There are Republican voters who like Bernie and they have been showing up to his rallies for years.

Then Bernie should have run for the Republican nomination. He tried running for the Democrat nomination twice, and he lost twice.

I’ve felt that Bernie should be president since 2015, but he never stood a chance in the US. You have a 0% chance of being elected president in this country once the label of “socialist” has been applied to you.

It’s true, the range of ideological possibilities has been intentionally limited, here in the US. As Noam Chomsky said:

The smart way to keep people passive and obedient is to strictly limit the spectrum of acceptable opinion, but allow very lively debate within that spectrum.

The paper that coined the term free market specifically referred to them as “well regulated”. From the very beginning it was recognized that a functioning market requires government regulation, if for nothing else at least for contract enforcement and dispute resolution.

Many free market evangelists would agree that some state is likely necessary, to, as you point out, enforce contracts and mediate dispute resolution, as well as enforce private property rights. However, whether they would admit it or not, they only want said state to work for them, but never against them. They want all the protections that a state might offer, but none of the restrictions. They want laws that protect them but never bind them.

I’m not sure what measurement they would use to justify their position, or if they would try to justify it at all. I suppose that’s what makes them evangelists: belief is the basis of their conviction.

Not enough people listen to Joseph Stiglitz. Even many economists don’t listen to Stiglitz. That’s the thing about economics: it’s more philosophy than science, and like philosophy there are different schools of thought. If an economist doesn’t like what Stiglitz has to say, that economist can just choose to listen to someone from a different school within economics.

For instance, Stiglitz has been quite critical of what he calls “free market evangelism,” the popular idea that free markets are the most efficient method for distributing scarce resources, and so there should be minimal interference with markets from “outside” entities like the state. Economists like Stiglitz have pointed out that markets are not as efficient as the evangelists believe, but, obviously, they don’t listen.

This is a coup

Yeah, we know.

Musk became a fellow of the society — the world’s oldest science academy — in 2018 for his companies’ development of technologies such as space rockets, electric cars and brain implants.

Is this prestigious science academy aware that space rockets and electric cars existed long before Elon Musk was even born? Even if they think his companies have contributed important innovations in those technological fields, what evidence do they have that Musk was the initiator of those innovations? Musk isn’t an engineer or scientist. He employs engineers. Is that their rationale? That because he owns and/or controls the companies, the innovations (assuming the innovations coming from these companies are even worthy of such recognition) should be attributed to him, even if those innovations only came about because of engineers, scientists, and technicians who are in his employ? If so, that is absolutely ridiculous. If their academy wants to award a fellowship to someone, award it to the scientists and engineers themselves, not the super rich guy who happens to be those scientists’ boss.

Donald Trump’s takeover of the Kennedy Center has led to backlash, with several artists canceling performances or resigning from positions.

I don’t blame them. I often think of resigning from being an American, these days.

It is a really obnoxious thing to say. It comes across as smug and arrogant.

I know I will never buy a Tesla.

Fuck this country.

One more reason to not watch the Superbowl this year.

I don’t agree. I think these people are acting out of what they believe to be self interest, even if it is an unenlightened self interest. Why else would they desire to be at the “top of the collective?” What do they hope to gain if not special, INDIVIDUAL, privileges, opportunities, liberties, etc?

The centralized monopolies are built to serve the interests of, and to consolidate the powers and control of, a relatively small number of individuals. There’s nothing more freeing for an individual than total power and control over others.

Pohutsky told large crowd gathered in Lansing at the state Capitol Wednesday that she chose last month to have a bilateral salpingectomy to remove her fallopian tubes. While abortion is constitutionally protected in Michigan and state lawmakers have bolstered contraceptive access, she said the decision was prompted by doubts that the Trump administration will not target access.

I do find this to be a little odd, kind of drastic. But, it’s her body. What people choose to do, under the guidance and care of an ethical, reputable medical professional, is their business. I certainly don’t understand getting so upset about it, especially not to the point where you would harass her for it. Even if you strongly disagree with her decision, just shake your head, shrug your shoulders and move on.

I did it just to piss you off. Looks like it worked.

Just one Great Man to another. You see, we “normals” need to just shut up and get out of the way of these great men. They’ll figure out what’s best for us all, like a caring father. They are superior to us, after all. They’re like Mr. Incredible, and we’re just some nameless civilian in need of rescue.

/s

One theory is that a global shift to cleaner shipping fuels in 2020 accelerated warming by reducing sulphur emissions that make clouds more mirror-like and reflective of sunlight.

Paradoxically, we might be accelerating warming by burning less sulphur emitting fuels. Clean the air, heat up faster. It’s still a matter of debate, however, now much the reduction in sulphur emissions is causing the current accelerated warming. It’s entirely possible there are other factors at play, as well. That’s not going to stop people from advocating for geoengineering, though. Pump more sulphur dioxide into the atmosphere, cool the planet. I don’t know, I suppose.