Clearing the Tabs 1-25-2019

Some things I've read this week or will be reading over the weekend.

January 19
The Tech Economy’s Untold Story

An open letter to Gillette from Godfrey Elfwick (humor)
‘In order to get through to the majority of men, you need to really talk down to them’

Enjoy this conversation with Matt Lewis and historian H.W. Brands:

January 20
As Kliff Kingsbury Ascends To The NFL, Hal Mumme Must Be Smiling Somewhere

January 22
Beware Academics Aiming to Centrally Plan Your Buying Habits

Urban Renewal
A conservatism that doesn’t work for city dwellers doesn’t really work at all.

January 24
The Secrets of Lyndon Johnson's Archives
Robert Caro is an amazing writer, researcher, and story teller. I was fortunate enough to meet him at the Library of Congress in 2003 when he gave a talk about his then most recent book on LBJ, Master of the Senate. I got a signed copy of the book. The speech was also filmed by C-SPAN and aired on Book TV some time later. Anyway, this piece by Mr. Caro is simply amazing and I could not stop reading. As someone who has done research in the archives of presidential libraries and the Library of Congress, I could absolutely envision what Mr. Caro was describing with the request slips and the obscure folder names and then the luck in finding something magical. Anyway, spend some time with it and let me know what you think.

Tony Romo In The Booth

I was watching Sunday's AFC Championship game between the Patriots and the Chiefs and I followed along briefly on Twitter for a few minutes. I happened to see Tony Romo was trending so I clicked to see what people were saying. Most people were dogging him pretty bad, and most felt that he was rooting for one team and/or against the other team. I was NOT getting that impression. I think Tony Romo gets giddy about football in general. So, in the second half of the game, the Chiefs scored a touchdown on a short screen pass by Pat Mahomes and the receiver (I have forgotten his name) made a nice run along the sideline for a touchdown. Almost immediately, Romo was diagramming the "bottom of the screen" where the play went and he circled on the screen how four guys had been bunched up and allowed the receiver to be open with space to run. I was stunned at how he had seen that so quickly. I went ahead at that point and posted to Twitter what I was thinking, like anyone cared.

I seem to be going against the grain here, but I like @tonyromo in the booth. Dude is seeing stuff right away that no one else sees. #KCvsNE

— Steve “Beto” Parkhurst (@SteveParkhurst) January 21, 2019

By the end of the game, Romo was looking like Nostradamus as he had been proven right in calling places for both teams and he was seeing stuff that frankly, even the Kansas City defense apparently was not seeing. After the game I was happy to see Romo getting some praise. I do not want to assume that the people making the negative comments were on the losing end of the game, I hope people were listening more objectively than that. The praise from Romo seemed to be coming from all quarters. Here is just a sample:

Think about the gamble CBS took on Tony Romo. Remember, when he was first hired, people thought there was a chance he would still go back to play.

To boot Simms and put Tony on the A team took guts, but it’s resulted in the best announce team in the sport.

— Anthony Romano (@ARomanoWDBJ) January 21, 2019

And Tony Romo has firmly taken the mantle of best analyst in football. He was incredible. I love when the analyst tells you what WILL happen.

— Dale Arnold (@DaleEArnold) January 21, 2019

I enjoyed both games Sunday, though the fact that the NFL has a huge officiating problem that they have to fix was on display. Anyway, I enjoyed hearing Tony Romo and right now I think he is the best guy in the booth on any network.

Clearing the Tabs 1-18-2019

Some things I've read this week or will be reading over the weekend.

January 12
House Democrats Threaten Workers and Competitiveness with a Higher Corporate Income Tax Rate

The Democrats Finally Won the Suburbs. Now Will They Destroy Them?
Whatever the thinkers say people should do, what they keep doing given the choice is moving to places where they can live in single-family homes.

Liberty Has a New Champion on the Federal Bench
Don Willett has championed economic freedom and accountability for cops.

January 14
Arthur C. Brooks to join The Washington Post Opinions section as a columnist
Brooks’ first column for The Post will run on Sunday, January 20th

January 15
AEI Political Report: America’s outlook — the economy and the country

January 16
The Ideal Free Trade Agreement

Fed Says Student Debt Has Hurt the U.S. Housing Market
Student loans prevented 400,000 young Americans from buying homes, Fed says in paper covering 2005 to 2014

January 17
‘Modern Monetary Theory’ Is a Joke That’s Not Funny
Yes, a government that issues its own currency can pay its bills. But piling up debt for no urgent reason is lunacy.

