Category Archives: Golden Rule

Can't handle money

In regard to Mark Lowery, a Republican who wants to run for treasurer for the state of Arkansas: How does think he can handle being in charge of our money when he can't handle his own? He has declared bankruptcy twice, once in 1998 and again in 2017.

This man cannot handle his own money; I (we) should not let him touch our money!

MARY CAIN

Little Rock

Would rather be woke

When did the word "woke" become a slur on a person's character? All of my youth, I heard folks say, "Wake up!" Today, being called "woke" is the right's way to show disdain for those who are educated, engaged, and open to learning new and sometimes uncomfortable truths.

You are "woke" if you support voting rights for all. You are "woke" if you cherish democracy over autocracy. You are "woke" if you think programs helping people in need today can actually help the economy both today and in future years when those helped become better able to contribute to society. You are "woke" if you analyze media sources and find that the ones often called "fake news" by the former president are generally far more accurate than his preferred propaganda purveyors. You are "woke" if you think that if Black children have withstood adverse situations, white kids should at least be able to deal with learning about those experiences.

You are "woke" if you see that the very book that most book-banners would never agree to ban--the Bible--has multiple descriptions of highly triggering and hateful experiences that make "To Kill a Mockingbird" or "Huckleberry Finn" seem pretty tame. Apparently, you are "woke" if you see nuance in all three of these books that provide teachable moments despite the parts that disturb you. And you are "woke" if you understand that a girl or woman can have myriad legitimate reasons for making decisions that strangers think she should have no right to make.

I am infinitely grateful for the privilege I have had to strive toward "wokeness." Thank goodness for lifelong educational opportunities, for enlightening travel, and for friends and family who are also awake (or in the words of the disdainful right, "woke").

MARY REMMEL WOHLLEB

Little Rock

Put funds to good use

It is my understanding that Arkansas has an excess of several million in our rainy-day fund. I was thinking this would be an opportune time to use some of that money as seed money for someone or some Arkansas company to start a commercial fertilizer plant.

With the war in Ukraine, it has been publicized that U.S. farmers are concerned about getting fertilizer for their crops, and probably other countries are as well. It seems to me that entrepreneurs in Arkansas, with the state's help, could solve that problem for our farmers and maybe the world.

Just think of the job opportunities it would create along with solving the food-supply problem that the president has mentioned on several occasions.

DARLA MARTIN

Mountain Home

Strategy for the left

The best way to stop the so-called Republicanism that John Brummett spoke about in Thursday's column is to help the Democrat Party return as a viable entity and destroy the leftist Democrat Party that has killed the moderate Democrat.

I would rather have a nationalist Republican than a Marxist Democrat. People are smart; they know.

THOMAS J. ALSTON

Texarkana

Social media break

I frequently read Mike Masterson's columns and appreciate his GodNods and references to the Golden Rule. I sometimes feel, however, that his sources cultivate more animosity than brotherly love.

After reading Mike's piece in Tuesday's ADG, I've got a pretty good perspective on where he mines his off-the-wall column ideas. He is a social media guy. The fact that he stayed long enough to almost get duped by a Facebook bottom-feeder tells me Mike's spending way too much time in front of a computer screen.

Social media is for entertainment. Period.

If you're really looking for facts or accurate political information, Facebook, Twitter, TikTok and cable news are a waste of your time. If you want to learn how to raise healthy tomatoes or watch pet tricks, you're in the right place.

WADE GREEN

Camden

Can we trust them?

Just how do we (the citizens) of the United States know the money (millions and billions) that we have been told was going to help a foreign country actually did? How is it delivered and how do we know the exact amount we told them we were sending was what was delivered? It would be easy to take a couple million for themselves, personal benefit.

With all the lying in Washington, it's hard to trust anyone in the federal government.

ROBERT MAYNARD

Hot Springs

If it were about Hitler

I wonder how drastic a gaffe it would have been had a world leader in 1939, regarding Adolf Hitler's invasion of Poland, said: "For God's sake, this man cannot stay in power."

JOSEPH LOMBARDI

Greenbrier

Heading for doom?

If most of the voters of Arkansas choose to follow the devil, does that make it any less fatal to jump off that cliff?

CHARLIE BISHOP

Mabelvale

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OPINION | LETTERS TO THE EDITOR: Can't handle money | Would rather be woke | Put funds to good use - Arkansas Online

Shut up.

Thats the response, cleaned up for publication, that I got from students at the University of California Hastings College of Law when I tried to speak there on March 1. They prevented the event from taking place, chanting and banging as if it were Occupy Wall Street.

Although a student organization had booked a room and invited me to discuss a timely subject on which Id written a book the politics of judicial nominations a hecklers veto prevailed. Applying a bad-faith lens to a poorly phrased tweet in which I criticized President Bidens Supreme Court criteria, activists judged me a racist misogynist and my expertise illegitimate.

