Words & Numbers

We’ve all experienced incivility on the Internet. But today’s incivility is more than people being rude to each other online. Political leaders have become less civil toward each other, and political parties have become more extremist. Middle America, meanwhile, is becoming less represented as people on the two political extremes listen less to and scream more at each other. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Dinosaur statue https://www.the-sun.com/news/375426/dad-accidentally-orders-19ft-carnotaur-statue-for-his-dinosaur-mad-son-that-was-dropped-into-garden-by-crane/ Car dealers encourage loan defaults https://www.wsj.com/articles/dealerships-give-car-buyers-some-advice-just-stop-paying-your-loan-11581762601 Foolishness of the week Florida man refuses dialysis https://www.washingtonpost.com/health/2020/02/15/trump-cardboard-cutout-dialysis-treatment/ Topic of the week The hounding of Jordan Peterson https://spectator.us/jordan-peterson-

Many people imagine that, when the government bans something, the banned thing goes away. In fact, what banning does is to remove government protections against violence, theft, and fraud. Justification for banning things that harm no one other than, perhaps, the person who wants those things hinges on inequality - that some of us should have the right to tell others of us how those others should live their own lives. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Technological cure for macular degeneration https://scienceblog.com/513957/first-in-the-u-s-wireless-retinal-device-for-advanced-age-related-macular-degeneration/ Americans go to libraries more than to movies https://www.smithsonianmag.com/smart-news/americans-went-library-more-often-movies-2019-180974091/ Foolishness of the week Trump and Pelosi’s Incivility https://www.washingtonpost.com/opinions/2020/02/05/pelosis-page-ripping-was-fitting-end-impeachment/ Topic of the week United Nations

The Congressional Budget Office is tasked with forecasting the federal budget. Over the past twenty years, the CBO has tended to over-estimate future tax revenues and under-estimate future government spending. The result is that CBO paints an unrealistically rosy picture of the government’s financial future. If we take CBO’s forecasts and compensate for their historically rosy biases, we find that, where the CBO predicts trillion-dollar deficits forever, the likely reality is actually worse. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers  Quick hits Europe votes for standardized phone chargers https://www.vice.com/en_us/article/xgqwbd/europe-just-voted-in-favor-of-making-iphone-and-android-use-the-same-charger Pledge https://www.wgal.com/article/student-sues-lebanon-school-district-over-alleged-punishment-for-refusing-to-stand-for-pledge-of-allegiance/30732086 WV Board of Education v. Barnette https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Virginia_State_Board_of_Education

When most people say, “equality,” they mean income equality. Economists draw a finer distinction between income equality and wealth equality. Political scientists draw an even finer distinction between economic equality and equality under the law. Philosophers distinguish even more finely, looking at equality of opportunity and equality of outcome, and examining how equality itself is one of several elements that comprise justice. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers  Quick hits Half of the world is now middle class https://www.brookings.edu/blog/future-development/2018/09/27/a-global-tipping-point-half-the-world-is-now-middle-class-or-wealthier/ 75th anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/auschwitz-holocaust-muslim-jewish-pray-a9299941.html Foolishness of the week A “just” Connecticut http://www.senatedems.ct.gov/looney-news/3045-looney-200122#sthash.xHba9oNB.n5oMRw3V.dpbs https://www.washingtonti

The rising cost of tuition is merely a symptom of a disease. The disease, which is much more complex, involves misplaced incentives from administrators to faculty to students to parents. Phil Magnus joins Words & Numbers this week to talk about his recent book, Cracks in the Ivory Tower. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Trial by combat https://www.desmoinesregister.com/story/news/crime-and-courts/2020/01/13/iowa-courts-david-ostrom-requests-trial-combat-swords-settle-dispute/4456079002/ The FBI wants access to your phone https://www.nbcnews.com/tech/security/two-iphones-or-privacy-billions-why-apple-vs-fbi-matters-n1118001 Foolishness of the week You may have to answer to police in Kentucky https://www.kentucky.com/news/politics-government/article239389143.html Topic of the week Cracks in the Ivory Tower https://www.amazon.com/Cracks-Ivory-Tower-Higher-Education/dp/0190846283 Review of Cracks in the Ivory Tower https://www.nyjourna

