Who are you? Who am I? | Week 46

November | Politics | Week 46 | 11/19/2023 
My views on the topics of the day

We exist in a time where there is an expectation to have an opinion on every topic, regardless of one's level of understanding, research or conviction. Frequently, a CEO, celebrity or laymen is asked to give their thoughts on a complex topic, stretching hundreds or thousands of years and encapsulating a corpus of philosophical and political discourse. For much of human history, the industry men commented on matters of industry, the doctors knew medicine, the politicians discussed politics, the economists debated economics and the scientists opined on science. The occasional polymath, a DiVinci or Jefferson, would comment on multiple subjects with authority. 

I am no specialist, with no doctorate degree or tremendous success in a given field. However, as an aspiring polymath, this exercise is my attempt at practicing. I've taken the 5 biggest topics in the 5 biggest areas of modern human concern, and I'll attempt to flesh out my ideas in a concise way for each. 

[A] Political

[1] Immigration

Immigration is not a pre-determined benefit, but it can be a net benefit with prudence and temperance. Unmitigated illegal immigration dilutes the value of the "citizen", which is core to the American ethos and the cornerstone of the social contract. Unmitigated legal immigration dilutes the philosophical and cultural consistency of a nation. Mitigated legal immigration is the best strategy - an immigration policy outfitted with a net entrants KPI, a tiered citizenship structure, extensive background checks and domestic requirements. The benefit of American immigration relies on a necessary prerequisite that the individual believes and acts in accordance with the American philosophy. If and only if that is true, will immigration benefit the nation. 

[2] Government 

As an American first and a conservative second, I am inclined to desire a limited government, per the dictates of our constitution and per my natural skepticism of government entities. I think those opinions are historically justified - there has never been a government entity or state which has staved off corruption and unabated scope expansion. With reference to the American system, generally speaking, the federal government is far too large and 80%+ of the decisions, policy and influence should be by state and local government. More specifically, beauacracies such as the CDC, FDA, EPA, FBI, SEC and others have been corrupted in deeply concerning ways and public trust has been lost. I would advocate that their purviews be cut by 50% or more and their missions be renegotiated with the American people. Federal programs, services and agencies such as Welfare, Medicaid, Social Security, Postal Service, NSA, etc. need economic and social controls in place. In summary, the Federal Government needs to be net positive every year - tax revenue > spending. As an aside, any agency which employs unelected officials (OSHA, EPA, etc.) must have subsidiary state oversight, including majority state Governor approval by vote, of the leadership for each agency. 

[3] Healthcare

My thoughts on this are simple. Healthcare is not a right, it is a luxury. Doctors have a moral duty to treat, but should have, therefore, a moral justification to be compensated for their service and their time. Healthcare costs have been rising exponentially in the United States. Working backwards will reveal why. Doctors charge a lot for their services because they are in high demand and in high debt. Why are they in high demand? The same reason they are in high debt - high cost of medical school. Why is medical school so expensive? Because the professors, doctors and colleges are in such high demand and high debt themselves. And the cycle continues. The way to cut healthcare costs is by cutting academic costs. Why are academic costs rising? Because the government flooded the market with cheap money after the 2008 mandate that the federal government would get involved in student loans. Remove the federal influence on the loan business and you create more expensive debt which drives education rates down, which drives more likelihood for students to go through med school which drives down compensation rates, which drives down healthcare costs. That's item #1. Item #2, is that the price of illegal immigrants and the uninsured populace more generally on the healthcare system (getting free treatment) requires that doctors and medical establishments recoup losses by raising rates on the insured. Eliminate illegal immigration, grant amnesty to existing illegals, and require citizenry to obtain health insurance, and suddenly you've solved that problem too. Item #3 is the price of pharmaceutical drugs. Pharmaceutical drugs are so expensive because research costs are so expensive. Why are research costs so expensive? Two reasons. [1] Federal funding for medical and scientific research has become diluted by ideologs which limits the amount of actual money going to good research, and [2] because the FDA is corrupted and inefficient. Clean up the federal grant system and create a public-private partnership with a new entity outside the FDA and you'll solve #3. There is no debate internationally as to where the most quality treatment and research exists - America. But there is much consensus that we are too expensive. Addressing these three items will drive down the cost of healthcare. 

[4] Education

There should not be a federal education program or curriculum. Education should be left to the states. State education programs should set curriculum requirements for public schools. Private schools should be left alone as long as they meet accreditation requirements by the state. Public schools should be free to the public, paid for by tax dollars and subsidized by the state. Attendance should be based on zoning. However, there should be a private school voucher program available to all citizens of the state whereby they can opt out of local taxes to send their kids to a private school of their choice. The state should identify underperforming schools with a high density of parents opting for private school vouchers and have an initiative to clean up those schools by paying well rated teachers and administrators from across the state huge premiums to relocate and work at those schools.  

