Money and Politics - The Money Masters

[Frediano]

Example of 'running the[sic] economy' "Bernanke announces record profits turned over by Fed to Treasury."

By 'profits' is meant interest charged on past laser printer bond created debt, once used to provide spendable funny money by Treasury or Fanny or Freddy.

So, for example: secretary is told to run printer and print out 'bond.' Bond is carred to Fed, who accepts Bond and creates $1Trillion in spendable by Treasury current accounts. Government shows up in private economies and demands $1T in already created by others value. Then, over time, shows up in same economies and claws back same $1T in taxes to payback Fed... plus additional tax to pay interest to Fed. Fed, instead of adding that interest to its lendable current accounts(ie, for the next time it is asked to accept a bond and create money from nothing, so it wouldn't need to create so much-- by past interest payments), hands that same interest back to Treasury...who then spends in in the private economies. The same priovate economies that were just overtaxed to come up with those interest payments is now presented with those same interest payments and new value is demanded of it. Value that it just created.

The total -net new value- in this $1Trillion of in and out, plus interest? A secretary ran a printer.

And we are surprised that this is not net stimulative? Well, I suppose, she had to buy paper and ink.

The failing theory: They will add the new funny money when the economies are flat on their a$$ and unemployement is high, masking the inflation. then, when the economies have recovered from all the federal selective chutes and ladders fatfingering, will overtax them to clawback the principal and interest.

Any day now, after five years of secretarys printing fresh new bonds on printers as our net stimulus.

In a properly(on an accounting basis)functioning central bank, the treasury would not spend the interest. That is leakage in the concept of a central bank. It is literally 'running the printing presses' by the amount of interest turned over by the FED. Not quite as bad as fully 'monetizing the debt'-- that would be the same thing, but without payback of principal to the Fed. But the amount of 'money from nothing' that is that interest is exactly running the presses. So, Bernanke cheerfully announcing 'record profits turned over to Treasury' should be making us cringe, not celebrate.

But we are idiots. Especially when we realize it is not 'the' private sector on the chutes and ladders, but politically selective and chosen winners/losers distributed throughout the private economies. The uncertainty of this political-whim based fatfingering of the economies is -precisely- what is killing the engines of prosperity. It is state fascism/corporatism totally run amok and drving the carcass of once living-breathing American beasts/economies to their knees. The bones are showing. and the frantic agitation of the parasites grows more intense.

Time for a war, no doubt. And no doubt who pays the price in blood and treasure for that, either. Not the weasels.

History's biggest fragging is a century overdue.

A truly mindbending description...

So what do you do about it?

No fast, easy solutions, this nation has been over-run for decades before you and I were born. First step: Laugh at Ivy Leaguers in government, like Bernanke, encourage others to do same. Illuminate their nonsense. The Ivies are tiny inbred chokepoints, long over-run by the adversaries of freedom. They became mandrels of left wing thought and indoctrination-- decades ago. Deliberately targets in the 30s, 40s, 50s. By the 60s, completely over-run. The Ivies, today, are the nation's theocratic seminaries of the religion "Social Scientology,' defined as "S"ociety=God and the state is its proper church. They cookie-cutter out instructoids by the wagonload, and by doing so, unduly influence the machinery of state and even other university faculties. The indoctrination is clumsy, heavy handed and obvious...and also effective. For every Stossel that escapes unscathed, there are a hundred identical Katrina vanden Heuvels that spring up like weeds. It is a complete ideological rout. Obama's last two USSC nominees? Identical former Princeton radical feminists. Who whispers into his ear at night? An identical former Princeton radical feminst. The place graduates 1000 or so a year, like a large highschool; is it really such a hot idea that such tiny, inbred places have such an overwhelming influence on our machinery of state?

Seriously. When enough finally see the Ivies for what the are, then maybe there is a prayer of a revolt, to take back the nation. But as of today, it is a complete rout.

The Ivies are tiny, like large high schools. Totally open campuses in a nation with totally open borders and no police state. Of course they were over-run during the Cold War; what was possibly going to stop that?

