What Do Big Deficits Stimulate?

 If big government deficits stimulated the economy, Greece would have passed Germany as an economic powerhouse.  Isn't it time to admit that John Maynard Keynes was wrong, based on the experience of the last 90 years?  Big debts lead to bankruptcy.

Political Censorship Online and Section 230

 

For me, the problem is the political censorship enforced by Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and other tech companies, whose business models are based on Section 230 of the Communications Act.  Section 230 allows internet platforms to host 3rd party content without copyright liability under the assumption that the platforms exercise no editorial control of their content.  All social media companies' business models are based on Section 230.

For me the solution is quite simple.  Congress should alter Section 230 so it doesn't allow social media companies to remove content for any reason.  Instead, allow the tech giants to put an "Are you sure?" question on content they disapprove of, warning that the content you are asking for doesn't meet their "community guidelines."  Then let the users click through the question.

Allowing users to opt out of platform content filters, as a condition for allowing companies to hide behind Section 230, is a simple way to minimize the political censorship they now exercise.  It would involve no complex government regulation or anti-trust litigation.

What Your Voting Decision Comes Down To

If voters really cared about the country, they would not subject it to 4 years of shutting down non renewable energy sources, like the 87% of US electricity generation that's not renewable.  They wouldn't support the party that likes to cancel people who express views contrary to their orthodoxy, which gets wackier day by day.  They wouldn't empower the party that thinks defunding the police is fine, even if it doubles violent crime.

The choice is pretty clear.  On the one hand you can pick impulsive tweets, rude manners, judges who rule on what the law is rather than what they would like it to be and respect for law and order.  On the other hand, you can get the Green New Deal, Antifa riots, judges who make up the law to suit their preferences and the party that made California into a third world country with power blackouts and huge forest fires.

I think rude tweets a small price to pay to avoid economic suicide.

 

Why Do We Directly Elect US Senators?

 Until the 17th Amendment passed in 1913, Senators were elected by state legislature.  After the 17th Amendment was adopted, Senators were elected directly by the voters in each state.  Why did it change?

Historically, the 17th Amendment was, in large part, a reaction to Senator William A. Clark, who bought his Senate election by bribing the entire Montana State Legislature in 1899.  Clark was a Montana Copper King.  In purchasing power, some people think he was the richest American ever.  Clark is on record as seeing the US Senate as an exclusive club he wanted to buy his way into.

With modern 24/7 news coverage and national communication, I think it's unlikely that anyone would be able to buy a state legislature today.

The benefit of having US Senators selected by state legislators was that it gave the states direct input into how the federal government was run.  At the moment, state governments have no influence on the federal government.  In fact, the federal government coerces the states by paying them, or withholding from them, federal money.

Some folks would like to repeal the 17th Amendment, and return the selection of Senators to the state legislatures.  What do you think?  Please leave me a comment.