tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post3475197680473209367..comments2024-03-18T17:09:55.964-07:00Comments on CONTRARY BRIN: Revenge of the Deep State?David Brinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comBlogger131125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-44180237553990499512017-02-28T21:23:30.605-08:002017-02-28T21:23:30.605-08:00TB: “Russia has demographic problems, but things a...TB: “Russia has demographic problems, but things are worse further West.” Um. No. Italy and Spain, maybe. Otherwise, you are Mister Fact Free.<br /><br />“History goes in cycles.” Um… Imbecile.<br /><br />An earlier me gave you all the answer you Spengler nuts deserve. GUYS! Here’s the shootdown of those “cycles” idiots.<br />http://davidbrin.blogspot.com/2012/10/the-tytler-insult-is-democracy-hopeless.html<br /><br />Locum is just boring. His strawmen don't resemble or map onto me at all.<br /><br />onward<br /><br />onward<br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-85014582541167403292017-02-28T20:29:10.587-08:002017-02-28T20:29:10.587-08:00A better blow-by-blow than I did on the address to...A better blow-by-blow than I did on the address to Congress:<br /><br />https://kristof.blogs.nytimes.com/2017/02/28/my-take-on-trumps-address-to-congress/?_r=0<br /><br />G'night all. "See" you in March.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-9778764313296773292017-02-28T20:26:54.465-08:002017-02-28T20:26:54.465-08:00Tweet by Nicholas Kristof, @NickKristof :
Obamaca...Tweet by Nicholas Kristof, @NickKristof :<br /><i><br />Obamacare had genuine problems. But it was in no death spiral. If it collapses on Trump’s watch, it’s not of natural causes. It’s murder.<br /></i><br /><br />Heh.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-24471868090381524092017-02-28T20:17:11.559-08:002017-02-28T20:17:11.559-08:00locumranch:
"Either do this," he thunde...locumranch:<br /><i><br />"Either do this," he thunders, "or, Death & Dishonour", implying that we (his target audience) have No Choice but to obey on every topic from NATO to HRC to federalism to climate change.<br /></i><br /><br />Again, you mistake advice for orders.<br /><br />It's not Dr Brin's fault if certain choices have inevitable consequences. You want the right to make bad choices? Fine. But you want the right to make bad choices without the bad consequences and then you blame the ones who told you so.<br /><i><br />But, this No Choice argument is false without exception because we ALWAYS have a choice, no matter how desperate the situation, even though that choice may be very very bad, because (in many circumstances) "Death is not the worst of evils".<br /></i><br /><br />Agreed. But some people think more than one step ahead and try to avoid falling into situations where all choices are bad. You sound a bit like His Illegitimacy suddenly stumbling upon the fact that health care is complicated. "Who knew?" Well, everyone who had competence or expertise in the field, or who even put any thought into the matter at all.<br /><br /><i><br />Have you heard this one, Jumper? <br />Doctor: It's what they call someone who graduates at the bottom of their class.<br /></i><br /><br />I'm not sure that quip implies what you think it does. To me, that's like saying there's something wrong about being poorest billionaire.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75332435996298334112017-02-28T19:42:45.438-08:002017-02-28T19:42:45.438-08:00A few observations of His Illegitimacy's addre...A few observations of His Illegitimacy's address to congress...<br /><br />How did they get Trump to read off a telepromter and stick to the script? He certainly affected presidentiality more than I've ever seen before. I'll grudgingly give him that.<br /><br />He led off with a denunciation of attacks on Jews and the shooting of two Indians in Kansas. I'd like to have been a fly on the wall listening to Steve Bannon being talked into allowing that.<br /><br />I didn't hear any outright Spcicer/Conway-level lies i.e. #AlternativeFacts.<br /><br />Build up the military. Check. Friend to Israel. Check. <br /><br />There was a funny laugh moment when he mentioned that he's draining the swamp.<br /><br />He made a good case for Gorshuch as qualified for the Supreme Court, except that any such argument is undermined by the fact that the same applied to Merrick Garland.<br /><br />He mentioned infrastructure and education spending, which Democrats actually clapped for, but I suspect the Republicans mean those things should be run like a business, focusing on profitability rather than level of service. <br /><br />As far as I heard, he didn't mention Social Security or Medicare at all. <br /><br />Also, I don't recall any attacks on the media, lying or otherwise.<br /><br />Or so-called judges.<br /><br />The ten-minute thunderous applause for the widow of the Navy SEAL who died in the botched Yemen raid was nice at first, but became kinda creepy as it went on, especially since his blood is on the hands of a badly-executed operation by the man on the dais.<br /><br />But not as creepy as his new organization of victims of crimes by illegal aliens. The clear implication was "These people had their lives taken because America didn't enforce immigration laws." I get the point, but why isn't there an organization of victims of crime by white supremacists? Or victims of NRA-inspired gun licentiousness? Why can't any cause of death and mayhem be "politicized" <b>except</b> for immigration or Islam--the only subcategories we are allowed to crack down on a larger group because some of them might happen to be dangerous?<br /><br />All in all, not quite the usual Trump experience, although toward the end, my cat did try to smack him on the tv set. Good boy!<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-59822127522619985862017-02-28T19:30:41.065-08:002017-02-28T19:30:41.065-08:00Alfred gets it.