We didn't win the Cold War; we caught the Cold. Time to start coughing up phlegm.

I'm still resonating with your words. And was asking that question alluding to practical actions, and you just answered it.

You write.

(...and very well, too)

I'm obviously not a writer, so what I do in the face of global banking conspiracies, currency manipulation, and the cultural dominance of University medrasas, is to do business with other American Capitalists. The only way to enjoy freedom in America is to work to earn the money to buy it.

Yes, exactly; those that can, do exactly what you are doing. That is what humans who love their life do when they realize they are swimming in a vast sea of tribal stupidity. Rather than drown by trying to swallow away the sea, they swim instead. That is what folks must do -in this universe, as it is- no matter what the dreaming utiopists imagine. That explains a recent article in the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323324904579042830303535934.html

Not just Obama's latest policies of the last few years, but going back to FDR and the New Deal and the attempt at coercive redistribution since 1913. As the clumsy constructivist forks get more aggressive, those taking it on the chin are primarily those who embace the ratcake politics of the times. The results are 180 degrees opposite those deliberately targeted, and as their policies fail and fail again, eventually the impotent fangs come out. What else can they do? Admit that almost a century of Progressive nonsense has led the bottom half only to despair? That's not going to happen. No, the CronyFest on the DC-- not just the left -- is going to cling to the popular gig until the literaly bloody end, dragging the nation to its knees. The progressives/Democrats might have led the nation here, but the GOP gleefully followed along with its muddy, soul-less inneffective non-alternatives and pandering to thier own freedom eating theocrat wannabes.

It's not even necessary to analyze the Democrats; they are exactly who they say they are. Freedom eaters. But what is truly worse is the GOP.

GOP: Nixon's 1970 Economic Recovery Act. Jesus. Reagan: as good as its been in 50 years and still totally inneffective at reducing the size of government. McCain, today playing games on his phone, when he is not reassuring the nation in 2008 that even though he got C's in economics, he knew enough to get by to 'run the economy.' The honorable Mr. Meathead did not have the wherewithal to challenge the premise of Anderson Cooper's loaded question(at the Jan 2008 CA GOP Primary debate, at Reagan's Library no less, in front of his widow; "Tell us why YOU are best suited to RUN THE US ECONOMY[sic]".) This affable ex fighter jock/pow should be spending his Golden Years slapping backs and selling cold beer in massive quantities out in the parched Arizona desert, not representing the leadership of the alternative party to the Democrats. And Romney? At the same debate, he not only embraced that same question from Cooper but met it with candy and flowers. Then, after getting trounced in 2008, Romney doubled down on his sellout of freedom by coming back in 2012 with the same "Hey, let's do the USSR thing and let ME run the Economy! Here's my resume..." At that same debate in 2008 , Ron Paul finally got to asnwer the question, shook his head and asked the front runners, "What are you going on about? This isn't the former Soviet Union; it is not the proper function of the POTUS to 'run the economy.'" And kind of shook his head in disgust as the front runners grinned like empty bobble heads, looking at him like -he- was the idiot. That was when I realized that the GOP had no soul, no core. It simply wanted its shot to run the CronyFest on the Potomac. The alternative to the No Hope For Freedom Democrats were these sad False Hope For Freedom gladhanders. I knew they wouldn't win in Nov; I knew the GOP was basically finished. And I realized, it was mainly the problem. By being a totally inneffective alternative to the Democrats, the GOP is like a buffer, protecting the Democratic/Progressive agenda. These GOP gladhanders are just playing for their piece.

So...duck,. Get out of the way until it breaks, because it is breaking. In the aftermath? Swim as best you can for as long as you can until and if you find dry ground. You can count on bouyancy. You can count on day and night coming. You can count on yourself. The rest is a crapshoot of risk/reward. Take away the games and finesse, and that is what this universe fairly offers, yet without tribal collective insanity, often yields up paradise with just the slightest effort.

You just need to be careful in the midst of the current and getting worse tribal insanity to not make the wrong kind of effort; the kind of effort that sustains or supports the madness...so... duck.

[caroljane]

"The rich become richer and the poor become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism."

