John T. Reed’s news blog

Apropos of tax law, the word “loophole” is a dysphemism. One observer captured it. “When Congress passes it, it’s an ‘incentive.’ When we use it, it’s a ‘loophole.’”.I am going to put long lists of both euphemisms and dysphemisms in my book on dishonest arguments. They are forbidden words. If you use them, you are dishonest..Is that censorship? Nope. Just calling a spade a spade..Who put me in charge? You, if you claimed to be honest. If you claim to be honest but use euphemisms or dysphemisms you engaged in false advertising or something similar. .The purpose of euphemisms and dysphemisms...

How much of the reaction to Charlie Rose is plain old ageism?In 2013, Brent Musurger got into big trouble. Here is what the New York Times said at the time.‘On Tuesday morning, commentary on the broadcast of the Bowl Championship Series national title game between Alabama and Notre Dame included words like “creepy,” “awkward,” “uncomfortable” and “heteronormative.” ‘The subject was not Alabama’s 42-14 victory, but comments made during the game by the ESPN play-by-play announcer Brent Musburger regarding the girlfriend of Alabama quarterback A J McCarron. In the first quarter, ESPN showed McCarron’s girlfriend, Katherine Webb, who was sitting near...

These sex scandals are conflating sexual behavior which is criminal with sexual behavior that is eyebrow-raising with sexual behavior that is legal, if inept, tin-ear seduction.• It is illegal to have sex with someone who is under the age of consent in the state in question, and should be.• It is illegal to force someone of any age to have sex with you when they do not want to.• It is unethical and maybe illegal for a gatekeeper to convey to a job applicant that they must put out on the casting couch to possibly attain a sought-after position.• It...

Black Friday’s Wall Street Journal had an article comparing prices for certain toys at Target, Wal-Mart, and Amazon during recent days. They were bouncing around but tracking and matching each other to the penny.   So if you believe that Amazon is aways the cheapest, you have been successfully conned by Amazon.   Secondly, these three companies have gotten themselves into a horrible Hobbsean conundrum. With the internet letting people always find the lowest price, retailers are forced to offer it or lose the sale.   Retailers who sell products that cannot be bought anywhere else make their living off...

Trump has let the military make more decisions closer to the front or at least out of the White House.That’s great. I have written that should have been done in 1950 and Vietnam and all our other wars since.https://johntreed.com/…/68975107-the-current-wars-are-lieut…But a couple of caveats. Who are these military guys who are suddenly going to make decisions? Guys who never made such decisions before in their careers because of White House micromanaging? Guys who never won a war in their entire careers? Guys who have never been in a result-oriented organization in their entire lives?So surely the decisions made by the people...