Riots, Viruses, ‘Epistocracy,’ and Other Social Diseases

Funny how the COVID-19 crisis has nearly disappeared from the news, after having been the subject of wall-to-wall media attention for three months. Riots have a way of doing that, though the mass rioting doesn't seem to have concentrated the mind of New York Mayor Bill de Blasio very much, fueling further rumors that he really has shot his brains with his heavy reported dope-smoking.

In this special, two-segment edition I catch up with Kelly Jane Torrance, who is nowadays an editorial board member of the great New York Post, and frequent panel guest on "Mornings with Maria" on Fox Business (tomorrow morning, June 4, in fact). Being a brand new resident of Manhattan is shock enough, but to move right before a pandemic quarantine and then rioting is asking a lot!

Then in the second segment you get treated to a recent short talk I gave by Zoom to the Liberty Forum of Silicon Valley, in which I speculate about the potential long-term effects of the political responses to the COVID-19 crisis. I employ the term "epistocracy," which means "rule of the experts," as it is clear there is a drive on the claim more authority for our supposed expert class. Now that's a social disease pandemic we definitely don't need!

Although I only post my opening remarks here (about 15 minutes), if you are interested in hearing (seeing really) the whole event, which included a long question and answer session, the event has been posted in its entirety on YouTube below.