Yes, that's what I was saying. It's little noted that Jim Crow was a codified anti-freemarket economic cartelization of a noxious social norm, ensuring no one would gain comparative advantage from dealing with the wrong kind of people.
For all the BS scaremongering I’ve heard over the years about craven politicians using the state’s coffers to buy off the mob,
For most of the first 100 years of the USA, they just used Indian lands. Worked pretty well too. When that ran out, then they turned to Bismark's model.
I find the do not call list somewhat superfluous in the era of ubiquitous and cheap caller id and voice mail options, but I don't place in the long train of usurpations and abuses. (I am in favor of the laws on the books that restrict the 'right' to call my cell phone, which I pay for in money, not just time)
I have a bigger problem with the credit agencies that are still calling after a year because the phone number I got from the cable 'triple pack' was from someone whose service was probably disconnected because apparently they weren't paying *any* of their bills.
Democracy from 'the weeds' has given us Native American Genocide, Black Slavery, Mexican Cession, Chinese Exclusion, Japanese Internment, Jim Crow, Prohibition, the Marihuana Tax Act, the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, most every other declared and undeclared war, Abu Ghraib, the Patriot Act, Arizona's and Alabama's anti-immigrant laws, the designated hitter rule, McD's Happy meals, and the continuation of Two and Half Men on network TV.
1) The Green Revolution a) was a good thing b) was unique b) first implemented in a different era than today c) worked despite the official government (as in the notes on India in the wiki link) d) doesn't look like it's working anymore (as in the notes on Africa in the wiki link)
2) Speaking of not getting enough credit, the Bush jr administration doesn't get enough credit for his AIDS work. And at 2500 bucks per life saved is a bargain. But even a that link, there is money wasted due to political considerations. It is also unclear what's the money distribution between AIDS and other debilitating endemic diseases like malaria and TB. The best way to fight all these diseases of course, would be to make poor countries rich countries as rich countries no longer have a AIDS epidemic. But getting from here to there is the toughest nut to crack.
I met a few USAID people in Afghanistan. They mean well and work hard. But the system (more jargonly the system of systems) are so FUBARd that they've been tilting at windmills in an epic waste of money (and lives) for ten years. (and as an aside, the HQ staff live quite well relatively speaking)
Two leftover thoughts from this week
1) Jimmy Carter. Yes, he's slightly underrated even from a libertarian point of view. But on the other hand, from another point of view (not mine) he could be considered a complete disaster, because, a mere 6 years after the Nixon resignation, which should have discredited the Republican brand for a generation (like Hoover's administration did), a Republican was not only back in the White House, but the most conservative one in nearly a century. And it wound up being *liberal* ideas that was exorcised from the White House for nearly thirty years (and some would say to this day).
2) Foreign aid. It's a small part of the budget, and always overestimated by the public, but nonetheless one of the biggest continuous wastes of money. The Asian tigers and other parts of the world that are getting rich are getting rich through trade, not foreign aid. Increasing foreign aid is merely going to enable various third world kleptocrats to fly out 100 million dollars a day to banking havens vice just 10. http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-07-22/news/30003354_1_afghanistan-report-afghan-central-bank-afghan-reconstruction (This is the link I fudged up the other day in a response to Creon Critic)
This is a provocative point. As Thomas Jefferson blogged a while ago we normally just assume the monopoly on police and courts, and then define 'good' government as one that provides these justly - and if it no longer does, attempt to change the government.
But, as was alluded to elsewhere, any institution that is good at providing courts and police *is* a de facto government (and normally becomes a de jure one in due course)
Persons attempting to find a common politics on this blog will be prosecuted, persons attempting to find a unifying theme will be banished, persons attempting to find intellectual coherence will be shot.
It's not something I'm opposed to anymore, but I still think universal health care (of the single payer or other varieties) would tend to work out the same a public education now. The middle class better off with it than without it, but the upper middle class getting the lion's share of the resources due to their political weight. The rich mostly opt out and the poor mostly still get f***ed (because the poor always do)
'In reality “your” taxes are yours until you enter into the contract with the state which is concomitant with adulthood and wage earning in this country'
I was paying taxes on 5c Bazooka Joe bubble gum as a 7 year old.
"He was a fine president in a really hard time, which he made worse by being bloody stubborn."
is also an accurate description of Carter's faults.
You can also throw in that Carter (and Ted Kennedy!) receive too little credit for deregulation.
And I'm also an engineer by training. I jut see that people with little political experience before coming President tend to get rolled over and/or make bad decisions as President (Hoover, Carter, J.Q. Adams, Wilson, etc)
The profession of Lawyer tends to give people more 'political' experence than the profession of Engineer.
On “For God So Loveth Ye That His Servant In Plano, Texas Doth Giveth Ye An Affordable Oil Change”
Yes, that's what I was saying. It's little noted that Jim Crow was a codified anti-freemarket economic cartelization of a noxious social norm, ensuring no one would gain comparative advantage from dealing with the wrong kind of people.
"
And I swear I'm not homophoniphobic
"
I ain't know lawyer, but I know what side the Evil Railroad Tycoon Capitalist Pigs were on in Plessy v Ferguson.
"
first question: yes. second question: then the town is full of fishin donkey gaps in the earth.
"
Can you get a free hot dog at the Zen Buddhist stand by requesting 'Make me one with everything"?
On “The Case against (that thing you call) Democracy”
For all the BS scaremongering I’ve heard over the years about craven politicians using the state’s coffers to buy off the mob,
For most of the first 100 years of the USA, they just used Indian lands. Worked pretty well too. When that ran out, then they turned to Bismark's model.
