The Rational Independent

https://www.businessinsider.com/student-loan-forgiveness-blocked-financial-disaster-debt-relief-elizabeth-warren-2023-2 The federal student loan program is an unmitigated catastrophe. This multi-headed dragon of an issue has recently returned to the main conversation when President Biden issued a unilateral “forgiveness” to student load borrowers via an executive action. Several lawsuits and an injunction later, here we are with the case being argued in front of the Supreme Court. My 2 cents on a Business Insider article regarding a report released by Senator Warren on the impact of cancelling President Biden’s “forgiveness”. Enjoy! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

History is replete with examples of male oriented (Patriarchal) tyranny. But we find ourselves confronted with the other side of the coin: matriarchal tyranny. Couched in the language of compassion and protection of the innocent we are flirting with a power structure that could rip us apart completely. A great example of this dangerous concoction of ideas is when a group of protesters use chants of “Shame” and “Safety” to try to shut down a speech. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/23/he-should-be-apologizing-critics-call-out-trumps-lie-to-east-palestine-residents/ Some days I’d like to pick my own topics, but this series always takes the top article on r/politics, so once more we return to the world of East Palestine and how a chemical spill there is Trump’s fault. To their credit, the author from Salon actually included some quotes from a Republican (negative towards Trump, of course) and some language that implies the Biden administration holds some blame as well. That was a shock. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.businessinsider.com/donald-trump-donates-trump-branded-water-to-east-palestine-2023-2 Apparently if you roll back the Lightbringer’s regulations then train accidents that happen after you are no longer president are certainly your fault. Also, negative externalities are a real thing that can be mitigated through law and regulation, but implementing those laws and regulations can have their own negative externalities. Like handing a blowtorch to a five year old, safety third! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

If you don’t stand for something, you’ll fall for anything…Let’s talk about it. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.businessinsider.com/bernie-sanders-say-its-time-for-four-day-work-week-2023-2 Should the US go to a four day workweek? Probably. Should the Federal Government mandate a 32 hour “full-time” workweek? NO!

All this and a reminder of one of the best episodes from “The Office” as we discuss Bernie Sanders’ latest initiative. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.rollingstone.com/politics/politics-news/trump-putin-biden-ukraine-russia-1234683165/ In today’s Reddit Rant, we discuss how President Biden’s surprise visit to Ukraine prompts an article discussing Donald Trump’s disagreements with former advisors and other rivals in the GOP Primary. Seems an odd segue but let’s see if we can find some interesting tidbits. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.theguardian.com/media/2023/feb/20/fox-news-dominion-voting-systems-defamation-case-analysis In today’s Reddit Rant, I am commenting on an article in the Guardian discussing Dominion Voting Systems’ Motion for Summary Judgement requesting $1.6B in damages for defamation. Do they have a solid claim? Is this a historic, earth-shattering precedent? Maybe. Let’s chat about it. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

In today’s livestream we discuss the mission of this channel and we finish the conversation we started on Wednesday regarding why Salon (and its ilk) exist in the media ecosystem. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/16/stunning-reporters-uncovered-matt-gaetz-evidence-baffled-after-doj-drops-trafficking-case/ Today’s Reddit Rant we discuss the recent allegations swirling around Congressman Matt Gaetz. Apparently there is a fair amount of evidence that Representative Gaetz really likes to have sex with college age girls and that at one point he had sex with a girl who was 17 at the time, a violation of federal law. We discuss these allegations and how they fit into the broader narrative both politically and culturally. Happy Friday everyone. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://truthout.org/articles/democrats-introduce-bill-to-quadruple-corporate-stock-buyback-tax/ Today’s Reddit Rant focuses on an article from an outlet I’m less familiar with: thruthout.org. Based on what I read today it appears they have a minor conspiratorial bent and a desire to foment a little class envy. At first glance an article discussing raising the taxes on corporate stock buybacks seems like a snooze fest. I give you a brief rundown of what they are, why they can be bad but also why they have a legitimate purpose. Regardless of whether or not you think buybacks are good or bad, it’s worth discussing the proposed reason for them (inflation) and the planned remedy for them (higher taxes) as presented in the article. Let me know what you think! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/15/its-about-control-not-protection-would-rather-kids-be-shot-than-let-them-read-books/ I don’t intend to waste my life arguing semantics with a paid narrative spreader. Beginning to prep for my Deep Dive on Salon by reasoning through what we’re dealing with and what level of conflict deserves my main focus. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.salon.com/2023/02/15/its-about-control-not-protection-would-rather-kids-be-shot-than-let-them-read-books/ In today’s Reddit Rant we can’t really discuss the recent article from Salon on gun control and censorship. I just don’t have the time this morning to dissect this steaming pile of nonsense. I will do a Deep Dive segment later this week or next week depending on my personal schedule. If you take this kind of article as anything more than inflammatory partisan garbage I struggle to respect you as a thinking person. Cheerful thoughts on this snowy day. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2023/feb/13/african-american-studies-republican-ban-florida In today’s Reddit Rant we discuss an article from The Guardian. I found it to be a full-throated anthem supportive of critical race theory and all its attendant philosophical dross. It attacks legislative initiatives to curb critical race theory as Orwellian censorship efforts. While I cede the point that government efforts to censor speech are dangerous at the best of times, I offer a counter-proposal that should protect the rights of parents to protect their children while allowing authors promoting CRT and other disgusting ideas to speak. Check it out and let me know what you think. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