-PB Shelley

1821

[Frediano]

I don't write for a living; I write as my "cheap alternative to much needed therapy."

I'm an engineer. BSE Princeton, 1977, magna cum laude. SM in ME, MIT, 1978. I worked as a development engineer for almost 5 years, until some weasel asked me to cheat a customer (Royal Dutch Shell) by faking a performance test. I'd been 'borrowed' by the test department(of a $2B/yr then capital equip mfg)to instrument and test a customer's turbine/compressor skid. They wanted me to 'steal' efficiency from the compressor and 'give' it to the turbine. Total technical barbarism, and unneccessary, since the total skid efficiency was well over contract--the compressor was high on efficiency, the turbine just a little low, net was, the skid delivered contract conditions at less power than contract. I'd given internal component efficiency reports to the client, including propagated uncertainties, on line calbrations standard certs, etc., and they were ecstatic with the results; they would have detected the nonsense of reporting different flange-flange results in a heartbeat adn then questioned everything, the RDS engineers were very sharp, and there was no need to blow our credibility with this nonsense. 'Management' -- not my immediate supervisor, the manager of Development, but the powers above him, told me it was either that, or my job. I told them they didn't need me to make up funny numbers, and gave them my notice on the spot. I was 27. That was my first and last job ever, working for someone else as a W2 employee. It was 1983, 30 years ago. I've been self-employed ever since. I left without a plan, without a client list, without a year's capital-- without all the things the experts say is critical when starting out on your own. Never regretted it for a second.

[moralist]

"The rich become richer and the poor become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism."

-PB Shelley

1821

All that means is that decent responsible productive solvent frugal American Capitalists have the opportunity to become richer... regardless of the liberal socialist government created by failures in their own unproductive image.

[Frediano]

In my exit interview, the VP of Engineering tried to strong arm me. "If you do this, you'll be road kill in 6 months."

I can't describe the pleasure of looking back at that comment, 30 ys later.

[moralist]

I don't write for a living; I write as my "cheap alternative to much needed therapy."

I'm an engineer. BSE Princeton, 1977, magna cum laude. SM in ME, MIT, 1978. I worked as a development engineer for almost 5 years, until some weasel asked me to cheat a customer (Royal Dutch Shell) by faking a performance test. I'd been 'borrowed' by the test department(of a $2B/yr then capital equip mfg)to instrument and test a customer's turbine/compressor skid. They wanted me to 'steal' efficiency from the compressor and 'give' it to the turbine. Total technical barbarism, and unneccessary, since the total skid efficiency was well over contract--the compressor was high on efficiency, the turbine just a little low, net was, the skid delivered contract conditions at less power than contract. I'd given internal component efficiency reports to the client, including propagated uncertainties, on line calbrations standard certs, etc., and they were ecstatic with the results; they would have detected the nonsense of reporting different flange-flange results in a heartbeat adn then questioned everything, the RDS engineers were very sharp, and there was no need to blow our credibility with this nonsense. 'Management' -- not my immediate supervisor, the manager of Development, but the powers above him, told me it was either that, or my job. I told them they didn't need me to make up funny numbers, and gave them my notice on the spot. I was 27. That was my first and last job ever, working for someone else as a W2 employee. It was 1983, 30 years ago. I've been self-employed ever since. I left without a plan, without a client list, without a year's capital-- without all the things the experts say is critical when starting out on your own. Never regretted it for a second.

Ah, no wonder... we travel parallel roads except my circumstance was mundane... simply being laid off in the recession of '79. Instead of going around hat in hand begging for someone to give me a job, I created my own job, and share your total lack of regret.

[moralist]

In my exit interview, the VP of Engineering tried to strong arm me. "If you do this, you'll be road kill in 6 months."

I can't describe the pleasure of looking back at that comment, 30 ys later.

Success... the most personally satisfying act of revenge.

