Blog
“How Minds Change” by David McRaney
The author, with a degree in psychology and journalism, wrote previous books, had a podcast and generally made a living telling people there was no point in trying to change people’s minds. In particular, facts don’t change people’s minds. He presents what changed his mind as a story, trying to solve a mystery, starting when he learned of a group that had demonstrated success in changing people’s minds. Here are some takeaways from this book. As social primates, we value being good members of our groups much more than being right. Brain...
read moreFixing Broken America
An engineer’s perspective To understand the problems with our government, it is helpful to examine some common sense solutions to our problems and why government doesn’t implement them. While there are other solutions, the point is that Congress should do something, and isn’t doing much of anything. Infrastructure. This should be easy. Both Democrats and Republicans are in favor of infrastructure spending. The Problem. The American Society of Civil Engineers gives US infrastructure a D+. Infrastructure investment adds $3 to GDP growth for...
read moreGuide to 2020 California Ballot Propositions
14. NO. $5.5 billion for stem cell research. The original Prop. 71 was designed to kick-start the research at a time when federal funding was blocked, & to establish California as a major player in a promising field. Obama removed the federal restrictions in 2009. It’s time for California’s stem-cell agency to continue as a self-sustaining non-profit or close down and allow federal grants and private business to push the industry forward. The SF Chronicle, LA Times recommend no.15. YES!!! Reverses Prop. 13 tax break for corporations –...
read moreReview of Why We’re Polarized by Ezra Klein
This is a great book – in particular the first 4 chapters explaining polarization. Klein cites numerous psychological studies on group behavior which are very enlightening. He describes many fascinating psychological studies on group behavior that explain why we support a party against our best interests, and how we argue differently to get a result we identify with. He believes polarization won’t end and suggests work-arounds including Ranked Choice Voting, being mindful of how articles appeal to our identity, instead of reason, and how we...
read moreDivided and Conquered
Attached is a free PDF of my pamphlet, “Divided and Conquered.” If you prefer other formats, it is available on Amazon.com in Kindle and paperback, and will soon be available as an audiobook on Audible.com, Amazon.com, and iTunes. Divided and Conquered shows how our election system, mostly as an unintended consequence, divides us and Congress, leading to gridlock (the people agree on more things than their representatives in Congress). Politicians are incentivized to stir up divisions to get re-elected, not to solve problems. There are...
read moreThe Supreme Court just punted on Gerrymandering – Now what?
If you don’t like the hyper-partisan and gridlocked U.S. government, I’ve got your villain – Gerrymandering. No matter what substantive issue you want government to deal with, Gerrymandering must be fixed first to unlock the gridlock. Gerrymandering is a problem that has been festering for centuries, but now a voracious, antibiotic-resistant strain has emerged. Here’s the scoop: The word “Gerrymander” comes from Massachusetts governor Elbridge Gerry signing a bill in 1812 that redrew the districts in the Boston area in the shape of a...
read moreAdopt Ranked Choice Voting in California
No matter what issue you want the government to address, we need to fix the system first to be responsive to the people, not special interests and lobbyists. Here is a first step. In 2016, Trump won the early primaries with about 35% of the vote because the anti-Trump vote was split between a large field of candidates. We are in danger of the same thing happening to the Democrats in 2020, with a candidate most Democrats don’t want. See: Commondreams There is a voting system that will prevent this. Any state can adopt it – it’s used in other...
read more“Zucked,” by Roger McNamee
Although somewhat repetitive, and with Roger tooting his own horn, this is a fascinating story of the rise of Facebook and the unintended consequences of its business model. As Roger points out, the business model is providing a free service supported by ads, rather than a subscription model (used by other internet companies as well). The ads are lucrative because Facebook tracks everything you do, and figures out which ads would appeal to you, providing customized targeting not possible in broadcast TV. The Facebook Newsfeed started in 2005....
read moreS.O.S. for the U.S.
Politics is partisan and gridlocked because of the system. There are grassroots efforts having success at fixing it. They need your help. Republicans and Democrats have been in gridlock, fighting each other for decades, using problems as talking points rather than something to be fixed. 3rd party presidential candidate Ross Perot railed against the $4 trillion deficit in 1992. It’s now $20 trillion. While they fight each other, the deficit is out of control, the heartland is out of work, income inequality has soared, education has...
read moreYou’re the boss –Fix the U.S. Government!
Truman was wrong – his “The buck stop here” sign doesn’t belong on the President’s desk, it belongs with the people. You say the system is rigged, and your subordinates (the President & Congress) aren’t following your orders? Well, do a re-org. If you think your vote doesn’t count, that isn’t where real power lies. Until campaign finance is reformed with a new Supreme Court or Constitutional amendment, money rules. People should pool their money to change government. This is not hard. There are many groups fighting the fight, slogging it...
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