Persistently Stubborn Inflation

It’s tough for Democrat politicians right now. As Ace noted earlier this week, the media now reports matter-of-factly that Democrat-run cities are in crisis because they are “ungovernable,” as is the nation’s transportation system which is tarnishing the rising star of Pete Buttigieg.

With inflation destroying household budgets and causing extreme financial distress, the media has been desperately trying to find a way to report that inflation is easing thanks to the heroics of the Biden administration and the wise eminences at the Federal Reserve. But inflation is not easing, and no matter how many stories the media produces reporting/predicting/hoping that inflation is easing, it’s not.

So there’s a term that is now being widely adopted by the media to try to absolve the politicians who inflicted inflation on us from the blame: “persistently stubborn inflation”

Yes, despite all the wishcasting stories from the media, and despite the wallet-crushing interest rate hikes from the Fed, high inflation remains with us. Persistently. And stubbornly.

By the way, why does anyone think that interest rate hikes alone will cure inflation? Was it low interest rates that caused inflation? Of course not. It was all the trillion-dollar bailouts and “emergency” funding blowouts that injected trillions of (borrowed) dollars into the economy.

Expecting high interest rates to stop inflation while Congress keeps spending trillions of borrowed dollars is like expecting a bilge pump to keep a boat afloat when the bow is under water.

Equity and Honors Courses

These two headlines have been in the news recently.

To Increase Equity, School Districts Eliminate Honors Classes [WSJ – 02/17/2023]

23 Baltimore Schools Have Zero Students Proficient in Math, Per State Test Results

You’ve got to hand it to the Baltimore schools, for they succeeded in creating true equity, with exactly zero students across 23 schools being able do the math expected of their grade level.

As for “Honors Classes” (which I support) it long ago became clear that they are really just classes where there is still an expectation that students will learn the subject, attended by students who actually have a desire to learn the subject. These “honors” kids are separated from those who merely attend school without getting any education. If the honors kids are put back in regular classrooms, all it means is that they will not get an education too.

Public education is in a state of collapse. Efforts to impose “equity” on the last surviving realm where education actually happens in public schools shows just how hostile the left is to traditional K-12 education.

To deny an education to children who can be educated in the historic core curriculum, and who want to be educated, is a human rights violation. The children will suffer, and our country will suffer. It’s time for a radical change in education.

Polite Conservatives and Net Zero

As you all know, I am passionate about battling net zero, green energy, mandatory EVs, and everything else related to our national religion, The Sustainable Organic Church of the Carbon Apocalypse.

I’m especially disturbed by how many polite conservative politicians and pundits just shrug about how leftists are wrong about net zero, yet these alleged conservatives have no real passion in stopping the left’s de-carbonification agenda.

Instead, these conservative “thought leaders” just tend to mention something about “markets” and how if the green mandates can’t work, then they won’t work, because of the magic of supply, demand, markets, scarcity, etc.

Right. But once we’ve destroyed all energy production, food production, transportation, etc, will those who have inflicted this catastrophe on us say, “our bad, let’s put it back like it used to be”?

No. They couldn’t even if they wanted to. As Covid showed us, you can’t just shut down an economy and then fire it back up, and you certainly can’t destroy an economy and then fire it back up.

You know what other economic experiments were doomed to fail? Those of Mao, Pol Pot, and Hugo Chavez. We are heading down that path with net zero. Politely criticizing it is not sufficient.

But most “conservative” pundits would rather focus their attention on a few random back bench Republican politicians who may be a little exotic than actively engage in the battle against net zero, which has wide support among the left, and which will result in massive human suffering.

A Chicken In Every Pot and a Generator Beside Every Garage

Over 25 years of home ownership I’ve had just one neighbor who had a “whole house generator.” No other family or friends had them either. A generator seemed like a luxury on par with international first-class air travel – something reserved for only the very affluent.

That seems to be rapidly changing. It’s not just weather that causes blackouts nowadays, it’s capacity mismanagement as electric utilities pursue the green energy folly, leaving them unable to reliably provide electricity during heat waves and cold snaps. Even in red America, electricity blackouts are now a way of life, and from Texas to Tennessee I know people who are getting standby generators.

I expect that within a decade or so, a generator will be just another common feature of a house. Maybe they’ll even become as common as central air and two-car garages, which were also once luxuries.

Of course, with much of our political class committed to criminalizing petroleum products, generators may not be of much use if we lose the net zero battle and there is no propane or natural gas to power them.

More Razors

A few weeks ago, I had a post about Throckmorton’s Razor and Minuteman’s Corollary. The comments were full of a whole heck of a lot of funny additional razors which deserve to be enjoyed by those who didn’t read the comments.

First off, here is what started it:

Throckmorton’s Razor: “Assume that any authority which has previously provided false data is always acting dishonestly.”

Minuteman’s Corollary: “Discount everything a liar says in his argument, even if it may support your position.”

Here are some of the additional razors y’all came up with or otherwise shared. Joe Mannix’s razor is a legitimate razor that explains a lot about the world we live in.

Mannix's Razor: Never assume that malice and incompetence are mutually exclusive.

Muldoon's Razor: Never trust a man who hears "My Country 'Tis of Thee" and sings "God Save the Queen"

Martini's Razor: Vermouth can be overrated.

Jukin’s Razor: Never attribute to stupidity or incompetence that which is more adequately explained by malice and corruption.

ShainS' Razor: Never attribute to ignorance, stupidity, loyalty, and/or incompetence what can be ascribed to corruption and/or malice ... but mostly malice.

Kitter' Razor: Follow the stink and find a dead mouse.

Gillette's Razor: A customer with five blades can be convinced that seven will be a noticeable improvement.

Bulgaroctonus’ Razor: Regarding cheese and fish, the stinkier it is, the better it tastes.

Zuby's Razor: Anyone with pronouns in their bio is insane and their opinion can be dismissed.

Banister's Razor: There are exponentially diminishing returns on doubling-down on stupid.

And finally, a few days later Ace offered up this helpful razor:

The LeMon Razor:Never ascribe to Don LeMon’s malice what can better be explained by Don Lemon’s incompetence.

Songs of the Season

Daylight Saving Time starts this weekend, and I may be in the minority, but I am not a fan. I envy Arizonans that they won’t be losing an hour sleep this weekend, or having to mess with their clocks and their watches.

Grampa Jones agrees with me: Daylight Saving Time

For years and years folks got along with an old grandfather's clock
Or just a common old sun dial sitting out on a rock
Then the dollar watch it had its day and the wrist watch it was fine
Then along came a man who ruined us all with Daylight Saving Time

I’m a huntin' that man who first thought up Daylight Saving Time
Until he moved the clocks around everything was a goin' fine
But I guess he's hid and won't come out, he knows he was out of line
I get up late, have to wait, can't keep it straight
Who did he hate, I mean the man that first thought up Daylight Saving Time

His followers always argue that they've gained an hour of light
By moving all the clocks around but I can't see they're right
The sun still rises just the same and sets just as before
If they'd rise 60 minutes early, maybe they'd have an hour more

So why not leave the clocks alone so folks won't be confused
Let 'em hit the floor an hour before if it's daylight that they choose
I'm huntin' that man who first thought up Daylight Saving Time
If he will prove why the clocks are moved then I'll admit it's fine
I've twisted my old clock around 'til it ain't worth a dime
I'm countin' sheep, losing sleep, get up late, miss my date
Couldn't get there in a Cadillac 8
Try as they will they'll never gain with Daylight Saving Time

buck.throckmorton at protonmail dot com