[Frediano]

Professional Licensing

Here is another memory from my time in the Borg(shudder.) My first yr at this company, my official title was E.I.T. (Engineer in Training). They made us sit in a lecture hall every Friday afternoon, and listen to a licensed P.E. drone on from his notebook. He'd stare at his notes, copy the problem on the board, work it out, and we were supposed to take copious notes. One afternoon, early on, he is working a static bridge/truss problem. He has some loads, he works out the reaction forces at both ends of the bridge. Trusses going up and down at odd angles, a tour de force of trig applied over and over... he writes down the reactive forces at both ends of the bridge, then looks up and asks if there are any questions. The results look odd to me; the bridge is clearly not in static equilibrium. It should be moving, if those are the reactive loads. I raise my hand and voice my observations.

He is livid. How dare I presume? He's been giving this same lecture for 15 years. Who am I to question, I'm an E.I.T., after all. He says he's checked the math long ago. I ask, "can I show you?"

I walk up to his diagram on the board, and just draw a huge "free body" circle around all the exquisite truss details. "Ignore the internal loads...here are your external forces and moments...this body should be rotating, if these are the external loads on it." It is obvious. He stares at his notes. He's mumbling something. He fatfingered the math somewhere on the internal loads. We eventually find it, all is well. 15 yrs of engineers had slept through his lectures, never questioned his authority, never really gave a rats ass. He was a 'licensed P.E.'

Question authority. We all make mistakes. Even 'licensed' folks.

Especially licensed folks. License to kill. It is human nature. "The easiest person to fool is yourself." (Feynman).

Question economic experts; because they ain't.

We miss Feynman. We miss Friedman. We miss Rand. Fortunately, their thoughts words remain, but.. we could sorely use some more just like them.

[moralist]

Example of 'running the[sic] economy' "Bernanke announces record profits turned over by Fed to Treasury."

By 'profits' is meant interest charged on past laser printer bond created debt, once used to provide spendable funny money by Treasury or Fanny or Freddy.

So, for example: secretary is told to run printer and print out 'bond.' Bond is carred to Fed, who accepts Bond and creates $1Trillion in spendable by Treasury current accounts. Government shows up in private economies and demands $1T in already created by others value. Then, over time, shows up in same economies and claws back same $1T in taxes to payback Fed... plus additional tax to pay interest to Fed. Fed, instead of adding that interest to its lendable current accounts(ie, for the next time it is asked to accept a bond and create money from nothing, so it wouldn't need to create so much-- by past interest payments), hands that same interest back to Treasury...who then spends in in the private economies. The same priovate economies that were just overtaxed to come up with those interest payments is now presented with those same interest payments and new value is demanded of it. Value that it just created.

The total -net new value- in this $1Trillion of in and out, plus interest? A secretary ran a printer.

And we are surprised that this is not net stimulative? Well, I suppose, she had to buy paper and ink.

The failing theory: They will add the new funny money when the economies are flat on their a$$ and unemployement is high, masking the inflation. then, when the economies have recovered from all the federal selective chutes and ladders fatfingering, will overtax them to clawback the principal and interest.

Any day now, after five years of secretarys printing fresh new bonds on printers as our net stimulus.

In a properly(on an accounting basis)functioning central bank, the treasury would not spend the interest. That is leakage in the concept of a central bank. It is literally 'running the printing presses' by the amount of interest turned over by the FED. Not quite as bad as fully 'monetizing the debt'-- that would be the same thing, but without payback of principal to the Fed. But the amount of 'money from nothing' that is that interest is exactly running the presses. So, Bernanke cheerfully announcing 'record profits turned over to Treasury' should be making us cringe, not celebrate.

But we are idiots. Especially when we realize it is not 'the' private sector on the chutes and ladders, but politically selective and chosen winners/losers distributed throughout the private economies. The uncertainty of this political-whim based fatfingering of the economies is -precisely- what is killing the engines of prosperity. It is state fascism/corporatism totally run amok and drving the carcass of once living-breathing American beasts/economies to their knees. The bones are showing. and the frantic agitation of the parasites grows more intense.

Time for a war, no doubt. And no doubt who pays the price in blood and treasure for that, either. Not the weasels.

History's biggest fragging is a century overdue.

A truly mindbending description...

So what do you do about it?

