Stop sending arms to Israel. Send arms to Ukraine with no restrictions beyond the Geneva conventions so they win the war this summer. The truth is that Joe Biden is one of only two American presidents who lost a war; the other is Gerald Ford, who lost Vietnam. Biden’s approval rating plummeted after we abandoned …
Author Archives: stidmatt
Ukraine is not Israel
It’s 1938 Czechoslovakia. Here’s why. UN status Russia and Ukraine are both UN member states. Israel is a UN member state, but Palestine is not. Civilian deaths Over 30,000 civilians have been killed in the ongoing war in Gaza, almost all by Israel. Around 10,000 civilians have been killed in Ukraine, basically only by Russia. …
A plan for rail to Ashland, Oregon
This is an interesting conversation I had with a friend over text. Published here with permission because we think it will be of interest to people who live in or travel to Southwest Oregon. “Ashland, Oregon to Montague, California not being operated due to pricing actions. There is a general concern among some shippers that …
Southern Oregon AMTRAK
Stages to bring AMTRAK to Ashland, Oregon Step 1: Oregon purchases the tracks owned by the Central Oregon and Pacific Railroad. Step 2: Oregon upgrades the line for 60 MPH. This increases freight capacity and makes passenger rail viable. Step 3: Start running service. Potential riders: Josephine, Jackson, and Douglas counties have 400,000 people total, …
Biden does not understand Europe at all
Could we just have a coherent presidential candidate, I mean, an Atlanticist pro-democracy liberal who supports trade, visa-free travel, and mutual protection pacts between democracies should be the bare minimum, but at this point, I would kill for a President who can just form a coherent sentence. NEITHER candidate meets that very low bar. Biden …
Supply Side vs Demand Side is Lazy
There is a popular idea in popular economics discussions that the left wing is on the demand side and for the working class, and the right wing is on the supply side and for the bourgeoisie. This could not be farther from the truth. Housing costs In the case of zoning, zoning is a supply-side …
Senate projections
Current situation Joe Manchin and Karen Sinema are de facto Republicans and must be treated as such. Likewise, Bernie Sanders and Angus King are de facto Democrats and must be treated as such. De facto 51 Republicans and 49 Democrats in the Senate today. Democrats win 2024 If Democrats win in 2024, we won’t lose …
Deadliest conflicts in history
I have a spreadsheet of 100 wars and conflicts from history, stretching from 475 BC to the present. Wars before then tend to have poor data. All major wars are on the spreadsheet, which can be viewed on Google Drive. A few interesting things about this sheet are how I approach the data. I include …
Overview of UN resolutions regarding Ukraine and Palestine
There have been three resolutions in the UN over the last year regarding the invasion of Gaza and six regarding Ukraine over the last two years. The following countries have voted in favor of Likud at least once in the last three resolutions: Argentina Austria (x2) Croatia Czechia (x3) Fiji Guatemala (x2) Hungary (x2) Israel …
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Fire Jake Sullivan
It is long past time to fire Jake Sullivan. He should have lost his job after the fall of Kabul. He assured the American government and people that the Afghan government would be able to withstand the Saudi pressure, and he was completely wrong. I have been fired for far less. He should have lost …