In medical lingo, the term ...<br />Alfred gets it. <br /><br />In medical lingo, the term 'paternalism' refers to "a type of medical decision making in which health care professionals exercise unilateral authority over patients", interacting with a patient as a dominant father would with an ignorant child. <br /><br />Paternalism most often takes the form of a commandment (moral imperative) like 'must', 'have to', 'need to', 'ought to' and 'should'. It is a partial falsehood designed to restrict autonomy, minimise individual choice & compel obedience. <br /><br />I don't do this. Instead, I prefer to ofter options on a graduated rating scale, varying from 'optimal' to 'strongly recommended' to 'recommended' to 'acceptable' to 'poor' to 'advised against' based on my expertise & experience.<br /><br />David does do 'paternalism', however, and I've called him on it multiple times. He starts with sound scientific argument -- he is very smart -- but he weakens his well-defended positions by infantilising his target audience:<br /><br />"Either do this," he thunders, "or, Death & Dishonour", implying that we (his target audience) have No Choice but to obey on every topic from NATO to HRC to federalism to climate change.<br /><br />But, this No Choice argument is false without exception because we ALWAYS have a choice, no matter how desperate the situation, even though that choice may be very very bad, because (in many circumstances) "Death is not the worst of evils".<br /><br />At least, according to John Stark.<br /><br /><br />Best<br />______<br />Have you heard this one, Jumper? <br />Doctor: It's what they call someone who graduates at the bottom of their class.<br />:plocumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-45274944231758759102017-02-28T18:44:48.076-08:002017-02-28T18:44:48.076-08:00Let's continue editing as a process to shift f...Let's continue editing as a process to shift from nasty strawman lying toward something closer to true.<br /><br />David's thesis can be reduced to five arguments:<br /><br />(1) That the knowledge castes, by virtue of training, education & experience, are more competent in those specialties than than the common man ;<br /><br />1a) though the most "elite" knowledge professions - like science - go to great lengths to welcome amateur participation and have lowered - not raised - barriers to participation, each decade for generations.<br /><br />(2) That the more competent, by virtue of their expertise, education & experience, are better suited for their job than the random man off the street; <br /><br />2a) though all of these professions engage in extensive lateral rivalry, vigorously competing, exposing each others errors and welcoming input from outside the profession, diametrically opposite to the notion of any closed cabal.<br /><br />(3) That those who prove their abilities through performance rise in the ranks of their organizations because (1) and (2).<br /><br />Um, duh? Though (3a) these professions practice wide DISPERSAL, so that the criteria for advancement at one university, or industrial lab, or government center, will differ from those at others, so that unconventional approaches that do bear fruit will always find a home.<br /><br />(4) We all know that "Just because you are smart and know a lot, that does not automatically make you wise." Today's knowledge professions consist of people who were raised by that same notion in every story or meme they imbibed. And yes, should there ever arise a genuine technocracy -- rule by the technocrats -- then suspicion of that centralized elite would be called for, as Suspicion of Authority is justified toward any self-serving, narrow cabal.<br /><br />(5) A cabal of self-serving oligarchs has paid billions to spread a perverted mutated version of "Just because you are smart and know a lot, that does not automatically make you wise." <br /><br />That version implicitly declares "Just because you are smart and know a lot, that automatically makes you unwise." This perverted insanity is blatantly false... in fact, there is a small but very real correlation of knowledge WITH wisdom. There can only be one reason for this propaganda campaign. To divert healthy suspicion of authority away from those who are seizing the exact same kind of oligarchic-feudal power that made life hell for all of our ancestors for 6000 years. Declaring every single knowledge and skill profession to be the enemy serves to undermine the one force that has defeated feudalism and the past and that might defeat it in the future.<br /><br />Keeping an eye on smart folks may be called for. Hating them boils down to one word. Idiocracy.