Disqus - Latest Comments for peterbowerman

Re: My Elder’s Misguided Prayer on “Starvation Wages” - Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Sun, 05 May 2019 13:07:22 -0000

@VOR - You are indeed the VOR... ;) Love your thinking on this, and thanks for taking it to a deeper level than we normally do. I'd always seen such sentiments (as those held by the pastor) as little worse than well intentioned but misguided.

But, in fact, they ARE immoral—given that their prescriptions for these alleged ills, would take food out of the mouths of the very people whose welfare they claim to be championing.

Appropos of this discussion, I'm in the final chapters of a 2012 book entitled, "Mismatch: How Affirmative Action Hurts the Students It's Intended to Help, and Why Universities Won't Admit It." It's a devastating expose, rich in facts and peer-reviewed data.

And the overarching message comes through loud and clear: Overwhelming majorities of academics and the media continue to defend a system (and actively work to condemn and ostracize dissenters) which, in its present form (and, for starters), absolutely and empirically leads to worse outcomes (i.e., graduation rates and ultimate job prospects) for minority-student "beneficiaries" of the system. Not to mention a perpetuation—and exacerbation—of racial stereotypes and a sense of racial inferiority on the part of minorities.

Those in the power structure who sustain this system aren't just misguided, they're immoral.

Re: Are You Choosing Politics Over People? - Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Sat, 04 May 2019 12:29:46 -0000

Thanks for the comments! And yes, I fully realize I was being optimistic, but a guy can dream, right? Seriously, this IS how it's played out in my group (where stakes are, by definition, lower), and at that level, and, as I point out at the end, on the level of daily interactions with neighbors, friends and fellow citizens, there's little benefit to being hostile.

I think all good and decent people (and, in my experience, that encompasses a broad swath of humanity from moderately left to moderately right) were seriously put off by recent demonstrations of public shunning in restaurants and coffee shops by "woke" progressives who recognized and refused to serve someone whose opinions differed from their own.

Given the reaction by these good citizens, the exclusionary crowd was violating an unspoken societal understanding that "public" spaces are for everyone. But, yes, that does segue into what to do about those whose positions are extreme.

Habit #5 of "The 7 Habits of Highly Effective People" is "Seek First To Understand, Then To Be Understood." I try to do that first and foremost. No, it doesn't always (or even, often, work), but better to start there, than from "Attack First."

@Ian Sean: I totally get what you're saying, but realistically, the scenario you describe, while it's happened, is not a common occurrence. Yes, good idea to plan one's response in the unlikely event, but to pretend that that's exactly where we are now as a country, strikes me as a bit extreme.

@Brant David: I absolutely do not believe that, "all existential political threats are merely in our own subjective minds." I'm as angry as many of you over the direction this country has taken, in the name of squishy concepts such as "diversity," "openness", "Speaking truth to power," etc.

And yes, I resent the fact that a certain segment of society would unhesitatingly label me as racist, ___ist, ___ist, etc., simply because I don't walk in lockstep with their views. BUT...

I also saw what this country decided in 2016, and have faith that enough people are wise enough to resist the most extreme indoctrination. More importantly, how, realistically, should we "fight back"? Violence is out, unless someone else initiates it first. As such, what should we be doing?

Taking a stand in venues like this. Holding our ground in conversations. Educating ourselves on the facts of certain issues, so we can speak intelligently about them. Supporting causes that support our beliefs. AND, yes, being examples of how to be good neighbors and citizens, so those who AREN'T, see the stark contrast of their own behavior.

Re: Why Racism and Sexism Never Diminish—Even When People Become Less Racist and Sexist

peterbowerman — Tue, 05 Feb 2019 15:46:50 -0000

Great piece, Alex! I'm reminded of the spot-on quote from Daniel Patrick Moynihan:

“The amount of violations of human rights in a country is always an inverse function of the amount of complaints about human rights violations heard from there. The greater the number of complaints being aired, the better protected are human rights in that country.”

AND, he was a Democrat, and a highly respected one at that. Now, his positions would earn him accusations of being on the Alt-Right.

Re: The Psychology of Overrated Art - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world

peterbowerman — Sun, 01 Oct 2017 11:51:25 -0000

Love this piece! And it's how I've felt forever.