On Jan. 26, I tweeted that Judge Sri Srinivasan was the best candidate to replace Justice Stephen Breyer on the Supreme Court. I felt and still feel that Biden should have considered all possible nominees, rather focus solely on black female candidates. Given Twitters character limit, I in-artfully said that whomever the president picked would be a lesser black woman. Though I deleted the tweet and apologized, I was suspended from my position at Georgetowns Center for the Constitution pending an investigation into whether my social-media comments violated university policy. And now I wasnt even allowed to express my ideas on another campus.

My experience was no isolated incident not even for March 2022! The following week, a similar thing happened at Yale, ironically over a panel bringing together lawyers from the left and right who agreed on the importance of free speech. Then it happened again at the University of Michigan, when students obstructed a debate on Texas heartbeat bill. And thats just law schools; forget the craziness thats been going on for some time on undergraduate campuses!

The only thing these events had in common was that non-progressive speakers were presenting ideas that some students found objectionable, offensive, even repulsive. Weve gotten to a place where questioning affirmative action or abortion is outside the academic Overton window, the acceptable range of policy views. Its a damning indictment of the state of academia at a time when a toxic cloud has enveloped all of our public discourse.

But this problem isnt limited to ivory towers and leafy quads. The trend of canceling speakers rather than challenging them also represents the loss of grace in our culture more broadly, the desire to ascribe malign motives to ones political enemies and unwillingness to think of them as merely wrong, rather than evil.

Given the lefts control of the commanding heights of culture, education and technology, those expressing conservative views are much more frequently targeted by both online and real-world mobs and boycotts. But it happens to left-wingers too, like Whoopi Goldberg who was ignorant about the Holocaust, not anti-Semitic. Even worse, it happens to regular people whose meager donations to politically incorrect causes gets them doxed, boycotted, fired, or, in Canada, frozen out of their bank accounts.

Although this cancel culture is easy to diagnose, its hard to remedy. Too many people have lost sight of the golden rule of treating others as they want to be treated. Although often ascribed to the Bible, that principle predates Christianity and indeed needs not be tied to any faith. Still, as American society has secularized, politics has replaced religion to fill the spiritual needs that humans have had since time immemorial. In that context, its easy to see ones political opponents as heretics and then of course their sacrilege isnt worth hearing.

The problem goes far beyond academic freedom or speech on campus, worrying as developments in those areas are for the next generation especially young lawyers, wholl face much more challenging situations than bad tweets. How are we to continue as a nation if every policy disagreement is existential and every election a Manichean battle?

Two months ago, I jokingly tweeted at Whoopi that she and I ought to go on Joe Rogans podcast to hash stuff out. Indeed, Im willing to go anywhere, or on any media program Bill Maher might be good to debate constitutional law or the importance of civil discourse.

But itll take more than canceled professors and pundits to get us back to a place where we can disagree without wanting to ruin the lives of people with whom we have those disagreements. Itll take real courage from political leaders and cultural influencers to disrupt the current toxic moment.

Ilya Shapiro, author of Supreme Disorder: Judicial Nominations and the Politics of Americas Highest Court, is on still leave from his position as senior lecturer and executive director of Georgetowns Center for the Constitution as he awaits the result of the universitys investigation (now in its third month).

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Canceled prof: Bad things shouldn't happen to people who post bad tweets - New York Post

Spring is the time of plans and projects. This quote by Leo Tolstoy sort of defines the season for most of us. We cant wait for spring so that we can put our projects in play. You know what Im talking about. The new flower bed, the painting project, the building, renovations, and constructionall those ideas that took root during the cold, dreary winter months. We are ready to begin!

Clearly, Im still in spring cleaning/decluttering mode. More in thought than in doing I will admit. I began by turning my house over. Not literally, of course. But I watch the weather forecasts waiting for the temperatures to warm and then I begin to change the inside of our house to match the warmer outdoor elements. I switch out the heavy bedding for the lightweight quilts. The whole house gets a small makeover with brighter dcor, different throws, and pillowslight and airy is the transition. And of course, theres always those projects that need attention. Like the garage sale that needs to happen. Think of all those things that just accumulate and take up space. Time for a change. You know the saying . . . one mans trash is another mans treasure. But most of the things that I need to be rid of are not trash at all. In fact, they are more like treasures. Thus, the reason Ive held onto them. But having downsized twice now, Tom and I have limited storage space, so I have to get tough-minded about this.

During the earlier downsizing period, it was hard to discard items at first. You have to have a certain mindset to do this. First, realize that its only stuff. Sure, it represents some period of time for you, most likely a happy phase in your life. When your children were growing up, when your career was underway, when life was busy. I began by passing on to each of our sons their stuff. That took care of some volume. When we downsized and moved to a smaller residence, I vowed that each time I brought something into the home, Id also have to get rid of something. That didnt last long. It always seemed to be inconvenient to have to decide what to get rid of an item, and then decide where does it go. I dont like to just toss something in the trash if it still has a purpose and is in decent shape. Clearly, I overthink things. Thats where you must be tough minded. Just do it, and move on.

