“It's a Wonderful Life” -- the Metaphysics

Memory of Christmas movies being about to fade away for another year, it is high time to explore the metaphysics of counterfactuals – as Frank Capra no doubt did when screening for his own family every Christmas George Bailey's odyssey in Bedford Falls and Pottersville.

What Happened to the 20 Hour Work Week and the 8 Vacation Weeks?

A half century or so ago futurists and the popular press predicted that the proportion of work in our lives would be decreasing. Machines would do more and more, producing more and more, and so people could do less and less.

Machines are doing more and more, producing more and more. Why aren't people working less and less? What did the futurists get wrong?

Can Putin Blackmail Trump?

Can Putin Blackmail Trump?

By the inaugural week we have reason to be concerned that Putin may have some serious material with which to blackmail Trump. Even Trump's initial denial that Russia interfered in the election, however, already gave Putin some leverage. Trump's post-briefing concession that the Russians did it, lessens the damage Putin could do by publicly elaborating just how much the Russians did. Even if not one word of the Steele report turns out to be accurate, Trump's use of the Russian-hacked emails on the stump, his reluctance to admit Russian involvement, and his less than honest attempts to minimize election effects have left him vulnerable to Putin's future extortions.

Electoral College Democracy

Some failing arguments in defense of the Electoral College, and a look at two possible steps forward without constitutional amendment. Possible, but not likely.