"
The point was *both* Hayek's hypotheticals were in the sovereign nation of Neverwas.
On “Weekend Question Ending in a Preposition and Open Thread”
I find the do not call list somewhat superfluous in the era of ubiquitous and cheap caller id and voice mail options, but I don't place in the long train of usurpations and abuses. (I am in favor of the laws on the books that restrict the 'right' to call my cell phone, which I pay for in money, not just time)
I have a bigger problem with the credit agencies that are still calling after a year because the phone number I got from the cable 'triple pack' was from someone whose service was probably disconnected because apparently they weren't paying *any* of their bills.
On “The case for democracy”
Democracy from 'the weeds' has given us Native American Genocide, Black Slavery, Mexican Cession, Chinese Exclusion, Japanese Internment, Jim Crow, Prohibition, the Marihuana Tax Act, the War on Drugs, the War on Terror, most every other declared and undeclared war, Abu Ghraib, the Patriot Act, Arizona's and Alabama's anti-immigrant laws, the designated hitter rule, McD's Happy meals, and the continuation of Two and Half Men on network TV.
Other than that, it's been hunky dory.
On “Weekend Question Ending in a Preposition and Open Thread”
1) The Green Revolution a) was a good thing b) was unique b) first implemented in a different era than today c) worked despite the official government (as in the notes on India in the wiki link) d) doesn't look like it's working anymore (as in the notes on Africa in the wiki link)
2) Speaking of not getting enough credit, the Bush jr administration doesn't get enough credit for his AIDS work. And at 2500 bucks per life saved is a bargain. But even a that link, there is money wasted due to political considerations. It is also unclear what's the money distribution between AIDS and other debilitating endemic diseases like malaria and TB. The best way to fight all these diseases of course, would be to make poor countries rich countries as rich countries no longer have a AIDS epidemic. But getting from here to there is the toughest nut to crack.
I met a few USAID people in Afghanistan. They mean well and work hard. But the system (more jargonly the system of systems) are so FUBARd that they've been tilting at windmills in an epic waste of money (and lives) for ten years. (and as an aside, the HQ staff live quite well relatively speaking)
On “Something to Go Galt About”
You can call this a lot of things, but calling the death of al-Awlaki 'random' seems off-base.
On “Weekend Question Ending in a Preposition and Open Thread”
Two leftover thoughts from this week
1) Jimmy Carter. Yes, he's slightly underrated even from a libertarian point of view. But on the other hand, from another point of view (not mine) he could be considered a complete disaster, because, a mere 6 years after the Nixon resignation, which should have discredited the Republican brand for a generation (like Hoover's administration did), a Republican was not only back in the White House, but the most conservative one in nearly a century. And it wound up being *liberal* ideas that was exorcised from the White House for nearly thirty years (and some would say to this day).
2) Foreign aid. It's a small part of the budget, and always overestimated by the public, but nonetheless one of the biggest continuous wastes of money. The Asian tigers and other parts of the world that are getting rich are getting rich through trade, not foreign aid. Increasing foreign aid is merely going to enable various third world kleptocrats to fly out 100 million dollars a day to banking havens vice just 10. http://articles.businessinsider.com/2011-07-22/news/30003354_1_afghanistan-report-afghan-central-bank-afghan-reconstruction (This is the link I fudged up the other day in a response to Creon Critic)
On “Something to Go Galt About”
He hired Dagney.
"
Because the Iranian regime was so peaches and cream back when Gitmo was only an Aaron Sorkin movie setting.
"
Governor Palin said if I voted for Obama there'd be Death Panels, and she was right!
On “Ralph Nader and left-libertarian convergence”
This is a provocative point. As Thomas Jefferson blogged a while ago we normally just assume the monopoly on police and courts, and then define 'good' government as one that provides these justly - and if it no longer does, attempt to change the government.
But, as was alluded to elsewhere, any institution that is good at providing courts and police *is* a de facto government (and normally becomes a de jure one in due course)
"
Persons attempting to find a common politics on this blog will be prosecuted, persons attempting to find a unifying theme will be banished, persons attempting to find intellectual coherence will be shot.
On “The Scooby-Doo Ending”
It's not something I'm opposed to anymore, but I still think universal health care (of the single payer or other varieties) would tend to work out the same a public education now. The middle class better off with it than without it, but the upper middle class getting the lion's share of the resources due to their political weight. The rich mostly opt out and the poor mostly still get f***ed (because the poor always do)
On “Occasional Notes: Revisionism”
There was indeed a generous subsidy, but some of the revenue was from found coins. So a very high tax rates on my marginal income!
"
'In reality “your” taxes are yours until you enter into the contract with the state which is concomitant with adulthood and wage earning in this country'
I was paying taxes on 5c Bazooka Joe bubble gum as a 7 year old.
On “Affirmative Action and Equality, Cont’d”
Well, old people do tend to trend that way.
On “Salvaging Grammar Instruction”
English grammar education would be notably improved if the language itself were to use more frequently the subjunctive mood.
On “Affirmative Action and Philosophy vs. Reality”
"He was a fine president in a really hard time, which he made worse by being bloody stubborn."
is also an accurate description of Carter's faults.
You can also throw in that Carter (and Ted Kennedy!) receive too little credit for deregulation.
And I'm also an engineer by training. I jut see that people with little political experience before coming President tend to get rolled over and/or make bad decisions as President (Hoover, Carter, J.Q. Adams, Wilson, etc)
The profession of Lawyer tends to give people more 'political' experence than the profession of Engineer.
"
Jimmy Carter (though you could make a case for both Jefferson and Washington) (and any West Point grad)
"
Otoh, among the worst US Presidents in history are the two with engineering backgrounds.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.