I recall having a garage sale when Tom approached me and said hed like to buy back a dresser because our son Jeff was upset that it was being sold. I pointed out the obvious to him that if he bought the dresser that it would still be in our attic AND there would be no profit from the sale. Yes, the dresser remained in the attic and lived there until another garage sale.

I read that the golden rule of getting organized is thatinventory must conform to storage. Makes sense. It is a matter of having a plan. And that plan has to start with a commitment to getting things done quickly. Im certainly not a professional organizer, but I know this much. The more quickly you go about the decluttering process, the more effective you will be. Think about the items you know you dont need and wont keep. Start with the larger items and before you know it, you will be in a zone. It will be a liberating experience. And dont forget the junk drawer. In fact, I would suggest you start with the junk drawer. It will be your blueprint for the remaining process. Good luck with your spring projects!

Bonnie Brown writes a weekly column for The Oxford Eagle. Contact her at bbrown@olemiss.edu.

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Spring: time for plans, projects and pollen - The Oxford Eagle - Oxford Eagle

Crack! The solids and stripes scatter across the table in all directions.

Ed Gill is shooting pool, and his opening breaks for 8-ball and 9-ball games are as strong and as accurate as those of many of his competitors, who are one, two and even three generations younger.

So are his long shots from the far end of the table; his bank shots, where the cue ball has to hit several sides, or rails, of the table before hitting the object ball; and side pocket shots that can be tricky.

He keeps score when his team captain says they need an extra hand.

All of this is a normal part of shooting pool on any night atPoppa Gs Billiardsin Pelham.

What truly sets Gill apart from the 60-80 nightly pool players is that he is 96 years old.

Gill plays pool five nights a week and plays very well. He marks the winning pocket for the solid black 8 ball with a 1925 U.S. silver dollar The year I was born, he says. It was a gift from another pool player.

At 96, pool player and WWII vet Ed Gill is still in the game from Alabama NewsCenter on Vimeo.

He drives a Kia SUV from his Pelham residence to Poppas, where the staff graciously provides a designated parking place. Everyone else scrambles for parking.

With a ready grin and polished manners, Gill has become one of the favorites at Poppa Gs, frequently addressed as Mr. Ed. He began shooting pool there in 2014 and joined theAmerican Poolplayers Association, an international amateur league. He keeps track of his statistics on the APA app on his iPhone.

But Gill was not a novice pool player. He just took a 60-year hiatus. He began shooting pool in his early 20s, in the era iconized in black-and-white films from Hollywood.

There wasnt any organization for pool then. We just went to the pool hall, played until you got tired and went home, he says.

Gill stopped shooting pool in his late 20s at the request of his wife, Doris, because pool halls had a bad reputation. They married when Doris was 17 and Ed was 21.

During World War II, Gill enlisted in the U.S. Navy and served as a radio airman, which led to his 30 years as an air traffic controller, before retiring.

I dont advertise that I was in World War II, other than I wear a cap, Gill said. Fellow pool players at Poppa Gs always see him in his familiar U.S. Navy World War II veteran ballcap a one-of-a-kind piece of attire there.

I dont get any real questions about World War II from the younger generations because its so far back. Its been 75 years, probably 76 years now. Its so foreign to them.

When asked about his World War II service, he shows a reduced-sized photocopy of his discharge papers, along with original black-and-white photographs of him in a sailors uniform; a palm tree stands in the background, in Key West, Florida.

Look at that handsome man! exclaims Stephanie Derzis, when seeing Gills Navy photographs. He grins at the compliment about his younger self.

Gill returned to pool-playing at the suggestion of his daughter, Lisa Gill Casey, a year after Doris died in 2013. It would be something to keep him active at the age of 89.

He loves to play pool, win or lose, Casey says. He doesnt hold a grudge, she adds, although he never lets a girl beat him if he can help it. Even the pretty ones.

Casey and her father play together on two of his five teams.

Gills skills, honed decades earlier, are sharp. When he walks to the pool table to shoot, hes already decided on the angle, distance, speed of the shot and, in pool hall lingo, he makes pockets. Lots of them.

When I get up to the pool table, I know what Im going to do. Its in my head. I visualize how its going to go, Gill explains. But he adds with a grin, They dont always work like that.

I dont always execute like I want to, but I get it right more than I miss it, he says. Most nights Gill plays a minimum of one match each for 8-ball and 9-ball games. Recently, he played four matches in one evening to make up for an absent teammate, which is a lot to ask of any pool player, but Gill didnt seem to mind. He won a match in each category, resulting in a 2-2 record, something many pool players would like.

Gill is a courteous sportsman, whether he wins or loses, exchanging fist bumps or a quick hug. He likes to discuss his shots with teammates and keeps track of his winning, and losing, scores.

While the game of pool continues to be a ball-and-stick game with critical eye-hand skills, younger players today are a very different crowd from Gills early years.

I didnt see women playing pool until I came here, in 2014, he noted. My father-in-law got me started when he invited me to go with him to play pool in the 1940s, in Aberdeen, Mississippi.

Gill maintains a neat, trim appearance with belted khaki slacks, shined shoes, button-down shirts and a sports jacket, plus the Navy ballcap. His opponents often sport tattoos, facial piercings, torn jeans and T-shirts of all kinds.