<br /><br />David Brinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14465315130418506525noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-10826622163468539162017-02-28T18:43:37.267-08:002017-02-28T18:43:37.267-08:00@Treebeard; These things have happened before and ...@Treebeard; <i>These things have happened before and they'll happen again, and real conservatives don't forget that. History goes in cycles; it's not a straight line to the stars.</i><br /><br />I agree there are no straight lines or inevitable futures, but I think you are being too trusting of conservatives when you suggest they don’t forget things like that. These things have happened before… except that they haven’t happened this way. The bourgeoisie altered the social landscape beginning about four centuries ago. While other events seem to be repeating, the context within which they are happening is NOT the same. When previous leaders were old, weak, and rich, they usually got displaced by younger, stronger, hungry aristocrats. There is good evidence of this cycle through history. Barbarism wins because it is energetic. This time around, though, the 99%+ of the population ruled by the aristocrats aren’t poor, uncoordinated, and docile. Peasant revolts in the modern age won’t look like they did even 200 years ago.<br /><br />I don’t know if Star Trek will happen. I kinda hope not. I think we can do better and do it faster. I DO suspect we are going to witness the demise of some old tribal boundaries. For example, the Roman Catholic Church will mostly be a Latin America and African phenomenon during this century. Much of Europe will recede to second-tier status in terms of military power, but their people will remain wealthy by first world standards and their children will breathe a sigh of relief. They might even begin to figure out how to get along with each other and share what power they have. Maybe. America won’t balkanize this century, but we WILL fight over our need for immigrants from Mexico and further south to beat our own demographic problems. We will argue over whether or not assimilation works even though we have a long history of success in that arena.<br /><br />You are a pessimist and maybe even inclined to be a cultural xenophobe. Okay. We’ll manage with you as a neighbor, but the kids aren’t going to listen to you when you turn emotionally dark. They won’t believe you. I encourage you to stop fretting about the future, though. Just listen to the kids for a while. Some of them are actively trying to build a Star Trek future. There is no harm in letting them make the effort.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-60295438260728411282017-02-28T18:21:26.362-08:002017-02-28T18:21:26.362-08:00Russia has demographic problems, but things are wo...Russia has demographic problems, but things are worse further West. Everywhere progressivism goes, birthrates crash through the floor, and it's not because the men are drunks. The cocktail of feminism, secularism, birth control, etc. is like a weapon of mass demographic destruction. A German leader said "we are old, weak and rich" as if that was a great accomplishment. Their solution of importing people from alien cultures is simply suicide. The effects are slow, but come back in a century and i doubt the West will have much resemblance to Star Trek. Europe will be facing mass third world migrations sort of like the fifth century, America will be balkanized and semi-third world, climate chaos will be normal and the new dark age will be getting rolling. To me this seems like the most likely scenario. These things have happened before and they'll happen again, and real conservatives don't forget that. History goes in cycles; it's not a straight line to the stars. Sometimes currents of history are so powerful that even people who believe themselves the vanquishers of history and gods in the making can't do much about it.Treebeardnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-41342699815625054752017-02-28T18:18:31.277-08:002017-02-28T18:18:31.277-08:00@Duncan; You'll find we have a mixed approach....@Duncan; You'll find we have a mixed approach. In some locals, we elect everyone down to the dog catcher. In others we stick to electing the leaders and let them divide the spoils. On average, we do a little better with deeper elections. If you want to see what can go wrong when we don't pick the experts too, look for places where the ratio of elected officials to the voting public is lowest. You'll find Louisiana high on that list. Next up, look up a fellow named Huey Long and see how he died and possibly why the shooter did it.<br /><br />It is annoying to have to work at choosing the dog catcher, but I suspect less bullets are needed to deal with abuses of power in those places. 