[5] Energy

There should be no national energy policy, no nationalized energy industries, and no subsidies for energy companies at the federal level. The energy producers should be regulated by the EPA, so long as the EPA is beholden to the agency requirements I listed in A2. Regulations and restrictions should be mostly lifted against nuclear power. There should be a national infrastructure initiative to move away from above ground electrical grids. Ultimately, the free market should dictate which companies and which energy mediums win out. In theory, renewable energy will win out because non-renewable has an expiration date. 

[B] Economic

[1] The FED

The correlation between interest rates and inflation appears to be quite linear, unless the rare stagflation scenario ensues. Because of the economic impacts of gold standard departure, quantitative easing appears to be the only antidote to inflation. Unfortunately, this is the best system we have at the moment, so my only two comments would be the following. [1] Fractional reserve banking must be vastly reduced and [2] the FED cannot be politicized, as we've clearly seen Jerome Powell and Janet Yellen using monetary policy to influence ideology. 

[2] Taxes

The fastest and most efficient way to reduce taxes is to reduce the size of the government. The Federal government should be decreasing in size 2% per year on a 10 year plan to reduce the size of government by 20%. During that time, taxes should remain the same in order to reduce federal debt. Once the government is reduced, the federal tax system should become a flat income tax of 15% on all individuals. States, having gained scope as the size of federal government shrinks, can adjust their state income taxes as they see necessary and citizens can live where they believe they are getting the best value for their tax dollars. The ideal state tax system is a national sales tax and a limited or zeroed out income tax. Locally, property taxes will fund fire departments, police departments and school systems. Once again, with the school voucher program, individuals can have choice in how they use their tax dollars. The corporate income tax should mirror individual income tax, 15%. Death taxes should be done away with, capitol gains taxes should only be levied over a certain transaction threshold, and in summary, the tax code should be 20 pages long. The IRS should shrink by 50%, reducing to auditing capacity, and filing taxes should be entirely contracted out to a public-private partnership. 

[3] Economic Controls

Economic controls on businesses should be used extremely sparingly. Price fixing prescriptions, insurance premiums or rent rates should be done away with. Federal minimum wage should be gone and reverted to states, whereby companies and individuals can choose to live in the states that offer the best wages to cost of living ratios. Tariffs should be used only to protect domestic industries (within reason) or as an economic tool of international policy against nations who wish to do us harm. 

[4] Digital Currency 

A federal digital currency should be legislated against and deemed unconstitutional by our government. It consolidates far too much power in the federal government and completely integrates the financial system with the internet, putting the country as massive risk in case of blackout, outage, or war. As far as digital coins as a financial instrument, they should be entered into their own new class, neither currency nor financial asset, but digital asset, subject to their own regulatory and taxation specifics. 

[5] Economic Advancement 

The economic plan of America should be bold and inspiring, like the Saudi Vision 2030 was. We should be thinking decades out, pushing technology to enable the development of a grandiose vision. We should have a cite-able plan that all citizens can reference and hold their government accountable for. This plan should have the following elements. [1] The development of new megacities in areas not relegated to the current 10 biggest metros. [2] The development of high speed, accessible rail lines, based on maglev technology. [3] The development of tunnels to circumvent traffic in busy metros. [4] The development of regional airports to dilute the cost of air travel. [5] The development of regional nuclear power plants and an end to the reliance on above ground electrical lines. [6] The development of bases on the moon. [7] And the funding of massive scientific initiatives such as genome based medicine, new theoretical physics, nutrition research, and artificial intelligence. 

[C] Social

[1] Abortion

My thoughts are clear on this one after many years of deliberation. Personally, I do believe that aborting a fetus is the termination of a life. To me, life begins at conception. However, in a similar way that the federal government should not be allowed to mandate vaccines, seat belts, and many more things that you can do with your body, they should not be allowed to tell you that you cannot terminate a pregnancy. This would indicate that a legal standing such as Roe v Wade should be proper. However, allowing for Federal protection of abortion, allows for Medicaid to pay for abortions. Medicaid is funded by federal taxes. The only way to allow citizens to opt out of paying for abortions against their conscience is to return this legal decision to the states. Then, citizens can choose to live in states whereby they accept the decision of legalized abortion based on their conscience. Different states will have different rules around abortions and people should have the right to live in a place that allows them to express their religious liberty. 

