Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman

“Economists assume that individuals have objectives. Economic theory does not tell us what those objectives are, although observation and introspection provide some idea of what they are likely to be. Evolutionary biologists, on the other hand, know the objective of genes: reproductive success, more precisely inclusive fitness, getting as many copies of themselves as possible into future generations.” (11/29/23)

https://daviddfriedman.substack.com/p/economics-and-evolutionary-psychology

Source: Common Dreams
by Medea Benjamin & Nicolas JS Davies

“While Secretary of State Anthony Blinken has been frantically shuttling around the Middle East trying to stop the Israeli conflict in Gaza from exploding into a regional war, the United States has also sent two aircraft carrier strike groups, a Marine Expeditionary Unit, and 1,200 extra troops to the Middle East as a ‘deterrent.’ In plain language, the United States is threatening to attack any forces that come to the defense of the Palestinians from other countries in the region, reassuring Israel that it can keep killing with impunity in Gaza. But if Israel persists in this genocidal war, U.S. threats may be impotent to prevent others from intervening. From Lebanon to Syria, Yemen, Iraq, and Iran, the possibilities of the conflict spreading are enormous. Even Algeria says it is ready to fight for a free Palestine, based on a unanimous vote in its parliament on November 1.” (11/29/23)

https://www.commondreams.org/opinion/us-wider-war-middle-east

Source: Common Sense
by Paul Jacob

“When bad outcomes are obvious, we can no longer call them ‘unintended consequences,’ can we? Take the case of California’s double-barreled attack upon ‘fast food’: last year’s push through the legislature of Assembly Bill 102 and Assembly Bill 1228. These regulatory schemes would have introduced collective bargaining into fast food franchises and enforced much higher minimum wage rates. … we can expect more replacements of workers with automation — as we’ve seen all around the country in fast food, especially at McDonald’s — as well as higher prices. Which, in a state sporting huge homelessness and unemployment problems, will only hobble the one industry that helps the poorest members of society both in terms of consumer products (inexpensive food) and entry-level jobs (at fast food joints).” (11/29/23)

https://thisiscommonsense.org/2023/11/29/not-unintended/

Source: Orange County Register
by Joshua Claybourn

“In the bygone days of American politics, the issues that mattered most were those that touched the lives of citizens in their own backyards. Local politics were the lifeblood of democracy, where a town hall meeting, a school board election, or a state legislative session could spark vigorous debate and meaningful change. The late Speaker of the House, Tip O’Neill, famously declared, ‘All politics is local,’ encapsulating a truth that defined American political life for decades. But today, we witness a different reality. The local, once the arena of tangible and immediate concerns, has been overshadowed by the national. Political discourse is no longer dominated by the issues of local schools, community policing, or municipal governance. Instead, it orbits around national controversies and figures, driven by a 24-hour news cycle and a polarized social media landscape.” (11/29/23)

https://www.ocregister.com/2023/11/28/the-drowned-voices-how-national-narratives-overshadowed-local-politics-in-america/

Source: The Federalist
by Joy Pullmann

“Somehow we’re at the point in American history when the government calling something ‘disinformation’ is a leading indicator it’s true. This week government-boosted propaganda outlets are amplifying the Biden administration’s fatuous claim that inflation fears are being artificially increased by ‘disinformation’ on social media. Katerina Eva Matsa, (director of news and information research at the Pew Research Center), asked The New York Times, ‘Is the news — the way it has evolved — making people view things negatively?’ It’s hard to tell, she explained, but ‘how you’re being bombarded, entangled in all of this information might have contributed.’ The article goes on to blame the American people’s very negative economic perceptions on viral social media posts foregrounding the issue in their minds.” (11/29/23)

https://thefederalist.com/2023/11/29/white-house-pretending-tiktok-disinformation-stokes-price-fears-is-an-insult-to-americans/

Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison

“The Israeli government is vowing to resume the war in Gaza …. The Biden administration is reportedly asking the Israeli government to fight the war in a ‘more targeted’ way in the future, but there is no reason to expect that Netanyahu and his coalition allies will pay any attention to this. The U.S. isn’t trying to use any leverage to pressure them, and the Israeli government knows that it will face no consequences if it ignores this request. … Any resumption of fighting will be a disaster and a death sentence for a huge number of Palestinian civilians. The current pause in fighting must not be allowed to end.” (11/29/23)

https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/the-humanitarian-crisis-in-gaza-is