Japan has quite a strong strain of pseudoscience. Air conditioners by otherwise reputable manufacturers are marketed for producing "minus ions", and there's all this left-over Nazi stuff ab… (View Post)

I don't think the US/EU alliance is personal. The military commitments are a little bit historical, but generally the US doesn't mind having a military presence all over the place, if you want to be … (View Post)

If your voting machine is basically a glorified printer then there's a lot to be said for it over pencil. It can tell the voter if they're about to cast an invalid or ambiguous vote there and then, w… (View Post)

This is on of the few ways that you can do fiscal transfers without upsetting the less cosmopolitan-minded taxpayers in northern Europe. (View Post)

True, and I think the Senate is less likely to convict than to acquit. OTOH: 1) Senators serve longer terms and are more resistant to popular pressure, by design 2) Relatedly, there were far more vot… (View Post)