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While we keep seeing new nation-states, I wonder how many primarily are facades for interfacing with the rest of the world? It wasn’t that long ago that dynastic families performed the same function.

Obligatory caveat: I’m an employee of the EPA, and nothing I say here reflects any official governmental stance. But the political science nerd in me feels the need to point out that getting rid of the agency wouldn’t do much about the regulatory environment. A substantial portion of the EPA’s work deals with implementing the Clean Air Act, Clean Water Act, and TSCA, both through scientific and regulatory work. If the EPA is abolished, those duties move to another agency, such as HHS, CDC, Interior, USDA, etc. It’s the law. (The EPA was originally a consolidation of environmental protection duties fragmented among other agencies.) ...

Please.

I’ve seen a tweet going around that says people under the age of 44 are almost as likely to use Youtube for research purposes as they are Wikipedia. Given that the tweet is being passed around in academic circles, I suspect the meaning of “research” is meant to be understood as scholarly research, which would be kind of appalling. However, if you look at the actual question, it asks what sources people have used for “information.” I guess I’m just as guilty as anyone else, then, because Wikipedia has some great stuff about the Battle of Lepanto and Steven Universe, but it’s not great for figuring out how to replace a door handle in a 1998 Toyota Corolla. ...