I'll be doing a video review of JD Vance's new book, Communion, with Michael Tracey this Monday at 2:45 ET. You'll learn whether we were spiritually transformed by the experience of reading it. You can set a reminder to join us here. open.substack.com/live-stream/...

My book comes out Thursday. I'll explain what populism is, where it comes from, why it's bad, and what to do about it. I'm running a promotion where you get one year of the Substack free if you preorder from now to the release date. Details here. www.richardhanania.com/p/preorder-k...

My book, Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster, comes out this Tuesday. It will explain why all this is happening. Preorder between now and release, and I'll give you a free one year subscription to the newsletter. Details here. substack.com/home/post/p-...

Kakistocracy comes out this Tuesday. I'm trying to up preorders, because hit books are a higher level of intellectual prestige. So if you preorder, and I'll give you a one-year paid subscription to the newsletter ($70 value). Details here. www.richardhanania.com/p/preorder-k...

I'm fascinated by what's happening in Vancouver. An Indian tribe builds high-rises, in defiance of "Western Civilization," which is destroying its cities through NIMBY. This raises deep questions about cultural theories of human progress. www.richardhanania.com/p/indigenous...

I didn't know whether this post would get a lot of traction, but it's been a big hit. People like learning facts about my life, because I am very interesting. www.richardhanania.com/p/sixteen-fu...

I wrote up sixteen fun facts about myself. www.richardhanania.com/p/sixteen-fu...

My book Kakistocracy comes out July 7, a week from Tuesday. I know you all love me, but if there's a time to show support, it's in preordering the book. Forget all else, books sales are what create status. Elite Human Capital can only win with your help. www.amazon.com/Kakistocracy...

I suspect that if not for our red states, a lot of blue states in America might be like Europe and lack air conditioning. Competition between states means that pro-market jurisdictions put a limit on what less market-friendly places can do. www.richardhanania.com/p/forty-year...

I suspect that if not for our red states, a lot of blue states in America might be like Europe and lack air conditioning. Competition between states means that pro-market jurisdictions put a limit on what less market-friendly places can do. www.richardhanania.com/p/forty-year...

My book Kakistocracy: Why Populism Ends in Disaster is coming out on July 7. If you like my work on political differences between conservatives and liberals, the nature of Elite Human Capital, and related topics, you will enjoy the book. Preoder here. www.amazon.com/Kakistocracy...

You think the Civil Rights Act was bad? Let me introduce you to the Americans with Disabilities Act. And something that's even worse: The Americans with Disabilities Act Amendments Act of 2008. I explore the horrors of this law here. www.richardhanania.com/p/how-federa...

When I was growing up, Americans cared a lot about suffering in Africa. It was a key part of the discourse. Remember Kony 2012? I explain why that changed. The cult of victimhood came to dominate our culture, leaving no room for sympathy for others. www.richardhanania.com/p/why-did-we...

Societal trends can have legal explanations. Young people increasingly identify as disabled. Why? Let me introduce you to the ADA Amendments Act of 2008. It declared anyone could be disabled, and made it impossible for institutions to be skeptical. www.richardhanania.com/p/how-federa...

Medical innovation is good, regardless of where it comes from. Here's why concerns about things like supply-chain dependency are overrated. The bottleneck for human improvement is knowledge, not factories or something physical. Let China keep innovating. www.richardhanania.com/p/americans-...

By enacting smart reforms, China has become a world leader in biotech. Many in Washington are concerned about this. I explain why you should celebrate their success. If Xi Jinping finds a cure for cancer, you're probably going to get it too. www.richardhanania.com/p/americans-...

"Now you see why you should have contempt for the political views of most people....Americans want less spending, more spending on the things gov actually does, lower taxes on everyone but the very wealthy, and balanced budgets, all at the same time." www.richardhanania.com/p/start-dema...

If you like my work on politics, all the best thoughts of the last few years – organized and comprehensive – will be found in my book Kakistocracy, out July 7. Preorder now and forget about it, you won't be charged until it ships. www.amazon.com/Kakistocracy...

Old conservative racism: "Blacks are lazy and on welfare." New conservative racism: "Immigrants work too hard and are taking our jobs." I argue that it would be easier for conservatives to give up these fake arguments and just admit they're racist. www.richardhanania.com/p/should-rep...

I wrote about the insanity of "medical privacy." It's hard now to do research that could cure major diseases because we are too worried about the handling of people's personal data, which they themselves appear not to care about. HIPAA was a mistake. www.richardhanania.com/p/privacy-ve...

What should an anti-populist politics look like? It must involve demobilizing and demoralizing the section of the population that is stupid and interested in politics. Its rise has been do to technology, but there are still things that can be done. www.richardhanania.com/p/on-defeati...

People on the right often say that they believe in freedom and human progress. You can't believe that while also accepting nativists into your coalition. I explain why high-skill immigration is the ultimate progress issue. www.richardhanania.com/p/high-skill...

I explain here why I oppose "eugenics." The current definition of "eugenics" is something mean and bad. I only support good things. Therefore, I cannot be in favor of eugenics. www.richardhanania.com/p/why-i-oppo...

Two single women review my forthcoming Kakistocracy for the ACX book review contest. It reminds them of how smart non-woke men they've dated have been lost to right-wing brain worms. This is what I'm fighting against. I recommend rating this review highly, as it is excellent.

"Saying good jobs causes wealth is like saying one football team beat another because it put more points on the scoreboard. The final score is a measure of what happened during the game. It’s not the cause of anything." Economic literacy is underrated. www.richardhanania.com/p/destroying...

