Clipmarks | Rustee's clips

KGB Tactic - Demoralization

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:19:09 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks: Recorded in 1985, but as relevant today as ever.

Clip Source: www.dailymotion.com

[Video]

Tags: communism, marxism, ideology

Why the Bailout isn't Working

Mon, 13 Oct 2008 04:45:53 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

Thank goodness Congress approved that bailout. Otherwise, the economy might be tanking.

Clip Source: www.reason.com

After the bailout was signed into law on Friday, Oct. 3, investors had all weekend to contemplate its tonic properties but found none.

On Monday, the stock market looked like it had been pushed out of an airplane.

The sheer size and unprecedented nature of the intervention generates a different kind of uncertainty—about how extensively the federal government will immerse itself in the economy from now on. The spectacle of Washington nationalizing private assets is bound to dishearten millions of investors who think that generally, the most helpful economic role for government is staying out of the way.

The rescue surrenders an important principle: that private sector mistakes should be borne by the people who make them. If the bailout means we may all get the bill anytime a company implodes, it will undermine the critical incentives of the market. In the long run, that will not strengthen the economy but weaken it.

Tags: economics, government, economy

Reason in Politics

Wed, 10 Sep 2008 03:06:23 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks: Written in 1940.

Clip Source: mises.org

What is wrong with Western civilization is the accepted habit of judging political parties merely by asking whether they seem new and radical enough, not by analyzing whether they are wise or unwise, or whether they are apt to achieve their aims.

The usual terminology of political language is stupid. What is “left” and what is “right”?

Reaction against an unwise policy is not to be condemned. And progress towards chaos is not to be commended.

People hasten to exchange their “old” ideas for “new” ones, because they fear to appear old-fashioned and reactionary. They join the chorus decrying the shortcomings of the capitalistic civilization and speak in elated enthusiasm of the achievements of the autocrats. Nothing is today more fashionable than slandering Western civilization.

“Orthodoxy” is not an evil if the doctrine on which the “orthodox” stand is sound.

What mankind needs today is liberation from the rule of nonsensical slogans and a return to sound reasoning.

Tags: politics, ideology, reason

Life, Liberty, Property > Law

Wed, 08 Oct 2008 03:46:42 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks: From F. Bastiat's book, The Law.

Clip Source: www.econlib.org

Life, liberty, and property do not exist because men have made laws. On the contrary, it was the fact that life, liberty, and property existed beforehand that caused men to make laws in the first place.

If this is true, then nothing can be more evident than this: The law is the organization of the natural right of lawful defense. It is the substitution of a common force for individual forces. And this common force is to do only what the individual forces have a natural and lawful right to do: to protect persons, liberties, and properties; to maintain the right of each, and to cause justice to reign over us all.

But, unfortunately, law by no means confines itself to its proper functions.

The law has placed the collective force at the disposal of the unscrupulous who wish, without risk, to exploit the person, liberty, and property of others.

It is impossible to introduce into society a greater change and a greater evil than this: the conversion of the law into an instrument of plunder.

Obama's Fair Tax

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 03:34:57 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

Mr. Warren, a man of the cloth, has done us a great service by asking the candidates to answer a pretty secular question: What kind of income makes an American "rich"? Maybe in the more secular setting of an upcoming debate, one of our nonpastor moderators could ask the candidates the moral question: What specific rate of individual taxation would it take for the rich to be paying their fair share?

Clip Source: online.wsj.com

He talks about it as a general theme: "It is time for folks like me who make more than $250,000 to pay our fair share."

He invokes it as a solution for Social Security: "[W]e will save Social Security for future generations by asking the wealthiest Americans to pay their fair share."

He points to how it guides his energy policy: "The first part of my plan is to tax the windfall profits of oil companies and use some of that money to help you pay the rising price of gas."

And he stuck to it on capital gains, even after ABC's Charlie Gibson noted that the record shows increased taxes on capital gains -- which would affect 100 million Americans -- would likely lead to a decrease in government revenues: "Well, Charlie, what I've said is that I would look at raising the capital gains tax for purposes of fairness."

