Source A couple days ago, the NYTimes published an op-ed proclaiming “The Truth about NYC’s Elite High Schools”. The truth, according to them, is the following: NYC’s elite high schools are a bastion of bias and discrimination. In order to remedy this, they need to abandon their current test-based entrance system, in favor of one that … Continue reading The Real Truth about NYC’s Elite High Schools
Author: RP
Forget Basic Income – we need Guaranteed Employment
Source I’ve long been a champion of Basic Income. As we head towards an uncertain future where automation and offshoring becomes the norm, we need more safeguards to protect the most vulnerable members in our society. Instead of paternalistic welfare programs, full of bureaucracy and central planning, the idea of putting money directly in the … Continue reading Forget Basic Income – we need Guaranteed Employment
Too Big To Fail: A Call for States’ Rights
Source In the wake of the 2008 crisis came the realization that our financial system is teetering on the brink, at the mercy of banks that are too big to fail. A lesson that’s hardly surprising to Software engineers who have known for decades that "God Objects", entities that are far too widely encompassing, produce … Continue reading Too Big To Fail: A Call for States’ Rights
Dangerous Ideas
Source In communist China, those deemed to be promoting dangerous Capitalist ideas were subjected to severe crackdown under the Cultural Revolution. In Catholic 16th century Europe, those who promoted radical ideas that undermined mainstream Judeo-Christian beliefs, were locked up as heretics. In America during the Red Scare, those suspected of endorsing Socialist ideas were subjected … Continue reading Dangerous Ideas
Columbus the Clown
Source "For millennia, people thought that the Earth was flat, like a coin. That if you sailed too far to the east or west, you would simply fall off the side of the earth, into the void. Into this age of ignorance strode Christopher Columbus, boldly proclaiming his visionary insight of a spherical earth. One … Continue reading Columbus the Clown
A Fix for Political Corruption
Source Senators and Congressmen are forced to spend hours every day, making phone calls to the rich, listening intently to all their problems, promising them actions, and eventually, begging them for money. Presidential hopefuls, the leaders of their party and charismatic figureheads with supporters numbering in the millions, travel halfway around the country in order … Continue reading A Fix for Political Corruption
Why I’m Never Buying HTC Again
Source I'm not a tech blogger, much less an activist. I usually never write reviews about tech gizmos. I just buy devices that I think will be useful, and if my expectations aren't met, I just quietly move on to some other product. But after the experience that I've had with HTC over the past … Continue reading Why I’m Never Buying HTC Again
We Need Cruel and Unusual Punishment
Source Imagine yourself shipwrecked on a desert island, with thousands of other people. You're forced to build a society from scratch, and as part of that, you need to figure out how to design a criminal justice system. What are some goals of this system that you may have? Prevention: The system should prevent criminals from … Continue reading We Need Cruel and Unusual Punishment
The Two Faces of the GOP
Source As a lifelong democrat, I've never considered voting for the Republicans. Even when there were certain ideals that I could agree with them on - welfare reform, reduced regulation and free trade - I could still not even imagine aligning myself with the conservative movement. Beyond individual policy prescriptions, the deeper spirit and character … Continue reading The Two Faces of the GOP
Buy Low, Sell High: The Worst Financial Advice of All Time
Source As someone who’s given a number of talks on personal finance, and managing your investments, there’s one piece of advice that I keep hearing from people over and over again. “Buy low, sell high”, they usually whisper to me in a sagely tone, as though they have discovered some profound truth that will unlock … Continue reading Buy Low, Sell High: The Worst Financial Advice of All Time
