February 22, 2021

Big Tech "Deplatforming" Becomes Ever More Audacious

February 22, 2021/ Francis Menton

In case your memory doesn’t go back that far, the “deplatforming” thing did not just start in the past couple of months.
It was way back in 2016 that Twitter first banned right-wing provocateur Milo Yiannopoulos; Facebook followed in 2019. Others getting the same or similar treatment from Twitter, Facebook, and/or Google two or more years ago include Alex Jones of InfoWars and Congressional candidate Laura Loomer.
Then, few on the serious right pushed back. After all, these people are not really our type. Often, they say outrageous things just to provoke a reaction.
But there is a reason why the ACLU, at least in its heyday, thought it was important to defend the rights of avowed neo-Nazis to march in heavily-Jewish Skokie, Illinois. Once the speech-suppression thing gets even a little toe-hold, it can quickly go from seeming insignificance to bold audacity.

February 20, 2021

It Only Gets Worse For New York In The Competition With Florida

February 20, 2021/ Francis Menton

It was only a couple of months ago that I had a post contrasting the states of New York and Florida on many different measures of public policy and success (or failure).
The two states are roughly equal in population, yet are at opposite ends of the spectrum on major public policy issues, with New York following the high-tax, high-spend, high-regulation model, and Florida the low-tax, low-spend, low-regulation model.
It seems like every day things get worse for New York and better for Florida.

February 17, 2021

February 17, 2021/ Francis Menton

Texas. It is the number one energy producing state in the United States. It is both the largest producer of oil, and the largest producer of natural gas, and has been for decades. Texas also has abundant coal reserves. It has been ground zero of the fracking revolution, which has revolutionized oil and gas production, vastly increased supplies, driven prices down by around two-thirds since 2014, and turned the U.S. into a net energy exporter for the first time in decades.
By all rights, Texas should be the shining beacon of fossil fuel energy abundance for everyone else to envy.
And yet in Texas this week, there has been a good blast of cold air, accompanied by some meaningful ice and snow storms, and suddenly Texas finds itself with widespread power blackouts covering much of the state.
Although the levels of cold and ice have been somewhat unusual, they have also been well within the range of historical experience. Meanwhile, other states farther north have been colder and have had more snow and more ice and yet the power has not gone out.
What gives?

February 13, 2021

February 13, 2021/ Francis Menton

In her most recent post, Jane observed the substantial resemblance between the current wave of “gender dysphoria,” and various religious mass hysterias throughout history, notably to some during the medieval period. Yet as much as it may be widely discussed and prominently featured in the media in recent years, gender dysphoria still affects only a relatively small number of people.
But how about the campaign against fossil fuels? That also bears great resemblance to religious mass hysteria.
We have the tale of grave sin and the possibility for redemption. We have the priestly caste — politicians of the Democratic Party — that has been anointed to instruct us and lead us into the path of salvation. We have the expulsion of all heretics from the seats of the religion in academia. We have the holy people sermonizing about their own saintliness and our sin. (Greta Thunberg and Bill McKibben come to mind.).
By contrast to transgenderism, this fossil fuel hysteria affects us all.

February 11, 2021

February 11, 2021/ Jane Menton

The western world is currently experiencing a mass hysteria over gender dysphoria and transgenderism. I call it mass hysteria because I believe its manifestations generally have less to do with any legitimate medical condition, and much more to do with seeking attention, affirmation, and accolades in a new religion that I call “Wokeism.”
Throughout history, many religions have had periods of fanaticism, where the fanatics have been accorded not just indulgence, but even admiration, praise and honor in the moment. Only later has the danger within the mania become obvious — after the damage has been done.
Now, one of these episodes is occurring right before our eyes.

February 09, 2021

February 09, 2021/ Francis Menton

In my post a couple of days ago on the impending “stimulus” disaster, I only covered a handful of its larger squanderings of hard-earned taxpayer money.
Needless to say, there are many, many more. $1.9 trillion is a lot of money to waste.
Today comes news of a thoroughly co-ordinated effort to push a different big piece of this catastrophe, this one apparently in the range of up to $250 billion out of the $1.9 tril. As you read a little about it, you quickly realize that the $250 billion will just cover this year, and that the advocates intend that sum to be annually renewable.
The particular subject of this initiative is said to be “fighting child poverty.” Now, what kind of monster could possibly be against that?
What the initiative is really about is spending an additional $250 billion per year in the name of “fighting child poverty,” but specifically structured in a way that child poverty as measured cannot and will not be reduced in even the slightest amount.
In whatever articles you read about the subject over the next days or weeks while the bill is pending, you will not see that aspect of the new spending mentioned. Except here.