[2] Drugs

The issue of drug legalization should be left to the states, so again (theme arising here), people can live in a state that fits with their conscience. States which legalize a plethora of drugs may attract a certain population of people with the opposite being true as well. Citizens across the country will be able to look at the variety of states which they can live in and make a judgement call based on how each state legislates things like drugs and abortion, and how the state performs on cost of living, crime, etc. 

[3] Guns 

The right to bear arms is protected by the 2nd Amendment and should remain a federal protection. It represents a natural check and balance to federal power which is why the founders protected it as a core American right. That being said, states should be able adjust certain requirements around obtaining a weapon, including permits, background checks, and waiting periods. We clearly have a problem in America with mass shootings so its worth going deeper on that topic. In every case, the individuals who commit mass shootings are mentally ill. Why are there so many mentally ill individuals with access to weapons? [1] Too many demented individuals who are not corralled by society into spaces where there are no access to guns, caused by [2] a general demoralized youth, particularly young men, with [3] a lack of proper family units to prevent and catch these behaviors. Fix culture and you fix mass shootings. As far as inner city crime, loading the place with police fixes that problem. As far as school safety, redirecting tax dollars away from useless international intervention and corrupt domestic policy towards securing schools, and that problem is fixed as well. There are simple solutions to seemingly complex problems surrounding guns. 

[4] LGBTQ

Much like my views on abortion, I try to separate what I believe personally from what should be legislated and what should become policy. Merging the two into one common statement; people should be able to live as they want in America, able to enjoy their own pursuit of happiness and be treated equally under the law. However, there is, in my opinion, a best-suited family structure for the general public as far as child rearing is concerned, which is male-female. That being said, for the most part, people do not choose their sexuality and should be allowed to live in a manner which makes them fulfilled so long as it doesn't infringe upon another. There is a slippery slope to the scope of what legally and contractually constitutes marriage in the eyes of the government. I have no qualm with the legality of homosexual marriage but we must be diligent as society as to where else we expand the scope of that term. On the trans issue, my beliefs and my politics align. Biology should be the primary determinant on matters such as bathroom accessibility, sports enrollment, etc. This is for the protection of those who identify with their given gender. As far as the legality of transition surgeries and chemical castration of minors, I once again believe that this is a state's issue. Each state should be able to determine it for themselves. 

[5] Religion

Clear thoughts around this as well. America was founded on the supposition that practicing the religion of one's choice was a good thing for all. Therefore, in the public school system, religious behavioral practices should not be part of the curriculum, but there should be private schools based on any theology, and so long as they meet the necessary accreditation targets by the State, they should be fully accommodated. That all being said, the vast majority of American's are Christian, which means that federal holidays for religious holidays should remain permanent, so long as that denomination percentage remains majority. It is part of the tradition of this nation, infused in it's culture, to celebrate Christmas. While it has a deep meaning for all those faithful, it is a staple of the American Gregorian Calendar as well. As far as the pledge of allegiance citing God, that is neither Jewish, Christian or Muslim, it is simply monotheistic, which an overwhelming majority of those on Earth subscribe to. If one wishes not to say the words, they can abstain, but to remove it from the cultural awareness and tradition of our people would be foolish.  

[D] International Relations

[1] Ukraine/Russia

Multiple things are clear to me around the Russia/Ukraine conflict. [1] We, the West more broadly, America more specifically, backed Russia into a corner, enabling and encouraging their invasion. [2] Our obsession with Russia as a foreign threat is out of proportion. Yes, they have resource expansion ambitions which compete with our own, but their economic and military power pale in comparison to ours and China's. [3] Our policies have led to Russia, metaphorically and literally, going into business with our competitors. [4] Their response in Ukraine led to many innocent lives being lost and there was a better response than what they did. [5] Zelensky and the Ukrainian government are far from saints and we should be diligent about how much we trust their information and their partnership. [6] All the money sent to Ukraine was foolish and would have been better spent domestically. [7] Ukraine cannot "win" this war. The only solution is a negotiated peace and a rollback of NATO. 