I wrote about the jobs fallacy. The way we talk about jobs is completely wrong. Destroying jobs is seen as bad, but it’s the entire basis of human progress. This is important to remember in the age of AI. www.richardhanania.com/p/destroying...

Links for this month. -Lions in Ancient Greece -New research on phone bans and the fertility crisis -Latest in Ukraine -Most people on Polymarket lose money -Whether I think Michael Jackson is guilty And a lot more. www.richardhanania.com/p/lions-in-a...

What explains the fertility crisis? The standard explanations (phones, feminism, etc) don't work. The fall is too fast and universal. I argue for a new theory. Humans evolved to seek solitude in environments where opportunities to be alone were rare. www.richardhanania.com/p/why-weve-b...

The idea that Republicans have completely turned away from markets is exaggerated. Texas last year passed a law that is a YIMBY dream. No Democratic state has done anything close. Maybe good policy just means not having environmentalists and unions. www.richardhanania.com/p/despite-ab...

Why am I a capitalist? Because I'm humble. Everyone who believes in nativist economics or socialism makes God-like assumptions about their ability to understand the world. I make no such claims. Accepting the free market is about knowing limitations. www.richardhanania.com/p/the-humble...

Will soon be doing a lot of media and events for my book Kakistocracy, which will come out in six weeks. Preorder here. No charge until the book is actually shipped, and you help make it a success by showing the world I'm too talented to be cancelled. www.amazon.com/Kakistocracy...

You've probably heard the theory that Christianity is responsible for the Enlightenment and the values of Western Civilization. I explain here why I don't buy it. The evidence is a just-so story that ignores a lot of evidence to the contrary. www.richardhanania.com/p/jesus-anci...

Don't worry. I'm guessing he's going to prove to be competent enough to be executed. Have some faith in the guy.

It's hard to explain to people who haven't followed how corrupt Ken Paxton is. Sometimes conservatives say they have to accept flawed characters to defeat the left. Now they're embracing the worst people to defeat other conservatives! What a disgrace. www.richardhanania.com/p/how-maga-e...

My book, Kakistocracy, comes out July 7. Why is everything stupid? Why is this happening now? What do these populist movements across the world share, and what can be done about them? Preorder now, and you won't be charged until the book is released. www.amazon.com/Kakistocracy...

NYT on housing: "Basic economic principles point to the solution: More supply of an item tends to lead to lower prices. Cities like Austin, Texas, have remained more affordable largely because they have built so many more homes." We're all abundance pilled now. www.nytimes.com/interactive/...

The Sopranos perfectly captured the thinking of conspiracy theorists. These guys used to just talk in diners. Today Bobby Baccalieri would be a regular guest on Rogan.

At the end of the baby boom, the US was 40% wealthier than China today. Yet the US had about 2.5 children per woman at that time, while China is around 1.0. Even countries that were rich in the past reproduced. Now even many poor ones don’t. www.richardhanania.com/p/the-fertil...

Can people tell my writing from AI? In the first experiment, 67% picked the human text out of 3 options. In the second, there was only an 8pt difference between the real text and Claude. Women did better. Old people did much worse. More analysis here. www.richardhanania.com/p/can-ai-rep...

Nearly 500 responders so far to my survey. Will keep open until tomorrow. I write two op-eds, and instruct Claude and ChatGPT to write on the same topics in my style. Can you tell the difference? Come and find out whether AI is ready to replace me. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

Can you distinguish my articles from AI? I wrote two op-eds, and had Claude and ChatGPT write their own versions of each. People say that AI writing has obvious signs. But can you actually tell in a blind test? Take my survey and find out here. docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1F...

There are 3 kinds of countries in the world when it comes to crime 1) Rich countries (safe) 2) Authoritarian countries (safe) 3) Democratic states that aren't rich Nearly all really violent countries are in category 3. That is a problem for democracy. www.richardhanania.com/p/why-is-lat...

Latin America has some of the highest murder rates in the world. Why is this? I explain that it's a combination of rights for criminals plus low state capacity. The fact that the region is so democratic appears to be part of the problem. www.richardhanania.com/p/why-is-lat...

I have a new book coming out in July. It is on why populism is rising all over the world now, and why we should be concerned. If you like my work, the best way to show support is to get in the preorder now. www.richardhanania.com/p/new-book-f...

Many people would like to be my friend. I wrote about how to get me to like you. www.richardhanania.com/p/how-to-get...

The Iliad was foundational to Ancient Greek civilization. How did this happen? I look into the value system of the poem, which, despite portraying leaders poorly, works very well as propaganda justifying elite rule. www.richardhanania.com/p/the-iliad-...

I made a typology of haters. It's a fun exercise. As it turns out, the haters map is a microcosm of problems with the right and left. The leftist haters have bad ideas they want to cancel me over. The rightists are literally incapable of understanding. www.richardhanania.com/p/a-typology...

Links for April: -Rationalists turn on the Fatima "miracle" -Deep dive update on Venezuela -Masculinity camps -The failure of abundance to move the needle on California housing -Ben Sasse's death tour -Review of The Housemaid And more! www.richardhanania.com/p/rationalis...

What does cultural and institutional decline look like? It's Kash Patel getting blackout drunk on the job, having employees drive his girlfriend around, and suing journalists to intimidate them. I wrote about Patel as the poster boy for Kakistocracy. www.richardhanania.com/p/kash-as-th...

My three categories of haters: 1) Culture of life types: “You won’t keep grandma hooked up to machines forever!” 2) Jilted rightoids: “You’re lying.” 3) Yglesias haters: “You represent my gripe that the media is not leftist enough.” I explain each group here. www.richardhanania.com/p/a-typology...