"Write-Off" Candidates and the Media

I just heard an interesting detail about covering political campaigns. News companies have a limited number of reporters to cover events, and they have to carefully distribute their resources. Each additional candidate requires more people, so the media has to choose a small number of candidates, (three at most, preferably two). Those candidates receive coverage, and the rest are essentially ignored.

This is why we get "write-off" candidates every campaign: the media picks the candidates that they decide can win. Often times they're right, most candidates don't have a chance. But this effect should bring chills to people who believe in Democrazy.

Post Office ISP

The Post Office should become an Internet Service Provider. It could help with rural Internet-ification, would provide competition, and would create a function for an increasingly irrelevant part of the government. 

Of course, the Post Office should stop delivering mass mailings at a loss, as well.. I assume this is the case because politicians like to do mass mailings.

Neither of these things will happen until we get a progressive government, so we may have to wait a while.

Taxes Take Away Happiness

Regardless of how much money a person makes, they think that if they make 10% more, that will take care of their problems, or allow them to be happy. This is not true. More money does not increase happiness, unless the person is being brought up from poverty, which creates genuine improvements in quality of life.

I think this ten percent rule is part of why there is so much resentment to our relatively low tax rates in America. The government isn't just taking away 10% of your money, it's taking away your happiness. No wonder people resent it.