Slow Boring $8 / month

Slow Boring, by Matthew Yglesias, offers nuanced perspectives on a variety of socio-political issues, examining topics like mental health, racial identity, gender care, public health, technological progress, free speech, historical interpretations, conflict analysis, traffic safety, gun violence, political dynamics, and poverty in the United States.

Mental Health Racial Identity Gender Care Public Health Technological Progress Free Speech Historical Interpretation Conflict Analysis Traffic Safety Gun Violence Political Dynamics Poverty

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Tourism is good, actually

4127 implied HN points • 07 Feb 24
🏝 Travel Tourism Leisure Policy Opinion
  1. Despite being cringe and annoying, tourists play a role in bad policy commentary.
  2. There is a negative perception of tourism being harmful due to aesthetic considerations.
  3. Efforts to limit tourism, such as curbing AirBNB, often have underlying reasons beyond just tourism impact.

Banning natural gas exports

4697 implied HN points • 29 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Government Policy Climate
  1. Banning natural gas exports may have complex effects on global emissions and energy use.
  2. The decision to block LNG exports seems to be made without clear analysis of its net impact on emissions.
  3. Climate advocacy should focus on sustainable decarbonization through jobs, growth, and innovation.

Housing reform should actually add housing

5699 implied HN points • 18 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Affordable Housing State Legislation Economic Growth
  1. Housing reform proposals should focus on actually increasing housing supply rather than just affordable units.
  2. Affordable housing regulations limit the creation of new housing and may not always be the best solution for addressing housing shortages.
  3. When proposing housing reforms, it's important to ensure that the policies align with the goal of increasing housing supply and economic growth.

Unleash the power of bipartisan NRC reform

3813 implied HN points • 31 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Legislation Energy
  1. Regulatory reforms for nuclear power plants are crucial for reducing costs and improving efficiency.
  2. Environmentalists need to recognize the value of breakthroughs in nuclear cost and technology.
  3. Exploring various levers, including nuclear power, is essential for a sustainable energy future.

Misunderstanding antisemitism in America

5562 implied HN points • 11 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Antisemitism Ideology Discrimination
  1. College campuses are not hotbeds of antisemitism, and education tends to decrease antisemitic attitudes.
  2. Views on Israel do not equate to antisemitism, and it's essential to distinguish criticism of Israel from antisemitism.
  3. Most Americans are not antisemitic, and the US is inclusive, but there are historical antisemitic legacies that still need to be addressed.

Are index funds killing competition?

4776 implied HN points • 10 Jan 24
💼 Business Competition Index funds
  1. Multiple drug stores nearby may not mean intense competition if they are owned by the same company.
  2. CVS and Walgreens are owned by large investment funds like Vanguard and BlackRock.
  3. Index funds owning major companies can raise concerns about competition.

The pandemic's lesson on teacher licensure

4048 implied HN points • 17 Jan 24
🚌 Education Policy Pandemic impact
  1. Consider reevaluating teacher licensing requirements to improve access to quality educators.
  2. During the pandemic, emergency measures allowed flexibility and potentially revealed unnecessary licensing barriers.
  3. Evaluating and potentially removing certain licensing requirements can save time and money while increasing the pool of potential teachers.

Mailbags (and movies) need writers

3164 implied HN points • 12 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics History Policy Governance Labor Market
  1. Movies rely on a variety of roles, including writers, for their success.
  2. Positive trends in the labor market include record enrollment in ACA exchanges, booming construction jobs, and falling greenhouse gas emissions.
  3. The outcome of historical events, like the American Revolution, can have a significant impact on future developments and trajectories.

Write-in mailbag

2004 implied HN points • 26 Jan 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Elections Policy Media Partisanship Engagement
  1. The internet and social media have changed political engagement by fostering 'political hobbyism'.
  2. Participating in internet arguments about politics can be a hobby for some, providing engagement and entertainment.
  3. The current Democratic Party does not have a clear path to secure a 55+ seat majority in the Senate.

