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My intrepid Mercatus Center colleague Veronique de Rugy gives good reasons for us Americans to give thanks [2]. A slice:
While millions of manufacturing and other “middle-skill” jobs have disappeared, that decline has been more than offset by an increase in the number of high-skilled jobs. In fact, a look at the data reveals that while the middle class has indeed thinned out, it’s because more and more Americans are joining the upper class, a phenomenon that we should applaud. Meanwhile, the share of the low-income households has shrunk over the years.
David Boaz is also thankful [3].
Larry Reed is rightly thankful for the profit motive [4].
George Will gives thanks for what the late Philip Roth called the “indigenous American berserk. [5]”
Alberto Mingardi asks “Who are the elites? [6]”
But politics in a republic is almost never about unity. Rather, politics is the art of negotiating differences. Democracy is about disagreement, not agreement. When a politician says that “the time for debate is over” or “let’s put politics aside,” they’re really saying “shut up” to those who disagree.
Artificial intelligence is likely like electricity [8].