APA pool players wait their turn to play over a recommended four-hour time frame. Gill says he doesnt like to sit too long between matches because that bothers one of his knees. He casually strolls around Poppa Gs, picking up conversations with friends along the way.

He, and they, show family photographs on their iPhones. Gill shows a photograph of Doris as a teenager when they met and a 25thwedding anniversary photograph on his Facebook page. They were married for 67 years.

In addition to daughter Casey, Gill has four grandchildren and 12 great-grandchildren, all living within four miles of him and Poppa Gs. Hes an active member ofSouth Roebuck Baptist Church.

Gill knows its unusual for a 96-year-old to be playing pool several nights a week, but he doesnt think of himself as old.

I dont think I feel any older than when I was 70, he says. I dont feel like 96, the age that I am.

When Gill meets new people and they ask what he does, he says, I shoot pool five nights a week. They dont ask a lot of questions because most of them dont have a clue about what it takes to shoot pool. They have disbelief when I tell them how old I am.

Gills longevity invites inquiries from newcomers.

I expect questions because of my age, he says. Nothing stands out that Ive done to reach 96, except I trust God.

Gill may also have been blessed with good genes, with longevity running in his family. His older brother died in 2021 at the age of 96, while his mother lived to be 99 and his father died at age 84.

His one major health issue has been having both knees replaced in 2021. I didnt play pool for eight days after my right knee was replaced. He missed 12 days after the left knee.

His positive outlook, on the other hand, is irreplaceable. I want to be happy. I cant really remember being angry, he says.

Gills easy-going manner keeps him open to new faces and conversations. And, he says, I follow the Golden Rule he treats others as he would want to be treated.

Each year, the APA holds world championships for 8-ball and 9-ball pool in Las Vegas. Several teams from Alabama qualify to play, but any interested pool player can go there and watch. Gill hasnt gone as member of a qualifying team, but in 2018, Gill, Casey and her husband, Chris Casey, went to Las Vegas to watch the 8-ball championships.

I spent a week at the casino watching them shoot. I enjoyed it, Gill says. Maybe one day Ill go officially.

Meg McKinney is a freelance photographer,https://megmckinneyphotos.com, and a member of the American Poolplayers Association. She has competed against Ed Gill, and won and lost matches. To learn more about Birmingham APA, visithere.

(Courtesy of Alabama NewsCenter)

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Alabama pool player Ed Gill is 96 years young and still going strong - Yellowhammer News

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Musk owns Bitcoin, Ethereum, and Dogecoin -- and he's not selling.

It may come as a surprise to learn that Elon Musk -- a prolific crypto presence on social media -- is somewhat lukewarm on Bitcoin (BTC). To be clear, Musk does own Bitcoin, along with Ethereum (ETH), and his pet coin, Dogecoin (DOGE). But he's not as bullish about the granddaddy of cryptos as some might expect.

Let's dive into Musk's biggest concern -- the environment -- first, before looking at what the well known billionaire thinks of Bitcoin.

Musk's main concern about Bitcoin is its high carbon footprint. Bitcoin uses about the same amount of electricity as a country the size of Thailand each year, according to Digiconomist. Given he is the CEO of Tesla, an electric vehicle company that says its mission is to accelerate the worlds transition to sustainable energy, it's an understandable point.

Tesla owns a decent chunk of Bitcoin and its decision to accept BTC payments in February 2021 was one driver for the crypto's huge growth in the first half of 2021. In a similar vein, Tesla's subsequent decision to stop taking Bitcoin payments was a big factor in May's crypto slump. Since then, Musk has hinted that Tesla might start accepting Bitcoin payments again, but only if there's evidence that half of the mining is powered by renewables.

What's slightly strange in all this is that Dogecoin uses the same widely-criticized proof-of-work mining model that's so damaging to the environment. As it's grown, so has its environmental footprint -- its annual energy consumption is roughly the same as Honduras.

Putting the environment to one side, Musk told the B Word Conference last summer that Bitcoin could potentially change the way we use money. "In general, I'm a supporter of Bitcoin and the idea of cryptocurrency in general," he said.

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"It's best to think of money as an information system," he explained. That information exists in a series of databases, such as those in banks around the world. Musk points out that, with a few exceptions, the current system moves relatively slowly. Plus, he says in many cases it is not very secure. As a result, Musk thinks there is potential for a better system. "I think it makes sense to support something that improves the quality of information with which we conduct the economy."

"Bitcoin is a candidate," he said. It stands out because of its scarcity, decentralized nature, and open ledger technology. But Musk also raised the low transaction volume and high costs as issues that could hold it back. Plus, he pointed out the average person will find it difficult to use.

In terms of Bitcoin as an investment, Musk has stressed several times that he's not an investor. Nonetheless, he recently tweeted that at times of high inflation such as the one we face right now, it is better to own physical assets like property or stocks.

