘create a variety of toxic chemicals’. They ‘have to be “quarantined” away from other vehicles even after the fire appears to have been put out’, in case they re-ignite days or even 2-3 weeks later. Other types of car are still available, […]

The crews bracing themselves for a rise in electric car fires

Australia must be welcoming of migrants more than most

https://www.facebook.com/share/p/Wgd6RcmTpkczUuyg/?mibextid=qi2Omg

MICHAEL BASSETT: LABOUR’S CRIME LEGACY OF THE LAST THREE YEARS

The Labour Government lost the 2023 election when its support halved from 2020. It deserved to lose on economic grounds alone. Covid lockdowns that went beyond the prudent and wrecked livelihoods in the name of saving lives; an orgy of careless spending of borrowed money; and a failure to ensure that the 16,000 extra bureaucrats…

MICHAEL BASSETT: LABOUR’S CRIME LEGACY OF THE LAST THREE YEARS

Productivity Syndrome and the Investment Prescription

Economic productivity is about growing the size of the pie. I sometimes point out that no matter what your goal–spending increases, tax cuts, greater support for the poor, environmental protection–that goal is easier when the economic pie is growing. When the economic pie isn’t growing, after all, then all priorities have to pit potential winners…

Productivity Syndrome and the Investment Prescription

The UK shows why it is one of the most tolerant countries there is

Vaughan Gething has just been elected as First Minister of Wales. He is black (his mother is Zambian) and this makes him the first black leader of a country in Europe. It also means that none of the four leaders of the UK are white men. And I (especially) have nothing against white men, but […]

The UK shows why it is one of the most tolerant countries there is

Universal Basic Income: The Freiman-Caplan Debate

As expected, I really enjoyed the Institute for Liberal Studies’ UBI debate between myself and Chris Freiman. Chris was definitely the least enthusiastic UBI supporter I’ve debated. All the way to the point of, “Given all the truly promising ideas we have, and the downside risks of the UBI, perhaps I shouldn’t even publicly defend…

Universal Basic Income: The Freiman-Caplan Debate

DON BRASH: Terminated for saying “no” to cultural training – what’s next? (UPDATED)

The following is written by Don Brash in his capacity as Hobson’s Pledge Trustee. As I shared with you previously, the Real Estate Authority (REA) said they were going to cancel real estate agent Janet Dickson’s licence for five years because she would not take a compulsory Māori culture course. Then, the real estate company…

DON BRASH: Terminated for saying “no” to cultural training – what’s next? (UPDATED)

*Who’s Afraid of Gender?*

That is the title of the new Judith Butler book, focusing mostly on trans issues.  To be clear, on most practical issues concerning trans, I side with the social conservatives.  For instance, I don’t think trans women have a right to compete in women’s weightlifting contests.  And I have not been happy with how many […]

*Who’s Afraid of Gender?*

Eat the Rich: Warren Plan Would Impose Wealth Tax, Captivity Tax, and $100 Billion for Increasing Tax Audits

The wealth tax is back.  We have previously discussed the constitutional and policy concerns surrounding the push by Democrats like Sen. Elizabeth Warren (D., Mass.) to introduce a wealth tax that would start with billionaires. It would not likely end there. The law would also apply the same type of California approach to wealthy families […]

Eat the Rich: Warren Plan Would Impose Wealth Tax, Captivity Tax, and $100 Billion for Increasing Tax Audits

Uber

There has been a fair bit of discussion over the Ocker court decision re Uber and their dishonest ways. In many countries, including Oz and New Zealand, Uber came in and set up illegal operations. In New Zealand they put anyone who wanted a go on their books. At that time New Zealand had rather […]

Uber

Nikole Hannah-Jones on reparations for descendants of slaves

As you know, I go back and forth on the question of affirmative action for college and professional-school admissions, and even after I thought I’d settled on a view (i.e., give some preference to minorities among those equally qualified for admission), it still keeps changing. After I read the long New York Times piece below […]

Nikole Hannah-Jones on reparations for descendants of slaves

A good refutation of a bad article on the supposed “spectrum” of sex

On March 8, I wrote a critique of this article, which appeared in American Scientist (click sceenshot to read): When I wrote my piece, I had grown weary of people making the same tired old arguments against the sex binary, arguments like saying that sex isn’t binary because male orangutans come in two forms (“flanged” […]

A good refutation of a bad article on the supposed “spectrum” of sex

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