Author: Thomas L. Knapp

Democrats sweep key US elections

Source: CBS News

“Democrats scored victories in the four major races of the night: the New York City mayoral race, the governor’s races in New Jersey and Virginia and Prop 50, California’s redistricting ballot measure. Exit polling showed voters went to the polls with worries about the economy on their minds, coupled with broader discontent with the state of the country right now. … Mikie Sherrill and Abigail Spanberger, both moderates, won the governorships of New Jersey and Virginia, while on the far left [sic], democratic socialist Zohran Mamdani prevailed in his race for New York mayor …. California voters said ‘yes’ to Proposition 50, which will allow state legislators to redistrict before the midterm elections, an effort to counter GOP-led gerrymandering in other states.” (11/05/25)

https://www.cbsnews.com/live-updates/election-day-2025-voting-results/

Thomas L. Knapp

Thoughts on oligarchy 5

Source: The Peaceful Revolutionist
by David S D’Amato

“What I want to suggest is that the true divide within the political world is between indulging this – the strictly fictional entertainment world of hate-your-neighborism, GDPism, and meaningless abstraction – and recognizing others as your equals. The former is designed as a series of business plans, and as reports from pollsters and consultants, all to make you confuse a coherent politics with dutiful obedience to the state and a shrinking set of global companies. To me, this could never be a valid mode of political life, but is only the cynical embrace of a thoroughly commercialized and powerless performance of identity.” (11/04/25)

https://dsdamato.substack.com/p/thoughts-on-oligarchy-5

Thomas L. Knapp

Adoption and the Welfare State: Reply to Critics

Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan

“Suppose taxpayers are subsidizing air pollution. ‘Cutting the subsidies wouldn’t have a large effect on pollution, and the people getting subsidies are poor’ is a good argument that the subsidies aren’t awful. But it hardly shows that subsidizing air pollution is actually a good idea. I say the same logic is at play here. As long as middle-class families are eager to adopt, why should government subsidize non-adoption?” (11/04/25)

https://www.betonit.ai/p/adoption-and-the-welfare-state-reply

Thomas L. Knapp

ID: Kohberger’s restitution hearing ends with no decision, but prosecutor admits slip-up

Source: Fox News

“Latah County Prosecutor Bill Thompson admitted to a major miscalculation in what the University of Idaho victims’ families should be owed in restitution, telling a judge Wednesday that he would no longer be seeking roughly $27,000 in travel expenses that were not outlined in Bryan Kohberger’s plea deal — asking the court to award about a tenth of that in funeral expenses instead. Kohberger’s lawyers noted that the travel expenses were not part of the plea deal after Thompson mistakenly thought they would be covered by a victims’ compensation fund and agreed that the funeral expenses amount to $3,075.58. … A plea deal is essentially a contract, [Judge Steven] Hippler said, and as a result, the prosecution can’t seek restitution for travel expenses outside the terms of the deal.” (11/05/25)

https://www.foxnews.com/us/bryan-kohberger-fights-27k-restitution-victims-families-while-taking-money-behind-bars

Thomas L. Knapp

Why I Oppose Race-Consciousness

Source: The Findings Substack
by Paul Rosenberg

“Race-consciousness is not something that belongs in the minds of children; rather than being a virtue, it’s far more of a poison. I want children to be entirely separated from and ignorant of racial issues. Rather, they should simply see people, with their pigmentation being an accidental triviality. Race-consciousness robs that from them, and I think it’s tragic.” (11/04/25)

https://thefindings.substack.com/p/why-i-oppose-race-consciousness

Thomas L. Knapp