Opinion

With so much attention still focused on the pandemic and its consequences, it’s easy to forget that many millions of people are suffering from a different problem: depression. This often takes a huge toll on a person’s well-being, and that’s especially unfortunate because even severe cases can be treated.

Reuvain had an important meeting early that morning and turned on the traffic report on the radio. “Road repairs are still going on and the highway is backed up for miles,” the reporter said. Reuvain thought for a moment and then turned to his wife, “I’ll have to take the flying car this morning,” he told her. “You use the one in the driveway.”

They say that money goes to money - and if you don’t believe this maxim, take a look at the statistics compiled by the Fed for the first half of 2020. They show that the 50 richest Americans have almost as much money as the 165 million poorest. 

Will artificial intelligence (AI) solve many of our problems or create new ones that are even worse? These questions are being asked more frequently because literally every day, the technology is improving and its use is becoming more widespread.  Scientists warn that these questions need to be resolved soon and, if they are not, preventing the dangers AI poses may become impossible. 

Economist Milton Friedman once said that there is no such thing as a free lunch and for many years this idea made perfect sense.  But not anymore.  These days people have a different way of thinking.  They want money for nothing, believe they are entitled to this, and expect the government to ante up.  This idea is called basic income and it’s catching on in the U.S. and many other countries.

In case you haven’t noticed, fewer people are using cash now than ever before. This trend is not new; it’s been in place for years. But what is new is that it is accelerating.