Ricochet is the best place on the internet to discuss the issues of the day, either through commenting on posts or writing your own for our active and dynamic community in a fully moderated environment. In addition, the Ricochet Audio Network offers over 50 original podcasts with new episodes released every day.
My Government, My Election System, and My Kitchen
Charles C.W. Cooke, writing in today’s National Review about the Biden Administration’s plan to ban gas stoves, quoted the apparatchik in charge of the relevant agency as making the following, remarkably stupid, statement:
Justifying the administration’s proposed move, CPSC commissioner Richard Trumka Jr. explained that “products that can’t be made safe can be banned.” What, I wonder, would be excluded from that definition?
Very good question, Charles. A few years ago one of my elderly patients was parking her car at a grocery store and bonked into something. She said she was barely moving, but her airbag deployed, breaking her arm. So airbags are dangerous, right? Well, yes they are, but they can also save your life. But since they “can’t be made safe” we should ban them, right, Comrade Trumka Jr?
Richard Trumka Jr. was appointed Commissioner of the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission by President Biden. You might think that Mr. Trumka Jr. might be uncomfortable with tyrannical power structures, controlling people through the threat of force. You would be mistaken. His father, Richard Trumka Sr., was the president of The United Mine Workers, and later he was president of the AFL-CIO. So it runs in the family, I guess.
Which means that a Democrat president owed a favor to a union thug who helped him get elected, so now I have to change how I cook supper.
Our government is simply out of control.
Just imagine what our founders would think of this. Heck, imagine what FDR would think of this. This is bonkers.
Our government is so insane that it’s hard to envision what it was before, or how we got here.
This is absolutely bonkers.
Published in General
Good point. New twist to being the life of the party?
What are the odds the woke investment class (e.g., Blackrock) will add this to ESG policies. Who needs regulators when corporate media will become a partner with the permanent bureaucracy
This guy always makes good threads. Breitbart of course.
As if on cue, here’s Charlie Cooke’s podcast, in which he interviews Jonathan Adler, professor of law from Case Western Reserve, to discuss the Commerce Clause as it might pertain to a gas stove ban, etc.
I stocked up too for ceiling for and some lamps. I replaced others with LED and have not been impressed. They haven’t lasted as long and are more expensive.
The mulan labe model?
No, I think that our government is evil, in its immorality in supporting things like abortion and sodomy.
I just think that Doc’s argument against this particular hypothetical policy about gas stoves is inadequate and incorrect, though I agree with his conclusion.
I also think that Cooke’s commerce clause argument is either shockingly ignorant or deliberately false. This is not because I think that he is necessarily substantively wrong, but because he fails to see the argument on the other side, at all.
Some commentators here link me to Gary Robbins in this opinion — apparently in an effort to discredit me by association with Gary’s anti-Trump positions, of which I have been one of the most vocal critics.
This is childish. Please, try to actually consider the facts. My comment pointed out that the jurisprudence that Cooke dismissed because, he said, it “doesn’t even merit a counterargument,” appears in an opinion by Justices Rehnquist, Scalia, and Thomas.
Now, you can disagree with their conclusion. That’s fine. But to dismiss their position as not even meriting a counterargument is just, well, either childish, or ignorant, or a flat-out lie. That is very disappointing, from Cooke.
Though not that surprising. Libertarians are quite clueless, as a general rule.
I have never, ever heard of this. They are supposed to last way longer.
I think it depends a lot on manufacturing. I have some LEDs that just keep going and going. And others burning out quickly. The ones that burn out quickly seem like off-brands.
On the subject of the heat that is put out — or not — it was a lot easier to keep my basement warm when I had incandescents in all the overhead lighting. It’s brighter now that I’ve switched to LED, but a LOT colder. Which means I have to use space heaters, and I wonder if the energy saved in LEDs is used up in heating.
I always enjoy reading your rebuttals, Jerry. I know that I will get a well thought contrary view. Keep it coming and don’t get discouraged when you are swimming upriver.
Very interesting. Thank you.
We’ve had quite a few burn out too. I don’t know why. It’s interesting.
And in basements, also mold and mildew control. Lights are a good gentle constant source of heat.
I see some lefties saying that induction is a superior form of cooking as if that’s an actual argument. It’s not convenient unless you are hovering over it and tending it all of the time. Gas and electric are simpler if it’s a type of dish that you don’t need to attend all of the time when you make it. Beyond that I don’t have a big opinion, like what tastes better or whatever.
I would never have induction as my sole cooktop. I think they force it in Europe.
Not my experience with led fluorescent tubes and LED can lightbulbs.
Not bad, except for the disappearing feet.
Any supposed “pushback” is irrelevant. If New Yorkers really wanted to keep their gas stoves etc, they shouldn’t have elected and re-elected Hochul.
Barry Goldwater considered himself more of a Libertarian than any other political persuasion, yet he also proudly wore the Conservative label. Extremes of both factions give the whole a debatable philosophy while contributing to divisions within Republicans.
The Dems went through something similar when the Progressives fought for dominance over the Blue Dogs. Unfortunately for the country, the Progressives won that power play and believe they have full reign to outlaw gas stoves–among many other invasions into our daily lives.
Too many young renters with no dog in the hunt are making monumental decisions for us with no serious knowledge or regard for the long-term consequences.
At least part of the problem might be that the increasing proportion of renters could be intentional.
It may or may not be intentional, but it’s definitely from bad policy. It makes me insane. And I’ll give you a clue, the libertarians didn’t cause it.
If you are unhappy with the growth of socialism and populism , you might look at the root cause.
There isn’t a lot we can do to change Democrats. I suggest we encourage the rebellious nature of Republicans so our governors tell the Feds to shove it.
To the extent it becomes federal, yes. But if the People’s Republics of California, and New York, and others, vote to do this to themselves, they deserve what they get – good and hard.
For years I’ve watched what should be Republican areas slowly becoming Dem victories caused by an increase in Libertarians taken directly from Republican ranks. Washington state is fairly red until the vote starts coming in from downtown Seattle heavily populated by young apartment dwellers. That Seattle vote can be overcome only by Republican determination to counteract Seattle, but there is a strong Libertarian wing up in the North/Northwestern part of the state. In fact, the Libertarians are the third largest party in Washington and in the country.
But you might save on air conditioning
One side-effect of replacing traffic light bulbs with LEDs in cold-weather climates has been that they don’t heat up enough to melt the snow off of them, so in bad weather the signals are obscured. In some places they’ve actually added heating elements.
Personally I’ve found that while the light-emitting element of an LED stays fairly cool, the bases seem to heat up quite a bit.
About a decade ago, when the bulbs were still relatively expensive, I went through and replaced all the canister fixtures/spots in our house with LED bulbs, ands we had a measurable significant reduction ion our electrical usage. I don’t believe I’ve replaced a single one of those bulbs. I have had less luck more recently with the smaller 100-watt replacements. I’ve gone through quite a few of those.
No I don’t!!! I didn’t vote for this bat. 48% of us didn’t. You’re condemning part of the state because a small majority won.
Voting at the ballot box isn’t the end of it. There’s still voting with your feet.
That’s easier to say than to do. I have my job and family here. When the time is right, I may, but taking glee in the plight of conservatives stuck in Liberal states is not so nice.