The Birthright Citizenship Ruling Will Create More Conflict over Immigration

The US Supreme Court ruled this week that the twentieth-century interpretation of so-called “birthright citizenship”—i.e., the idea that virtually anyone born inside the territory of the United States is an automatic citizen—is to be upheld. This further solidifies into US law the idea that children born on US soil to visiting foreign nationals—among many other non-citizens—are granted citizenship automatically. 

Why History Refuses to Stay Planned

Modern societies increasingly seek certainty. Governments, corporations, and experts increasingly rely on ever more sophisticated technologies to predict behavior, manage risk, coordinate complex systems, and reduce uncertainty. Artificial intelligence promises unprecedented efficiency. Algorithms detect patterns invisible to the human eye. Vast administrative networks collect and process information on a scale that previous generations could scarcely have imagined.

The Economic Reasons Why Oil Consumers Need to be “Gouged”

In his 6/23 Truth Social post (figure 1), President Trump noted that the prices paid by major American oil companies for foreign crude are falling much faster than the prices of their retail products, and suggested that there is something criminal about this that the Department of Justice (DOJ) needs to look into:

Figure 1: Trump Denounces Oil Price “Gouging”

The Fiat Money Maestro

Former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan passed away last week at the age of 100. Greenspan chaired the Fed from 1987 through 2006.

Despite being a lifelong Republican, Greenspan refused to lower interest rates, though doing so may have helped George H.W. Bush’s 1992 reelection campaign. However, he did tailor monetary policy to support President Clinton’s 1993 budget, as well as the 1997 bipartisan budget deal.