No fast, easy solutions, this nation has been over-run for decades before you and I were born. First step: Laugh at Ivy Leaguers in government, like Bernanke, encourage others to do same. Illuminate their nonsense. The Ivies are tiny inbred chokepoints, long over-run by the adversaries of freedom. They became mandrels of left wing thought and indoctrination-- decades ago. Deliberately targets in the 30s, 40s, 50s. By the 60s, completely over-run. The Ivies, today, are the nation's theocratic seminaries of the religion "Social Scientology,' defined as "S"ociety=God and the state is its proper church. They cookie-cutter out instructoids by the wagonload, and by doing so, unduly influence the machinery of state and even other university faculties. The indoctrination is clumsy, heavy handed and obvious...and also effective. For every Stossel that escapes unscathed, there are a hundred identical Katrina vanden Heuvels that spring up like weeds. It is a complete ideological rout. Obama's last two USSC nominees? Identical former Princeton radical feminists. Who whispers into his ear at night? An identical former Princeton radical feminst. The place graduates 1000 or so a year, like a large highschool; is it really such a hot idea that such tiny, inbred places have such an overwhelming influence on our machinery of state?

Seriously. When enough finally see the Ivies for what the are, then maybe there is a prayer of a revolt, to take back the nation. But as of today, it is a complete rout.

The Ivies are tiny, like large high schools. Totally open campuses in a nation with totally open borders and no police state. Of course they were over-run during the Cold War; what was possibly going to stop that?

We didn't win the Cold War; we caught the Cold. Time to start coughing up phlegm.

I'm still resonating with your words. And was asking that question alluding to practical actions, and you just answered it.

You write.

(...and very well, too)

I'm obviously not a writer, so what I do in the face of global banking conspiracies, currency manipulation, and the cultural dominance of University medrasas, is to do business with other American Capitalists. The only way to enjoy freedom in America is to work to earn the money to buy it.

Yes, exactly; those that can, do exactly what you are doing. That is what humans who love their life do when they realize they are swimming in a vast sea of tribal stupidity. Rather than drown by trying to swallow away the sea, they swim instead. That is what folks must do -in this universe, as it is- no matter what the dreaming utiopists imagine. That explains a recent article in the WSJ:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887323324904579042830303535934.html

Not just Obama's latest policies of the last few years, but going back to FDR and the New Deal and the attempt at coercive redistribution since 1913. As the clumsy constructivist forks get more aggressive, those taking it on the chin are primarily those who embace the ratcake politics of the times. The results are 180 degrees opposite those deliberately targeted, and as their policies fail and fail again, eventually the impotent fangs come out. What else can they do? Admit that almost a century of Progressive nonsense has led the bottom half only to despair? That's not going to happen. No, the CronyFest on the DC-- not just the left -- is going to cling to the popular gig until the literaly bloody end, dragging the nation to its knees. The progressives/Democrats might have led the nation here, but the GOP gleefully followed along with its muddy, soul-less inneffective non-alternatives and pandering to thier own freedom eating theocrat wannabes.

It's not even necessary to analyze the Democrats; they are exactly who they say they are. Freedom eaters. But what is truly worse is the GOP.

GOP: Nixon's 1970 Economic Recovery Act. Jesus. Reagan: as good as its been in 50 years and still totally inneffective at reducing the size of government. McCain, today playing games on his phone, when he is not reassuring the nation in 2008 that even though he got C's in economics, he knew enough to get by to 'run the economy.' The honorable Mr. Meathead did not have the wherewithal to challenge the premise of Anderson Cooper's loaded question(at the Jan 2008 CA GOP Primary debate, at Reagan's Library no less, in front of his widow; "Tell us why YOU are best suited to RUN THE US ECONOMY[sic]".) This affable ex fighter jock/pow should be spending his Golden Years slapping backs and selling cold beer in massive quantities out in the parched Arizona desert, not representing the leadership of the alternative party to the Democrats. And Romney? At the same debate, he not only embraced that same question from Cooper but met it with candy and flowers. Then, after getting trounced in 2008, Romney doubled down on his sellout of freedom by coming back in 2012 with the same "Hey, let's do the USSR thing and let ME run the Economy! Here's my resume..." At that same debate in 2008 , Ron Paul finally got to asnwer the question, shook his head and asked the front runners, "What are you going on about? This isn't the former Soviet Union; it is not the proper function of the POTUS to 'run the economy.'" And kind of shook his head in disgust as the front runners grinned like empty bobble heads, looking at him like -he- was the idiot. That was when I realized that the GOP had no soul, no core. It simply wanted its shot to run the CronyFest on the Potomac. The alternative to the No Hope For Freedom Democrats were these sad False Hope For Freedom gladhanders. I knew they wouldn't win in Nov; I knew the GOP was basically finished. And I realized, it was mainly the problem. By being a totally inneffective alternative to the Democrats, the GOP is like a buffer, protecting the Democratic/Progressive agenda. These GOP gladhanders are just playing for their piece.

