…is not over.
It will never be. It is too seductive an argument, and appeals to human nature in the ignorance of it.
California
As a resident, I can attest. Not sure how much longer we’ll stay here, though there are signs that perhaps the Democrats have overreached.
What they don’t tell you, of course, is that while the state is technically in surplus currently, it has unfunded liabilities of hundreds of billions in pensions. California is a poster child for what happens when you let uninformed innumerate idiots vote.
The Biden Campaign’s Biggest Technical Difficulty
…is Joe Biden.
DIY Ventilators
Just out of curiosity, I did a search, and came across this page. It’s not obvious what its vintage is, but it’s likely easier to build one now, electronically. Seems like it wouldn’t take that long to set up some production lines. We could even make it an export.
[Update a while later]
There’s a Slack channel for the project.
The Walter Duranty Paper
…finally admits that its central claim of The 1619 Project was wrong. It should never have been made part of the curriculum of government schools, and should be removed immediately.
“Green” Grocery Bags
It will be morbidly hilarious if “green” Californians die from coronavirus due to their voting stupidity.
The Crazy Train
A major contractor for California’s HSR was told to shut up about its problems. I’m sure you’re as shocked as I am.
Covid Speculations
…and notes on the American response:
In the approval of new medical tools (drugs, laboratory tests, and medical devices), our system — including direct federal and state regulators and our civil liability regime — massively prefers safety (avoiding sins of commission, if you will) to the introduction of new technology that might save lives. We don’t put a feather on the “safety” side of the scales, we weigh it down with an anvil, and are thereby far more willing to commit the sin of omission (doing nothing) than commit the sin of approving a technology that is dangerous or ineffective.
Voters, politicians, government officials, and the press overwhelmingly favor the “safety paramount” approach of the United States. Unfortunately, the highly deliberative manner of the American approach becomes dangerous in a rapidly spreading pandemic. Much as the media and citizens wish it were otherwise, we cannot change our system, or even our bureaucratic impulses, suddenly. Even if lives depend on it.
There is no way to know how many millions of lives both the caution of the FDA in approving drugs (requiring “effectiveness,” and not just safety), and the federal junk-science approach to nutrition have cost us over the decades.
[Update a while later]
Related, and (speaking as a boomer) darkly amusing:
Good job, team! The FDA is forcing the CDC to double test for the virus. Because, you know, testing was going so smoothly and rapidly, and we knew who had it.
[Saturday-morning update]
She shoots, she scores.
[Update a couple minutes later]
Bernie: “We must seize the means of toilet-paper production!”
[Update a few minutes later]
Globalization may be the biggest victim of the virus. It was definitely insane to put China on the critical path of our drug production.
The Coronavirus
The problem with it isn’t what you can see, but what you can’t.
[Update a while later]
Six movies about pandemics to watch (or avoid) if you’re stuck at home (from Lileks).
Why Biden Will Never Be President
[Afternoon update]
Of course Joe Biden wants to take your guns away. Despite his own BS, he doesn’t support the Second Amendment.