Saturday 18 August 2018

The Environmental Poverty of the Reformist Left.


The reformist Left sucks big time. Climate change, probably the greatest threat to our civilisation, is emblematic of that. It’s hard to decide what’s worse: those reformists who couldn’t be bothered to have an opinion on that or those who actually do have one.

A recent episode illustrates that.

Saturday 11 August 2018

The Tale of the Scorpion and the Frog.


Intent on crossing the creek, the scorpion was searching everywhere for a way: a branch fallen from a tree would be a natural bridge; perhaps something it could use as a barge. It was useless: no branch was that long, no twig or leaf would carry its weight.

[A]

Wednesday 8 August 2018

Is Capitalism Rigged in Favour of Elites?


To answer that question The Economist is hosting a debate between Jason Furman (formerly a top adviser in the socialist [sic] Obama administration, currently at Harvard Kennedy School) and Deirdre McCloskey (University of Illinois at Chicago). Furman has been making the Yes case; McCloskey the Nope.

Saturday 4 August 2018

So, What is Socialism?


Millennials (those born between 1981-1996) are coming of age and I think they aren’t too happy with the world they are about to inherit. So, as they become voters, they are searching for ways to fix the godawful mess they found.

That’s why we are witnessing a revival of interest in socialism in the Anglophone world. First it was Jeremy Corbyn in the UK: 2015. Next, Bernie Sanders in the US: 2016. This year is the turn of 28-year old Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez, also in the US. Moreover, although Aussie politicians haven’t kept up with the times, Aussie kids aren’t far behind their American and British peers.

But, what on earth is “socialism”?