Blog Roundup

1. "Profits Over Principles?," by Jaana Woiceshyn (How to be Profitable and Moral):

The fact that there are others who don't follow moral principles in business (or in other fields) does not make a good case for doing the same. It is possible for such companies to make short-term gains by ignoring principles, such as honesty and justice. But clients and employees who are worth keeping will abandon companies that mislead, don't trade value for value, and ignore other moral principles. These clients and employees will seek out companies that strive to act on principle. Fortunately, they are the majority, as the long record of profitable production and trade of goods and services of many such companies attests. (See the Acquired podcast for some inspiring examples)...

770 words/3 minutes

2. "5 Steps to Emotional Presence," by Jean Moroney (Thinking Directions):

The people who seem to know the most about emotional presence are athletes, actors, and new-age mystics. They all see it as crucial to being able to perform at a high level. Unfortunately, none of them explain it very well. The idea is elusive because it involves physical, cognitive, and emotional elements. Putting some of the vague ideas floating around together with the substantive work of Marshall Rosenberg and F.M. Alexander, plus the Objectivist view of free will, I've worked out a 5-step process that is the best method to bring myself into a poised state.

810 words/3 minutes

3. "Anarcho-Capitalism in History," by Harry Binswanger (Value for Value):

In Trump's "mind," America is a nation of manufacturers. And manufacturing, he believes, has declined. Actually, American manufacturing output is setting new records. But employment in manufacturing has declined. That's good. It means America can manufacture more efficiently -- i.e., with less labor -- i.e., at lower cost. And the workers liberated by that increase in efficiency are now doing other work.

But the point of this post is that if we had been losing manufacturing output due to the rise of more efficient producers in other countries, that would have been grounds for celebration.

1010 words/5 minutes

4. "The Dark Form of Control Even Anti-Abortion 'Moderates' Want," by Ben Bayer (New Ideal):

Few who oppose abortion because they oppose sexual agency are likely to admit it or even realize it. But we know there's a widespread Puritanical idea that sex is dirty and vicious unless it serves a procreative end. People grow up absorbing the article of faith that sex is shameful from a variety of religious traditions. And it's influential: even secular Americans are bashful about sex compared to Europeans. So we shouldn't be surprised if sexual shame motivates opposition to abortion and even leads some to claim abortion as murder as a proxy for it.

1060 words/6 minutes

-- CAV