8)Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-75674847078498577642017-02-28T18:06:56.571-08:002017-02-28T18:06:56.571-08:00Ok, the pseudo-State-of-the-Union hasn't start...Ok, the pseudo-State-of-the-Union hasn't started yet, but from what I read, His Illegitimacy will be asserting the need to eviscerate the budget in order to pay for a massive military build up, even though we're not actually at war with anyone. Why?<br /><br />Also, he might actually defend Social Security and Medicare against Ryan and McConnell. Which leads me to wonder if <b>that</b> will be the cassus belli for a Republican impeachment effort. And would it behoove Democrats then to not only refrain from joining in the impeachment, but denying the votes needed in the Senate. Then the Republicans would have tried to "kill the king" but failed, and they'd be stuck with him for the next 1422 days, including both election seasons.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-22912302281648413282017-02-28T17:26:47.509-08:002017-02-28T17:26:47.509-08:00The argument about authority and capability
As a ...The argument about authority and capability<br /><br />As a furriner I see that in the USA you often elect people to jobs that we use Civil Service professionals to do<br /><br />We tend to elect the "leader" the guys/girls who have to turn his/her visions into reality are the professionals<br /><br />This should mean that we can all vote for our "leader" - but voters don't actually need to know enough to select the actual expertsduncan cairncrosshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14153725128216947145noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-11806277522360878252017-02-28T17:18:13.412-08:002017-02-28T17:18:13.412-08:00Alfred Differ:
My suspicion is locumranch thinks
...Alfred Differ:<br /><i><br />My suspicion is locumranch thinks<br /></i><br /><br />My suspicion is that he doesn't. :)<br /><br />I haven't quite decided what to give up for Lent yet, but "suffering fools" is in first place right now. A close second is "reality".<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-77349211794339059652017-02-28T16:44:01.152-08:002017-02-28T16:44:01.152-08:00@LarryHart; 2) Competence and expertise gives you ...@LarryHart; <i>2) Competence and expertise gives you superior ability to guide someone how best to get from point A to point B, which is a different thing from whether point B is the best destination in the first place</i><br /><br />My current suspicion is that locumranch is looking at this from a doctor’s perspective. In the last few years, I’ve been on the receiving end of a need for medical guidance and both times my doctors followed a very strict approach. They told me what was possible and the rough probabilities as they knew them, but then they refused to push my decision one way or another. Only once in the last few months did I meet a doctor who gave me a look that strongly suggested I had only one decision to make (to get the surgery), but even he avoided voicing it for me. I could ask, but they wouldn’t do it. The lesson I draw from this is that each of them was telling me not to abdicate my responsibility to make personal decisions.<br /><br />My suspicion is locumranch thinks some members of the knowledge caste are stepping over that line that he thinks is ‘too far.’ If so, I’ve no doubt that I’d agree with him regarding certain people. David is not one of them, though.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-68484521822885081852017-02-28T16:33:33.207-08:002017-02-28T16:33:33.207-08:00@locumranch;
It doesn’t matter why they are turni...<br />@locumranch;<br /><br />It doesn’t matter why they are turning away from TV. I don’t really care. What matters is what they are doing with the surplus time. Projects like Wikipedia wouldn’t exist without a lot of cognitive surplus spilling into it. There has been an explosion of entrepreneurial activity of late and I suspect that is where some of the surplus time is going. Causation instead of Correlation.<br /><br />TV always reminded me a bit of alcoholism. Some people use them to escape reality. For addicts, turning away from either one is a healthy thing to do and it really doesn’t matter why they choose to do it. Just do it.<br /><br /><i>Now, as Larry_H mentions, I am a fully-credentialed medical doctor who (1) has the power to ARREST anyone (California Code 5150) if I judge them to be 'a danger to self or others' and (2) was recently granted the authority (by public referendum, no less) to euthanise the old & sick on my discretion.</i><br /><br />Don’t forget that we also tried to protect your ability to decide when parents need to know what their underage daughters are doing with respect to pregnancy. Remember Prop 4?