And just to give you hope that many people feel this way, check out this organization, that's been around a long time (read their philosophy at the "About Us" link). https://artrenewal.org/

Re: Dear New Grads, Forget About Finding Your Passion - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world

peterbowerman — Sun, 28 May 2017 11:40:15 -0000

I LOVE this! As an author of books on building a successful commercial writing practice, I vigorously argue against the "passion" mindset—considering it a trap.

People end up staying in jobs they hate, waiting for That Thing to come along and turn "work into play," and have you be "so blissful, you lose track of time," and all the other silly cliches that accompany this mindset.

My take: If you focus on finding something you "pretty much like to do most of the time," and then, over time, as you become really good at it, you fine-tune it to the ideal, you'll end up far happier than 95+% of people out there.

Add to this the inexplicable idea that work is supposed to be a nonstop funfest or it's not worth doing—a notion that never existed prior to a few short decades ago. No question, we have the power to (eventually) make our work far more fulfilling than many in the past ever did.

Yet, as Professor Brownstein so wisely points out, the key is mastery—a concept utterly at odds with our age of instant gratification and entitlement: "You mean, I actually have to work my a-- off for a really long time to get good at something, and THEN, I'll feel passionate? That's the opposite of the way it's supposed to work, isn't it??"

Good stuff - thanks for a great read!

Re: The Epic Triumph of Liberalism and Its Tragic Betrayal - Foundation for Economic Education - Working for a free and prosperous world

peterbowerman — Thu, 23 Mar 2017 13:54:07 -0000

Thanks so much, Mr. Sanchez, for such a sweepingly informative timeline of where we've been and how we got to where we are today. I'm going to steer many folks to this piece.

I particularly appreciated your liberal (sorry!) use of quotes from the great thinkers of earlier times—confirming the life-giving impacts of the philosophy, and by extension, offering proof of its efficacy.

Of course, you're preaching to the choir with most readers here, but it helps tremendously to have such informative pieces when debating those laboring under misguided thinking... ;)

Re: Why Equal Wage Policy Won't Pay Off | Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Tue, 21 Mar 2017 13:15:28 -0000

Good points, Mr. Shupe, but I'm afraid you end up hurting your case more than helping it. Why? Because you never question the fundamental basis of the claim that women earn ~.78 for every dollar a man earns.

Your whole piece is predicated on the assumption that the reported wage gap could very well be true and valid (when it's anything but), and then proceed from there: "Even if it IS true..."

Here's a really short and simple video from feminist scholar (and scourge of third-wave feminism) Christina Hoff Sommers that lays it all out:

https://youtu.be/QcDrE5YvqTs

@Diane Merriam: Ms. Sommers echoes your point in the first line of the video!

Re: Socialism Requires a Dictator | Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Mon, 13 Mar 2017 13:43:07 -0000

Are you honestly trying to draw a legitimate parallel between the US and the catastrophically failed socialist states? If so, your grasp of history and what real day-to-day life was in, say, the USSR, under the Communists, is so breathtakingly stunted and incomplete that I honestly feel sorry for you.

Read Koestler's "Darkness at Noon," or Lilija Zarina's "The Red Fog," or Ayn Rand's, "We the Living" (don't let your no-doubt aversion to Rand's Objectivist philosophy stand in your way of reading WTL) to get some inkling of the sick, soul-killing, psyche-deforming power of socialist states.

Does the US have a checkered past and a lot to be ashamed of? Without question—as does virtually every country on earth at some point in their past.

Not to excuse for one second our unconscionable treatment of Native Americans and blacks in this country, taking the 30K-foot view of time, the history of the world has essentially been one of invasion and subjugation of indigenous peoples. Doesn't make it right, but it also doesn't make us unique.

What matters is what that society is committed to, and the the day-to-day freedoms they provide their citizens to live their lives as they choose. And on that score, we stand out. Just ask any of the countless immigrants or aspiring immigrants why they come here, and they'll tell you the same.

Re: When Equal Access Means Zero Access for All | Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Sun, 12 Mar 2017 13:07:37 -0000

Of course, Berkeley could have decided to be civilly disobedient. What a lovely sight it would've been if they simply said, "Nope. We're not going to remove all our free content—and deprive a far larger group of the benefits—just to make a few whiners happy." And then been standing there with media ready when the government tried to make good on their threat. And forced the government to publicly demonstrate how idiotic their policies were. Yeah, I know, what am I smoking, right? Never happen, but we can dream, can't we?

