Political scientists sometimes talk about a ‘horseshoe theory’ in politics. Per this theory, rather than a straight left-right spectrum, ideological extremes sometimes bend toward each other like the two ends of a horseshoe. A current example to consider: Senators Bernie Moreno (R- Ohio and Elizabeth Warren (D- Mass) recently wrote a joint op-ed in the […]
Archives
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Social Security and Horseshoes
06 Jul 2026
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Abolish Property Taxes!! (And then what?)
24 Jun 2026
There is a move afoot in several states, including Ohio, to eliminate property taxes.[1] Less taxes sounds like a great idea, right? Maybe. As we begin, let’s acknowledge taxation policy can be a complicated topic. Most states gather tax revenues from multiple sources, typically sales tax and income tax.[2] Other governmental entities within a state […]
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Remembering Daniel Kahneman
03 Dec 2025
Daniel Kahneman (1934 – 2024) Source: nobelprize.org/ Most Bereans at the Gate (BATG) readers will know the name Daniel Kahneman. As a psychologist, he won the Nobel Prize in Economics in 2002 and has been known informally as the ‘grandfather of behavioral economics’. He, along with Amos Tversky and others, examined how people made decisions […]
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It’s really hard to put MAGA into a box, because as President Trump reminded Tucker Carlson, he is MAGA, and consistency of positions is not a hallmark of his style. Nevertheless there are broad themes that reflect the President’s values, which really haven’t changed much over the years. President Trump is not particularly concerned with […]
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This morning over at National Review they made a comment that trade deals take years and we shouldn’t even want one sooner, but I disagree. The reason NAFTA took years is to negotiate carve outs–and free trade doesn’t need carve outs. Instead of 1500 pages, it could have likely been done in a couple of […]
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Marc Clauson–A True Original
07 Apr 2025
In the recent movie Mickey 17, the central conceit is that Mickey is an expendable. To flee his troubles on Earth, he joins a multi-year mission to another planet. To get accepted, he agrees to take on the most dangerous jobs, which are mostly suicide missions. Once Mickey “dies,” they just print another copy of […]
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Dr. Marc Clauson: A Tribute
05 Apr 2025
One of our own Bereans, Dr. Marc Clauson, entered the presence of God this week. Memories have been flooding my mind and acting as a balm to my heart as we enter the grief of losing a good man. In a culture where it is hard to find good men, Dr. Clauson’s life is a […]
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War Years Estimated U.S. Military Deaths American Revolutionary War 1775–1783 ~25,000 War of 1812 1812–1815 ~15,000 American Civil War (Union & Confederate) 1861–1865 ~620,000–750,000 World War I 1917–1918 ~116,516 World War II 1941–1945 ~405,399 Korean War 1950–1953 ~36,516 Vietnam War 1955–1975 ~58,220 Wars in Afghanistan & Iraq 2001–2021 ~6,892 It’s an easy argument. Those that […]
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Economic Challenges Await Mr. Trump
10 Jan 2025
First up, as reported by Yahoo yesterday, and covered in the WSJ today is that long term interest rates continue to rise, with the 20 year U.S. Treasury over 5%, and the U.S. ten year going from 3.62% in the trough in September to 4.76% today. In Trumpian lingo, this is a HUUUUGE move up […]
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A Modest Defense of Yachts
07 Sep 2024
Far too often, against the advice of my better angels, I stumble over to the Reddit forums and engage in my daily ritual of scrolling, squinting, and savoring all the wonders from the front page of the Internet. Reddit is at once a marvelous creation—bringing together multitudes of diverse communities over shared topics—and simultaneously the […]
Bert Wheeler
Jeff Haymond
Marc Clauson
Mark Caleb Smith
Tom Mach