The 18th Amendment was ratified a century ago, beginning the United States’ fourteen-year experiment with prohibition. An Amendment was needed because the Constitution did not give the federal government the power to ban alcohol. Yet, today, the federal government bans recreational drugs and puts medicinal drugs under the control of the FDA. But, the Constitution also doesn’t give the government the power to regulate drugs. Either the 18th Amendment wasn’t necessary a century ago, or federal drug controls are unconstitutional today. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits The optimal GPA https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/study-says-there-is-optimal-failure-for-learning-more-efficiently/ Too many 4.0s https://www.wsj.com/articles/you-graduated-cum-laude-so-did-everyone-else-1530523801 Weed in Atlanta https://thefreethoughtproject.com/apd-disbands-drug-unit-fight-real-crime/ Foolishness of the week Bernie Sanders worked for his money https://www.

“School choice” is much more than parents being able to choose which schools their children will attend. It is also teachers being free to design and teach their own curricula. It is principals being free to promote good teachers and to fire poor teachers. The problems we have with public education in this country have their roots in a lack of choice for all parties involved in the educational process. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Self-interest versus selfish https://simpleflying.com/delta-passengers-life-saved-when-passengers-gave-up-seats-for-liver-transplant/ Water limits in California https://finance.yahoo.com/news/correct-information-california-water-efficiency-222625943.html Foolishness of the week NYC parking meters https://newyork.cbslocal.com/2020/01/02/parking-meters-nyc-credit-cards/ Topic of the week Corey DeAngelis https://reason.org/author/corey-deangelis/ Corey DeAngelis on Twitter https://twitter.com/DeAngelisCorey

It’s the New Year, a time when people like to make resolutions. In this episode, James and Ant look at surveys on what Americans pick for their New Year resolutions, how many fall off their wagons, and the role of resolutions, kept or not, in giving us hope for the future. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits How much do CEOs make relative to workers? https://corpgov.law.harvard.edu/2018/02/12/ceo-tenure-rates/ https://twitter.com/berniesanders/status/1190369125291503621 https://www.bls.gov/ooh/management/top-executives.htm https://www.thebalancecareers.com/average-salary-information-for-us-workers-2060808 https://www.forbes.com/sites/kathryndill/2014/04/03/americas-highest-paid-marketing-executives/#5490bbc68f55 Food from air https://bigthink.com/technology-innovation/protein-from-air?rebelltitem=1#rebelltitem1 Foolishness of the week Nerds, geeks, and hate crime https://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/2019/12/17/nerd-geek-insults-should-classe

People tend to talk about income inequality as if it were necessarily a bad thing. In so doing, they often confuse inequality and poverty and, in the process, run the risk of justifying what is really envy. This week, James and Ant discuss the fact that poverty is a bad thing, whether inequality could be a bad thing, and that politicians use voters’ envy to expand the government’s power. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits HELPER https://www.marketwatch.com/story/rand-paul-to-offer-bill-allowing-families-to-use-retirement-savings-for-student-loans-2019-12-04 How much Americans have in 401k plans, by age https://www.cnbc.com/2019/05/23/how-much-money-americans-have-in-their-401ks-at-every-age.html 401k returns https://money.usnews.com/money/retirement/401ks/articles/what-is-the-average-401-k-return Student loan interest rates https://www.nerdwallet.com/blog/loans/student-loans/student-loan-interest-rates/ Bernie’s now a millionaire https

A year ago, FCC repealed net neutrality - the law that required internet service providers to treat all data passing through their servers the same. Proponents of net neutrality said that the repeal would yield higher prices and worse service. In this week's episode James and Ant ask what actually happened. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Billion dollar property tax error https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html Jeff Bezos’ Blue Origin https://www.blueorigin.com/ Richard Branson’s first space passenger https://www.cnbc.com/2019/02/22/richard-bransons-virgin-galactic-sends-first-test-passenger-on-spaceflight.html Amazon’s satellite constellation https://www.geekwire.com/2019/amazons-project-kuiper-oneweb-raise-curtain-higher-satellite-plans/ Foolishness of the week UK to require that food labelling tell consumers how much exercise they must do to burn off calories https://www.bbc.com/news/health-5071165