Re: The ‘Agency Piggyback’ Strategy for New Freelance Writers

peterbowerman — Sat, 11 Mar 2017 21:37:12 -0000

Thanks for the shout-out, Ed! And yes, parterning with designers has definitely been my #1 most profitable strategy in my copywriting practice. And while I'd love to say it was a very deliberate strategy, it really wasn't.

As you'll learn if you pick up "Profitable - By Design," I pretty much stumbled on it very early on in my career. But I happened to connect with a graphic designer in my early days, and she not only brought me in for some work with the design agency she was working with at the time, but when she went on her own a few years after that (as all the good ones do, eventually...), I was the first person she called when she needed copywriting.

in P-BD, I focus on how to be the kind of writer that designers not only want to work with, but for whom designers will find opportunities to work.

@maranj: As for your question: The short answer is: You DON'T steal clients. That's one the HUGE no-no's in our business (and I talk about this at length in P-BD").

If you're brought in by a designer, don't even think about "going around" the design firm that brought you to the table, unless you want to have to find a new line of work. That's one the quickest ways to get a bad reputation in our business—one that will have no other design firm touch you.

Even if the end client approaches you with a proposal to work directly with them, you should politely decline (if you know what's good for you). Even in cases where the client is proposing work for which there IS not design attached (i.e., you're not taking any $ out of the designer's pocket), you need to still contact the designer firm to ask permission.

In many cases, the design firm will be happy to give their blessing, but they will appreciate the fact that you asked. And if they tell you they expect a finder's commission (usually 10%), you should pay it happily. After all, you wouldn't even be in the position to of being offered the extra work if it wasn't for them.

Great piece and comments!

Re: Was Obama Really the "Deporter in Chief?" Not Even Close | Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Mon, 06 Mar 2017 14:30:07 -0000

Like some of the other commenters, I'm scratching my head at Professor Caplan's calculus here. Unless I misunderstand how these numbers are calculated, how does Caplan justify even counting "Returns" (which, by definition—given that they
involve no direct action by the government—are NOT true deportations) as
even .85 of a TRUE deportation (i.e., Removal)??

But, even granting him THAT (a huge given), his statement early on that, "Return is still almost as bad as Removal," clearly implies that Removal is worse—a pretty self-evident conclusion, actually.

As such, President Obama's Removal numbers are significantly higher than his immediate predecessor, and exponentially higher than the first 20 years logged on the chart.

The huge disparity between the Removal/Return numbers across different administrations IS interesting, though I'm not sure exactly what it means—other than more proactive deportation under Obama and, perhaps, a less welcoming atmosphere towards immigrants in general, under earlier administrations?

I love FEE, but an article with a headline that implies that a conclusion based on what appears to be far more solid mathematical reasoning is "Not Even Close" to being true compared to one based on far more questionable calculations, doesn't do your reputation any favors.

Re: How Chicago Is Trying to Integrate Its Suburbs

peterbowerman — Tue, 05 Jul 2016 16:58:40 -0000

Yes, I do as well. It was called "American Murder Mystery" (July/August 2008), and it chronicled the inconvenient truth of what really happens when well intentioned folk make Section 8 vouchers available to inner-city residents seeking a better life.

http://www.theatlantic.com/...

No one can ever argue with the sentiment (who doesn't a better and safer life for themselves and their families?), but the reality is that the crime moved right with them. I, too, find it curious that the author of this piece makes ZERO mention of the earlier findings.

I'd love to think that there's something different about this iteration of that approach that will prevent the same thing from happening again, but not convinced...

Re: 3 Policies with Good Intentions and Tragic Consequences | Foundation for Economic Education

peterbowerman — Fri, 22 Jan 2016 14:14:52 -0000

Great article, Corey, Well written and on target. It's very encouraging to see young people with solid critical-thinking skills! PB

Re: Best places to retire are all over the map

peterbowerman — Sat, 19 Dec 2015 10:09:52 -0000

As others have pointed out, silly choice for #1. Santa Barbara? Seriously? Beautiful? No doubt. Great weather? Absolutely. Lots of stuff to do? No question.

