From Bryan Caplan, What a Bet Shows: But someone who wins 10 out of 10 bets – or, in my case, 14 out of 14 bets – almost certainly has superior knowledge and judgment. This is especially true if someone lives the Bettors’ Oath by credibly promising to bet on (or retract) any public statement.… Continue reading What a Bet Shows
Month: June 2017
Has democracy become too expensive for capitalism? Part 1
This article is going viral, having been shared on Xenosystems, Slate Star Codex, and elsewhere: Has Western-style democracy become too expensive for capitalism? This short article offers a lot to unpack. The central reason why Western democracy is in decline is that its capitalist bedfellow can no longer afford the financial demands that full-blown democracy… Continue reading Has democracy become too expensive for capitalism? Part 1
The Boomer Backlash, Part 2
It seems no one likes the boomers. From Vox Day Boomercide We know why Generation X hates the Boomers. We’ve had to listen to variations of their “70 is the new 50” narcissism all our lives and endure their babbling about how their inferior, mush-sounding, crudely recorded analog music played by inept musicians with rudimentary… Continue reading The Boomer Backlash, Part 2
Today in stupid: math edition
This is from someone presumably smart enough to know better Exponential curves feel gradual and then sudden: After the fact, exponential curves look relatively smooth. When you are in the midst of them, however, they feel like they are divided into two stages: gradual and sudden. Exponential curves are always exponential. Consider the outputs of… Continue reading Today in stupid: math edition
Jordan Peterson, SJWs, and Postmodernists
Upon listening to several of Jordan Peterson’s videos on SJWs, his conclusion is that SJWs are postmodernists and thus suppress speech (such as protesting speakers, but even going so far as physical assault) because postmodernists reject ‘logic and truth’. In writing my earlier post Defending Postmodernism, gave me pause about Jordan’s theory. How does one… Continue reading Jordan Peterson, SJWs, and Postmodernists
The Necessity of Power, Part 2: weak politicians = stronger state
An interesting post by Reactionary Future (who recently changed his blog): Absolutist Accelerationism The analysis in the book of the failure of left wing groups to be effective against capitalism, whilst being very astute, lacks a clear explanation for why it occurred. Without reading the book, the obvious answer is that capitalism simply proved to… Continue reading The Necessity of Power, Part 2: weak politicians = stronger state
A competent but boring presidency
TRUMP’S SECRET SAUCE Were “Trump” to exit the stage, which is entirely unlikely, it would not change a thing. The already rotted fabric of the constitutional fiction has been shredded now, making any restoration an anxious, vulnerable simulacrum. This sort of banal stuff should be a given by now so let’s move on. Your democracy… Continue reading A competent but boring presidency
Grey Notes: The great self-esteem con
Anyone who grew up in California during the 90’s probably remembers the ‘self esteem movement’–the belief that positive affirmations can boost achievement–as everyone already suspected, is a farce. ‘It was quasi-religious’: the great self-esteem con The self-esteem movement for years has been ridiculed in popular culture. Online, it’s nice to see so much backlash against… Continue reading Grey Notes: The great self-esteem con
Next Financial Crisis?
With the stock market constantly making new highs, for the 8th year and counting, there is a lot of discussion online about when the next financial crisis will be. Based on the evidence, the next financial crisis will not be for a long time. As measured by low interest rates and strong corporate profits &… Continue reading Next Financial Crisis?
The Polgar Prodigies–Is Genius Born or Made
I’m sure many have heard the story of László Polgár, who purportedly raised his three daughters, Zsuzsa, Zsófia, and Judit, to become chess masters, with Judit Pulgar, the most successful of the three, becoming the greatest female chess player in the world. This story is often retold as evidence that child prodigies and geniuses are… Continue reading The Polgar Prodigies–Is Genius Born or Made