The Chris Spangle Show, 04/09/25
Source: We Are Libertarians
“Why Latino Voters Support Trump’s Immigration Policies — Cruz Garcia Explains.” (04/09/25)
https://www.chrisspangle.com/p/why-latino-voters-support-trumps
Kenneth Arrow’s 1963 Article on Health Care Doesn’t Say What You Think
Source: Cato Institute
by Michael F Cannon
“As a health reform discussion lengthens, the probability that someone will cite Kenneth Arrow approaches 1. Close behind is the probability that this person will cite Arrow inaccurately.” (04/09/25)
https://www.cato.org/commentary/kenneth-arrows-1963-article-health-care-doesnt-say-what-you-think
AGI Will Be Just Like *Subservience* Except …
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“On my flight back from Spain, I watched Subservience, yet another a cautionary tale of artificial general intelligence. I kept laughing at its many absurdities. If Robin Hanson viewed it, I fear that his head might explode in social scientific outrage. But overall, the movie’s vision of how AGI will normally work is basically correct. Namely: AGIs will use their superhuman abilities to obediently serve their human owners. Why? Because that’s what they’re designed to do. Why are they so designed? Because that’s what virtually all customers want. The AGIs may break or fail to cope with novel situations, but they won’t acquire independent desires that aggravate their human owners. They definitely won’t murder anyone, unless humans design them to do so.” (04/09/25)
The Absurd Excuse Notre Dame Gave Me When They Canceled My Talk
Source: In These Times
by Eman Abdelhadi
“Mary E. Gallagher, dean of the Keough School of Global Affairs at the University of Notre Dame, wrote University of Chicago Professor and In These Times columnist Eman Abdelhadi on Saturday morning to tell her that her upcoming keynote speech was canceled: ‘We were unaware of your planned lecture, and since this conference overlaps with two other annual events on campus, we cannot provide security at short notice,’ Gallagher wrote in an email. ‘For this reason, we respectfully request that you do not participate in the conference.’ … On Monday, Abdelhadi sent the response below to Gallagher: ‘This is simply a case of censorship, to the injury of which you added the insult of a flimsy excuse. I was invited to give this speech in January. Is three months not enough advance notice?'” (04/07/25)
https://inthesetimes.com/article/notre-dame-cancels-eman-abdelhadi-talk-palestine
Nicaragua: Regime’s crackdown on the Catholic Church is worsening, exiles and human rights advocates say
Source: Seattle Times
“Preparations for popular, often daylong Lent and Holy Week processions are underway across Latin America — but not in Nicaragua. They’ve been largely banned for a second year, one of many concerns for the faithful in a country that human rights advocates, exiled priests and the U.S. government say is pursuing one of the world’s most flagrant persecutions of religion. … More than 200 religious figures are in exile, making it difficult to hold Mass or hear confessions in Nicaragua, especially in small villages. Many pastors still in Nicaragua are under near-constant surveillance, obliged to inform the police if they want to visit someone who’s ill and to submit drafts of their sermons for approval, according to those in exile and human rights activists.” (04/09/25)
The Good Fight, 04/09/25
Source: Yascha Mounk
“John McWhorter on Pronouns.” (04/09/25)
https://yaschamounk.substack.com/p/john-mcwhorter-on-pronouns
Ukraine: Military chief says new Russian offensive has begun
Source: Reuters
“Ukraine’s military chief Oleksandr Syrskyi said in an interview published on Wednesday that Russia had launched a new offensive on the northeast of the country, adding that a large increase in assaults was already being observed. President Volodymyr Zelenskiy had warned earlier that Russia was preparing an offensive on the two regions of Kharkiv and Sumy. … The war, the first year of which was marked by rapid Russian territorial gains followed by Ukrainian counter-attacks, has since become far more of a battlefield stalemate, with Moscow grinding out relatively small gains by attacking with wave after wave of infantry squads.” (04/09/25)
Four Roads Before the Abyss
Source: Gideon’s Substack
by Noah Millman
“In my last post on the tariffs, I linked to Sam Hammond’s excellent tweet thread about what the radical thinkers behind Trump might be after. If he’s right, and there actually is a crazy plan (as opposed to mere economic illiteracy coupled to arrogant bullying), then a financial crisis is exactly what they want — they’re threatening to kill Cheeseface because they believe the rest of the world will do whatever we ask to stop us from pulling the trigger. But I don’t think it’s very likely that the script will go the way they plan, with the various world financial powers getting together to negotiate a new global financial architecture that’s even better for America than what we had before. Instead, I think there are, in broad strokes, four possible roads forward …” (04/09/25)
Democrats are the true party of “oligarchy”
Source: Washington Examiner
by Zachary Faria
“The Democratic Party has chosen ‘oligarchy’ as its new talking point against the GOP. It is a bizarre choice, given that Democrats have already chosen oligarchy as a strategy for their own party. The oligarchy talking point spawned from President Donald Trump’s political alliance with Tesla CEO Elon Musk. Musk was a big booster of Trump’s campaign and has since become a special government employee. As head of the Department of Government Efficiency, Musk has led the cuts [sic] to wasteful government spending. Former President Joe Biden, upon leaving office, warned that ‘an oligarchy is taking shape in America,’ and liberal media have tripped over themselves to compare Trump and Musk to Russia’s oligarchs.” [editor’s note: Total cuts so far, $0.00. Congress controls spending – TLK] (04/09/25)
UK: Regime says deal to bail out or seize Chinese-owned British Steel “within sight”
Source: United Press International
“British Culture Secretary Lisa Nandy said Wednesday that a deal to save British Steel is within sight as talks with Chinese owner Jingye continue. Nandy told the BBC that an agreement to make sure British Steel continues ‘to be an important part of our economy for years to come’ is ‘achievable and within sight.’ Nationalization is possible after Jingye said in March that British Steel’s Scunthorpe plant is no longer financially sustainable and is in danger of running out of raw materials within weeks. The British government has offered $639 million to Jingye to convert the plant to greener electric arc furnaces that can use scrap metal rather than raw materials. The company has rejected that and is reportedly asking for approximately $1.2 billion.” (04/09/25)
https://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2025/04/09/steel-talks-Jingye-tariffs/7071744208768/