From Washington Post: Poor kids who do everything right don’t do better than rich kids who do everything wrong I had to double-check because the chart seems to contradicts the author’s thesis that the American meritocracy is dead and that upward mobility is impossible. It doesn’t look so bad when you consider that 67% of… Continue reading Despite indoctrination, a college degree may still be the best path out of poverty
Author: smartistone
Why Post-Election Revolt and Crisis is Unlikely, Part 2
In an earlier post, I argued that the outcome of the 2016 US presidential election would likely not lead to national upheaval, but I want to expand on it. As the Great Depression showed, economic crisis does not necessarily lead to revolt. But historically speaking, revolt generally occurs during periods of extreme economic disruption and… Continue reading Why Post-Election Revolt and Crisis is Unlikely, Part 2
Liberal Media Trying to Prematurely Declare Hillary Winner
In the days following the release of Trump’s 2005 comments, something unexpected (at least for the left) happened – people suddenly stopped caring, but more importantly, Trump’s polls did not budge. This happens all the time – the liberal media tries to fan outrage – and initially people are outraged ‘omg Trump said the p-word!… Continue reading Liberal Media Trying to Prematurely Declare Hillary Winner
Individualism vs. the State
From Social Matter The End Of Atomistic Individualism: A Theory On Who You Are The purpose of this thought experiment is an attempt to formulate a new, sustainable, non-atomistic understanding of the concept of individualism. Modern individualism, as a product of the Enlightenment, has the function of isolating and alienating individuals from God, society, and… Continue reading Individualism vs. the State
Post-election rioting and crisis: It’s not going to happen
The media is entertaining the laughable premise that there may be rioting and revolting en mass should either Trump or Hilary become president. As I have said again and again, the media, by in large, is useless. It’s a giant time-suck that fools people into believing they are being informed, when it’s really about pushing… Continue reading Post-election rioting and crisis: It’s not going to happen
Non-aggression principle, and where it fails
From Wikipedia, the non-aggression principle (NAP) is a ethical stance held among right-libertarians that forbids acts of ‘aggression’ against one’s property rights. Somewhat confusingly, the NAP seems to have many definitions and variants: 1961 Ayn Rand In an essay called “Man’s Rights” in the book The Virtue of Selfishness she formulated “The precondition of a… Continue reading Non-aggression principle, and where it fails
Who Is in Charge?
From Free Northerner Chronic Kinglessness: This is a perfect example of what Moldbug, referencing Carlyle, referred to as chronic kinglessness. This is the secret of politics and modern society: nobody is in charge, no one has power, and nobody is running the show: not the people, not the corporations, not the politicians, not the bureaucrats,… Continue reading Who Is in Charge?
Wealth, Intellectualism, and Individualism, Part 5 (intellectualism)
Continuing on the wealth, individualism, and intellectualism series… Part 1,2,3,4 The final pillar is intellectualism. Thanks to recent economic trends, Web 2.0, ‘nerd culture’, the growing importance of STEM, ‘esoteric celebrities‘, long-form journalism, as well as the elevation and idolization of intellectuals in public life, particularity for STEM fields, and recent groundbreaking discoveries and progress… Continue reading Wealth, Intellectualism, and Individualism, Part 5 (intellectualism)
SJW Narrative Collapse, Part Infinity
This is pretty funny… going on Reddit (I recommend logging out to see which default threads are on the front page, not subscribed ones), and it looks like the left, to quote the title of a Charles Murray book, is losing ground. A story on /r/news about “Leaflets calling for death of those who insult… Continue reading SJW Narrative Collapse, Part Infinity
‘Show, don’t tell’
‘Show, don’t tell’ is a literary technique whereby the author ‘shows’ what is happening through vivid language and senses as to allow the reader to make inferences from the clues that the author leaves behind, than merely ‘telling’ the reader what is happening. But this also applies to extent to post-2013 internet journalism, with the… Continue reading ‘Show, don’t tell’