Ricochet

If you lean anywhere from the center to the right in the political landscape, you might be weary of the common stereotypes that circulate: that conservatives lack intelligence, have no humor, are out of touch with culture, or don’t care about the underprivileged, science, or minority groups. These stereotypes are clearly untrue. But how can we change people’s minds? Instead of just telling them, we believe in showing them. That’s the mission at Ricochet. We delve into a wide range of important topics—not only politics, which we are passionate about, but also economics, global issues, social matters, religion, entertainment, race, history, the military, science and technology, gender, literature, philosophy, family, sports, and cooking. Whatever the subject, we engage in it with humor, insight, and respect. Our mission is clear: to offer you the finest center-right discussions available. We have brought together a talented group of center-right voices, including our founders Peter Robinson and Rob Long, and contributors such as Pat Sajak, James Lileks, Richard Epstein, Victor Davis Hanson, Dennis Prager, Jim Pethokoukis, John Yoo, Amity Shlaes, Tevi Troy, Nathan Harden, Rick Wilson, and many more. They engage with you through articles and podcasts. But you play a crucial role too. So join us today and become part of the conversation!

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The Reason for DOGE-Fraud, Waste, and Abuse (Member Post)

1 week ago | ricochet.com | Bob Thompson

And I’m sure there are more reasons than listed in the title. One might be the failures by the Government Accountability Office (GAO). I’m not a certified public accountant but I do have an accounting degree and a lifetime career working in financial institutions, so I kinda know what an audit is. Here’s a headline from an article today at RedState by Ward Clark:Busted: Fed Budget Analyst Cops to Embezzling $657K – and There Are Many More Doing the Same
Why Reciprocal Trade Negotiations Will Fail | Richard Epstein (Member Post)

1 week ago | ricochet.com | Richard Epstein

The latest bulletins from the trade wars report Trump’s ultimate surrender in his ill-fated efforts to depose Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for his steadfast refusal to lower interest rates to offset the massive short-term costs from the Trump tariff program.
For All You White Male Christian Cis-Gender Macho MAGA Men Out There (Member Post)

2 weeks ago | ricochet.com | Brian Watt

This one is for you. Sometimes removing a corrupt and dishonest bureaucrat is like removing a tick that burrows further into the skin. One quite nasty pest, Susan Rice, managed to burrow into the Defense Policy Board Advisory Committee sometime before President Trump’s inauguration, presumably still with Top Secret clearance since she was a former national security advisor and, for a time, a prospect to become the secretary of state.
View ‘Consumer Sentiment’ Surveys Skeptically (Member Post)

2 weeks ago | ricochet.com | Dennis Kneale

Are Surveys About the Economy Really About Political Views? The headline writers pounced on the plunge in the University of Michigan’s (UMich) much-watched index for consumer sentiment on April 11th. Almost gleefully so. “Consumer sentiment tumbles in April as inflation fears spike” (CNBC.com) and “Extends Plunge as Price Expectations Soar” (Bloomberg). The Wall Street Journal, “‘From Anxious to Petrified’: Consumer Sentiment Plunges Further.”Petrified? Maybe we should lighten up.
A.I. my A.S. (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | Douglas Pratt

AI is already plaguing artistic endeavors, writing, and many other fields of human activity. I’ve seen audiobooks appear on Audible narrated by “Virtual Voice,” and others from other publishers. The reviews seem to be universally negative. So I guess the business case is “Good, fast, cheap: pick two.”Last week I got a look at how AI is encroaching on my craft. I got an offer to participate in a beta-testing program.
The Cabinet Checks In (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | James Lileks

This compilation of Tweets details what the Cabinet members announced today. Said the tweet author, “One by one, Cabinet members reported directly to the people. Here is a recap by department and I’m not joking when I say the best are towards the end.”With the exception of Rubio’s remarks on Iran, I don’t think there’s a single thing uttered that would have been spoken by a Cabinet member under a Harris administration. In fact, you’d probably get an inversion of every initiative.
Biblical Grace: The Change We Don’t Want (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | Mark Eckel

In her letters Flannery O’Connor stated,“All human nature vigorously resists grace because grace changes us and change is painful”O’Connor’s ideas track with biblical truth. Grace is an undeserved, God-given gift, rescuing us from sin; but we like sin and don’t want to change. Grace is not something of our own doing, it is not a result of human work, but we like our individual attainments and don’t want to change.
Lucky She Hasn’t Been Court-Martialled (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | Brian Watt

Please note that members of the military and, in particular, commissioned officers can be relieved of duty by the Secretary of Defense and the Commander-in-Chief at any time. They don’t need to provide a reason or an extensive explanation of why they are doing so. And as much as this action may irritate them, they don’t need the permission of egomaniacal district court judges.
Instant Inflation (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | James Lileks

Put some items in my Amazon cart last night, didn’t check out. Wanted to see if I still wanted them in the clear unsparing light of day. Called up the cart tonight, and every item – USB cords, a sweatshirt, a power converter – had increased in price by a dollar. The presumption, I gather, is that the replacement cost of the items will be greater in the future. It makes me want to scour Amazon for everything made offshore that I know I will need, and buy it now before the price leaps up again.
What is America’s Future? (Member Post)

1 month ago | ricochet.com | Bob Thompson

I know this is unpredictable. But my view of the possibilities has certainly shifted with what I have observed since the re-election of Donald Trump. Some thought to call Trump’s second term a lame duck term, whatever that would mean to different people. I don’t think such a term really applies to Trump under any circumstances. It usually seems to mean a difference in behavior depending on whether a future election is in store or not, but I have never seen that in Trump’s behavior or potential.