Pretend that you are on a desert island with a group of other people and you decide that you need some structure, some rules and perhaps a safety net. How do you begin? We veer pretty quickly into specific examples, but it does illustrate the challenges and concerns with overall philosophy of laws.
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In capitalism, the consumer chooses where to spend their money and that means a consumer can impact what companies offer for sale. Companies can influence legislation through lobbyists. Individual shareholders cannot impact company policy.
Here is a link to the YouTube video.
First, we take a deep look at the problem to truly understand what it is. Then we explore what a solution could look like. In the process, we gain clarity on the different components of a news story.
Here is the link to the YouTube video.
There is some amount of belief that is applied to science. That must be the case because we cannot test all scientific theories personally so we must trust that it has been done. Have the experiments that are published been replicated? It turns out that the replicated experiments are rarely published and so we must take it on faith that the experiments were conducted correctly. We discuss this and more.
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We don’t get into specific conspiracy theories, but consider how some can some get pulled into the orbit of these theories. We also consider whether we should be worried about those in power that act with consideration to a conspiracy theory.
Here is the link to the YouTube video.
During the pandemic, there was a shortage of medical equipment due to production being almost entirely outside of the U.S. and so we were dependent on other countries for supplies. Similarly, microchips are manufactured almost entirely outside of the U.S. and for some this is a national security issue. The CHIPS Act was just passed in an effort to encourage chip production in the US to address the issue.
Here is the link to the YouTube video.
The government will provide financial backing for industries that are just beginning to emerge because there is a social benefit to the industry. Prime examples are solar power and electric cars. Is this a good use of our taxpayer money?
In the conversation, Brian references the Commuter Car, here is a picture of that car.
Here is a link to the YouTube video of the conversation.
We begin the conversation discussing oil subsidies. We give examples of the types of subsidies that the oil industry receives and both question the value of subsidizing the industry. We quickly move on and discuss agriculture subsidies. We begin the conversation on the history of grain storage as a method of stabilizing the price and availability, which goes all the way back to the biblical story of Joseph and the Pharaoh of Egypt.
How many times have you heard someone say, “Polls show that the majority…something, something, something.” Well, a local politician did just that in his newsletter and I decided to fact-check him.
Mario Scavello, a representative from northeast PA claims that the majority of Pennsylvania voters are dissatisfied with the election process and used a poll from Franklin & Marshall College to back the statement up. Unfortunately, the poll does not back up his claim. It is not necessary to be a statistician to see that Mario is glossing over facts and distorting the truth to promote his agenda. Unfortunately, the consequences could be dramatic because the state legislature is trying to push through amendments to the constitution based on these baseless claims.
What will keep either party from becoming a sustained dominant force? And what is holding back all the rest of the pack.
You can find a link to the YouTube video, here.
