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Comparison of the two covers of Mountain Music by Alabama

Rewriting history, especially to erase the stages of progress, is a dangerous practice.

By Justin Katz | April 18, 2024 |

The featured image of this post compares the original cover of Mountain Music by the band Alabama with the censored version now used for music streaming services.  I should specify that I’m not alleging the band and the companies that manage its music were forced to make the change by a government agency, but censorship it…

A water drop and ripples

Believing the status quo is a baseline from which to progress is common, but wrong.

By Justin Katz | April 18, 2024 |

This flaw of inexperience among the young (and progressives) has become far too pervasive in our society and is particularly notable in Rhode Island.  People seem to think that the current state of affairs has been established and will continue indefinitely, so we can shape it like clay to the future we want to see. …

A water drop and ripples

Does Stephen King understand how representative democracy works.

By Justin Katz | April 17, 2024 |

On the list of people for whom the exposure of social media has been a source of disappointing exposure, novelist Stephen King has got to be near the top. Like his books or not (and, honestly, given the content, I regret the influence that he had on my younger life), authors are generally placed in…

A man in a suit shoots a basketball at a city bus

How should we compare Scott Avedisian’s severance package and Caitlin Clark’s basketball salary?

By Justin Katz | April 17, 2024 |

The short answer is that we shouldn’t, but Bill Bartholomew’s attempt is worth a double-take and some thought about what he’s missing: at nearly 68k, Scott Avedisian’s termination payment is almost as much as the contract that the most exciting player in college basketball, Caitlin Clark, signed after being selected first overall in the WNBA draft…

A water drop and ripples

Corporate tax credits are more progressive than some progressives realize.

By Justin Katz | April 17, 2024 |

The Rhode Island Office of Revenue Analysis releases regular reports summarizing the state’s tax credit programs, and sometimes progressive politicians and journalists get a news story out of them.  What’s disappointing is the paucity of the opposing voices.  According to Katherine Gregg’s Providence Journal article the Rhode Island Business Coalition is fine with ending the program…

A water drop and ripples

If the promise of Woke could be distilled into a facial expression…

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2024 |

I don’t want to read too much into a few seconds of video, but something is chilling about progressive Democrat Representative Brandon Potter’s face as Meara began to speak in favor of Republican Representative Patricia Morgan’s bill to prevent transgender-related mutilation of children: His facial expression is not just of hatred.  It’s cold, as if…

A water drop and ripples

Progressive Democrats want everybody to fit neatly into groups.

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2024 |

That means most of us have to be servants to somebody else.  That’s why a political party that still pretends it’s “for the little guy” is relentlessly targeting “little guys” who work for themselves. This video from John Stossel is worth watching: If you’re independent, you’re difficult to manage. If top-down government can pressure top-down…

A water drop and ripples

The March employment numbers tell an important story.

By Justin Katz | April 16, 2024 |

For those of us who’ve been mystified by economic news, E.J. Antoni’s summary of results from the March employment report is worth a read.  The key confusion is that “the headline numbers once again look good.”  Yet, all the jobs are part time, with Americans replacing their full-time jobs with multiple part-time ones to make…

A water drop and ripples

Are these the consequences of sanctuary state policies?

By Justin Katz | April 15, 2024 |

This seems kind of like an important story, but despite some weeks, I’ve seen nothing on it elsewhere: The problem with our current media situation is that, whether Callahan’s assessment about sanctuary state policies is fair or not, we know for a certainty that we’ll only ever hear that it is not fair from the…

A water drop and ripples

Always see yourself as acting, not reacting.

By Justin Katz | April 15, 2024 |

A point I made yesterday in an essay on Dust in the Light was that we communicate with God in where we choose to direct our attention, and one of the ways in which we make that choice is by how we act.  Taking an action is like moving your position on the landscape; your observations…