So...duck,. Get out of the way until it breaks, because it is breaking. In the aftermath? Swim as best you can for as long as you can until and if you find dry ground. You can count on bouyancy. You can count on day and night coming. You can count on yourself. The rest is a crapshoot of risk/reward. Take away the games and finesse, and that is what this universe fairly offers, yet without tribal collective insanity, often yields up paradise with just the slightest effort.

You just need to be careful in the midst of the current and getting worse tribal insanity to not make the wrong kind of effort; the kind of effort that sustains or supports the madness...so... duck.

^" Behold, I am sending you out like sheep in the midst of wolves; be as wary and wise as serpents, and as innocent, harmless, guileless, and without falsity as doves. "

--Jesus

The finest protection from becoming collateral damage of the evil in this world can be enjoyed simply by not participating in it.

[Mikee]

The only way to enjoy freedom in America is to work to earn the money to buy it.

That's not freedom. Those dogs only get bigger.

[Brant Gaede]

The only way to enjoy freedom in America is to work to earn the money to buy it.

That's not freedom. Those dogs only get bigger.

It's a very delimited, unphilosophical view of one facet of what might be called "freedom."

--Brant

money can help you--get a cab ride through statism, sort of: watch out for roadblocks; men with guns; you might make it home before the black helicopters get there; if you do, burrow deep; never mind the dogs and cats--not enough time

[Frediano]

"The rich become richer and the poor become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism."

-PB Shelley

1821

Better for both the rich and the poor if the vessel of the state would just stick to painting the double yellow lines fairly down the middle of the road, and stop driving itself between anarchy and despotism.

-FG Bartlett

2013

[Frediano]

CEOs earn/'get' alot of money; undeservedly many say. I've heard that clear as a bell my whole adult life. This isn't a recent Tribal chant. They manage large enterprises that employ/take advantage of/squeeze the profits out of thousands of workers. Ok.

We've pushed this meme to Hell and back. Every businessman in every Hollywood movie is a Bernie Madoff villian...and every working man is a virtuous pillar of the community, with only a virtuous government as his protection. Sure, Ioved Henry Fonda in 'Grapes of Wrath.' What a relief when the Joads pulled the jalopy into the clean government run camp, the one run by the affable Mr. Santa Clause. 30's political propaganda was spectacular in b/w. OK.

But what do people expect after decades of this nonsense? Folks just can't help themselves, they just have to build companies and hire people?

A tiny handful of CEOs are earning huge salaries at large companies in this nation... of 330,000,000 people. And tons more folks are slumming in the cracks and crevices earning mid six figures without all the aggravation of dealing with employees. Why not? Who wouldn't choose that, after decades of being told that hiring people and giving them jobs is a defacto admission of criminal activity?

And so, we get the world we beg for. The rich get richer and the poor get poorer, but at least fewer evil folks are taking advantage of the poor by ... giving them jobs. As they wait for government to tax all the non-existing CEOs earning exhorbitant salaries to redistribute, let's hope they don't get tired of waiting for the never delivered chutes and ladders promises of do nothing politicos mostly lining their own pockets.

Math is hard. But here's some. Under what paradigm does government reap the most tax revenues?

