By The Queen of Stuff

Welcome to the latest edition of The Greatest Hits, our free weekly newsletter! Keep reading to catch up on some of the latest member-only content and Ricochet community news. Not a member? Don’t stop reading! This newsletter is a great way to get an idea of all the nifty content you can access once you are. In fact, if you join today, you’ll get your first 14 days free!

 Now, on to the show (so to speak) …

As we worked on the finishing touches for this newsletter, we were only a few hours removed from Ketanji Brown Jackson’s confirmation to the U.S. Supreme Court. While there had been heated debate about how she handled herself during the hearings, we expected she’d get a seat on the court. You may have anticipated that as well. So perhaps you weren’t constantly refreshing Twitter the past few days to get the latest news on her confirmation.

That said, you may have been plenty busy with any number of other things, like Kourtney Kardashian’s secret Vegas wedding. (We kid, we kid.) So, you may not have had time to keep up with the Member Feed. No worries! We picked out a few posts for you to read that cover multiple topics: that pesky billionaire income tax (and federal taxes, period); the latest news about legalizing recreational marijuana; where the battle in Ukraine is headed; and our president’s painfully public moment of being seemingly forgotten. We’re also sharing community news, one of our favorite Main Feed posts, and the comment of the week.

Have family members, friends, or former Ricochet members who’d enjoy this kind of member-only content? Share this newsletter and tell them they can join today and get their first 14 days free. You’ll help grow our community and provide some great conversation starters for your next gathering.

Speaking of being a member, remember: We’ll have a price increase soon. If you renew your membership now, you’ll lock in our current pricing for one more year.

Top Talkers

Nanocelt TheContrarian: ​​Billionaires Tax

… is there any limiting principle on taxation by the Federal government? It appears to me that the answer to the question is a resounding NO. If that is the case, it would seem that in order to establish any limiting principle at all on taxation by the Federal government, a Constitutional Amendment is needed

We love that Nanocelt TheContrarian doesn’t just outline problems with the proposed billionaire income tax and federal taxation itself. (Consider Obamacare, which Nanocelt notes was basically a tax on a lack of prescribed behavior and amusingly points out could be called a Seinfeld tax, “as it is a tax on nothing.”) He also proposes a solution. In a nutshell, Nanocelt would effectively end the federal income tax, which he feels is necessary to preserve federalism. To see exactly how he’d get there (and for a clever Al Capone reference), you’ll have to read the post. 

Kelly D Johnston: New Mexico: Latest Land of Enchanting Pot

There are good arguments for decriminalizing cannabis possession and expunging certain criminal records. And like alcohol consumption, light to moderate pot smoking (among other forms of consumption) isn’t likely to be a big problem. Medical benefits for many people are well documented. But the downsides cannot be ignored.

In this thorough post, Kelly D Johnston explores the latest developments in the legalization of recreational marijuana. He starts with the Marijuana Opportunity Reinvestment and Expungement (MORE) Act, which the House of Representatives passed recently. As Kelly notes, the legislation eliminates criminal penalties for individuals who manufacture, distribute, or possess marijuana. After providing an interesting look at the politics behind the legislation, he summarizes recent findings on how marijuana use affects traffic fatalities, increases in pot smoking in areas where it’s legal, and more.

Joseph Eager: We Are Not Serious In Ukraine 

What is the West’s endgame for Ukraine? That country will never be whole again. Everyone knows it. The Russian and Ukrainian governments have both done things to make that impossible. So what the hell are we doing? What is our endgame? 

Joseph Eager’s frustration is palpable as he questions where the battle in Ukraine is ultimately heading and criticizes the United States, Russia, and Ukraine itself. His perspective will resonate with some but not others, as seen in the comments section. At the center of it all is his assertion that America just isn’t taking the issue seriously. Whether you agree or disagree with Joseph’s take, this short post is worth a read. What’s more, it reminds us of the value of Ricochet as a place to share what’s on your mind and have a conversation about it.

But Wait, There’s More

9thDistrictNeighbor: Wipe Your Feet, Mr. President

Obama was at the White House Tuesday.  I don’t know why, and I don’t really care. This time, however, he wasn’t photographed with his feet on the furniture, he had his feet on Joe Biden.

There’s a chance this post will be on the Main Feed by the time you read this, but we had to include it. You’ve probably seen the clips of President Joe Biden looking forlorn as former President Barack Obama holds court in the Oval Office. But just in case, 9thDistrictNeighbor shares not one but two clips that will make you wince — and brief commentary on both men that had us nodding. 

Pontificate About the Day’s News With Our Editor-in-Chief

There’s a lot going on in the world these days. One of the best ways to keep up is by listening to Ricochet Editor-in-Chief Jon Gabriel’s “The Nightcap.” During this lively live show at 8 p.m. ET/5 p.m. PT Monday through Thursday, Jon reviews the day’s big stories in an interactive environment where you can chat with him. Tune in using the Callin app and let him know what you think about today’s big topics. 

You can subscribe to “The Nightcap” here. Each episode is published on that webpage after it airs.

Main Feed Spotlight

One of the perks of being a Ricochet member is you can post to your heart’s content. Another one: If we promote your post from the Member Feed to the Main Feed, it’s shared on our social media channels. This gives you and your awesome writing some exposure among the masses. 

Here’s one of our favorite Main Feed posts from this past week.

Saint Augustine: The Folly of Massive Debt

If Confucianism, Kipling, and the Bible aren’t enough to convince us that the debt is a real problem, we could go to the Debt Clock and run some numbers on the interest on the debt compared to the national defense budget. We’ll find that the USA is spending about 60% as much money paying interest on the debt as it’s spending on national defense. 

The whole post is good, but that sentence about how much the country is spending paying interest on our $30 trillion debt? That packs a punch. Thank you, Saint Augustine, for pointing to the elephant in the U.S. economy in such an impactful way. America’s massive debt should not be trivialized nor forgotten.

Comment of the Week

The Member Feed isn’t the only thing that keeps people coming back for more at Ricochet. The comments do, too, serving as the backbone of the smart, civil conversation that makes us us. This week’s comment of the week is from David Carroll, pulled from Kelly D Johnston’s post about the latest developments in legalizing recreational marijuana.

Remember, if you know someone who’d enjoy being part of the Ricochet community, we’re offering their first 14 days for free. Invite them to join the conversation today! And if you want to send us feedback on this newsletter, email greatest.hits@ricochet.com. 

See you next week!

P.S. Want us to consider your post for this newsletter? Post by 5 p.m. ET Thursday.