Max T @maxt@schelling.pt
Linux/UNIX die hard and free software enthusiast. Amateur technical writer. Fascinated with cryptography. Avowed observer of pirate politics.
New legislative turd dropped: https://congress.gov/bill/117-congress/senate-bill/3880
This bill grants Hollywood the power to promulgate "filtering measures" to be approved by their captured stooge who runs the US copyright office. If you care about freedom of expression, write letters to your Congress critters demanding they vote no on yet another draconian measure.
Broke: millions of new EVs
Woke: Dense cities (more walking + biking), algae biofuels (especially for aviation), hydrogen fuel cells, and nuclear
The bipartisan boondoggle known as the EARN IT Act passed the Judiciary committee today. It's goal is simple: criminalize encryption. This would pose an unprecedented threat to the liberal freedoms we hold dear. Here's a list of the bill's cosponsors:
https://www.congress.gov/bill/117th-congress/senate-bill/3538/cosponsors
Vote out every single one of these creepy wannabe authoritarians.
Regarding the latest cancelled people and their subsequent responses, I think if anyone makes a genuine misstep while in an environment that refuses to allow anyone to gracefully rectify their mistakes, the only way to apologize is on account of violating their precepts as an integral part of becoming the best version of themselves. Apologizing not out of a sense of compunction and moral betterment, but to placate an angry rabble doesn't do anyone favors; you owe it to yourself only.
I learned today that a Tennessee school board banned Maus. I read it in 7th grade and by no definition was an obscenity. Another school board, also in Tennessee, banned Walk Two Moons. These are among hundreds of similar bans. I oppose critical race theory as an ideological framework. I also oppose charlatans censoring books on the auspices of legislation ostensibly banning CRT. Anti-CRT activists need to condemn this illiberal crap now, or admit they're just as pernicious as CRT proponents.
https://www.nber.org/papers/w29669
This particular statement stands out: "PPP’s breakneck scale-up, its high cost per job saved, and its regressive incidence have a common origin: PPP was essentially untargeted because the United States lacked the administrative infrastructure to do otherwise."
Caring about fiscal responsibility means supporting the state capacity necessary to ensure that public programs are effective and working as intended.
Found this compelling Qubes alternative today
One reason I'm a moderate fiscal hawk: refinancing our current 29 trillion USD federal debt at an interest rate 5% higher than we have now would require the federal government to come up with an additional 1.45 trillion USD annually just to cover the extra debt service. This is slightly over double the entire DoD budget for FY 2021.
The US needs to condemn this kind of behavior, full stop. Time for Congress to pass a bill embargoing any product whose supply chain relies on forced labor and sanction companies who collude with hostile regimes to strengthen their power.
BBB was doomed with the approach Dems took. With their bare majority, they'd have been better off narrowing their focus to three strong items:
1. 3.6k/yr fully refundable CTC paid for by consolidating the current non-refundable CTC + dependent care credits, dependent care flex accounts, 529 accounts, head of household filing status, and SALT
2. ACA improvements modeled after the best provisions in the Fair Care Act and H.R.1884 (2019)
3. Carbon Fee + Dividend
https://twitter.com/business/status/1471542626230886409?s=20
Dean Baker is highly underrated because he was warning folks about medical innovation and patent monopolies BEFORE the pandemic. Instead, we've allowed Bill Gates to completely undermine CTAP, unnecessarily prolonging the pandemic and costing the world economy trillions
https://cepr.net/yes-folks-omicron-can-be-blamed-on-patent-monopolies/
The centrist take on private
property is taxing imputed rent at 100% and implementing Harberger taxation wherever it's viable and beneficial
The new misled bipartisan consensus is here to stay. If any of this was about China or working conditions, we'd be sanctioning goods coming from supply chains using forced labor while shifting to other trade partners.
https://taxfoundation.org/trump-biden-tariffs-manufacturing/
I think this thread misses the mark for the most part. Speaking from my own experience, nerdy types benefit from experiencing events that engender humility. I'm unconvinced bullying does that even a majority of the time (often because it's not particularly constructive), but I totally agree that we must structure social institutions such that nerdy types can be humbled thoroughly in a way that preserves healthy self-confidence.
These are some of the steps other counties across America should be learning from
https://www.governing.com/now/how-one-county-convinced-nearly-all-its-residents-to-get-vaccinated
Trying this out for a friend's mattermost instance. I never liked browser-based clients very much.
Linux/UNIX die hard and free software enthusiast. Amateur technical writer. Fascinated with cryptography. Avowed observer of pirate politics.
