Lippincott Talk

The state-granted public utilities in Michigan are a disaster. The legally-enforced formulas the big monopolies—DTE and Consumer’s Energy—use to justify rate increases to the Michigan Public Service Commission do not prioritize maintenance for lines like tree trimming. The result is constant outages during even relatively minor storms.  The regulatory framework is the problem. It should be abolish...

I think we need to put this legal loss in the proper context. Yes, SCOTUS voted to affirm birthright citizenship for illegals but it also was a close decision. Going forward, the most important task is to hone the fundamental argument and maintain a clear vision of what victory looks like. In my view, we need to return to the core principle of the consent of the governed as the basis of individual...

I think citizenship should be built on explicit consent. We need to abandon the concept of birthright citizenship entirely.

The text of the coming Iran deal has not been released but I support it regardless. In my view, diplomacy is better than war. Iran getting access to foreign investment is fine. It doesn’t mean we were “defeated” nor does it mean Iran “won.” I don’t think that framing is particularly useful here because the war isn’t that important. The best thing that could happen is for the conflict to end and re...

The pessimists constantly warn of “brittle” supply chains, our “vulnerable” economy, and fears of China’s industrial “dominance.” In reality, the American economy has never been more resilient than it is right now. The Strait of Hormuz closure has witnessed markets soaring to all time highs and the price of oil mildly spiking before declining.  This is not what I expected. But three months into th...

Spanking children is fine. In fact, it is more effective at deterring bad behavior than time-outs, deprivation, or lecturing—the tools of the so-called “gentle parents.” The simple reality is that every parent who ever physically restrains a child who is out of control, in imminent danger, or to return them to the “time out place” etc. is already using corporal punishment. They are using restraint...

Forcing members of Congress to vote legislation up or down is the best way for Republicans to make gains among voters. Keeping promises is a good electoral strategy. Trump’s ongoing popularity is a function of his success on immigration and law and order. Democrats, by contrast, have the opposite problem. The more they implement their agenda, the worse they suffer at the hands of voters. The proce...

Property taxes raise the cost of housing for renters, new buyers, and present owners. Local governments that are funded by these levies are some of the most profligate and incompetent government entities in the country. Property taxes should be repealed.

In March, commentator Scott Greer wrote a piece “Keeping the Empire” that critiqued my understanding of foreign policy. Greer’s argument was serious and I have attempted to deliver a thoughtful response.  In essence, I hold that the American regime was founded on the defense of the natural rights of men—a view of justice that holds in all times and all places. This view of justice precluded empire...

On April 6th, I successfully defended my PhD dissertation To Match Slaughter With Greater Slaughter: FDR, the Pacific War, and the Birth of the New World Order . In this episode I describe the ways in which my time in the service shaped my thinking and guided me back to the question of justice and war in a serious way. In the coming weeks and months I intend to do a full series on my research with...

Josiah Lippincott discusses the need for disengagement in the Middle East and why a deal with Iran will be in our interest. All power to the negotiators!

Josiah Lippincott discusses why AI won't destroy the economy, why universal basic income is a bad idea, and reveals the connection between Marxist doctrine and anti-tech sentiment.