Dear Shutdown Alarmists, the Economic Growth Already Happened

January 18
AEI names Robert Doar as new president as conservative movement tries to find its way in Trump era

Arthur Brooks Tweets About His Book, Contempt, and Outrage

Arthur Brooks has a new book coming out in March and I am really looking forward to getting my hands on it. Yesterday, Mr. Brooks tweeted a series of comments about some of what his new book will be about, I would love to discuss this or the book (after its release in March of course) with you at some point, so please consider getting a copy, and you can pre-order now.

Last week I made the argument not to express contempt for people who disagree with us. This was a common response: “They hate people like me, so they deserve contempt.” But by and large, this is based on a key error. 1/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

The Outrage Industrial Complex has convinced us that our ideological compatriots are motivated by love for humanity, but those on the other side are motivated by hatred for you. Social scientists call this “political motive asymmetry.” 2/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

But the data show that this is an inaccurate portrayal of the motivations of most Americans. While there’s a lot of disagreement, only a small minority (and Twitter bots) have genuinely radical views or wish harm upon their ideological foes. 3/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

Furthermore, 93% of Americans believe the country is too divided. Unfortunately, the other 7% are driving the debate, ginning up fear and hatred, and profiting from it. 4/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

When we forget this and treat others with contempt, it turns them into permanent enemies, something social scientists call the “boomerang effect.” This makes things worse. 5/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

Not that we should agree or stay silent when others say things that we disagree with. But how we disagree matters if we hope to be effective at making our case to people who don’t already agree with us (and bystanders watching the debate). 6/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

I give all the evidence of this in LOVE YOUR ENEMIES. My aim is to help a new generation of leaders rebel against the culture of contempt, win the future, and become happier people. You can pre-order your copy here: https://t.co/YbOGYqeQBv 7/7

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 14, 2019

Clearing the Tabs 1-11-2019

Some things I've read this week or will be reading over the weekend.

I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. #SOTU

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2011

January 5
Emmanuel Newsom?

The Adverse Consequences of a 70-Percent Top Tax Rate on Households

January 8
Why 70 Percent Tax Rates Cannot Finance Socialism

Nancy Pelosi: Pay No Attention to Your Fatter Paychecks

San Antonio lands Texas’ first ‘opportunity zone’ investment under Trump tax bill

January 9
The Unworkable 70 Percent Tax

No, Economists Don't Agree a 70 Percent Top Marginal Tax Rate Is a Good Idea
Sorry, Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez and Paul Krugman.

Trump 1, Pelosi-Schumer 0 -- Border wall debate did not turn out well for Dems Tuesday night

January 11
Master Thinker
Adam Smith shaped how we think about markets and society.

Arthur Brooks Previewing Next Book, Love Your Enemies

Arthur Brooks tweeted what looks to be a partial preview if his next book, which will come out in March. Take a look, and consider buying the book.

Today in America, there is an “outrage industrial complex” that profits by setting us against each other. It’s impossible to miss—on TV, Twitter, politics, campus. Most of us hate it, because it’s making us miserable. 1/5

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 6, 2019

One in six Americans have stopped talking to close friends and family members over politics. Millions are organizing their lives to avoid hearing viewpoints differing from their own. Ideological polarization is at higher levels than at any time since the Civil War. 2/5

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 6, 2019

A “culture of contempt” has formed—a habit of seeing people who disagree with us not as merely incorrect or misguided, but as worthless. When someone treats you with contempt, you never quite forget it. It creates a permanent enemy. 3/5

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 6, 2019

Contempt is highly destructive for our relationships and our health. It leads us to believe kindness, good faith debate, and reconciliation are impossible. It is a threat to our freedom and prosperity. 4/5

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 6, 2019

Are you sick of this situation and looking for a way to fight back? I wrote LOVE YOUR ENEMIES to give you the tools to do so. It’s available everywhere March 12. Pre-order now. 5/5 https://t.co/FOSnfkibtU

— Arthur Brooks (@arthurbrooks) January 6, 2019

Order Love Your Enemies by Arthur Brooks today.

Clearing the Tabs 1-4-2019

Some things I've read this week or will be reading over the weekend.

I strongly believe that we should take on, once and for all, the issue of illegal immigration. #SOTU

— Barack Obama (@BarackObama) January 26, 2011

December 29
How to Talk about Public Policy and Why It Matters 

What will come after the era of Trumpism

December 30
A Time for Choosing, Still

January 2
Real Productivity: Getting the Right Things Done

January 3
“I Survived Communism – Are You Ready For Your Turn?”
An important warning for Canada.

January 4
Can High-Speed Rail Make Housing Affordable?