Month: July 2018

Jordan Peterson is mostly right: According to the video, the harsh reality is that 10% of the general population is not smart enough to contribute to the economy in any meaningful way. This is also congruent to the data that shows that 20% (corresponding to an IQ below 87) of the country has a negative… Continue reading Jordan Peterson Truth-bombs Everyone about IQ

Changes in public sentiment don’t arise exnihilo. Rather, there is a multi-step process by which public opinion evolves and forms, through what I call the meme propagation process. When I talk about the ‘high-IQ left’ and the ‘high-IQ right,’ these are the progenitors and propagators of this process. Smarter people tend to have more money… Continue reading Meme propagation process

The left (but also some on the ‘right’) is celebrating Facebook stock plunging 20% yesterday on ‘weak’ earnings (weak as in not meeting the impossibly high estimates set by Wall St. analysts). Facebook stock is still a fist-pounding buy and will make new highs soon, just as I was right about the S&P 500 making… Continue reading Optimism and The_Donald

This article is going slightly viral: Talent Effects and Inequality It’s as if he just discovered the Matthew effect. People who are rich and successful tend to become richer and more successful. For example, Jordan Peterson and Ben Shapiro, both of whom have seen their popularity surge in 2018, even after large gains in 2017.… Continue reading Winner-take-all economics

In these online discussions about wealth inequality, a solution that frequently comes up is wealth redistribution. A utilitarian argument is often invoked that if the wealth of the very top were spread among many people, there would be ‘more good’. It’s pretty easy to demonstrate why this argument fails. As discussed in Elon Musk Schools… Continue reading The Wealth Inequality Debate: Why Wealth Redistribution is Not the Answer

Online, the wealth inequality debate rages on. Here are two recent stories that generated significant discussion: Jeff Bezos Becomes the Richest Man in Modern History, Topping $150B The Inequality Demagogues People want to know, will inequality lead to revolution? Will it keep widening? Is wealth redistribution the answer? To answer those: no, yes, and no.… Continue reading The Wealth Inequality Debate: Revolution & Living Standards

You can predict one’s ideology and overall perspective on the world by their opinion of China. Those who are optimistic about China tend to be more successful financially, and or subscribe to a neocon or neoliberal worldview. They tend to be optimistic about technology, markets, and human nature, although this is not the same as… Continue reading The China Test

Most Americans disapprove of Trump’s handling of Putin summit Fifty-five percent of respondents said they disapproved of Trump’s handling of the summit, including 83% of Democrats and 53% of independents. Just 21% of Republicans disapprove — with 68% of Republicans saying the approve of how Trump dealt with the meeting. By ‘most’, they mean 55%,… Continue reading Putin summit nothingburger

With the S&P 500 finally retaking 2800 after a small sell-off in February, it looks like I was right again to buy the dip and to ignore the naysayers who predict crisis and recession and who have been constantly wrong since 2009, and will continue to be wrong for the foreseeable future. On February 12,… Continue reading The Stock Market Keeps Going Up: More Correct Predictions

Looks like I was right again, in early 2017 predicting Trump would not be impeached. As the Muller investigation showed, The DNC hacks had nothing to do with Trump’s campaign, but rather were the result of Russians hacking Podesta’s email account, although in Podesta’s defense, phishing emails are realistic enough that many cannot differentiate between… Continue reading Trump Impeachment Odds Now the Lowest Ever