Steve Kelman on Politics, Culture, and Life, 5.18.2022
Steve Kelman, Harvard Kennedy School prof, moderate Dem, pro free speech/anti cancel culture, pro tax rich, pro-Israel. Research improving gov performance, China interest. Blog reprints Facebook posts
US Covid death rate ten times Australia’s
The Times has a long article today on why covid death rates are 1/10 as high in Australia as in the US. The argument seems to be that it relates to higher levels of social trust in Australia than here. With social trust, vaccination rates (95% in Australia compared to 66% here) are higher, and compliance with restrictions is greater.
Russian state TV commentator says Russia not winning in Ukraine
Swedish TV news has a report leading the news broadcast that a leading Russian state TV commentator had stated on Russian TV that Russia was not winning the Ukraine war. This has been covered by CNN, but not that broadly in US media.
Trump likes Oz the TV star
In stating yesterday why he had endorsed the Wizard of Dr Oz in Pennsylvania, Trump said this was because of his "successful television career." You know what impresses him!
Demographic factoids about Hispanics
Two demographic factoids about California from the latest issue of The Economist. There are somewhat more Hispanics in California than whites. The percentage of Hispanics who can speak Spanish has declined since 2010 from 4/5ths to 2/3rds.
Tucker Carlson wants to live in an America like he grew up in
Tucker Carlson has written that "I want to live in an America like the one I grew up in." A Facebook friend commented: "Tucker Carlson was born in 1969. So ... when he was four, Roe v. Wade was decided. I like that America. He was five when a president resigned in disgrace rather that be impeached after ht tried to meddle with an election. I like that America, too. When he was six, the Voting Rights Act was extended to cover Native Americans, Hispanics, and Asian Americans. Not bad, either. But that's probably not what he's thinking about.
Baristas’ rebellion
The cover story in Business Week this week is called "The Baristas' Rebellion."
Latine?
I am seeing the word Latine in an ad. Has this replaced Latinex? I really don't like the obsession with neologisms.
Texans and marijuana
The Dallas Morning News reports that a majority of Texans support legalizing marijuana – and then adds that Governor Abbott doesn’t.
Reopening travel to Cuba
The liberal Cuban-American Miami Herald columnist Fabiola Santiago has criticized Biden's reopening of flights and travel to Cuba. The paper, also a liberal voice, has an editorial today saying the same thing.