But the whole point of a “Best Places to Retire” list is places that allow you to enjoy a high quality of life life on less money than you’d be making while you were gainfully employed. Affordability has always been a key factor in coming up with lists like this.

It’d have been a great choice if the title of the article was, “The 10 Best Places to Retire (If You Don’t Mind Living in a $500,000 2 Br/1 BA Fixer-Upper…)

peterbowerman — Wed, 19 Nov 2014 08:18:27 -0000

I second Steve's kudos (hey, Steve, long time, no talk!). Very interesting and enlightening piece. Thanks for being enough of a skeptic and questioner to dig up what you did. There's a certain psychological power that accrues to a copyright holder by virtue of that that little circled C, and I for one, up till now, would have accepted it without question. And I should have known better... ;)

Re: Freelancers Union :: Advocacy - Pages from Freelancers Union

peterbowerman — Thu, 27 Jan 2011 22:26:07 -0000

As a commercial freelancer, I consider myself responsible for looking out for my own rights as it concerns how I’m treated, paid, informed of my rights and contractual obligations, etc, etc. As such, I don’t see the real value of this.

And I may be wrong (and sure may be stepping on some toes here, but won’t be the last time I get myself in trouble…), but can’t help but see this in another way: the mere fact that someone feels it necessary to make a list of rights needed to “protect” themselves against clients implies that we’re victims. That we’re used to being screwed and that we’re powerless to do much anything about that except come up with a list of things we “expect from clients.”

Well, if we ARE being screwed, then I say it’s not the clients’ fault, it’s ours for putting ourselves in positions where we haven’t contractually protected ourselves with contracts WE provide, NOT expect others to provide. As someone pointed out, you make enough demands of clients, they’ll go somewhere else. We’re all adults; we need to look out for ourselves.

And as I was reading the comments, I was thinking, “What’s next? A demand that we be paid a fair wage?” And sure enough, someone suggested something along those lines. Which is victimology of the first degree if there ever was some. No one forces anyone to work for an unfair wage. And if someone IS desperate and wants to work for a wage less than what you and I would accept, that’s their right. And it’s not clients’ responsibility to look out for our financial well-being. It’s ours.

When a client needs some service, they have a responsibility to their own (or their company’s) bottom line to find the best resources available at the least cost. They have zero obligation to pay us a penny more than what they’re willing to pay. And we, in turn, have zero obligation to accept a penny less than what we want to work for. That’s how the market system works. If a client offers a ridiculous wage, we should tell him or her (in a nice way) to go jump in the lake. No “Bill of Rights” is going to ensure good client behavior.

Re: http://www.prostylus.com/Blog/?p=120

peterbowerman — Fri, 14 Aug 2009 23:10:48 -0000

Hi Dan,

Thanks for the pingback to The Well-Fed Writer Blog. Appreciate it. And yes, I know that kickbutt marketing skills come before KB writing skills. That said, you can be the greatest marketer in the world but if your skills are mediocre, you won't grow your business.

And I can't stay mute on your other comments... ;)

You wrote: "Also, kickbutt writing gets you noticed only insomuch as an absence of mistakes gets you noticed."

Not my experience at all. An absence of mistakes (or minimal mistakes, since we've all made them) is sort of a baseline requirement in building client loyalty, but it takes a lot more than that. And good writing - writing that gets the job done, gets the phones ringing, increases traffic, speaks powerfully to the target audience - that's worth infinitely more than just an absence of mistakes.

Finally, you wrote: "Good writing is really a sort of passive virtue compared to saving clients time, money and brain cells."

Dan. Really. Good writing IS the thing that saves clients time, money and brain cells. It's the thing that allows them to get projects done, not edit and re-edit and re-edit and finally have to find another writer to get what should've have been done right in the first place. And while it's a passive virtue in the sense that you don't have to do anything to get the benefits (IT does the heavy lifting), in a sense, for the same reason, it's an exceptionally active virtue in that good writing and the reputation it engenders (a reputation that indeed precedes you) leads to repeat business, introductions to other work, and "out-of-the-blue" referrals. I'm not sure what could be more active than that!

Unless I misunderstood where you were going with all that! Thanks again...