published articles by scott
You Might Not Be Interested in China, But China Is Interested in You
In September of 2019, I was invited to a gathering of Jewish Joe Biden supporters. Rather than ask about Israel, the Iran deal, or frankly anything else Jewish, I asked Biden about China.
The Fed’s Libor Replacement Would Shackle Small Banks
The Federal Reserve’s “solution” for one big problem risks creating another. The task force it convened to study reference rates—the interest-rate benchmarks used to determine rates throughout the economy—aims to impose a new standard to replace the London interbank offered rate, which is due to expire in 2021.
Noah Warns Us On Climate Change
History, like the weekly Torah readings, repeats itself. This much we know. Humans have been impacting the Earth since the first humans became a part of the ecosystem. However, modern society is resisting the unavoidable truth that we have severely damaged that ecosystem that sustains us.
Is the Bible socialist?
Socialism is in the air in America. A majority of millennials prefer socialism to capitalism. Bernie Sanders, a self-declared socialist, may win the Democratic Party nomination for president.
Re-understanding The Story Of Job In 2019
In the aftermath of a season of dam disasters, earthquakes, terrorist attacks and forest fires — not to mention floods and volcanoes — the story of Job is as poignant as ever.
A Contrarian’s View of the Uses, and Abuses, of Free Speech
Most citizens in the United States take the First Amendment guaranteeing freedom of speech as a source of patriotic pride. We have been taught that all speech is protected. Bad speech is overcome with good speech. No matter how much harm speech inflicts, when the First Amendment is in question, the Supreme Court feels it is its duty to defend all speech.
A Jewish Christmas wish: Let’s replace replacement theology once and for all
Jews of my father’s generation, at least a good deal of them, dreaded Christmas. Today my family enjoys the holiday, fearlessly feasting at Chinese restaurants. Jews and Christians now live and celebrate in peace because Christians have largely abandoned replacement theology.
Idolatry is a set of lies about power
On April 26, the last day of the Passover holiday, Jews around the world celebrated not only the Israelites’ escape from the power of the Pharaoh but also the Pharoah’s capitulation to the power of God.
Pharaoh in San Diego
On April 26, the last day of the Passover holiday, Jews around the world celebrated not only the Israelites’ escape from the power of the Pharaoh but also Pharoah’s capitulation to the power of God.
Attacking Religion Is Not 21st Century Progress
In 21 Lessons for the 21st Century, Yuval Harari joins Steven Pinker and Jordan Peterson in proposing lessons to grapple with the challenges of our time.
What is unique about anti-Semitism?
Anti-Semitism is frequently viewed as “the canary in the coal mine.” It signals a more general climate of prejudice that manifests with an increasing hatred of Jews.
Time for Congress to put an end to CECL
The Financial Accounting Standards Board is considered by people who actually do business to be ridiculously out of touch.
Dodd-Frank aided 'too-big-to-fail'; new bank law will halt that
Critics of Wall Street continue to voice loud concerns about the recently passed the Economic Growth, Regulatory Relief and Consumer Protection Act. For those Americans who seek greater competition and less concentration in the banking industry, this opposition is deeply misguided.
The end of the Great American Experiment?
Never before in my life have I been so worried about America. The future of the Great American Experiment, a guiding light for so many inhabitants of this planet, is today uncertain.
Brace for the next US government shutdown
The last US government shutdown was not inevitable. Nor is the next, which will come in just over a week.
The Logical Shortcomings Of Yuval Harari’s ‘Lessons’
Yuval Harari joins Steven Pinker and Jordan Peterson in proposing lessons to grapple with the challenges of this century.
From Nice to Effective: A Metric for Jewish Funders
Charitable giving in the US is in the vicinity of $300 billion per year. While some types of giving lead to immediate improvements, others are more difficult to assess.