[2] Israel/Hamas

First, nomenclature. Hamas is the governing body of the nation of Palestine. In many parts of the world, "political parties" are tribal, militaristic coagulations of theocratic power, not centralized, democratically elected hierarchies. Examples are the Taliban, the Communists of the USSR, Hezbollah, and the IRA. Israel is at war with Hamas, not Palestine. According to the Israelis, if Hamas vacated the country, the war would end, as would the territorial boundaries around the Gaza strip. Here are some things I believe to be true historically. The Jewish people have been the subject of many concerted genocide attempts, some of which were remarkably and terrifyingly successful. In the early 1900's, the Jewish authorities sought a permanent home for their people and considered my options for "Zion" outside of the area now known as Israel. During the time of WW2, schemes were organized and promises were made by the British government, bankrolled by the Rothschilds, and supported by the Allies, to concretize the Jewish settlements in the land of Palestine to become the land of Israel. The genesis of this new nation was filled with considerable controversy and the history of methods, events and people of that time are less than peaceful and in good faith. Today, we find ourselves in an era where Israel does exist, as a nation which promises hope and prosperity to her people, whilst many neighboring counties swear to annihilate the state and the people for good. Those nations, I might add, do not promise peace, hope and prosperity to their people, they are lands of squalor, oppression and poverty. For all of Israel's theocratic basis, they have one of the world's largest Pride Parades and boast a very open society. Much like the complicated story of America, who's existence was based in morality but later tainted by many despicable acts, the state that stands today is one of hope, peace, and prosperity. What does one do about the history other than accept it, learn from it, and swear never to repeat it. We must do the same with Israel. On the subject of the war that wages and the state of modern Palestine, Israel needs to be very careful how they defeat Hamas, striving to protect innocent life and to free the Palestinians from their true oppressors. And if they do that correctly, perhaps they can one day live in harmony with their territorial neighbors, and help spread the peace and prosperity that they promise behind the walls and beneath the iron dome. 

[3] Middle East

The Middle East is both Iran and Saudi Arabia. It is Syria and the UAE, Afghanistan and Qatar, Palestine and Israel. It has become a place of binaries, ones that we should examine closely. What is the difference between Dubai and Baghdad, between MBS and the Ayatollah? The answer is clear: Jihad vs Islam. Dubai and Saudi Arabia are religiously conservative but not held captive by religious extremists. The Abraham Accords proved that the modern Middle East I speak of is yearning for a seat at the proverbial global economic table and implicit in their bid is the acknowledgement that any whisper of Jihad is a non-starter and perhaps also, a fatal disqualifier - this may be the final opportunity granted by the West. We in the West have a massive and unequivocal opportunity to potentially end the stronghold of religious extremism in the Middle East for good, if we act accordingly. As the deliverance of peace, hope and prosperity is juxtaposed with neighboring countries who deliver war, famine and poverty, the people whom reside in the latter nations will become increasingly restless. This will drive the extremists to be bolder and more irrational, giving the West the opportunity to destroy them once and for all, with the blessing of the restless populace. 

[4] Europe 

Europe is a relic, it is a museum of a great history with a promise for the future that falls increasingly flat. Europe has become fat and lethargic from generations of opulence and peace. But there is a resurgence of nationalism spreading, a low burning flame, which needs tinder and careful tending to. This conservatism, religious and patriotic in its underpinning, is the result of frustration and desperation. Globalist elites, untouchable families, and Marxist intellectuals have succeeded in capturing control in what seems to be the infinitely repeating, thematic cycle of history, consolidation followed by bust. We are at a time when bust is on the horizon and the West, once again, has a moral obligation to learn from the mistakes of history, and usher in the bust peacefully this time. Europe cannot afford another French Revolution or World War, the enemies of Europe are too vast and too near, that I'm afraid it would be the opening they've long desired and it would permanently spell the end of Europe as we know it. We must use our economic influence to support regimes like those in Poland, Italy and Hungary and tend to the fire in places like Britain, Spain, and Germany. Perhaps with the proper calculations and the intention of benevolence, we can once again see a Europe reminiscent of 1000 years ago, united in a common vision and morality, against aggressors to the South and East. 

[5] China

China poses a threat to the United States like no other experienced in history. The political authority in China solidified their power through an extremely effective strategy of devouring technological surveillance and economic ingenious. The many communist totalitarian failures of the past failed because they promised capitalism and delivered communism. China promised communism and delivered capitalism. Capitalism allowed for a shocking rise in prosperity, whereby the government can now implement totalitarianism. It's as if the flame of capitalism was allowed to rage and grow in an open room, free to consume the oxygen in abundance. And now that it is well lit, the walls and ceiling of the room are narrowing with great speed. It remains to be seen whether this will smother the flame or if the flame has enough energy to continue to fuel the growth. It may seem positive at first glance, "at least China is not motivated by religious extremism, with divine ordinances to destroy entire populations." But, one might ask, what does China want? What is it they desire and what are their goals? And this is perhaps where it becomes even scarier. Greatness. This is a motivation that is generationally far more successful than any religious imposition ever has been. It was this motivation which fueled Rome, which fueled the Mongols, which fueled centuries of Kings, the global empire of Britain, 19th century America and the USSR. Our best strategy with China is domestic economic success, energy independence, technological superiority, international necessity and irreplaceability. 

