Reason Roundtable, 12/02/24
Source: Reason
“Biden’s Final Insult to Our Intelligence.” (12/02/24)
https://reason.com/podcast/2024/12/02/bidens-final-insult-to-our-intelligence/
US regime to send Ukrainian regime $725 million more in arms
Source: San Diego Union-Tribune
“The U.S. is preparing to send Ukraine an additional $725 million in military assistance, including counter-drone systems and munitions for its High Mobility Artillery Rocket System, which could indicate more of the longer-range missiles are headed to the battlefield. Two U.S. officials, who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss the package before it was announced, did not confirm whether the munitions for the HIMARS are the coveted ATACMS — the Army Tactical Missile System. But Ukraine has been pressing for more of the longer-range missiles to strike additional targets inside Russia. The package also includes more of the anti-personnel land mines that Ukraine is counting on to slow Russian and North Korean ground forces in Russia’s Kursk region.” (12/02/24)
https://www.sandiegouniontribune.com/2024/12/02/us-ukraine-725-million-military-assistance/
Ending the Welfare State is Not the End of the World
Source: Bet On It
by Bryan Caplan
“‘The American welfare states focuses almost exclusively on helping relatively poor Americans, not absolutely poor foreigners.’ I have long enjoyed loudly pointing out this indisputable fact, but why? At minimum, this fact exposes the moral blindness of actually-existing leftist philosophy: ‘Oh thou hypocrites, if you really cared about the wretched of the Earth, you would want to take the money you are squandering on the 90th-percentile of the world income distribution, and give it to those at its 1st-percentile.’ … Am I being unfair to the vast majority of leftists? Hardly. As you are well aware, most of them don’t even believe that desperate foreigners should be free to solve their own poverty problem by moving to America to wash dishes and clean hotel rooms.” (12/02/24)
https://www.betonit.ai/p/ending-the-welfare-state-is-not-the
DE: Judge once again fantasizes that she owns Tesla
Source: Washington Post
“A Delaware judge rejected a bid to restore Elon Musk’s record-setting $56 billion pay package, despite Tesla shareholders overwhelmingly voting to award Musk the stock grant earlier this year. Delaware Court of Chancery Judge Kathaleen McCormick originally struck down the controversial compensation deal — the highest CEO pay package in history — in January, ruling in a case brought by a group of Tesla shareholders that the company’s board was too heavily influenced by Musk when it adopted the package in 2018. Tesla’s board responded by asking shareholders to participate in a new vote on whether to award the package, to be paid in stock awards. In June, that measure was passed. But McCormick opted Monday to uphold her original decision against Musk, Tesla and some board members who joined the defendants in challenging the earlier decision.” [editor’s note: If the judge wants to run Tesla, she should pony up for a majority of its shares – TLK] (12/02/24)
A Cartel War Is Incredibly Stupid, But Trump Will Do It Anyway
Source: Eunomia
by Daniel Larison
“It remains to be seen what changes Trump will to the foreign policy he is inheriting, but judging from his first term it is safe to assume he will preserve the worst of Biden’s policies while reneging on any remaining useful diplomatic agreements. Trump is also likely to introduce some of his own ill-conceived policies. Launching attacks in Mexico will be one of these. James Bosworth warned last week that ‘the signs are that the incoming Trump administration is preparing for an actual war against the drug cartels in 2025 that goes well beyond the ‘War on Drugs’ of the past.’ Military action in Mexico under the next administration does seem likely.” (12/02/24)
https://daniellarison.substack.com/p/a-cartel-war-is-incredibly-stupid
Georgia: Opposition leader Zurab Japaridze arrested as pro-EU protest rages
Source: Al Jazeera [Qatari state media]
“Georgian police have arrested prominent opposition leader Zurab Japaridze after using water cannon and tear gas to disperse tens of thousands of antigovernment protesters who refused to back down over the government delaying talks on joining the European Union. Japaridze’s arrest on Monday comes as Prime Minister Irakli Kobakhidze accused the opposition of ‘coordinated violence’ aimed at overthrowing the constitutional order. … The ongoing protests in Georgia were prompted by the government’s announcement last week that it was suspending talks on joining the EU. Critics saw that as confirmation of a Russian-influenced shift away from pro-Western policies, something the ruling party denies.” (12/02/24)
Can Trump actually fend off the war hawks and bring peace?
Source: Orange County Register
by Scott Horton
“Could Trump make peace? Anything is possible. He has a famously personal negotiating style, having almost achieved a deal with the DPRK’s Kim Jong-un based on mutual trust built up between the two. To Washington’s imperial court, the very possibility represents a threat to the future of the war they wish to see continue — even though they all know victory for Ukraine is impossible and that their leverage is decreasing with each passing day. With much luck, Trump will be resentful enough against his establishment enemies to actually make an effort to keep them off his National Security Council this time, and make peace.” (12/02/24)
Oil prices nudge higher ahead of OPEC+ meeting
Source: Yahoo! Finance
“Oil prices climbed nearly 1% on Tuesday, as traders awaited the outcome of an OPEC+ meeting later this week. Brent crude futures rose 66 cents, or 0.92%, to $72.49 a barrel by 0909 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude climbed 63 cents, or 0.93%, to $68.73. OPEC+ is likely to extend its latest round of output cuts until the end of the first quarter at its Dec. 5 meeting, according to sources.” (12/03/24)
https://finance.yahoo.com/news/oil-prices-little-changed-ahead-021630935.html
The Aristocrats
Source: The Dispatch
by Kevin D Williamson
“If there’s a word for the guy with the hook who yanks vaudeville performers off the stage after they’ve overstayed their welcome, I’m the premature version of that. Too eager. When Barack Obama wrested the Democratic nomination from Hillary Rodham Clinton in 2008, I wrote that I was grateful at least that we wouldn’t have to write about the Clintons anymore. Now, I worry they’ll try to run Chelsea next time around. When Donald Trump announced his 2016 campaign, I wrote a piece headlined ‘Witless Ape Rides Escalator,’ and when he was dragged out of office in 2021, I capped off — or so I thought! — my Trump commentary with ‘Witless Ape Rides Helicopter.’ … But the one that might hurt the most: I really thought we were done with the Kennedys.” (12/02/24)
Biden’s Parting Shot at America
Source: Campaign For Liberty
by Ron Paul
“The interim between a US presidential election and the swearing in of a new Administration has for most of our history been a non-eventful period where the outgoing Administration winds down operations and the incoming Administration ramps up new personnel before the inauguration. The 20th Amendment to our Constitution was enacted in 1933 to reduce the ‘lame duck’ period between election and inauguration to January 20th instead of March 4th. … it has been understood that with the new election came a new mandate from the American people and the ‘lame duck’ outgoing administration was meant to quietly quack out its last few days in office without incident. Then came Biden. In the period since the American people rejected Biden’s neocon interventionists in favor of Donald Trump’s promises to end the wars, the ‘lame duck’ has run roughshod over the will of the American people.” (12/02/24)
https://www.campaignforliberty.org/bidens-parting-shot-america