I'm 6'4" (and change, if I'm feeling needy) and have a very hard time squeezing into airplane seats. As much as I agree with Peter about the banal evils of the TSA, I still kinda like flying. We grew up poor and only ever flew when my grandparents would pay for us to come over to the States to visit, so I still associate it with fun, adventure, and luxury.
On the other hand, I'll be solo-parenting my three kids (inc. baby) on a flight to Australia in two weeks, which might change my mind.
I was introduced to Megan by the Dispatch Podcast and I have been a fan of Josh since listening him host LRC and Serious Trouble. I was not prepared for Peter, I have been a Wisconsinite for my entire drinking life, that was a level of booze nerdery I didn't know existed. I loved the fact that while bourbon was mentioned, the discussion didn't digress into a love or hate fest of the American spirit.
Can we get more of the spouses on the podcast and also make Peter a regular?
Regarding air travel, I feel like there is one topic that was missed. Why is it always the old people with the jumbo iPad watching content innapropriate to be watching in public, like Congressman Brad Sherman recently?
I shook my fist in impotent rage when Ben associated open borders with communism.
I don't think open borders would work in a communist system, right? It increases the demands for resources without meaningfully contributing to productivity.
As much as open borders radicalism has been associated with the far left, it's actually a much more conservative or libertarian position, as well as the default position in US immigration policy until . . . 1880? Even until the early 20th century, we let almost anyone in--as Peter suggested--so long as they weren't sick.
The open borders issue has an interesting tie-in to last episode's discussion of rent control: Rent control seems necessary because misguided policy efforts to improve quality of housing and preserve land-owners' investments decrease availability and increase cost of housing. Rent control is a government provided answer to a government created problem.
The housing shortage affects recent immigrants disproportionately because they tend to be poorer, but there are a lot of other examples of how government "solutions" have made it seem like immigration is a bad thing, rather than an almost unmitigated good. The biggest one is occupational licensing creates significant barriers to entry, which makes it much harder for recent immigrants to start their own businesses, build wealth, support their children, and contribute to the economy even more than they already do.
Another is healthcare and health insurance: Because the government long ago tied health insurance to employment, there's very little competition in the health insurance market, which drives up costs. We also regulate the hell out of medicine itself, which does the same thing there. Regulations have priced poor people out of low cost preventative care and low-cost insurance against medical catastrophes, so they end up skipping preventative care, developing catastrophic problems, the costs of which are then socialized.
Big picture: The only reason open borders policy is bad is because for generations we've encouraged or tolerated our government making a series of increasingly bad decisions. Rather than asking the government to do more to fix the problem, we should ask the government to do LESS and stop creating it.
LOL to our short kings. I love you both Ben and Josh but yes it is a little difficult to be tall in this context. I have to duck when boarding, when walking through the aisles if the doors are open, etc.
Regarding the negative perceptions of increased Haitian migration to Springfield, OH, wouldn't a centrist position be to point out the benefit of an injection of labor force and resulting economic activity and tax revenues after years of a declining labor pool and economic base? Mr. Suderman should appreciate a market based solution to the inconveniences of modern air travel such as height disadvantaged travelers being able to sell their unused space to more height advantaged travelers. ;-)
Agreed. My thoughts exactly. My understanding of Springfield is that it was pretty much a dying or dead town before the Haitians arrived to fill a labor shortage caused by city efforts to grow. True, the schools were impacted, but here in California, schools in any desirable and growing area (such as in Clovis) are impacted until new schools are built and more teachers are hired. Overall, immigrants are economically vital to a robust economy. And at my age (64) I am keenly aware that tax-paying immigrants are helping to fund Social Security.
I agree the public doesn't love mass immigration, yet they like the effects of mass immigration. I think when the economy is booming, the public loves the effects of mass immigration and most people probably don't think about it much when prices are stable. But currently, all the presidents ass-lickers are trying to implement Trump's celebrity apprentice theory of economics so the public view of mass immigration now is understandable.
Suderman noted that the economy is struggling, and he specified high meat prices as one example. I agree that meat prices are high, but I disagree that meat prices are up because it's hard to hire labor because most of the labor is immigrants. I don't think meat packers are having that trouble hiring. I lived in Sioux City, IA working in the wholesale meat business and major packing plants are located there. Also, my mother-in-law works at Tyson plant in the area. From what I've heard, the plant workers hours have been cut quite a bit, which doesn't indicate a shortage of labor. What's more, this time of year is usually very very busy. To the point where they speed up the line at the processing pants to bunny fast.
I'm not sure about the nationwide issue of immigrant labor but I think the tariffs and other production factors have more to do with higher meat prices than immigrant labor.
First, I love this podcast. Great hosts, great discussions.
MTG: I am not sure I trust her sudden change of heart, but it if is real, she should stick around in Congress to help clean up the mess she greatly participated in making, not bail out.
I agree with Megan that Trump must be beaten at the ballot box, but I also believe that trying to share an alternate message in whatever lawful way is open to you is a viable strategy so that voters are better informed. For example, I think protests are useful if for no other reason than they show that there are a lot of people who do not buy the BS. It helps to crack through the MAGA echo chamber. I totally agree, however, that most people are not paying attention because they are busy living their lives. For this reason, I try to keep myself educated and fact-based about what is going on and share those facts on social media when I can. Am I making a difference? Maybe not. But I feel that if I remain silent in the face of untruths, then I am part of the problem.
