- Permanent solutions to short term problems will create new problems.
- Reality is not optional
- Our political differences usually hinge on the different meanings we assign to words.
- 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.
- 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,
- “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
- 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.
- It is the nature of government to promise benefits without paying for them, hiding the cost in a maze of regulations, mandates and proxies.
- Entitlements grow by expanding benefits multiplied by expanding eligibility. This why they dramatically exceed projections and why they are so difficult to reverse.
- 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.
- 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.
- Being tone deaf and contemptuous are the two most unforgivable sins in politics.
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