The Heart of Administrative Darkness

In Far Middle episode 177, Nick begins by wishing Jewish friends and listeners a thoughtful upcoming Yom Kippur and best wishes for the new year. Nick then proceeds to examine a series of interconnected yet seemingly unrelated topics in classic Far Middle fashion.

In one of the more unique sports dedications, Nick offers a tribute to actor Burt Young, best known for his role as Paulie in the Rocky films. Young, who passed away a year ago yesterday, had a brief but successful professional boxing career before becoming an actor. He trained under legendary boxing coach Cus D'Amato and acting teacher Lee Strasberg, and in addition to Rocky, appeared in classic films like Chinatown and Once Upon a Time in America. 

Nick next delves into government and administrative intervention in the private sector, highlighting three examples: 

1. In California, Google recently struck a $180 million deal with the state to fund government-backed news organizations. This arrangement raises concerns about the independence of journalism and the potential for news outlets to become mouthpieces for government interests.
2. In New York, the state has agreed to pay exorbitant prices for electricity from offshore wind farms, potentially burdening taxpayers and ratepayers. The agreed-upon prices are significantly higher than estimated breakeven costs, raising questions about the economic viability of these projects.
3. Nick then examines numerous legal defeats suffered by federal agencies like the FCC, EPA, and SEC as courts have ruled against their attempts to expand regulatory power without proper authority. These cases highlight the “covert but serious campaign going on when it comes to the administrative state looking to expand its power and authority,” says Nick. “This behavior by the administrative state is lawlessness…the administrative state intends to disregard the law as it seeks to impose its will on the citizens of this country without any authority or consent from the governed. The best term for that is indeed lawlessness.”

Nick closes by connecting the episode’s discussion to English novelist Joseph Conrad, who died a century ago this past August. Conrad's writings, particularly "Heart of Darkness," explored the dark side of human nature and challenged notions of progress. Nick draws parallels between Conrad's critiques of colonialism and modern concerns about government overreach and unintended consequences of well-intentioned policies.

“Don't be too eager or easily swayed when it comes to government or bureaucratic promises of saving the planet, furthering education, or helping the downtrodden through state control. The actual results may make things much worse,” concludes Nick.