Large countries, like the United States, span multiple time zones and have multiple climates. They also have multiple economies, each with different price levels. Prices in New York City are very different from prices in Boise Idaho - typically higher. But wages in New York City are higher also, but then so too are taxes, and so too is the likelihood of being employed. In this episode, James and Ant talk about differences in the costs of living across US cities. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits UPS drug runners https://www.nytimes.com/2019/11/27/business/ups-drugs-tucson-arizona.html Average person can tolerate family members for four hours https://www.studyfinds.org/breaking-point-average-person-cant-last-four-hours-with-their-family-over-the-holidays/ Foolishness of the week Washington College cancels anti-rascist play https://reason.com/2019/12/03/washington-college-the-foreigner-censorship-students-kkk-racism/ Regional price parity

One of the few enumerated powers that the Founders granted to the federal government was the power to issue patents. Patents are a compromise between two conflicting goals. On the one hand, we want to avoid the creation of government-protected monopolies because monopolies stifle innovation. On the other, we want entrepreneurs to have an incentive to innovate. And one way to incentivize entrepreneurs is to grant monopoly protection for their inventions. Patent law is an attempt to balance these two conflicting goals, but the balance presents trade offs. Weaker patent laws mean cheaper goods today but a lesser variety of goods tomorrow; stronger patent laws mean more expensive goods today but a greater variety of goods tomorrow. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon: https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Why did the South Bronx burn? https://www.latinousa.org/2019/02/06/decadeoffire/ A history of NYC rent control https://www.crainsnewyork.com/article/20100610/BLOGS01/306109998/a-hi

Sometimes, the things we take for granted are the things we should be most thankful for. Football games on your television, climate control in your automobiles, and fully-stocked neighborhood grocery stores are among the many things we may not think about until they aren’t there. What do the data indicate about our modern standard of living? Who is responsible for the advancements in medicine and technology that have improved so many lives? Which historical scourges are functionally nonexistent today? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan in giving thanks to the many improvements in life on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Government grocery store https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2019/11/22/baldwin-florida-food-desert-city-owned-grocery-store/ Conservatism stresses students https://www.thecollegefix.com/intellectual-conservatism-group-denied-may-cause-stress-to-the-student-body/ Foolishne

James and Antony record before a live audience at Truman State University, asking the question, “Is Capitalism moral?” Their answer wends its way through the definition of morality, whether morality requires a religious basis, whether markets beget or reflect morality, whether self-interest is immoral or a motivator that can be harnessed to encourage people to want to help each other. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Chicago library drops fines https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/chicago-first-to-ditch-overdue-library-fees/ Ohio allows wrong answers https://www.newsweek.com/ohio-student-religious-liberties-act-1472008 Foolishness of the week Billionaires’ tears https://shop.elizabethwarren.com/products/billionaire-tears-mug Topic of the week: The morality of capitalism Paul Ryan’s Catholicism and the poor https://www.wsj.com/articles/SB10000872396390444375104577592892933747400 Ethics and the economy https://www.jstor.org/stable/20753439?s

The US health care system is rife with many variables affecting the prices of and access to medical care. iHealth is a health care provider that does not take health insurance and is transparent about its prices. Is there a regulatory framework that allows for such a business to be successful? Would this model work for the rest of the country? What barriers are in place that prevent other physicians from doing business like iHealth? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and their special guest Dr. Timothy Wong, the founder of iHealth, as they parse out the complexities behind the economics and politics of the health care industry.  Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Texas voters ban the state income tax https://www.dallasnews.com/news/politics/2019/11/06/early-texas-voters-leaning-toward-supporting-ban-on-state-income-tax/ State-Local Tax Burden Rankings FY 2012 https://taxfoundation.org/publications/state-local-tax-burden-rankings/ 9 States