<br /><br />I don’t want to give you 10 votes to mine, though. I’m also credentialed, so I’ll accept you as a peer at most. Nor do I want to ask for 10 votes for each of us relative to our neighbor peons. I know many of them too well to think of them as peons. However, I will trust you to use the powers you mentioned above until you demonstrate you can’t. If you don’t want them, that’s fine. Just don’t use them. I’d still rather you had them in case they become morally necessary to you.<br /><br />You are failing to understand David, though. You are mapping a reasonable fear you have of others onto him. People like me watch you do that and scratch our heads. You really should take the time to meet him. Some of your fear would evaporate.Alfred Differhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01170159981105973192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-86928152403604528972017-02-28T16:01:18.549-08:002017-02-28T16:01:18.549-08:00The real question is, "is locumranch lying ab...The real question is, "is locumranch lying about being a doctor with an MD?"Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-28778919484505465492017-02-28T15:31:33.458-08:002017-02-28T15:31:33.458-08:00...and in 1422 days, the national nightmare will b......and in 1422 days, the national nightmare will be over. Or at least it had better be.<br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-38187075585448378582017-02-28T15:25:49.878-08:002017-02-28T15:25:49.878-08:00@locumranch,
You really don't get that...
1)...@locumranch,<br /><br />You <b>really</b> don't get that...<br /><br />1) No one but you asserts that competence and expertise at a particular job gives you extra rights in general<br /><br />2) Competence and expertise gives you superior ability to guide someone how best to get from point A to point B, which is a different thing from whether point B is the best destination in the first place<br /><br /><i><br />This is a sad state of affairs, the arrogance exhibited by our knowledge castes, who believe themselves superior to the ignorant masses.<br /></i><br /><br />Whereas the ignorant are actually superior to the knowledgeable?<br /><i><br />They forget that their authority is NOT a right. It is a gift from the masses which is based on hierarchical utility, limited to hierarchical function & does not extend beyond bureaucratically-imposed hierarchical limits.<br /></i><br /><br />In a democracy, yes, authority is granted by the people. Competence and expertise are not. The people are free to (for example) elect Donald Trump, whether or not he's competent or expert at anything, but that doesn't make it a good idea.<br /><i><br />I am a fully-credentialed medical doctor who (1) has the power to ARREST anyone (California Code 5150) if I judge them to be 'a danger to self or others' and (2) was recently granted the authority (by public referendum, no less) to euthanise the old & sick on my discretion.<br /></i><br /><br />Ok, many things.<br /><br />What happened to your rural red-state credentials if you practice in California?<br /><br />If you are not Dave Sim, I wonder why you spell "defence" and "euthanise" the Canadian way.<br /><i><br />How about this? Since I'm a credentialed expert & a card-carrying member of an extensively-vetted bureaucratic elite, then I deserve 10 votes to your every vote because Credentialism, Elitism & Hierarchy. Now, go put on a wool jumper because (1) I'm cold and (2) you're too inexpert to make that decision on your own. And, don't talk. You're not even qualified to speak.<br /></i><br /><br />You're not my mother. And you're not likely to earn the credentials or expertise to be.<br /><br /><i><br />Does this knowledge make you happy?<br /></i><br /><br />What makes me happy is the knowledge that the six months with seven-or-more letters in their names are coming to an end. Not that there's any great improvement on the horizon, but I can't wait to see this season in the rear view mirror. <br /><br />May the coming six months with fewer-than-seven letters treat us better.<br /><br />LarryHartnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-7732634613255286762017-02-28T15:18:31.270-08:002017-02-28T15:18:31.270-08:00OK, but my parting words are "And yet it move...OK, but my parting words are "And yet it moves".Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-34917311696125903312017-02-28T15:15:59.373-08:002017-02-28T15:15:59.373-08:00Locumranch wrote:
