If you're not
sure what to invest in, just choose something that's broad - market and low - cost (total - market
index funds are a great choice), and you can diversify into other
things as you gain more savvy
as an investor; what matters more is that you start investing in something now, not exactly what it is.
I suppose it's true that some sort of change is in order, since you have failed to convince the financial blog community, but
as is often the case with you, I'm not at all convinced that you are applying sound reasoning in assuming that the frothy mix of politics is the right place to take your war on passive
index investing; which is about the most benign
thing a person could do, and one that I am not
sure can be outlawed without significant impact on our basic personal freedoms!
Sure, there are variations on beta depending on
things such
as the market
index used and the time period measured — but broadly speaking, the notion of beta is fairly straightforward.