Source: David Friedman’s Substack
by David Friedman
“My previous post provided an example of the use of past legal systems in understanding our present legal system: the logic of feud law applied to high tech patent litigation. There are others, some of which suggest changes we might want to make to our system, ideas we could steal.” (04/19/26)
Source: UnHerd
by Richard Hanania
“Are America’s top scientists being kidnapped or disappeared by a foreign adversary? Right-wing media are abuzz with speculation that 11 different individuals working on issues related to secret technology or the investigation of extraterrestrial life have been picked off one by one: murdered, kidnapped, disappeared. The stuff of The X-Files, in short: ‘The truth is out there,’ but shadowy forces don’t want you to know. After working its way through the conservative press and the online Right, this narrative got a major boost last week, when White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said that the administration was looking into the matter. … Fortunately, this entire narrative appears to be, to put it gently, complete nonsense.” (04/19/26)
Source: In These Times
by Kayla Yup
“Luis Hernandez, then 35, woke to a gray, hazy sky on Feb. 17, 2024. He opted for a warm sweater and cargo pants with pockets just big enough to hold his spare canister of oxygen, but he hoped he wouldn’t need it. It would be a big day out for him and his friends — the Rose Bowl Stadium in Pasadena, Calif., was hosting a special Pokemon Go event where some of the rarest Pokemon could be found. When the group arrived, they headed straight to the belly of the bowl, blanketed with bright green turf. Hernandez settled into a rhythm: Walk 50 feet. Pause for 30 minutes. Catch some Pokemon. Walk another 50 feet. Pause another 30 minutes. Catch some Pokemon. Walk another 50 feet. Pause another 30 minutes. When he started gasping for air, he sat down — on a chair if he was lucky, the turf if he was not.” (04/20/26)
Source: Foundation for Economic Education
by Kerry McDonald
“[Amanda] Pacheco is one of approximately 15,000 residents in what is known as America’s first solar-powered town, defined by its environmental vision, hurricane resilience and strong sense of community. Since welcoming its first residents in January 2018, Babcock Ranch’s population has soared, with plans to reach 50,000 in the years ahead. As this future-focused community grows, its K-12 education landscape is expanding alongside it, shaped by the same spirit of innovation. With a rising assortment of public schooling, homeschooling and micro-schooling options, Babcock Ranch offers a distinct snapshot of today’s evolving education offerings and the families who choose them.” (04/19/26)
https://fee.org/articles/in-americas-first-solar-powered-town-education-options-abound/
Source: Antiwar.com
by David Swanson
“According to The Hill, in an article typical of U.S. media, Trump’s war on Iran is totally legal for 60 days if Congress does nothing, after which it becomes illegal, unless Congress has explicitly OK’d it. This is supposedly because of the War Powers Resolution of 1973. And The Hill is not alone in pushing this idea. However, the War Powers Resolution consists of words that you can read for yourself, and here are some of them …. It is simply not true that the war will become illegal after 60 days; it has been illegal since the instant it was begun. It is factually false that it must be ended after 60 days in order to comply with the law; it must be ended immediately.” (04/19/26)
Source: Garrison Center
by Thomas L Knapp
“Some commentators look at Trump and the MAGA-dominated Republican Party and conclude that ‘the chaos is the point.’ That is, the purpose of some of the weirder and wilder actions of Trump’s administration is to build an omnipotent totalitarian state by sowing fear, discord, and confusion — to keep their opponents on perpetual tenterhooks, disorganized and unable to effectively respond, as new authoritarian measures roll out. But what if it’s not that?” (04/19/26)
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“[T]he young and the hungry around the world, from India to Ukraine, want something different: They want choices and agency and fun and freedom that may not look exactly like our version of it but that is freedom nonetheless. They want to rock. And rock, as Johnny Rotten knows, is both a product of affluence and a route to it. It is not exactly a swindle, as the Sex Pistols insisted, but there is a kind of swindle at the heart of it: Rock is a rebellious pose for the rich kids of the world. It is not a product of rebellion, nor is it, in the American context, an instrument of rebellion. … Freedom is about having choices, and, unromantic and adultified and boring and Protestant and old-fashioned Republican as this particular piece of wisdom might be, money gives you choices.” (04/17/26)
Source: CounterPunch
by David S D’Amato
“Digital environments like social media platforms are designed to deliver rewards intermittently and unpredictably, imitating the psychologically addictive qualities of slot machines. The randomness, opacity, and variability are all there on purpose to provoke compulsive engagement. If we take a step back and consider this system, it is strange beyond words: the system links the most personal, private aspects of life and identity to a gambling mechanism, co-opting the most fundamental human feelings and motivations. It has colonized life’s inherent uncertainty and unpredictability, leveraging these fundamental features of existence to generate anxiety and disciplinary power. Digital capitalism has changed the concept of uncertainty itself.” (04/17/26)
Source: The Hill
by Adam Brandon
“The 1970s are back, as are fears of an economic recession. With oil prices extremely volatile, major supply chain disruptions in the energy sector, and mixed signals from both the White House and Congress, Americans are preparing for yet another year of inflation. High gas prices are just the beginning of what is almost certainly going to be even more pressure on a struggling middle class. If there’s one thing Wall Street hates, it is uncertainty. And in today’s political climate, neither Republicans nor Democrats are providing reassurance to business leaders or the average American. JPMorgan Chase CEO Jamie Dimon has seen enough. In a recent interview with Axios, Dimon suggested that an independent candidate might be needed to fix this dysfunction that we’re living through. Welcome to the independent movement, sir.” [editpr’s note: “Independent,” Dimon presumably means, except of the influence of JPMorgan Chase – TLK] (04/18/26)
https://thehill.com/opinion/campaign/5837158-economic-recession-fears-rise/
Source: Caitlin Johnstone
by Caitlin Johnstone
“In our society, we do not push psychopaths off the ice when nobody is looking. In our society, we let them rule the world.” (04/19/26)