Using a historical definition of the term, socialism designated a political system where the government owns the means of production. However, for many people, the word has evolved into something different. Do today’s young people believe in government ownership of property or redistribution of positive results? What has changed the traditional sense of socialism? Has the Supreme Court weighed in on any social programs? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they ponder these questions and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers.  Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Enzymes eat plastic https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/factory-uses-enzymes-to-recycle-all-plastics-at-once-backed-by-major-companies/ Anti-inflamatory drugs and depression https://www.healio.com/primary-care/psychiatry/news/online/%7B649c6090-c2d2-4b42-800d-9f63fabf862c%7D/anti-inflammatory-drugs-improve-depression Foolishness of the week Senate rejects Rand Paul’s p

Many attention-grabbing headlines talk about laws restricting speech. It seems some legislators don’t know the constitutionality of these proposed laws. What are the ramifications of passing laws such as these? Are these laws justified under some legal doctrines? What’s the rationale behind these propositions? Join Antony Davies and James Harrigan as they dig into these proposed laws and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits California blackouts https://www.cnbc.com/2019/10/23/pge-rebuked-over-imposing-blackouts-in-california-to-reduce-fire-risk.html https://www.nytimes.com/2019/09/29/business/california-fire-insurance.html Portland is surprised that a retail tax causes retail prices to rise https://www.americanexperiment.org/2019/10/portland-voters-put-a-1-tax-on-large-retailers-complain-when-retailers-pass-it-on-to-them/ Foolishness of the week Woke math https://reason.com/2019/10/22/sea

  It’s debate season, and speculation about who will be the next president has already begun. Looming over the current president are constant calls for impeachment and reports on alleged wrongdoings which may diminish his chances for reelection. So, who are the best candidates and their running mates? Is impeachment a criminal or a political procedure? What kind of candidate are many Americans looking for? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they offer their assessment of the next presidential election and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Quick hits: Difference between a signatory and a party http://www.insidejustice.com/intl/2010/03/17/signatory_party_treaty/ Major cities that have peaked their carbon emissions https://www.c40.org/press_releases/30-of-the-world-s-largest-most-influential-cities-have-peaked-greenhouse-gas-emissions Mad Dog Mattis and the Debt https://www.politics-prose.com/video/call-sign-chaos-jim-mattis Foolishness of the week: San Francisco's Office of Emerging Te

Sean Malone, the creator of the Out of Frame video series and Director of Media at FEE, gives us his unique perspective on the film Joker. Do art and cinema have the power to hold a mirror up to society? Is that what makes people uncomfortable about Joker and movies like it? How do other cultures respond to graphic novels and films about superheroes? Join James Harrigan, Antony Davies, and special guest Sean Malone as they avoid spoilers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Quick hits Pikes Peak Library  District https://ppld.org/ Shepard Smith leaving Fox https://www.mediaite.com/tv/breaking-shepard-smith-leaving-fox-news/ Foolishness of the week White House sends talking points to Democrats https://thehill.com/homenews/house/465457-white-house-accidentally-sends-ukraine-talking-points-to-democrats-again Topic of the week: Joker Sean Malone https://fee.org/people/sean-malone/ Out of Frame https://fee.org/shows/video/out-of-frame/ The Joker, Nihilism, and One Iranian Boy https://youtu.be

This year, October 3, 2019, is Deficit Day, the day the federal government’s income runs out. For a long time, the government has been spending more money than it collects in taxes. What effect will this have on the average American citizen? How much does the government pay in loan interest alone? Hasn’t the federal government had surpluses? Join James Harrigan and Antony Davies as they crunch the numbers and more on this week’s episode of Words & Numbers. Show your support for Words & Numbers at Patreon https://www.patreon.com/wordsandnumbers Quick hits Gang leaders https://www.goodnewsnetwork.org/former-bloods-and-crips-leaders-make-peace-to-stop-gang-violence/ Hate symbols https://www.cnn.com/2019/09/26/us/adl-new-hate-symbols/index.html?fbclid=IwAR1-5FFWB_7gYooaWLZgmyXo9w9DgeN9IrAc_yLxchsjqReEIwoOzzqcvRA Foolishness of the week Stock markets and impeachment https://www.cnbc.com/2019/09/26/trump-warns-again-that-the-stock-market-would-crash-if-he-is-impeached.html Topic of the week: Deficit Day