March 2020
Too Much Democracy
Our country was designed as a republic, meaning representative government, not a democracy. The few democracies in world history never survived for long. Athens, which invented the system of public voting of all eligible citizens, was soon weakened by some very foolish ventures that seemed popular at the time. Renaissance Venice suffered the same fate, as did Renaissance Poland. Too many cooks, it seems, spoil the broth.
Our founders created a limited Republic, requiring the vote more...
Our founders created a limited Republic, requiring the vote more...
Presidential "Pardons"
The power to pardon felons is vested in the Constitution. It is the one inheritance from the history of monarchy that we have, but unlike kings with unlimited rights to pardon, presidents have this power only for federal offences. Pardoning is enmeshed in norms. It has been understood that a president should not pardon someone for his own political motives. Compassion or policy motives were the usual reasons that a president pardoned a convict.
President Obama, for example, addres more...
President Obama, for example, addres more...
The Real Pandemic: Lies
A new virus, the coronavirus, is sweeping the world. When our hunter-gatherer ancestors began settling in villages, towns, and later cities, and when they began livestock agriculture, diseases have spread from animal hosts to human beings, with no immunity at first. Throughout history, China, India, and Africa have been the incubators of disease outbreaks that then became worldwide.
In China, the problem was crossovers from animals kept for food use, starting with flu from swine, more...
In China, the problem was crossovers from animals kept for food use, starting with flu from swine, more...
Rolling Back Regulations
We regularly hear about President Trump?s latest "rollbacks" to regulations, the primary excuse being that regulations, particularly Obama ones, "overreached." The real reason, it appears, is that President Trump cannot bear comparisons between Obama?s presidency and his. But he sometimes has other motives. As Nancy Pelosi warned, "in the Trump White House, all roads lead to Putin."
Early in Trump?s presidency, I recall his amazing comment about asbestos, and his scorn for regulat more...
Early in Trump?s presidency, I recall his amazing comment about asbestos, and his scorn for regulat more...