Notices by Steve Randy Waldman (interfluidity@zirk.us)

“Western Europe Is Richer Than the US” by #MattBruenig https://peoplespolicyproject.org/2026/08/04/western-europe-better-off-us/

// Bruenig’s ability to cut through a noisy argument with the most straightforward possible case is unmatched.

This is excellent, by #JohannKurtz https://becomingnoble.substack.com/p/young-adults-are-poor-despite-every

“In an ideal world, all public transport would be free and plentiful. In our less-than-ideal reality, it seems obvious to me that public transport should above all be simple.” @Edent https://shkspr.mobi/blog/2026/07/public-transport-dont-make-me-think/

does anybody make a case for crypto anymore or is it just there because it’s there now?

@jeffcliff @polarizing_is_bad i devoted several years of my life to an idealistic version of crypto that, as far as i can tell, has simply disappeared. perhaps, sure, i'm in some kind of ghetto and not seeing it. but i sure used to see it. https://www.interfluidity.com/files/EthSV-engineering-economic-security-2014-06-29.pdf https://www.interfluidity.com/uploads/2017/04/small-biz-crypto-light-edit-to-publish.pdf https://www.interfluidity.com/uploads/2018/03/TokenizedRealEstate-light-edit-to-share.pdf https://www.interfluidity.com/uploads/2019/08/sbt-ethereum-presentation-2019-08-29.pdf https://www.interfluidity.com/v2/7153.html

@jeffcliff @polarizing_is_bad ethereum is proof-of-stake, no miserable power usage / environmental footprint. proof-of-work crypto i think is pretty indefensible. i have no idea what platforms various briefly popular than rugpulled memecoins most used.

“the ‘unitary executive’ is, quite simply, incompatible with a theory of checks and balances.” @AshaRangappa

// she proposes a fourth branch under which the “independent agencies” would sit. lots of details to think about, but a useful idea.

https://asharangappa.substack.com/p/we-need-a-fourth-branch

@SteveRoth's work on wealth accumulation and concentration is amazing and you should all check it out. https://wealtheconomics.substack.com/p/the-magnum-opus-is-out

“That is the logic of virtuous violence. Violence comes to feel not merely expedient but righteous because it is cast as protecting one’s own side, restoring order, and ending chaos. In doing so, however, it denies the humanity of those being attacked.” https://thebulletin.org/2026/05/why-congress-and-senior-officials-must-deny-trump-a-nuclear-escape-in-iran/

it may be the end of the world, but our description of it qualifies as a gripping page-turner. preorder now. (quickly, please.)

the kid always complains that he has no free time even though he spends hours video gaming. it’s what he wants to do with his free time, but it’s an activity that doesn’t psychologically register as free time to him. he often describes it as “grinding”.

One common definition of democracy (I’m sorry I don’t offhand know the attribution) is “democracy is the system under which political parties lose elections”. I think that needs to be augmented, “along with free entry of political parties able to meaningfully contest elections”.

“Americans have to reacquaint themselves with constitutional thinking — with the idea that we, the people, make constitutional meaning. To the extent that the Supreme Court claims broad authority to say what our Constitution means, it is in large part because we have given this authority to them through our indifference.” @jbouie https://www.nytimes.com/2026/05/06/opinion/callais-voting-rights-act-discrimination.html

it would have been bad if either the Hatfields or the McCoys had nuclear bombs.

@light @ntnsndr @KevinCarson1 not exactly what you are after, but ESOPs are a related idea https://www.esop.org/

thinking of housing shortage in terms of raw numbers of homes is just stupid, because homes aren’t fungible. scatter 40 million new homes across the tundra of Alaska and you’ll do nothing to address housing miseries. build a neighborhood 50,000 people are excited to live in and you’ll do a lot more. https://www.washingtonpost.com/business/2026/02/04/us-housing-shortage-millions/

they hate us for our freedoms.

i like to sign up for expensive classes so i can have the pleasure of skipping school again.

if you want to get shit done, rather than a “strong man”, instead of autocracy, have you considered a democratically elected unicameral legislature which directly appoints and can remove the executive?

An amazingly rich and thorough long read on rent control as an institution and the importance of security of tenure to the formation of public goods like vibrant and secure neighborhoods, by @phillmv.

One of the best things I’ve ever read on rent control and the issues surrounding it.

https://okayfail.com/2018/rent-control-great-security-of-tenure.html