Karma mailbag

1690 implied HN points • 02 Feb 24
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Conspiracy Theories Legislation Public Health Labor Market Local news
  1. The post discusses right-wing conspiracy theories about Taylor Swift, but does not endorse them.
  2. There's an observation that Taylor Swift's song 'Karma' may contain elements from an older song, 'Music is My Hot Hot Sex' by CSS.
  3. The post highlights positive news stories like Medicaid expansion, newborn great white sharks, and successful transit projects.

The techno-optimist's fallacy

7429 implied HN points • 23 Oct 23
🕹 Technology Innovation AI Ethics Risk Progress
  1. The fallacy of assuming all technological progress is inherently good is a common mistake.
  2. The nuclear energy industry faced significant opposition in the 1970s, impacting energy policies and environmental outcomes.
  3. While technological progress is vital, it is crucial to acknowledge that technology can have negative impacts that need to be addressed.

Slavery was bad

7095 implied HN points • 25 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics History Economics Slavery Political Discourse Capitalism
  1. Slaveowners among America's founding fathers knew slavery was bad, but still profited from it.
  2. In the early 19th century, the South shifted to viewing slavery as a 'positive good,' leading to political divides and eventually the Civil War.
  3. A new paper by economic historians argues that the costs of slavery far outweighed the benefits, likening enslavement to theft.

Israel's two wars

6427 implied HN points • 02 Nov 23
🌍 World Politics Israel Palestine Conflict Diplomacy Foreign Relations
  1. The conflict in Israel involves two wars - one in Gaza and one in the West Bank.
  2. The Gaza war is seen as just despite its humanitarian toll, while the West Bank conflict is viewed as unjust.
  3. Efforts for a peaceful resolution involve complex political negotiations and the need for international diplomatic intervention.

The "Deaths of Despair" narrative is wrong

7842 implied HN points • 10 Oct 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Public Health Social Trends Policy Analysis Political implications
  1. The 'Deaths of Despair' narrative linking declining life expectancy to social and political trends like right-populist politics has fundamental statistical flaws.
  2. The increase in deaths of despair is mainly due to opioid overdoses and differences in pharmaceutical marketing laws between the US and Europe.
  3. Public health outcomes differing between states can be attributed to the implementation (or lack thereof) of paternalistic health policies.

Bobby, Nikki, Kamala, Vivek, and me

8117 implied HN points • 21 Sep 23
🎭️ Culture Identity Race Representation Inclusion Belonging
  1. Growing up as an Indian American, dealing with stereotypes and insecurity about race was challenging.
  2. Having role models of similar racial backgrounds, like Barack Obama, can help in feeling a sense of belonging and understanding.
  3. Accepting and embracing one's cultural and racial identity, without trying to fit into a mold dictated by societal norms, can lead to self-acceptance and pave the way for future generations.

Why are young liberals so depressed?

8117 implied HN points • 01 Mar 23
🏥 Health & Wellness Mental health Social media Political Ideology Therapy Emotional Well-being Youth Mental Health
  1. The mental health of young liberals is influenced by a mix of factors including social media, politics, and societal issues.
  2. Political ideology plays a role in the mental health of adolescents, with liberal girls showing higher levels of depression.
  3. Encouraging positive emotional responses and avoiding catastrophizing can be beneficial for mental health.

Don't overthink poverty in the United States

5660 implied HN points • 14 Mar 23
🇺🇸 U.S. Politics Poverty Conservatives Social programs
  1. The US welfare state programs are effective but not generous enough, which leads to high poverty rates.
  2. Official poverty measurements may not accurately reflect the impact of anti-poverty programs, resulting in a lack of recognition for progress made in poverty reduction.
  3. Conservative ideas about poverty often focus on high market wages as the solution, ignoring the realities of different vulnerable populations and the effectiveness of welfare programs.