“In 2008 Californians approved a $10 billion bond measure as down payment on a $45 billion, 800-mile bullet-train system. At the time, a policy analyst suggested that many people ‘sense that maybe that [bullet train] is something I can use at some point. It’s something they can relate to.’ Hence the 52.7% support. … It’s become clear that the only likely result of California’s ‘high-speed’ project, in addition to lining the pockets of the politically well-connected, will be duplicating and interrupting an already-existing service.” (09/21/26)
“AI may be deadly but not because of anything intrinsic to AI programs or apps, but because humans make mistakes and misuse it. In other words, just like firearms, automobiles, pots and pans, and anything else that humans have invented and use.” (09/21/26)
“In 1910, the British journalist Norman Angell published a book called The Great Illusion, in which he argued that recent economic developments had made war a senseless proposition. Economic relationships were so delicate and easily disrupted, and modern militaries were so expensive and destructive, that any war between major powers was certain to be an enormous net cost for both combatants. There was simply no way to make a big profit, à la Julius Caesar, by conquering some other nation and coming back home with some tigers and a big sack of booty. It followed, Angell reasoned, that if a war did break out, it would likely not last very long. Angell was half right and half wrong. Just four years later, a giant war sucked in all the major powers of the world, and sure enough, it shattered the economies of every combatant that saw serious fighting.” (09/22/26)
“One criticism of House Republicans is that they haven’t really done much with their majority. The Wall Street Journal notes that House Republican leadership has canceled 63 voting days since the beginning of the 119th Congress. Congress really hasn’t done much to address the issues that are at the forefront of voters’ minds, such as affordability, inflation, and the economy. During an interview on Newsmax 2 with Family Research Council’s Tony Perkins, Speaker Mike Johnson (R-LA) tried to deflect the criticism, claiming that the House has been on a record pace in terms of passing legislation. … Johnson’s version of events is almost comically self-congratulatory. It’s campaign rhetoric, and it’s disingenuous.” (09/21/26)
“About 4,000 people in America die every year while waiting for kidney transplants. More than 95,000 currently need regular dialysis to stay alive while waiting for transplants. The average person who needs a kidney must endure the discomfort and restrictions of dialysis for three to five years during the wait. Most countries have organ-donation systems like America’s—and long waitlists. Iran, by contrast, legalized payment to kidney donors in 1988; within 11 years the country eliminated its waitlist. Payment compensates donors for their time, pain, and risk; it also increases the supply of willing donors.” (09/21/26)
“President Trump, speaking at the Republicans’ midterm convention, pledged that if Republicans maintained control of the Congress in the November election every adult American will receive 5,000 dollars from the government. … Some commentators have expressed outrage over President Trump’s attempt to bribe voters. These commentators have tended to ignore the fact that, since the rise of the welfare-warfare-regulatory state, most political campaigns are little more than legalized bribery.” (09/21/26)
Source: Ludwig von Mises Institute
by George Ford Smith
“You might want to hire someone to paint your house, but the painters need your permission first. For most people, consent precedes action. In the world of ‘government as we know it,’ an invaluable Robert Higgs expression, the exact opposite is often the case, especially when the action desired implies a disastrous change to American life. Ever wonder why false flags are so dear to government’s heart?” (09/21/26)
“In a necessary and unquestionably correct decision, the U.S. Supreme Court last week declined to let President Trump throw the midterm elections into chaos with his scheme to use the U.S. Postal Service to interfere with mail-in voting. The ruling should have been unanimous. … The court’s MAGA maximalists seem to be operating under the principle that anything that interferes with Trump’s authoritarian whims is a violation of the Constitution. Fortunately, in this case, even Trump justices who helped invent king-like immunity for the president recognized that the attempt to force new election rules on the states — especially this close to an election — was a recipe for disaster.” (09/21/26)
Source: Independent Institute
by Daniel Sánchez-Piñol
“President Donald Trump’s worldview essentially consists of dividing countries into two camps: those whose leaders flatter him or kowtow to his demands and those whose leaders balk at such subservience. In this view, dictatorships—even avowed enemies of the United States—are fine, as long as they play the game. This is not new in American politics. It echoes the famous quote attributed to Franklin D. Roosevelt about Nicaragua’s military dictator, Anastasio Somoza Garcia, who ruled the country from 1936 until 1956 (when he was assassinated): ‘He may be a son of a b****, but he’s our son of a b****.’ True to this maxim, Trump turned his back on Venezuela’s democratic majority, led by Nobel Peace Prize winner Maria Corina Machado, and recently signed the so-called biggest oil deal in world history with leftist Delcy Rodriguez, who was put in power after the U.S. captured and removed Nicolas Maduro in January.” (09/21/26)
“The standoff over Washington’s iconic Kennedy Center underscores the current place of the arts in America in ways that are both symbolic and substantive. On Tuesday, the complex formally known as the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts formally closed to the public. The move followed President Donald Trump’s monthslong effort to rename and remake the center in his vision, which disrupted norms and expectations around political, artistic, and cultural touchstones. Like most buildings that are several decades old, the center needs repairs and updates. Mr. Trump says his star power would attract the needed millions – but will only be exerted if he receives recognition. If not, the president threatened Wednesday, the complex could be ‘ripped down’.” (09/18/26)
