No one cares about sovereignty when they’re winning

As a dual citizen who believes in open borders, free trade and the need for a global constitutional republic to deal with an increasing number of issues that require an international response, I admit that sovereignty is a complicated issue. However, I certainly feel that people have the right to elect their own government representatives…

Fake news is likely to get much worse before it gets better

Since ‘fake news’ became a serious issue during and after the 2016 US presidential elections, a variety of measures have been taken to try and counter it. Sites like Google and Facebook are attempting to flag stories that are incorrect or in dispute. A variety of tools have been created by journalists to help people…

Universal Basic Income isn’t just a solution for the future, it’s a solution for now

Much has been written in the last few years about Universal Basic Income (UBI) as a solution to the coming wave of job automation. It has come to be seen by many as the only way to provide economic security in an age when job displacement is high and frequent. However, there is no good…

Basic economics in less than 20 minutes (3 videos)

My friend Tessa Sproule at Vubblepop sends out a daily email with a curated collection of videos she has found online. Yesterday’s was particularly good with three video explainers that focused on basic economics; specifically the videos (two from the Rest of Us and one from Kurzgesagt – In a Nutshell) focus on money (what…

James Comey and the GOP establishment may be the winners of the 2016 election

Embed from Getty Images No one but James Comey knows what his future plans or ambitions are. However, whatever they may be, the Republican establishment will be sure to help the former FBI Director to achieve them. If the memo reported by the New York Times leads to the downfall of President Donald Trump, Comey…

America, as we know it, cannot survive without an independent investigation of Trump and Russia

People frequently say that, at certain times, politicians must choose country over party. Sometimes it is true and sometimes it’s just hyperbole. However, if there has ever been a time when it was true, then the Trump – Russia scandal is it. It has the potential to weigh as heavily on the American consciousness as…

Notes and fact checks on the Republican health care bill

The Republican controlled House of Representatives has been promising for years to repeal and replace Obamacare and they have finally passed a bill – one that will probably never become law but that they will may pay a heavy price for in 2018 according to the Cook Political Report. To get a better idea of…

How climate change may impact human behavior

The climate is warming and a great deal of attention has been paid to how this may impact weather patters, storm systems, sea levels and biodiversity. However, how humans themselves react to warmer temperatures has received little attention. We know, for example, that people are less productive and more prone to stress and anger when…

New report looks at which US cities and regions will be hit hardest by automation

By 2037, 65 percent of jobs in Las Vegas, Nevada may be automated. That is the conclusion of a report by the Institute for Spacial Economic Analisis (ISEA) which looked at the jobs likely to be automated and how that would impact specific cities and regions in the US. Las Vegas topped the list at…

Hitiachi’s customer service robot may lose its job to new technology

Hitachi’s Emiew customer service robot was previewed by the BBC today but the robot may need to take on additional functionality to be useful or worth the cost to businesses. Emiew is intended to take on basic customer service duties in places like museums, malls and airports such as helping lost customers and answering basic questions.…