"It is generally better to own physical things like a home or stock in companies you think make good products, than dollars when inflation is high," he tweeted. "I still own & wont sell my Bitcoin, Ethereum or Doge fwiw."

Bitcoin is the most-established cryptocurrency and many argue it's the "safest" in what is a high-risk asset class. As such, it's well positioned to survive a prolonged market crash and -- as Musk points out -- potentially change the way we use money. However, this is a relatively new and unregulated market and there's a lot we don't know about how it will evolve.

READ MORE: Best Crypto Apps and Exchanges

One golden rule is to only invest money you can afford to lose in Bitcoin. That way, you'll be able to benefit from any gains without facing financial disaster if it collapses. Before you invest, stock up your emergency fund and make sure you're up to date on things like your retirement savings. Don't prioritize crypto over your other financial goals.

When you see headlines about people who've become Bitcoin billionaires, it is tempting to go all in. Instead, try to make sure high-risk assets like crypto only represent a small percentage of your overall investments. Financial advisors increasingly recognize that Bitcoin can play a role in a balanced portfolio, but the key is balance.

Ultimately, the decision to invest in Bitcoin depends on several factors. These include your financial situation and your views on how Bitcoin might perform in the long term. And don't take Elon Musk's word about crypto -- or any other commentators for that matter. Do your own research into what Bitcoin might do, what the risks are, and how blockchain technology might evolve.

There are hundreds of platforms around the world that are waiting to give you access to thousands of cryptocurrencies. And to find the one that's right for you, you'll need to decide what features that matter most to you.

To help you get started, our independent experts have sifted through the options to bring you some ofour best cryptocurrency exchanges for 2022. Check out the list here and get started on your crypto journey, today.

Read more:

Should You Invest in Bitcoin? Here's What Elon Musk Thinks - The Motley Fool

Analysing UK macroeconomic policy rules and their operation unearths numerous dimensions of the politics of technocratic fiscal policy-making, writes Ben Clift. Firstly, policy rules are marshalled for partisan purposes. Secondly, a politics of economic ideas surrounds the invention, revision, and interpretation of fiscal rules. Thirdly, technocratic economic governance entails selecting methodological approaches necessarily built on particular political economic assumptions. Finally, politicians cook the books to present their economic record favourably against fiscal yardsticks,thus there is an inevitable politics of technocratic economic governance.

Technocratic governance has become a pervasive feature of economic management in advanced democracies. My research explores a yawning gap between the theory and the practice of technocratic economic governance. The real world of fiscal rules is more political and social than conventional accounts admit. In the late 20th and early 21st centuries, governments introduced fiscal policy rules to reassure electorates and financial markets that they were sound custodians of the public finances. Such depoliticisation supposedly took fiscal policy away from fractious parliamentary politics, moving it towards the realms of technical administration.

Some academic work discusses fiscal rules as if they are sacrosanct and unchanging. Yet state managers exhibit powerful desires to escape these constraints, with fiscal rules repeatedly flouted and frequently changed. Economic policymakers have an apparent compulsion to hem themselves in, yet this is tethered to a more powerful impulse to escape these self-imposed shackles. Analysing the creation, revision, and transgression of these rules illustrates how they are embedded in distinctive, yet overlapping, forms of politics.

The (partisan) politics of economic ideas

Despite their apolitical appearance, fiscal rules are frequently marshalled for partisan purposes that reveal the particular economic ideas surrounding their invention, revision, and interpretation. Following its election in 1997, the Labour government introduced fiscal rules to bolster the partys economic credibility. Chancellor Gordon Brown adopted a Golden Rule specifying that, over the business cycle, the government would borrow only to invest, not to fund current spending.

The aim was to demonstrate Labours fiscal prudence, while simultaneously addressing historical UK under-investment. Indeed, they were underpinned by a particular vision of political economy: Paul Romers new growth agenda. This emphasised a wide-ranging role for the state in providing technological, infrastructural, and human capital investment. They therefore embodied a critique of prior Conservative economic management, which had engineered a dramatic reduction in public investment over the preceding decades.

Although Labours rules supposedly enshrined fiscal prudence, their observance was at times only sustained by moving the goalposts. Nevertheless, iron Chancellor Browns construction of economic credibility appeared to pay dividends, enabling Labour government to boost health and education spending without increasing borrowing costs. The Global Financial Crisis and the arrival in 2010 of the Coalition and Conservative governments, upended this positive impression. Rebranding the crash Labours debt crisis, the Conservatives claimed Labours profligate mismanagement left the country facing a Greek-style crisis. Cameron and Osborne pivoted to an austerity-centric economic orthodoxy, urging Britain to live within its means. Harsh public spending cuts ensued; new tougher fiscal rules were introduced. The newly created Office for Budget Responsibility (OBR) sought to ensure prudence through independent fiscal oversight.

The Coalitions economic analysis made bold assumptions about debts adverse effects on future growth, and accordingly prioritised spending cuts. This position reflected the expansionary fiscal contraction thesis, counterintuitively arguing that reducing public expenditure amidst a recession was necessary for restoring economic health. These ideas permeated George Osbornes tough new fiscal rules, endorsing the pursuit of a structural budget surplus and reducing public debt relative to GDP.

