Inauguration Links

Betsy DeVos on wrestling the deep state; John Cochrane's economic advice; Glenn Reynolds on the vibe shift; Ian Leslie on same; Marc Andreessen admires President Trump

Reminder: Tonight at 8:45 New York time, paid subscribers can join my conversation with Lyman Stone.

Betsy Devos says,

Doing anything in Washington is hard and slow. There were policies we advanced that had broad, bipartisan support, like expanding career and technical education options, and even those were painfully slow to move forward. Some of that legislation is still stalled in Congress today. In that sense, every minute counts.

Upon reflection, I think we also spent too much time talking to people who had no interest in listening to what we had to say. So much of Washington is entrenched in their positions, perspectives, and ways. You really have to focus on those who are intellectually curious enough to consider there might be a different and better way to do things—and who are self-assured enough to say so.

The interview is hard to excerpt, because it covers a lot. DeVos, who was Secretary of Education in Trump 1.0, was of all of Mr. Trump’s appointees the one who I wound up rooting for the most. Linda McMahon, nominated for the position in Trump 2.0, will have to wrestle (pun intended) with opposition everywhere—strong lobbies, teachers’ unions, Congress, and above all the department itself.

John Cochrane writes,

A flat tax that finances big transfers can be more progressive than a graduated income tax.

…why pervert taxes to do the work of redistribution? If you want to redistribute, send people checks. On budget, annually appropriated, not perpetual entitlements.

He ends up admitting

I seem to have drifted from advice for the Trump Economic team into a Libertarian Fantasyland

I’m ready to move to John’s Libertarian Fantasyland any time.

Glenn Reynolds writes,

Donald Trump isn’t even president yet and we’re seeing all sorts of changes. Wikipedia is suddenly starting to police its biased editors. The FBI has abolished its DEI office. States and universities are abolishing theirs. Illegal immigrants are already starting to self-deport. Transgender mania is receding.

Ian Leslie writes,

It’s not just the “tech bros” either. McDonalds is abolishing diversity goals for senior management and withdrawing from an advocacy group’s annual survey of “LGBTQ+ inclusion”. Walmart will no longer offer DEI training through the “Racial Equity Institute” or consider race and gender when striking deals with suppliers. Ford, Lowe’s, and Harley-Davidson have made similar moves. And these are just the first movers.

Both Reynolds and Leslie use the term “preference cascade.”

Interviewed by Peter Robinson, Marc Andreessen says,

I'm aware of, an agency I know well, they literally come back to work a day a month.

I’m aware of another agency where work-from-home is 100 percent.

Marc argues that DOGE can be more successful than previous efforts to cut spending, because with the Internet it is possible to publicize programs that spend money in absurd ways. It is harder for Congress to secretly reinstate funding for those programs. I guess my test for that would be the Export-Import Bank.

Marc’s primary claim is that President Trump has a good feel for business reality.

he is world-class on real estate and on communications

…And when you're generally good at business as he is, I think you learn how to do what we call systems thinking.

Marc points out that years ago Mr. Trump pointed out problems with water management in California. He also warned Germany about its energy dependence on Russia.

he's like really good at wrapping his head around these things, I would say at energy.

substacks referenced above: @

Notes On the Great Vibe Shift

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Happy DJT Day

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Unsolicited Advice