It's not about robbing from the rich to give to the poor. Robbing from the rich will do, especially if it's done in the name of fairness.

Tags: taxes, election

Enable Chrome's Best Features on Firefox

Sat, 06 Sep 2008 22:34:35 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: lifehacker.com

Stealther Turns On Incognito Browsing

Chrome's Incognito browsing allows you to ~~shop for your significant other~~ look at porn without keeping any history of that browsing session anywhere on your computer. In Firefox, the Stealther extension does the same thing.

Download Statusbar Puts Downloads in Your Status Bar (Surprise!)

The Download Statusbar Firefox extension has been doing this for five years, and it offers lots of additional options and wastes even less screen real estate.

Speed Dial and Auto Dial Power Up Your Empty Tabs

The Speed Dial extension (which itself is a ripoff of the Speed Dial feature in Opera) provides a very similar thumbnail-based new tab page

Locationbar2 Adds Domain-Highlighting to the Address Bar

Locationbar2 Firefox extension has been boasting this same highlighting

Keyword Search Bookmarks Integrate Site-Specific Search with the Address Bar

Granted, you have to manually add a search box

but you can also define exactly what you want that shortcut to be.

Victory in Anbar

Fri, 05 Sep 2008 04:58:45 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: outsidethewire.com

The road Abraham travelled passed through villages and cities whose names have changed or been lost to the ages.

One of those is the ancient city of Anbar.

Persians, Romans and Arabs all fought battles over this ancient city.

The Roman leader Gordian died at Anbar.

The Arab General Khalid wrested the city from the Persians.

Centuries later, U.S. Marines and Soldiers fought house to house in the same city. We know it now as Fallujah.

Scarsely two years ago, Al Anbar province was thought to be lost. But just yesterday, control of the province was handed over to the Iraqi government.

This victory will not be splashed across the headlines above the fold. It will be buried under a hurricane, a Vice Presidential nominee and the Republican Convention.

But it is a victory worthy of the ages as the coalition and Iraqi citizens defeated one of the greatest evils of our time.

Like Abraham, Gordian and the others of history who tread the banks of the Euphrates river--they have made their mark.

Ancient Chinese Bells

Fri, 04 Apr 2008 05:32:15 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

The importance of that discovery grows when we realize that it took the West a thousand years to develop the cathedral bell, and we didn't have it until the middle ages. Bells are very hard to make, yet China had these remarkably sophisticated Zhong bells during the Golden Age of Athens. The bells produce a rich tone, they take far less bronze to get it than a cathedral bell, and then they deliver two sounds for the cost of one.

It's easy to look right at something that's very sophisticated without seeing the sophistication. It took us eighty years to catch on to these remarkable, but unassuming, bells. The best inventions are like that. In the best inventions, elegance masquerades as simplicity.

Clip Source: www.uh.edu

Just after the turn of this century, archaeologists started finding curious sets of bronze bells in tombs throughout China. They range from 2000 to 3600 years old, and they have an odd shape.

They're called Zhong bells. Thousands of these bells had been unearthed by the late 1970s, and their strange secret still hadn't yet come to light.

The secret was actually seen and missed in 1957 when the National Music Research Institute in China played a set of these bells in concert.

The E-bell was missing in one octave. But then a player found he could get that sound by striking the C-bell on its side.

But twenty years later, Chinese musicologists, examining a set of these bells, discovered that every bell in the set had the same property -- it had two tones, either a third or a minor third apart. Then they found that many of these bells even had marks on the side to show players where to strike the bells to get the two tones. Each bell was, in fact, meant to be two bells in one.

Clip Source: www.uh.edu

Tags: music, history, china

Aristotle on Mixed Economies

Sat, 30 Aug 2008 07:46:47 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: mises.org

A friend recently commented that he has found wisdom in moderation. He said it seems that truth and goodness are found not at the extremes, but at the place of balance between extremes.

As Aristotle wrote in his Nicomachean Ethics, "Virtue must have the quality of aiming at the intermediate." In Aristotle's examples, it is cowardice and recklessness that are the extremes, courage the middle ground.

