Category: Uncategorized
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Project 2025: America’s Appointment in Samarra
John J. Barton You have probably heard the term “Project 2025” (“The Project”) in recent weeks, maybe with some vague understanding that it embodies a radical right agenda which will accompany a Trump victory in November. You would be right that it is a radical right agenda; there is some confusion though about if, or…
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Will the 2026 Sunset of the Estate Tax Exemption Affect You?
John J. Barton, ASA, CPA The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA, or more widely known as the “Trump Tax Reform”) had several benefits for wealthy Americans, one of which was the significant increase in the lifetime individual estate tax exemption from $5.6 million to $11.2 million (for married couples, the joint exemption…
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You Gotta Know When it’s Time to Go
American voters will not elect Joe Biden on November 5th. That’s an important point to remember, so I will restate it. American voters will not elect Joe Biden on November 5th. After the first debate on June 27th, Joe Biden has two choices: 1) step aside and release his delegates; or 2) watch Donald Trump’s…
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Biden or Trump?
Biden will be a Mediocre President. Trump will be a Catastrophe. Introduction It’s decision time again. Chances are you made your choice long ago since both presidential candidates are well-known to the American public. They say that the small sliver of still-undecideds could very well choose the next President; the country is that evenly divided.…
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What is Wrong With the Accepted Wisdom on Long-term Investing?
When I went to business school over 40 years ago, I was taught the same thing about personal investing that B-school students learned before me and the same thing they’ve learned since. It’s the same thing that many wealth advisors tell their young clients: if you invest in large-cap corporate stocks (say, an S&P 500…
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On Democracy
Democracy: Dead? Dying? Or Just Dormant? If he does not get incarcerated beforehand, Donald Trump will win the Republican nomination for President in the 2024 election. In fact, he might well win the GOP nomination even if he is incarcerated. Then, on November 5, 2024, he has a very good chance of winning the Presidency.…
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Guns Redux
Happiness is Another Gun My first essay on gun control, posted on July 21st, discussed how the poorly written Second Amendment to the U.S. Constitution has been intentionally misinterpreted over the past twenty years by the Supreme Court, politicians, and the American public. In short, America decided to ignore the clauses in the Amendment regarding…
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Satire
A Modest Proposal for Resolving Global Economic Inequality According to a recent article in Forbes, the 85 richest people in the world have an aggregate wealth that is equal to the wealth owned by the 3.5 billion poorest people on the planet. This means that the top .000001133 percent of the people are as…
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Race
On Reparations The concept of slave reparations is based on tort laws which are usually addressed by state courts throughout the United States. If I kill someone while driving under the influence of alcohol, I am liable for a host of criminal and civil punishments. Tort laws guide the civil case in which I may…
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Politics
Are You Entitled to Your Opinion? I’ve had more than a few arguments over the last five years that ended with my opponent claiming (usually in a loud, disdainful voice), “You have your opinion, I have my opinion, and I’m entitled to my opinion!” I’ve had so many of these conversations in fact that it…
The D'Town Essays 