1] Lots of greedy CEOs earning millions, hiring lots of folks earning tens of thousands.

2] A few greedy CEOs earning millions, hiring not many folks earning tens of thousands, and many more folks getting by in the cracks and crevices of commerce with mid six figure incomes hiring nobody at all...and then, the rest, either unemployed, underemployed, or 'no longer looking for work.'

Our ratcake politics has created world#2. If you listened carefully to the ratcake politics, world#2 is exactly what was begged for.

It is hard to take seriously complaints about achieving exactly what was clearly demanded.

Only, this isn't the desired outcome; the desired outcome was, we all get to accuse CEOs and so on of being abject criminals for employing folks, and yet, because of our low regard for these criminals, fully expect them to carry on anyway, because they can't help themselves but to create jobs and hire people and suck all the lifeblood out of them.

Newsflash: lots of capable folks can help themselves, and do otherwise, and have, for decades.

So how is the embrace of ratcake politics working out for those it was intended to help?

And here is the other dirty little secret floating around the cracks and crevices of commerce: take all the time in the world needed to figure this out. Folks don't even have to agree with it, or believe it is a significant impact on anything. And that is fine. The universe really doesn't care one way or the other, and I have to admit, neither do I, because our faulty belief systems pretty much land squarely only on ourselves; this is the totally unexpected face of 'redistributive social justice.'

Want some totally unselfish compassionate advice? Stop stabbing yoursefl in the back with embracing ratcake politics. Can't do that? Love it too much? OK. Totally not a problem in the least except for those who it is a problem.

[caroljane]

You sure write a lot about things you don't care about.

[anthony]

"The rich become richer and the poor become poorer; and the vessel of the state is driven between the Scylla and Charybdis of anarchy and despotism."

-PB Shelley

1821

Better for both the rich and the poor if the vessel of the state would just stick to painting the double yellow lines fairly down the middle of the road, and stop driving itself between anarchy and despotism.

-FG Bartlett

2013

Good riposte. (True, too.)

[caroljane]

Pretty good - but Byron was better, even my wife Mary on a good night!

-Percy

[Mikee]

You sure write a lot about things you don't care about.

What part of "compassionate" is confusing to you?

"Totally not a problem in the least except for those who it is a problem."

There is a world of meaning in this sentence. Do you want to live in a world of peace and prosperity or a world that blows up in your face periodically and predictably?

[caroljane]

Since skimming back I did not find the context of that sentence, by itself I do not see a world of meaning. Other people's problems are not my problems - no depth there,

[caroljane]

FYI the world blows up in my face periodically though I would not say predictably. Doesn't it in yours?

[Mikee]

Other people's problems are not my problems -

Strange coming from a socialist. Contemptible if you believe it. You probably think you'd get no argument from whatever caricature of an individualist you have in your mind.

[caroljane]

. Should have put it in quotes. And I am an individualist myself, despite your straitjacket nomenclature.

[Mikee]

FYI the world blows up in my face periodically though I would not say predictably. Doesn't it in yours?

So the world or anyone in it deserves no more than you've managed to arrange with your own life? This is more believably socialist. BTW, your lack of ability to predict events is not a measure of the predictability of those events.

[Mikee]

. Should have put it in quotes. And I am an individualist myself, despite your straitjacket nomenclature.

The one thing you are supposed to be good at, and you are when you want to, is expressing yourself clearly. You have repeatedly said "I am a socialist". Where is my "straitjacket nomenclature"? Taking you at your word is a "straitjacket"? You cannot be a socialist and an individualist at the same time, unless what you mean by "individualist" is "I have a funny tattoo".

[caroljane]

What you said. In Objectivist semantics, sanctioned by the Ayn Rand lexicon, you cannot be an individualist and a socialist at the same time . However in my language, I can be and am.

[caroljane]

In the huge shambling collaborations and conflicts that are our countries, you have avoided the mainstream and made a fortune. I have been carried along by it and made a living. We have both maintained and followed our individuality and I consider that mine has been supported and encouraged by the structure in which I lived, and live. I know people who have made fortunes here, and they were not so obstructed that they did not make them.