The politics of numbers and politics of method

Despite technocratic aspirations to move fiscal policy into a depoliticised administrative realm, rules-based fiscal policy remains enmeshed in a politics of numbers (statistical book-cooking to meet numerical targets), and a politics of economic method (manipulating parameters of economic models). Part of Chancellor Osbornes rationale for creating the OBR was an ostensible desire to curtail these political shenanigans by delegating fiscal oversight to an external expert institution. Here, Osborne was again critical of Labours record. In 2005, Brown had re-interpreted his fiscal rules, altering the economic cycles start from 1997 to 1999, despite much evidence suggesting otherwise. This change enabled Brown to claim his Golden Rule had been met.

For all Osbornes critique of Labour book-cooking, Conservative Chancellors were unrelenting in their own fiscal manipulations. The OBR consistently noted the scorecard artistry of Osbornes Treasury. Spending commitments were manoeuvred into following years (as with World Bank payments in 2013) in order that, within specified forecast periods, fiscal targets were notionally hit.

The OBR, its independent overseer status notwithstanding, was no less embedded in the politics of fiscal policy. Its creation by the Conservatives in opposition, and imbrication in partisan fiscal tussles over Labours alleged profligacy, gives the lie to outsourced, technocratic economic governance being apolitical. Furthermore, while its creation circumscribed the governmental politics of economic method, ruling out some of the old shenanigans (such as massaging trend growth rates), a politics of economic method persisted within the OBRs own fiscal modelling. This did not operate to portray UK fiscal policy systematically in a more or less favourable light, nevertheless OBR staff attest to the degree of judgement, intuition and tacit knowledge involved in conducting economic forecasting and oversight.

The OBR like other independent fiscal institutions must grapple with slippery, non-observable economic concepts that are very hard to gauge. Measures of potential output, the output gap (the degree of slack available in the economy) and potential productivity are integral to medium-term economic forecasting and the enactment of fiscal rules. No agreed approach exists for discerning these with practitioners acknowledging methodological choices can be somewhat arbitrary. Techniques can reflect differing and contestable views of the economy. A statistical filters approach one amongst many available alternatives for determining the output gap assumes, for example, that an economy tends promptly towards equilibrium, thus yielding a distinctive growth path. In this way, different understandings of the economy and policy underpin apparently technical choices. This reveals the persistent and consequential politics of economic method underlying fiscal rules regimes and technocratic fiscal governance.

Conclusion

Fiscal rules and their enactment reflect dominant but changeable ideas of sound fiscal policy and the influence of partisan political concerns. Governments frequently use rules regimes to participate in the social construction of economic credibility, often to denigrate opponents. They breach or change rules, or engage in book-cooking shenanigans to secure an observance of the rules that is somewhat illusory. Forecasting methods and techniques, whilst presentedin technical and formalistic manner, alsoconstitute keysiteswhere choices made can reflect different economic worldviews distilled in economic modelling assumptions. Far from taking the politics out of fiscal policy, the advent of fiscal rules and the OBR engenders new forms of contested fiscal politics and elite statecraft. This politics may be hidden, but remains burgeoningly present.

_____________________

Note: the above draws on the authors published work in British Politics.

About the Author

Ben Cliftis Professor of Political Economy at the University of Warwick.

Photo by micheile .com on Unsplash.

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Technocratic economic governance is a much more social and political process than many advocates of economic rules-based policy acknowledge - British...

LUXEMBOURG Dutch and Spanish fiscal positions are virtually as far apart as they could be, with The Hague diligently sailing below the EUs threshold 60 percent of debt-to-GDP ratio, and Madrid nearly doubling that.

Yet the two countries on Monday joined up ahead of an ongoing revision of EU fiscal rules, seeking EU-wide consensus in what has largely been a "thrifty North vs. lavish South" debate.

"We need to leave behind the old trenches and the old debates of the past," Spain's Deputy Prime Minister and Finance Minister Nadia Calvio told POLITICO."This is the time to build, on the basis of consensus, an approach which is credible and realistic."

"This means that our rules need to take account of the fact that debt-to-GDP ratios in all European countries are very different from the ones we had before the pandemic hit us," she said. "Europe needs to undertake a massive investment effort in order to ensure our strategic autonomy in this new geopolitical context. This is a fact."

"The political point here is lets not waste energy and time on superficial differences. Lets focus on common ground, build from common ground," said her Dutch counterpart, Sigrid Kaag, at a press conference Monday.

The debate on fiscal rules has lost urgency since the European Commission signaled earlier this year it will likely extend the so-called General Escape Clause for another year to 2023, meaning that countries wouldnt have to comply with and likely breach current fiscal rules for a while longer. But the two think that debate shouldn't lose momentum.

"Independently from whether or not the general escape clause is extended into 2023 ... it is really high time" to have this debate, Calvio said.

