Overgrazed and mismanaged I'll happily allow Blaise, poverty and ignorance do terrible things to land whether the instrument of that damage is an axe, an irrigation canal or a goat. But even if those lands weren't overgrazed you wouldn't be laying in big fields of soy or what-not to feed the masses in their place.
I'd rather have global modern society and global womans equality. Everything I've seen of modern civilizations suggest that when those two things are accomplished population pressures will probably be a thing of the past. Hell we'll probably have to pay people to have kids. There'll be plenty of room for the beasties o' the wild in that situation.
What is also left out of his analysis is that some kinds of meat farming use land that is utterly unsuitable for any form of practical crop food generation. Goats, sheep and roaming cattle, for instance, eat off of heaths, barrens and rocky scrub lands that would never grow a field of soy beans in a million years.
I recall being rather wincy about the actual gunshot and being mightily displeased about the mess (but it's possible a different boy or girl may have found the gore cool) but we understood from the get go that Ribbles was food on the hoof. I personally think in hindsight that it was a healthy experience and it should be emphasized what spectacular beef it was. Truly sublime. Everyone should be able to put a name to their meat; I swear it heightens the flavor.
When I was ten my parents got a cow to raise for meat. My father, being a sardonic wit, named her Ribbles. I have fond memories of that cow, we'd run along the fence and she'd stroll along after us. When we got off the bus from school she'd come ambling over and we'd pick flowers and plants for her. She was an amiable sort.
In the fullness of time Ribbles was in her prime and I was conscripted to assist in dispatching her. My part in the process was never defined, it mostly seemed to consist of bearing witness. The gunshot to the head seemed fast and painless but I certainly will admit to being frightened. The butchery was messy and quite unpleasant as well. I had to hold tools and get my hands bloody.
I must tell you though, I've never had a more succulent and wonderful cut of beef than Ribbles. She was a sweet cow and a sweet meal. I think people would benefit from being involved in preparing their own meals. It certainly adds savor.
All that being said, I imagine that the logic of scientific advancement points inevitable to synthesized meat products. I'm relatively sanguine about the prospect.
Well either way Newt is plummetting in the polls. I'm sad to say it doesn't look like he's got a very good shot now. At this point I'm guessing it'll be a Paul Iowa and then Romney nomination. Pity, Newt would have been a fun opponent to have but Obama ain't that lucky.
A quibble Pat. This is applicable only in no recourse states of which there are only about half a dozen or so in the US. In most states in the union your lender will sell the house and if the proceeds do not cover the debt they'll come after you for the difference.
Well yes with minimally competant bankers and advisors and heirs all willing to listen to said advisors and live comfortably (but not the fortune can definitley be drawn out. I agree. But I just don't think that's something that you can rely on to occurr. People born without want tend to not appreciate the value of money and they blow through it.
Maybe Greg? Paris did jump to mind but I wouldn't bet heavily on the profit/loss of her lifestyle versus her earnings. Regardless she has uncles, aunts, cousins etc who are all definitly drawing down the family fortune.
I'm just saying that a lot of the descendants of wealthy leave the family fortune smaller than they found it. Actually, now that I think about it can we think of any entrepreneurs or remarkable innovators who were heirs to large fortunes? I'm drawing a blank myself. Any names anyone wants to throw out?
Louis XVII has a right to rule all of France only insofar as Louis XVI decided to bequeath it to him.
Absolutely not. Louis XVII had a right to rule France because the laws of the day were written to allow him to and he had a system of military and social force to force people to allow him to. The parallel between real aristocracy and the mere wealthy is nonexistent, you could be an aristocrat without being wealthy (and vice versa). One is mere economic possession of some money. The other is raw power.
I'm sorry Elias, I think you'll have to go into how this is nonsense. Children have children. Fortunes are split up. Houses are bought. Fools do foolish things. Descendants feud (lawyers occur). Inflation happens. Markets do their fluctuations. How many of the top fortunes on the Forbes list are thirty years old? Sixty? One hundred?
Yeah the problem with inheritance taxes in general is you then have to police the wealthy to make sure they don't fob the dough off on their heirs prior to snuffing it. There's simply an incurable power imbalance in the dynamic. People are immensly motivated to hide their assets from the government when it's taxing in this manner. They're infinitely more motivated than the disinterested officials are in actually catching them. This leads to a wholesale creating of increasingly complicated schemes and an overwhelmingly complicated counter scheme of regulations to stop it along with lobbying up the ying yang.
Hell, if we wanted to decrease amassed wealth then just can the corporate income tax and the capital gains exemption.
On ““Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy””
Overgrazed and mismanaged I'll happily allow Blaise, poverty and ignorance do terrible things to land whether the instrument of that damage is an axe, an irrigation canal or a goat. But even if those lands weren't overgrazed you wouldn't be laying in big fields of soy or what-not to feed the masses in their place.
"
I'd rather have global modern society and global womans equality. Everything I've seen of modern civilizations suggest that when those two things are accomplished population pressures will probably be a thing of the past. Hell we'll probably have to pay people to have kids. There'll be plenty of room for the beasties o' the wild in that situation.
On “Passing on Paul”
Well Paul'd earn a lot of affection from me if he ran as a third party candidate again because sadly he isn't going to get his current party's nod.
"
Makes me like him a lot less, which is no knock on Paul but Norris... well you either love him or ya hate him.
