Politicians from both parties leverage their positions to make lucrative stock trades based on non-public information. This behavior, while ethically corrupt, is often technically legal due to loopholes they've created for themselves. This cynical practice erodes public trust in political institutions and is seen as bipartisan, though differing in scale.
A new $1.8 billion government fund, ostensibly to compensate victims of political targeting, operates without judicial review or public disclosure. Critics argue this creates a slush fund for the executive branch to reward political loyalists and encourage criminality in their service, mimicking the tactics of autocratic regimes to maintain power.
A proposed wealth tax, intended to address inequality, may trigger capital flight as the wealthy relocate to avoid it. This could shrink the state's overall tax base, leaving less money for essential social programs like housing and food stamps. The policy may satisfy an emotional need to punish the rich but ultimately undermine the goal of helping the poor.
Conflict is inherently a wasteful failure of negotiation. It only occurs because one or both parties are mistaken about how easily they can win. This optimism bias—underestimating the potential expense in terms of money, time, or pain—is the fundamental reason that disputes escalate into destructive fights, whether between individuals, organizations, or nations.