The two countries spelled out their common ground in a joint paper out Monday on the margins of a meeting of eurozone finance ministers in Luxembourg. They call for EU countries to set up their own debt reduction path in a way that is "realistic, gradual but ambitious, as well as compatible with economic growth and job creation." They also recognize that "substantial EU and nationally-financed public investment will be indispensable to crowd-in private investments in strategic areas."

That flexibility should come with "clear safeguards" to ensure enforcement and "a greater role for Independent Fiscal Institutions" in ensuring countries toe the line.

They also call for "a simple expenditure rule" that would make rules more comprehensible and more enforceable.

Translated into policy, it would mean giving countries more leeway on the pace of debt reduction and doing away with a requirement to reduce excess debt by 5 percent per year, against the reassurance of more consistent and strict enforcement if countries go astray.

What the two countries dont say is where they differ: Whether investments should count toward the calculation of debt and deficit the so-called "golden rule" pushed by France and Italy or whether the EUs "one-off" experiment in joint issuance to address the pandemic should turn into something more structural.

Kaag has rejected both in a recent interview with POLITICO, while Calvio has spoken of the need to preserve investments while reducing the pandemics debt overhang.

"From the Netherlands we do not think that the risks attached to the sort of off-budget types of investments where there may not be the same definitional priority or burdens ... is the wisest way to go about it," Kaag said.

But there will be time for disagreement.

"The starting point needs to be those elements on which there is a broad consensus," said Calvio. "The next step should be a Commission proposal. And we can have this discussion and consider the different options on the basis of that proposal."

Continued here:

In a twist, the Netherlands and Spain partner up on fiscal rules - POLITICO Europe

Todd Boehly's consortium and the Ricketts Family Investment Group are both expected to hand Chelsea fans a 'golden share' in their final offers to Raine Group on April 14.

This comes as the two parties have been named in the final shortlist alongside Stephen Pagliuca and Sir Martin Broughton's consortium in the four man list.

As per Mail Sport, Boehly and the Ricketts Family Investment Group are expected to hand Chelsea fans a golden share.

IMAGO / PA Images

The two groups have indicated that they are prepared to guarantee supporters a veto on key decisions.

This includes changes to the Club's name, badge or colour of their home strip.

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This comes after thedecision to give Chelsea supporters a 'golden share' and additional representation when it comes to future decision making at the Club is at the discretion of the new owner as the UK Government did not impose the rule on any potential buyer.

IMAGO / Sportimage

However, agolden share in the club would meet a chief recommendation of the Governments fan-led review.

Ken Griffin and Dan Gilbert, both involved in the Ricketts bid, have also spoken openly for the first time as they outlined their ambitions if they are successful in purchasing Chelsea.

Boehly's consortium have added LA Dodgers principal owner Mark Walter to their bid as the April 14 deadline approaches for final offers to be submitted to Raine Group.

The merchant bank will them choose a preferred bidder to submit for Government approval as the sale enters its closing stages ahead of a likely May takeover date.

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Link:

Todd Boehly & Ricketts Family Investment Group Expected to Hand Golden Share to Chelsea Fans in Bid - Sports Illustrated

In that chapter of the Bible frequently called, The Love Chapter, the apostle Paul begins by emphasizing how important love is in the practice of Christianity. An absence of love in the life of a professed disciple mars their usefulness in teaching others about Christ, reduces their value as a follower of Christ down to nothing and removes any reward they might have gained from otherwise sacrificing for Christ (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3; ESV). Christianity without love profits nothing.

Having thus forcefully laid out the importance of love in the life of a Christian, Paul goes on to provide some of the characteristics of godly love, saying, Love is patient and kind; love does not envy or boast; it is not arrogant or rude. It does not insist on its own way; it is not irritable or resentful; it does not rejoice at wrongdoing, but rejoices with the truth. (1 Corinthians 13:4-6; ESV)

It is notable that the very first hallmark of love given by the inspired apostle is not kindness, but patience. This is not to deemphasize the importance of kindness, but it most certainly stresses the preeminence of patience.

The word the ESV translates as patience, is translated as suffers long, in the KJV and the NKJV, and longsuffering is an apt expression of the idea being conveyed. The Greek word being translated is a compound word which is most literally rendered as long-tempered, meaning to wait a long time before losing ones temper and giving in to anger. Thayers Greek Lexicon provides this helpful quote relative to the word: to be patient in bearing the offences and injuries of others; to be mild and slow in avenging; to be long-suffering, slow to anger, slow to punish

Perhaps one of the reasons Paul chose to list patience first as a defining characteristic of love is because it is a virtue so often neglected, even by those who profess to be practicing love. There is certainly a dearth of patient endurance in the conduct of individuals in the world as they interact with those around them. We tend to want people to agree with us, humor us, give in to us, and otherwise do the things we want when we want them done. We certainly have little to no patience for anyone who might oppose us, harm us, or mistreat us.

Yet patient longsuffering is not able to be expressed in an environment devoid of conflict. In a situation of perfect harmony there is no need for patience. It is exactly when things are not going as planned, when people are being obnoxious, when opponents are themselves being unloving, when those near us are being unthoughtful, when we are being hurt and mistreated it is in times such as these that patience with others is most needful.