My friend went on from this concept to state that he believed in neither socialism nor capitalism, but in a mixed economy — or what he called a "messy middle ground."

The true middle ground is to accept a capitalist system — i.e., avoid the extreme of coercion — and choose personally to care for and about others, and persuade them to do the same — i.e., avoid the extreme of neglect.

Attempting to find a middle ground between coercion and freedom is a bad idea.

Finding a middle ground between coercion and neglect is a good one.

Capitalism is the only system that allows for both of these.

Tags: capitalism, socialism, economics

The Pigeonhole Principle

Sat, 23 Aug 2008 06:06:45 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

Do any two people in Houston have the same number of hairs on their heads? Sounds tough to answer. Lining people up. Counting their hair follicles.
Let’s take another look at our hair problem. The average head has 150 thousand hair follicles. So we can safely assume there’s no head with more than, say, a million hairs on it.
Now let’s imagine we have a collection of holes labeled zero through a million. We’ll take all the residents of Houston and put them in the holes corresponding to the number of hairs on their heads. But Houston has a population of over two million. So by the pigeonhole principle, at least one hole (and probably many) will contain at least two people. We can be certain that at least two people in Houston have the same number of hairs on their heads. And we haven’t counted anything.

Clip Source: www.uh.edu

The pigeonhole principle is a wonderful mathematical tool because it’s so incredibly simple yet comes in so handy. It takes its name from the following example. Suppose we have ten pigeons but only nine pigeonholes to put them in. Since we have more pigeons than pigeonholes, at least one of the holes must have at least two pigeons in it. That’s it. That’s the pigeonhole principle.

It’s so basic that when it shows up in the solution of a more difficult problem it evokes a smile.

The tricky part is recognizing that the pigeonhole principle can be used, and then figuring out what are the pigeons and what are the holes.

Do you have three different styles of socks mixed up in your dresser? No worries. Just pull out any four socks and you’re sure to have a matching pair. Once again, it’s the pigeonhole principle at work.

Tags: math, ingenuity

Suspicion of Capitalism

Fri, 22 Aug 2008 03:31:56 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

What ideas and ideals are needed for freedom to flourish?

History offers no better answer than the American story. Two centuries ago, the Founding Fathers blazed the path to a capitalist future by creating a nation based on the individual's right to life, liberty, property and the selfish pursuit of his own personal happiness.

For the first time, a nation's social system embodied approval of profit-seeking, the lifeblood of capitalism. America's founding principles, all but forgotten today, facilitated the explosive economic globalization of the 19th century and remain our only hope for freedom in the 21st century.

Clip Source: www.forbes.com

So why is the world retreating behind nationalistic walls--even in America, where you might least expect it?

The short answer is this: The expanding economic freedom of the past few decades was primarily a response to the bankruptcy of communism and socialism; it was not based on acceptance of capitalism as an ideal. Without such acceptance, recent political advances--despite the economic success they generated--are vulnerable to the new wave of anti-capitalist measures.

For all of capitalism's astounding accomplishments, the intellectual underpinning sufficient to deflect its critics has never been fully identified or understood.

This is why Barack Obama can get away with belittling the "money culture," his wife can smugly counsel youth to shun "corporate America" and John McCain can brag about working "out of patriotism, not for profit."

Capitalism will remain the world's punching bag until such time as the profit motive is rescued from moral oblivion.

Tags: economics

Economics in One Clip

Thu, 21 Aug 2008 04:04:18 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

One reason that Bastiat's example has power is that it applies not just in one area of policy but all areas. If it isn't true that breaking windows creates wealth, it is not true that government spending and inflating is a boon to the economy. It only ends up draining wealth from the private sector, which is the only source of wealth creation.

Clip Source: mises.org

A kid throws a rock at a window and breaks it, and everyone standing around regrets the unfortunate state of affairs. But then up walks a man who purports to be wise and all knowing. He points out that this is not a bad thing after all. The man fixing the window will get money for doing so. This will then be spent on a new suit, and the tailor too will get money. The tailor will spend money on other items, and the circle of rising prosperity will expand without end.

