Early in my Christian life I was struck by a fascinating quote in C. S. Lewis’ Screwtape Letter #21. On the sin of peevishness, he wrote, Men are not angered by mere misfortune but by misfortune conceived as injury. And […]
Jobs
Two Dilemmas Urbanists and Housing Advocates have to Face
First, we often have two inconsistent objectives. The first is good housing for all and ownership for many. The second is that home ownership should be a ‘wealth builder’ for those who achieve it. You can’t have it both ways. […]
On Feeling Guilty for Ordering Stuff Online
I like ordering things online and not having to hunt for them in stores. And sometimes the alternative is being eliminated. Just like paying cash or taking public transit, live stores, especially bookstores, are disappearing. There is only one major […]
How Employers Impose Their Own ‘Growth Boundaries’
There has been a lot of publicity about how the imposition of ‘growth boundaries’ on metropolitan areas often succeeds mainly in driving up the price of land within the boundaries. But companies and employers often impose their own ‘growth boundaries’ […]
Michael Lind: Can You Restrict Immigration Without Alienating Recent Immigrants?
Michael Lind is one of the most perceptive political and social observers of our time. He ‘scooped’ the Trump revolution, as I have said, before Trump even declared himself a candidate. And he has continued to be as perceptive. But […]
The Working Class Might be Shooting Itself in the Foot by Being Anti-Free Trade
One of the explanations of the rise of Donald Trump is the concern by his working class followers about free trade, as well as immigration. After thinking of just how and where their standard of living is declining, I wonder […]
Edward Kleinbard Says, Don’t Soak the Few and the Rich
Edward Kleinbard, a professor at the University of Southern California, has pointed out that despite and in the face of extreme income inequality, not only is America’s tax system fairly ‘progressive’, its spending is fairly progressive in that the less […]
June Gloom All Year Round
Joel Kotkin has got a post up, partially entitled, “Coastal Cities are Old News – It’s the Sunbelt that’s Booming.” In it, he declares, “people seem to, once again, be streaming toward the expanse of warm-weather states extending from the […]
More Minimum Wage Games
I am in New York City again, and the hard copy New York Sunday Times was delivered to my room. As usual there is interesting stuff in it, despite some of their editorial policies. In particular there are two articles […]
Why I Won’t Support Unz’s Minimum Wage Initiative – And What I Will Support
Some important people on the Right, starting with the maverick Ron Unz but apparently including such as Phyllis Schlafly and Bill O’Reilly, have come out in favor of a higher minimum wage, such as $12 per hour. The argument against […]