Jesus once asked, If you love those who love you, what reward have you (Matthew 5:26). One could reword the question, If you are only patient with people who are kind and patient to you, what reward have you?

Likewise when Jesus teaches us, love your enemy (cf. Matthew 5:44), He is also saying, be patiently longsuffering with you enemy.

Or, when the Word of God teaches us, love your neighbor as yourself (Leviticus 19:18; cf. Matthew 19:19, 22:39), it is telling us, Be as patient with your neighbors foibles as you are with your own, or to paraphrase the golden rule, be as patiently longsuffering with others as you want them to be with you.

When you arent being patient with others, it is worthwhile to stop and ask yourself if you are truly practicing the love of Christ? Are you fulfilling His command to love one another with the

love He demonstrated? Without patience, its not truly His love you are demonstrating; it is something else.

And, to paraphrase Paul though you might speak as eloquently as an angel, if you dont have patience with others, you are just a noisy gong. And though your faith were sufficient to move mountains, if you dont practice patience, you arent anything special in the Kingdom. And though you were to give all your goods to others in a fit of charity, or even suffer a martyrs death, if you dont treat others with patient consideration, you dont get a reward (cf. 1 Corinthians 13:1-3).

McAnulty

Jonathan McAnulty is minister of Chapel Hill Church of Christ. Viewpoints expressed in the article are the work of the author.

Link:

Search the Scriptures: Is it love you are practicing? - Gallipolis Daily Tribune

To the editor:

Someone found the slogan Defend Dartmouth quite offensive: This is not a war, what are you defending for? True, but defend does not have to be a war that is why a student does not defend his thesis with a sword.

Since when did we get this new golden rule you shall not express anything that may be offensive to someone? Like Merry Christmas, like the Dartmouth Indian Logo. The old golden rule encourages us to treat others as we would like to be treated, which is not hard to follow because we know exactly how we would like to be treated. But to find out what may be offensive to others is such a challenging task these days.

First, the offensive criteria is constantly evolving. Something that has not been offensive for years now suddenly becomes offensive. People need to be educated to keep up with these newly discovered offensive expressions. Second, the victim being offended is usually an abstract group concept rather than a real individual in front of you. The Dartmouth Indian Logo is considered as offensive to the Indigenous People group despite of the fact that the real local indigenous persons from Wampanoag Tribe of Gay Head standing right in front of us, enthusiastically support this logo. As a piece of artwork, shall its author Mr. Clyde Andrews, have the best interpretation rather than some remote researchers to read their interpretation into this logo?

Want to play the game find racism anywhere? Consider this entry-level one:

White-dominated town of Dartmouth decides to retire the Indian warrior high school logo designed by ingenuous alumnus even when the local tribe people strongly urge to keep it.

Furthermore, the offensive criteria is also quite subjective and dynamic. Something that is not offensive to you may be offensive to others. Something that was not offensive to the person yesterday may be offensive to the same person today. We must be considerate and not to offend anyone. Someone who used to live in Dartmouth and was proud of this logo now thinks that this logo should retire because it may be offensive to people outside of Dartmouth.

Not to offend anyone? Is it even possible? Almost anything could be offensive to someone somewhere given the ever-evolving, sophisticated, highly-subjective offensive criteria that we are struggling to keep up with. We live in constant fear and insecurity, just like High school student Natalie Murphy in the March 22nd public forum said to the school committee, we have enough insecurity of what we wear and we might offend with our opinion and our identities so please help us teach us set some limits wear uniforms that dont make us worry that weve offended our opponents.

We all want to be nice people and not offend anyone. However, this new golden rule completely suffocates the freedom of speech a right protected by our constitution. All speech and expressions (with a few exceptions, such as defamation and incitement to riot) are protected by the constitution including those offensive ones! Only so we could have the foundation of democracy that people may express their own ideas, listen to different opinions, communicate and debate about government policy and candidates to elect, speak out and criticize the government to prevent the abuse of power, protect human liberty and individuals ability to think and decide issues for themselves.

The stakes are extremely high-looking at all those countries where only approved voices are allowed. I grew up in such a country. Every day when I went to school, my parents always reminded me of something that literally translated to Watch your mouth! I always replied with Yes, I know. Because my parents love me, their reminder actually meant Have a good day, just as American parents say to their children. But in that country, we all have learned that you will have a good day only if you watch your mouth.

Because we have freedom of speech, we also have the freedom to be exposed to offensive ones. This is a price we must pay. Instead of being offended, we may just communicate and reason with people who have different opinions rather than shutting them up with this offensive duct tape.

What is Defend Dartmouth'' defending? Not only the heritage and the unique culture of Dartmouth, but also the freedom of expression of Mr. Andrews, Dartmouth Wampanoags, all residents who were called racist by the school committee chair and everyones right to be free from the fear of offending others.

Shelley Zhang,

Dartmouth

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Opinion: Is 'Defend Dartmouth' offensive? | Dartmouth - Dartmouth Week