What's wrong with this scenario? As Bastiat put it, "It is not seen that as our shopkeeper has spent six francs upon one thing, he cannot spend them upon another. It is not seen that if he had not had a window to replace, he would, perhaps, have replaced his old shoes, or added another book to his library. In short, he would have employed his six francs in some way which this accident has prevented."

If the broken window really produces wealth, why not break all windows up and down the whole city block?

Tags: economics

Government True-isms

Tue, 19 Aug 2008 00:11:03 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: www.ktrh.com

Suppose you were an idiot. And suppose you were a member of Congress... But then I repeat myself.
-Mark Twain

I contend that for a nation to try to tax itself into prosperity is like a man standing in a bucket and trying to lift himself up by the handle.
-Winston Churchill

Democracy must be something more than two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner.
-James Bovard, Civil Libertarian (1994)

Government's view of the economy could be summed up in a few short phrases: If it moves, tax it. If it keeps moving, regulate it. And if it stops moving, subsidize it.
-Ronald Reagan (1986)

If you think health care is expensive now, wait until you see what it costs when it's free!
-P.J. O'Rourke

A government big enough to give you everything you want,
is strong enough to take everything you have.
-Thomas Jefferson

The inherent vice of capitalism is the unequal sharing of the blessings. The inherent blessing of socialism is the equal sharing of misery.
-Winston Churchill

Tags: government, quotes

Leftist Economic Nonsense

Sun, 17 Aug 2008 00:42:42 GMT

clipped by: Rustee
clipper's remarks:

It was astonishing to hear Maxine Waters openly discuss nationalizing the oil industry. She was talking to the heads of America’s oil companies, and she was a little worked up, so it was also possible to say that it was just one person, speaking impulsively in a moment of anger, and easily dismissed.

What left most conservatives and libertarians staring in slack jawed wonder was when Maurice Hinchey (D-NY) stood before the press and advocated nationalizing the oil refineries. While most have known about the socialist beliefs of the left, what surprised them was the matter of fact manner in which they were suggesting socialist controls over the oil industry.

Finally, the socialist trifecta was complete with Obama supporter Malai Lazu, of the non-profit group Oil Change International calling for “price controls” on Neal Cavuto’s “Your World.” As she simply put it, “When Congress can set prices, Congress can set prices.”

Clip Source: www.allamericanblogger.com

For thousands of years, governments have attempted to set the price of different products with disastrous results.

This was all done for the “salvation of the people.”

Throughout history, it has been shown that price controls are good for creating three things:

Shortages

In the free market, a producer knows what it takes to create a product.

When government enters the picture, they don’t consider the creation cost.

Rationing

The government now enters the scene again and tells people how much of a product they are allowed in a specific time. So, if the Democrats nationalize the refineries and shortages follow, it is likely to see them tell you how many gallons of gas you can have per month.

If the government’s allotment isn’t enough, there is only one place to turn.

Black Markets

The black market is created as a result of the state. Always.

Setting prices on gasoline and oil will not do what the socialists in Congress claim it will do. History shows it never has, and never will.

Tags: economics

Teachers Pack Heat In Tiny Texas School

Sat, 16 Aug 2008 00:10:48 GMT

clipped by: Rustee

Clip Source: www.statesman.com

HARROLD, Texas — A tiny Texas school district may be the first in the nation to allow teachers and staff to pack guns for protection when classes begin later this month, a newspaper reported.

Trustees at the Harrold Independent School District approved a district policy change last October so employees can carry concealed firearms to deter and protect against school shootings, provided the gun-toting teachers follow certain requirements.

Superintendent David Thweatt said the small community is a 30-minute drive from the sheriff's office, leaving students and teachers without protection. He said the district's lone campus sits 500 feet from heavily trafficked U.S. 287, which could make it a target.

"The naysayers think (a shooting) won't happen here. If something were to happen here, I'd much rather be calling a parent to tell them that their child is OK because we were able to protect them," Thweatt said.

Tags: crime