'"What do the ignoranc...Locumranch wrote:<br /><br />'"What do the ignorance castes bring to the table?", asks an ignorant Zepp.<br /><br />A: The same as anyone. Their humanity, of course, along with their constitutionally protected rights to free speech, free association, representational government & self-defence. "<br /><br />Well, you know, ignorant people do have the same rights as educated people. In most western countries, that includes the right to select their leaders. They also have the right to get rid of those leaders if they are corrupt, or abuse their authority in some other manner.<br /><br />But leaders need to be educated and experienced, otherwise they are hopelessly crippled as leaders. Look at Trump for a marvelous example of what happens when you put an ignorant jackass in a position that demands experience and knowledge. It's one thing to substitute the corrupt and uncaring with capable and compassionate leaders, but you can never, ever replace educated with uneducated and hope for better results. Zepp Jamiesonhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16261339498383415026noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-68707328121750758652017-02-28T15:02:55.469-08:002017-02-28T15:02:55.469-08:00Arrest yourself immediately for psychiatric reason...Arrest yourself immediately for psychiatric reasons.Jumperhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11794110173836133321noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-1894350525288771142017-02-28T13:51:02.633-08:002017-02-28T13:51:02.633-08:00"What do the ignorance castes bring to the ta...<br /><br />"What do the ignorance castes bring to the table?", asks an ignorant Zepp. <br /><br />A: The same as anyone. Their humanity, of course, along with their constitutionally protected rights to free speech, free association, representational government & self-defence. <br /><br />That's the problem with knowledge caste progressives like Zepp & David: They are elitists & would-be aristocrats who believe that their competences ('scientific' or otherwise) make them 'more equal' and 'more moral' than everyone else, giving them additional rights & leadership privileges that are nowhere described in any democratic constitution.<br /><br />This is a sad state of affairs, the arrogance exhibited by our knowledge castes, who believe themselves superior to the ignorant masses.<br /><br />They forget that their authority is NOT a right. It is a gift from the masses which is based on hierarchical utility, limited to hierarchical function & does not extend beyond bureaucratically-imposed hierarchical limits.<br /><br />Now, as Larry_H mentions, I am a fully-credentialed medical doctor who (1) has the power to ARREST anyone (California Code 5150) if I judge them to be 'a danger to self or others' and (2) was recently granted the authority (by public referendum, no less) to euthanise the old & sick on my discretion.<br /><br />Does this knowledge make you happy?<br /><br />If it does not, then you know how I feel when David & all natter on how necessary it is to allow other Deep State experts to decide my fate (and the fate of humanity in general) because Credentialism, Elitism & Hierarchy.<br /><br /><br />Best<br />______<br />How about this? Since I'm a credentialed expert & a card-carrying member of an extensively-vetted bureaucratic elite, then I deserve 10 votes to your every vote because Credentialism, Elitism & Hierarchy. Now, go put on a wool jumper because (1) I'm cold and (2) you're too inexpert to make that decision on your own. And, don't talk. You're not even qualified to speak.<br />locumranchnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-42205299395217627172017-02-28T13:10:41.994-08:002017-02-28T13:10:41.994-08:00Catfish, that Mercer article was the most importan...Catfish, that Mercer article was the most important thing I've read this month. Gold Star!matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-49399350757688303722017-02-28T12:55:46.247-08:002017-02-28T12:55:46.247-08:00@treebeard, my Blue munitions factory is doing jus...@treebeard, my Blue munitions factory is doing just fine thank you. I expect business will be booming for a while. <br /><br />matthewhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17757867868731829206noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8587336.post-47173726644399448552017-02-28T12:39:30.001-08:002017-02-28T12:39:30.001-08:00Victoria Silverwolf:
I have also heard it the oth...Victoria Silverwolf:<br /><i><br />I have also heard it the other way around -- conservatives think people can be good without government interference, while liberals think people need regulation to be good.<br /></i><br /><br />That might be true of libertarians. Most self-styled "conservatives" justify a pro-police, pro-military, and pro-authoritarian stance based on the notion that the masses can't be left to their own devices, or they'll do all sorts of bad things.<br /><br />Of course, conservatives think that <b>corporations</b> can be good without government interference, while liberals think <b>they</b> need regulation to be good. Since "Corporations are people, my friend," maybe that's what you're thinking of.LarryHartnoreply@blogger.com