STAY CONNECTED
Join in the conversation at
Facebook. Visit our YouTube
channel or subscribe to RSS (below)
read our latest articles.
Join in the conversation at
Facebook. Visit our YouTube
channel or subscribe to RSS (below)
read our latest articles.
Unsustainable California
/in California, Politics, Rural Policy /by Joel KotkinCalifornia’s natural disasters have sparked a new wave of pessimism about the state’s future, while obscuring the fact the greatest challenge facing the state comes not from burning forests or lack of precipitation but from a society divided between a small but influential wealthy class and an ever-expanding poverty population.
Jews Could Swing the 2020 Election — and Why That’s Not a Good Thing
/in Demographics, Politics, Religion /by Joel KotkinIn our selfie-defined culture, it’s usually considered a good thing to get attention, the more the better. But it may not be the case for Jews, or for Israel, to be caught in the firestorm that is burning through American politics in ways not seen since the Second World War.
Gov. Newsom Throws California’s Interior Under the Bus
/in California, Politics, Rural Policy /by Joel KotkinGov. Gavin Newsom has committed himself to look for ways of “unlocking the enormous potential” of the Central Valley, but in reality he seems more interested in slamming the door to its prosperity behind him.
Climate Stalinism
/in Politics, The Economy /by Joel KotkinThe Left’s fixation on climate change is cloaked in scientism, deploying computer models to create the illusion of certainty. Ever more convinced of their role as planetary saviors, radical greens are increasingly intolerant of dissent or any questioning of their policy agenda.
The Slaughter of the Tech Unicorns
/in California, Politics, The Economy /by Joel KotkinAfter nearly two triumphant decades marked by an unprecedented accumulation of both wealth and power, our tech oligarchy seems to be running out of luck. Newly issued IPOs—Uber, Lyft and Slack—are losing value, while others in the on-desk circle, such as the once widely anticipated We, are headed back to the bench.
Media Meltdowns and Political Polarization
/in Politics /by Joel KotkinThe mainstream media increasingly appears much like the classic tale of the boy who cried wolf so often that when the wolf showed up no one believed him. The media’s credibility in the ongoing impeachment saga is now widely doubted, even if this time they may actually be right about presidential misdeeds.
China’s Looming Class Struggle
/in Politics /by Joel KotkinWesterners tend to identify China’s coming political crisis with developments such as the brave, educated, and often English-speaking protests in Hong Kong. Although they undoubtedly pose an annoyance to Xi Jinping’s regime, the real existential challenge to the regime derives not from China’s middle orders but from the very classes that gave birth to the Communist regime.
Dreaming of an America Where Solutions Trump Ideology
/in Politics /by Joel KotkinIn the ever-intensifying battle between red and blue, the consultants, fixers and self-serving media thrive, but America suffers. I dream of a purple America where politics is civil and focuses on solving problems. The good news is that the country is actually far purpler than either red or blue.
The Old Can Share the Wealth, Or the Young Will Take it From Them
/in Demographics, Politics, The Economy /by Joel KotkinThe next great political civil wars won’t be over race, the nation-state, religion or even class. They will be generational, pitching the Boomers, who still dominate the global economy, against their offspring, the Millennials, who assuredly do not.
Can California Win the New Space Race?
/in California, Politics, The Economy /by Joel KotkinCalifornia may have gotten its global allure from the Gold Rush and the movies, but it’s planes, missiles and now drones and spaceships that have underpinned the state’s industrial emergence.