1. Permanent solutions to short term problems will create new problems.
  2. Reality is not optional
  3. Our political differences usually hinge on the different meanings we assign to words.
  4. Crony capitalism is defined by political solutions to economic problems. Cronyism is enabled by the principle of focused benefits and dispersed costs; strong motivation for rent seeking and weak motivation to block it.
  5. Productive activity benefits the whole society as well as the individuals engaged. Rent seeking behavior enriches the privileged few but decreases the wealth of society,
  6.  “The first lesson of economics is scarcity: There is never enough of anything to satisfy all those who want it. The first lesson of politics is to disregard the first lesson of economics.”  Thomas Sowell
  7. Good government is a reflection on human nature (Federalist #51) and can only overcome human nature with oppressive force. A government that recognizes and accepts human nature will be much less oppressive than a government that seeks to correct or overcome human flaws.
  8. It is the nature of government to promise benefits without paying for them, hiding the cost in a maze of regulations, mandates and proxies.
  9. Entitlements grow by expanding benefits multiplied by expanding eligibility.  This why they dramatically exceed projections and why they are so difficult to reverse.
  10. Progress emanates from the work of a very few, unpredictably and contrary to conventional wisdom. The protection of freedom and individual rights for these few benefits us all more than the rights accruing only to the majority.
  11. The perfect is the enemy of the good. There are no solutions, “only trade-offs that still leave many desires unfulfilled and much unhappiness in the world. What is needed is a prudent sense of how to make the best trade-offs from the limited options available and a realization that ‘unmet needs’ will necessarily remain.” Sowell.
  12. Being tone deaf and contemptuous are the two most unforgivable sins in politics.
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