During yesterday’s livestream we attempted a deep dive into the roots of Diversity Equity and Inclusion when viewed through the lens of their Marxist origins. Heavy topic but worth unpacking. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.newsweek.com/lauren-boebert-upset-about-black-national-anthem-super-bowl-1780674 Today’s Reddit Rant focuses on a Newsweek article ostensibly about a Super Bowl controversy. You see, a scary rightwing extremist TWEETED to say they disagreed with a song performance at the big game. Somehow that turns into an article in the “News” section of Newsweek and trending to the top page of r/politics on Reddit. We try to find some substance in our analysis of this teapot tempest. Enjoy! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

Excerpt from our Livestream 2/8/2023 Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365

https://www.cbsnews.com/news/george-santos-house-democrats-resolution-remove-from-congress/ Today’s Reddit Rant focuses on George Santos, an alleged conman who lied his way into office in the last election cycle. CVS news is famous for a leftwing bent, but this article strikes me as fair, raising reasonable objections and discussing the attempt by the Democratic Minority caucus to expel him. When you’re too big of a liar for Congress, that’s saying something! Let me know if you want me to do a deep dive on George Santos. I try to avoid the personal in political analysis, but there could be some interesting nuggets there. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

Brief excerpt from a recent livestream: https://rumble.com/v28uvqa-tri-282023-livestream-mentorships-and-transformational-education.html Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

https://www.businessinsider.com/ukraine-war-scale-out-of-proportion-with-nato-planning-cavoli-2023-2 Today’s Reddit Rant we have an article from Business Insider regarding the Ukraine/Russia war. Believe it or not this is a good article! It has direct quotes, simple but well-founded data and draws some conclusions that are well reasoned. It’s a miracle! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

Today’s livestream we dig into the decline of apprenticeship programs and other types of 1:1 male mentorship and education. The loss of this support makes it much harder for men to engage in transformational education. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

https://www.usatoday.com/story/opinion/columnist/2023/02/08/state-union-biden-deflects-republican-heckling-sarah-huckabee-sanders/11202538002/ USA Today wrote an article describing last night’s State of the Union address in ridiculously glowing terms for Dear Leader. What a shock that you almost always tell the type of coverage you’re going to read just by identifying the outlet it came from. If journalism is about uncovering truth, why do all the journalists conform their coverage to pre-arranged narratives? Also, SOTU pageantry is gross. These are regular people, not “elites”. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

Oh Newsweek, how the mighty have fallen. Suddenly a duly elected member of the House is evil incarnate because someone tweeted their sadness. Funny how “our democracy is in danger” only applies when you want your guy to get elected. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

UBI is a misguided treatment plan for a real societal symptom. We discuss the underpinning issues that drive a society towards something like UBI and propose a better solution. Enjoy! Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent

Over the weekend the Grammys happened. Apparently there was a singer who dressed up like a devil to shock “conservatives”. And dutifully, Ted Cruz expressed his shock, calling the performance evil. It’s so easy to talk past each other when you view the world through different paradigms. Ted Cruz espouses an objective moral universe, with a divine creator opposed by a corruptor. So it’s entirely consistent for him to identify actions that support the corruptor as “evil”. Conversely, the author seems to support a more subjective view of truth, and prioritizes the freedom of the individual to express “their truth”. So both sides get to critique the other, while explaining away the opposing critique as beside the point and no progress is made except to further entrench the opposing viewpoints. A lightweight article with very little substance; sound and fury, signifying nothing. Follow TRI on other platforms for livestreams and conversation. Twitter: @TRIDaily Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/TheRationalIndependent/ Rumble: https://rumble.com/c/c-324365 YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@TheRationalIndependent