Technological innovation and the transfer of many aspects of everyday life onto the Internet has been a boon to society at-large. Few can dispute this. Family members across the country can connect via video calls in seconds, individuals can deposit funds near instantaneously, self-driving automotive technology has begun deployment, and many jobs can be done 100% remotely. All of this is possible due to the extraordinary computing technologies that have been deployed, the global trade in precious metals and energy resources, and our digital infrastructure.
In order to constantly improve many of technologies, our systems rely on large quantities of…
National Democrats have been “devastated” since Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission in 2010. At every turn, they have pointed to nefarious “dark money” being used to fund political groups or causes they find repugnant. Senators Sheldon Whitehouse and Elizabeth Warren recently called out social welfare organizations organized under section 501(c)(4) of the Tax Code. In a letter to the new Secretary of the Treasury, Janet Yellen, the senators urge Secretary Yellen to “rein in abuse by ‘dark money’ organizations.”
The two senators call out the “tsunami of slime” resulting from the Supreme Court’s decision in Citizens United. As they…
“We are in the beginning stages of a civil war,” tweets the 20-something guy working from his parents’ home while he escapes his apartment in New York during the pandemic. The “civil war” he is referring to is the massive protest, turned insurrection, mobilized, in part, by President Trump’s incendiary rhetoric at the United States Capitol Building. A rally turned march on the Capitol quickly escalated into hundreds, if not thousands, breaching the line law enforcement established. …
Economists are skeptical of a return to normalcy in 2021. Among their fears is the continued havoc wreaked by COVID-19 infections and changes within the economy that are leaving certain “sectors permanently weaker.” The now infamous Dr. Fauci said on CNBC, “so if we can get the overwhelming proportion of the population vaccinated by let’s say the end of the second, the beginning of the third quarter — by the time we get into mid-fall of 2021, we can be approaching some level of normality.” Dr. Fauci, as a long-time advisor to Presidents, ought to realize that even if sufficient…
The COVID-19 Pandemic has presented the West with a once in a lifetime question of how to best balance democratic society with effective public health measures. As with any other major political issue, there is a constant concern of overweighting one side of the equation. Overemphasizing COVID-19 prevention may fail to take into account greater societal risks like mental health concerns and economic degradation, while underemphasizing COVID-19 prevention may unnecessarily lead to excess infections and simultaneously greater numbers of death.
Every generation endures a life-changing event or series of events that disrupts life as it was. In the 1960s, there…
The idea that government policymaking requires compromise and extensive debate is currently fairly unpopular. For one, a growing number of voters continue to elevate increasingly extreme candidates for office in hopes that this new candidate could be the change for which they have been searching. This constant pressure on candidates for office to follow increasingly polarized positions has led to an untenable situation whereby some expect their “morally righteous” preferred policies to be enshrined into the law. To them, the only thing keeping their policy from being enacted is the opposition party, rather than the possibility that this position is…
This past weekend, President Donald J. Trump officially nominated Judge Amy Coney Barrett to replace Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg on the Supreme Court. Justice Ginsburg’s passing opens up one of the four spots held by justices nominated by Democrats. As expected, the possibility of a 6–3 conservative majority on the court has progressives in battle mode.
Senate Democrats are particularly worried about progressive legal policy victories since the Warren Court, such as Roe v. Wade. Scholar Michael Lind writes, “In Roe, the court did not even bother to point to a particular passage or passages in the Constitution to justify…
In a 2012 presidential debate, then Republican presidential nominee, Mitt Romney, was criticized by President Obama for claiming that Russia was America’s #1 geopolitical foe. “Governor Romney, I’m glad that you recognize that al-Qaida is a threat, because a few months ago when you were asked what’s the biggest geopolitical threat facing America, you said Russia, not al-Qaida. You said Russia…the 1980s, they’re now calling to ask for their foreign policy back because, you know, the Cold War’s been over for 20 years,” said President Obama. At the time, friendly journalists scoffed at Governor Romney and praised President Obama for…
Since the tragic death of civilian George Floyd in late May, there have been countless demonstrations, riots, and examples of widespread looting. The toxic mixture of a global health pandemic, economic uncertainty, the perception of racially biased policing, and government enforced lockdowns has resulted in catastrophically high amounts of anxiety, depression, and unease. Protests and riots may materialize as a symptom of societal unease during times of severe anxiety and economic uncertainty. …
Bill Binney, former National Security Agency (NSA) Technical Director, became a well-known NSA whistleblower after the September 11th terrorist attack. Binney alleged that the NSA “buried key intelligence that could have prevented 9/11” and that “electronic intelligence gathering is being used for covert law enforcement, political control and industrial espionage.” During Binney’s tenure with the NSA, he was a Russia specialist and his expertise spans intelligence analysis, traffic analysis, systems analysis, etc. According to The Intercept, Binney ultimately resigned from the NSA over a dispute about the use of an expensive tool from a powerful defense company rather than an…
Contributor to: FEE , The Mises Wire, and Bongino.com Interests: Technological Disruption, Economic Policy, and Public Policy