I did a fun story on the tradeoffs of air travel now v then: https://www.marketplace.org/story/2024/06/04/air-travel-wasnt-always-so-miserable-or-so-cheap
I'm 6'4" (and change, if I'm feeling needy) and have a very hard time squeezing into airplane seats. As much as I agree with Peter about the banal evils of the TSA, I still kinda like flying. We grew up poor and only ever flew when my grandparents would pay for us to come over to the States to visit, so I still associate it with fun, adventure, and luxury.
On the other hand, I'll be solo-parenting my three kids (inc. baby) on a flight to Australia in two weeks, which might change my mind.
I was introduced to Megan by the Dispatch Podcast and I have been a fan of Josh since listening him host LRC and Serious Trouble. I was not prepared for Peter, I have been a Wisconsinite for my entire drinking life, that was a level of booze nerdery I didn't know existed. I loved the fact that while bourbon was mentioned, the discussion didn't digress into a love or hate fest of the American spirit.
Can we get more of the spouses on the podcast and also make Peter a regular?
Regarding air travel, I feel like there is one topic that was missed. Why is it always the old people with the jumbo iPad watching content innapropriate to be watching in public, like Congressman Brad Sherman recently?
I shook my fist in impotent rage when Ben associated open borders with communism.
I don't think open borders would work in a communist system, right? It increases the demands for resources without meaningfully contributing to productivity.
As much as open borders radicalism has been associated with the far left, it's actually a much more conservative or libertarian position, as well as the default position in US immigration policy until . . . 1880? Even until the early 20th century, we let almost anyone in--as Peter suggested--so long as they weren't sick.
The open borders issue has an interesting tie-in to last episode's discussion of rent control: Rent control seems necessary because misguided policy efforts to improve quality of housing and preserve land-owners' investments decrease availability and increase cost of housing. Rent control is a government provided answer to a government created problem.
The housing shortage affects recent immigrants disproportionately because they tend to be poorer, but there are a lot of other examples of how government "solutions" have made it seem like immigration is a bad thing, rather than an almost unmitigated good. The biggest one is occupational licensing creates significant barriers to entry, which makes it much harder for recent immigrants to start their own businesses, build wealth, support their children, and contribute to the economy even more than they already do.
Another is healthcare and health insurance: Because the government long ago tied health insurance to employment, there's very little competition in the health insurance market, which drives up costs. We also regulate the hell out of medicine itself, which does the same thing there. Regulations have priced poor people out of low cost preventative care and low-cost insurance against medical catastrophes, so they end up skipping preventative care, developing catastrophic problems, the costs of which are then socialized.
Big picture: The only reason open borders policy is bad is because for generations we've encouraged or tolerated our government making a series of increasingly bad decisions. Rather than asking the government to do more to fix the problem, we should ask the government to do LESS and stop creating it.
Very fair point!
LOL to our short kings. I love you both Ben and Josh but yes it is a little difficult to be tall in this context. I have to duck when boarding, when walking through the aisles if the doors are open, etc.
Excuse me. I am not a "short king." I am 5'10", the most normal height possible.
Regarding the negative perceptions of increased Haitian migration to Springfield, OH, wouldn't a centrist position be to point out the benefit of an injection of labor force and resulting economic activity and tax revenues after years of a declining labor pool and economic base? Mr. Suderman should appreciate a market based solution to the inconveniences of modern air travel such as height disadvantaged travelers being able to sell their unused space to more height advantaged travelers. ;-)
Agreed. My thoughts exactly. My understanding of Springfield is that it was pretty much a dying or dead town before the Haitians arrived to fill a labor shortage caused by city efforts to grow. True, the schools were impacted, but here in California, schools in any desirable and growing area (such as in Clovis) are impacted until new schools are built and more teachers are hired. Overall, immigrants are economically vital to a robust economy. And at my age (64) I am keenly aware that tax-paying immigrants are helping to fund Social Security.
I agree the public doesn't love mass immigration, yet they like the effects of mass immigration. I think when the economy is booming, the public loves the effects of mass immigration and most people probably don't think about it much when prices are stable. But currently, all the presidents ass-lickers are trying to implement Trump's celebrity apprentice theory of economics so the public view of mass immigration now is understandable.
Suderman noted that the economy is struggling, and he specified high meat prices as one example. I agree that meat prices are high, but I disagree that meat prices are up because it's hard to hire labor because most of the labor is immigrants. I don't think meat packers are having that trouble hiring. I lived in Sioux City, IA working in the wholesale meat business and major packing plants are located there. Also, my mother-in-law works at Tyson plant in the area. From what I've heard, the plant workers hours have been cut quite a bit, which doesn't indicate a shortage of labor. What's more, this time of year is usually very very busy. To the point where they speed up the line at the processing pants to bunny fast.
I'm not sure about the nationwide issue of immigrant labor but I think the tariffs and other production factors have more to do with higher meat prices than immigrant labor.
First, I love this podcast. Great hosts, great discussions.
MTG: I am not sure I trust her sudden change of heart, but it if is real, she should stick around in Congress to help clean up the mess she greatly participated in making, not bail out.
I agree with Megan that Trump must be beaten at the ballot box, but I also believe that trying to share an alternate message in whatever lawful way is open to you is a viable strategy so that voters are better informed. For example, I think protests are useful if for no other reason than they show that there are a lot of people who do not buy the BS. It helps to crack through the MAGA echo chamber. I totally agree, however, that most people are not paying attention because they are busy living their lives. For this reason, I try to keep myself educated and fact-based about what is going on and share those facts on social media when I can. Am I making a difference? Maybe not. But I feel that if I remain silent in the face of untruths, then I am part of the problem.