On ““Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy””
What is also left out of his analysis is that some kinds of meat farming use land that is utterly unsuitable for any form of practical crop food generation. Goats, sheep and roaming cattle, for instance, eat off of heaths, barrens and rocky scrub lands that would never grow a field of soy beans in a million years.
"
I recall being rather wincy about the actual gunshot and being mightily displeased about the mess (but it's possible a different boy or girl may have found the gore cool) but we understood from the get go that Ribbles was food on the hoof. I personally think in hindsight that it was a healthy experience and it should be emphasized what spectacular beef it was. Truly sublime. Everyone should be able to put a name to their meat; I swear it heightens the flavor.
On “Ron Paul, Racism, and War”
Good follow up E.D.
On ““Kicking, squealing Gucci little piggy””
When I was ten my parents got a cow to raise for meat. My father, being a sardonic wit, named her Ribbles. I have fond memories of that cow, we'd run along the fence and she'd stroll along after us. When we got off the bus from school she'd come ambling over and we'd pick flowers and plants for her. She was an amiable sort.
In the fullness of time Ribbles was in her prime and I was conscripted to assist in dispatching her. My part in the process was never defined, it mostly seemed to consist of bearing witness. The gunshot to the head seemed fast and painless but I certainly will admit to being frightened. The butchery was messy and quite unpleasant as well. I had to hold tools and get my hands bloody.
I must tell you though, I've never had a more succulent and wonderful cut of beef than Ribbles. She was a sweet cow and a sweet meal. I think people would benefit from being involved in preparing their own meals. It certainly adds savor.
All that being said, I imagine that the logic of scientific advancement points inevitable to synthesized meat products. I'm relatively sanguine about the prospect.
On “Newt Gingrich & the Inherent Danger of Populism”
Fair point.
On “One Percent of One”
Happy Santa day to you too Kyle.
On “Newt Gingrich & the Inherent Danger of Populism”
Well either way Newt is plummetting in the polls. I'm sad to say it doesn't look like he's got a very good shot now. At this point I'm guessing it'll be a Paul Iowa and then Romney nomination. Pity, Newt would have been a fun opponent to have but Obama ain't that lucky.
On “A Very, Very Fond Farewell”
+1
On “God is where you find him.”
Up to the projectile vominting sounds like a good time.
On “Missing the Forest for the Walton Trees”
I hear you burt. The hubby and I bought our lil condo on the plateau too.
"
A quibble Pat. This is applicable only in no recourse states of which there are only about half a dozen or so in the US. In most states in the union your lender will sell the house and if the proceeds do not cover the debt they'll come after you for the difference.
On “One Percent of One”
Wonder comment in general Blaise, I agree with the lot of it.
"
Well yes with minimally competant bankers and advisors and heirs all willing to listen to said advisors and live comfortably (but not the fortune can definitley be drawn out. I agree. But I just don't think that's something that you can rely on to occurr. People born without want tend to not appreciate the value of money and they blow through it.
"
Maybe Greg? Paris did jump to mind but I wouldn't bet heavily on the profit/loss of her lifestyle versus her earnings. Regardless she has uncles, aunts, cousins etc who are all definitly drawing down the family fortune.
"
Depends on how they do it.
"
I wouldn't, but don't 400 millionaires generally have kids who are maybe hundred millionaires and then mere millionaires after that?
And no, I'm not going to say that a wealthy person has the same power as a poor one. But that's nothing like the power that the old aristrocrats had.
"
Or the incompetence, my own read of history is that tyrants and dictatorships are generally only well suited to mass producing misery and conflict.
"
I'm just saying that a lot of the descendants of wealthy leave the family fortune smaller than they found it. Actually, now that I think about it can we think of any entrepreneurs or remarkable innovators who were heirs to large fortunes? I'm drawing a blank myself. Any names anyone wants to throw out?
"
Louis XVII has a right to rule all of France only insofar as Louis XVI decided to bequeath it to him.
Absolutely not. Louis XVII had a right to rule France because the laws of the day were written to allow him to and he had a system of military and social force to force people to allow him to. The parallel between real aristocracy and the mere wealthy is nonexistent, you could be an aristocrat without being wealthy (and vice versa). One is mere economic possession of some money. The other is raw power.
I'm sorry Elias, I think you'll have to go into how this is nonsense. Children have children. Fortunes are split up. Houses are bought. Fools do foolish things. Descendants feud (lawyers occur). Inflation happens. Markets do their fluctuations. How many of the top fortunes on the Forbes list are thirty years old? Sixty? One hundred?
"
Yeah the problem with inheritance taxes in general is you then have to police the wealthy to make sure they don't fob the dough off on their heirs prior to snuffing it. There's simply an incurable power imbalance in the dynamic. People are immensly motivated to hide their assets from the government when it's taxing in this manner. They're infinitely more motivated than the disinterested officials are in actually catching them. This leads to a wholesale creating of increasingly complicated schemes and an overwhelmingly complicated counter scheme of regulations to stop it along with lobbying up the ying yang.
Hell, if we wanted to decrease amassed wealth then just can the corporate income tax and the capital gains exemption.
"
Awsome!
Though to be pendantic I don't believe banana republics actually are known for being especially prodigous produces of high quality low cost banannas.
*Comment archive for non-registered commenters assembled by email address as provided.