[E] Science

[1] Scientific Expansion

There are no means of stepwise function change for an economy or for a people other than through scientific expansion. And therefore, sitting at the precipice of technological Armageddon, there is no other antidote sufficient than scientific progress. Morality can only encourage good behavior, it cannot ensure it. We need an insurance plan and science is that plan. We cannot disarm a harmful AI with the New Testament. We cannot neutralize a nuclear bomb with Enlightenment rationality. And we cannot build colonies on distant moons with the Buddhist Eightfold Path. We need science. But we need the thinkers, developers and purveyors of great progress to be "wise in their generations" as was said of Moses. We need them imbued with the morality of John, the wisdom of Locke, and the clarity of the Shaolin. America desperately and immediately needs to reprioritize her national psychology towards the collective progress of our understanding of reality. This must happen or we will be outdone by nations without such gifts of wisdom, morality and clarity. 

[2] Space Exploration 

There was a piece of our soul that we left on the moon 60 years ago, which decays in our absence with each passing year. We deposited more than a flag on the moons surface, we deposited the collective dream of billions throughout time. And the only way to recapture that dream is by arriving once more to our not-so-distant cosmic neighbor. For a plethora of reasons, ranging from ensuring humanity's future  survival to advancing consciousness, we must return to the stars. Dormant in every human heart is the excitement for exploration, the desire for dominion, the avarice for adventure. A concerted effort to expand into space is a necessary lifeblood that we can inject into a species with increasing hopelessness, nihilism and misaligned values. 

[3] Environmentalism 

One thing is clear among many things which are not: there is a fanatical, quazi religious element to modern environmentalism, one which often reveals an anti-human sentiment rooted in guilt and resentment. Some things which are unclear: how much are humans changing the environment, how much is nature responsible for the change in climate and temperature, what time horizons and what level of change would truly be cataclysmic, and what solutions can we reasonably and feasibly implement both nationally and globally to impact the climate in a meaningful way? As long as the clear assertion exists the unclear questions cannot be properly answered, and therefore the bigger enemy isn't environmentalism, but anti-humanism, the pernicious hydra which has led to mass shootings, declining populations, a devolution of art, music and architecture, and the corrupting, nihilistic hopelessness of millions of souls. We must simultaneously raise the voices of those who propose alternative visions for humanity and the voices of honest scientists who pair convincing problems with concordant solutions that do not harm more than the problems themselves. 

[4] Gain of Function Research

No doubt, we must study viruses. Like any malignancy to humanity, we must ascertain the truth and use the truth to set us free. This is virology. Gain of function research relies on a subtly different presupposition; we must weaponize science in a peaceful way before others weaponize it in a harmful way. In my opinion, gain of function research is the modern equivalent of the Manhattan Project. Let me draw a parallels - Once the discovery was made that atoms could be split (viruses could be modified), nations employed scientists to test the militaristic applications (gain of function research). What was created was the atomic bomb (Covid), a template for destruction. As I spoke about earlier with reference to scientific expansion, only honest science can combat destructive science. Therefore, let us copy the mindset we've adopted with nuclear weapons: only a select few get the formula. Iran cannot have access to a nuclear weapon. In a similar way, China shouldn't have had access to gain of function research or AI, but we were blissfully naïve. Going forward we must exercise far greater diligence. 

[5] Future Cities 

Although it sounds like an oxymoron, many cities are not human friendly. They may be car friendly, industry friendly or downright not friendly whatsoever. The most human friendly cities in the world have a few commonalities - walkability, access to urban nature preserves, high speed transportation, safety, and accessibility. Singapore, Dubai and Tokyo are examples of modern cities, which meet the above criteria. Tokyo, despite being the largest, most populated city in the world, has incredible high speed rail access (locally and nationally), almost zero safety concerns, pristine roads and sidewalks, beautiful parks and greenspaces, and access to groceries, restaurants, entertainment, living, and working, wherever one chooses to reside. In America, we have much work to be done. First and foremost, we must develop alternatives to the crowded highway systems in most major cities. Tunneling, high speed rail, and air passage that is affordable and accessible must be built. Additionally, crime has to be tackled. In 2020, there was more crime in Baltimore than in San Salvador. Homeless must be relocated to shelters. Roads must be repaired. Architecture must be updated. And urban greenspaces must be built and maintained. Imagine a city, with a clean, functioning subway system, with immaculate and peaceful parks, with walkable, trash-less sidewalks, with quiet roads, with no safety concerns, with modern infrastructure, with delightful architecture, and with ways of commuting to the suburbs which are reliable, affordable, and quick. This is the city of the future.