neonvincent

Time to resume my series of saved comments. Tomorrow, I'm going to post some saved links.

My comment on Good Little Maoists

When I read the title, I was hoping for a comment on China ending its one-child policy. You've written that nothing will be done about population, especially in the U.S. In China, just as "peak everything" has hit, the Chinese have decided that the economy was more important and that they should do less about population than before. That reminds me of Republicans on climate change and energy at the debates. They won't do anything about those problems that they think hurts the economy, either.

My comment on Retrotopia: Inflows and Outputs

Hey! I recognize the fuel source for the generators--power from poop and pee, too! My brain fart (pun intended) may not have been the most outlandish energy idea, but it was good enough that you incorporated it in your sustainable future. Also, I recognize the renaissance in canals from something I mentioned in passing in Great Lakes cities and their roles in the regional economy. It turned out that freight traffic on the Erie Canal is already making a comeback. I'm flattered. Thank you!

Very little of the above is making a splash in the news right now. Instead, news organizations were more interested in measuring resiliency by determining how well major U.S. cities would survive the Zombie Apocalypse--really!

Greer: Pinku-sensei, the poop-power was partly inspired by your entry to the contest, but canals already played a part in Star's Reach -- it probably doesn't hurt that the town where I live these days used to be a major canal port.

My comment on The Leviathan.

I was surprised, too. However, our host did cross the idea's path when he mentioned that the least job growth occurred among men of prime working age. The stress of unemployment and underemployment is one of the causes often blamed for the increase in mortality among middle-aged working-class Whites in the U.S., but not elsewhere.

I was also surprised to read that he agrees with Paul Krugman, who also thinks that the Fed raising the overnight funds rate is a bad idea, although Krugman doesn't seem to think that the circumstances are quite that dire. Ah, well, one can reach the same conclusion from different starting points using different paths.

Our host also referenced the question, "who should I vote for?" In Michigan, the answer right now seems to be Ben Carson. The latest poll shows Carson leading Clinton and Sanders in Michigan while Trump loses to both. The poll before that showed Carson leading Trump as well. All of this despite Carson believing in a reason for the the construction of the Pyramids right out of Andrew Lloyd Webber. Let's see how long the good doctor's lead lasts in the light of media scrutiny.

My comment on There are no safe spaces.

I don't agree with Kunstler about Trump, either, but for different reasons. Here's the relevant passage.

"The cowardice in the college executive suites is mirrored in our national politics, where no persons of real standing will dare step forward to oppose the juggernaut of Hillery-the-Grifter, or take on the clowning Donald Trump on the grounds of his sheer mental unfittedness to lead a government."

There are plenty of people with stature in the Republican Party trying to dislodge Trump and Carson from the top two spots. Off the top of my head, I count four current senators, three current governors, a former senator, and four former governors, along with a former CEO of a Fortune 500 corporation, all trying to beat that "immigrant-bashing carnival barker" and his competitor Doctor Pyramid. They're just not succeeding at it. Right now, the smart money is on Rubio, as PredictWise's aggregate of betting markets gives him a 47% chance of winning the nomination. Trump may be in second, but he's well behind at 19%. Then comes Cruz at 13% and Bush at 10%. The rest of the field, including Carson, is in single digits. Let's see if the people putting their money where their mouths are end up being right or losing their shirts.

On the the other hand, he's right about what's happening on the Democratic side, as FiveThirtyEight announced last week that Hillary Clinton Is The Most Establishment-Approved Candidate On Record. She has more "endorsement points" than any presidential candidate since 1980. That's on top of the Associated Press reporting that she already has the support of a majority of Democratic superdelegates, which means that all the Democratic governors, senators, representatives, and party chairs are planning on nominating her. Since superdelegates constitute 15% of all delegates, that means that Clinton already has 15% of the delegates she needs to be nominated before a single primary or caucus (trust me, the math works out). Opposition to Clinton will have to come from the Republicans; she has the Democratic Party locked up.

As for our host's main topic, I'm with the French soccer fans singing their defiance in the face of terror. Anyone else for a chorus of "La Marseillaise"? It would be more useful than dreaming about sending James Bond after the Sith Jihad of the Islamic State. After all, 007 is fictional and it's Al Qaeda that's the equivalent of SPECTRE, not ISIS.