This was published in 1964. Can't say we weren't warned!
"We are fast approaching the stage of the ultimate inversion: the stage where the government is free to do anything it pleases, while the citizens may act only by permission: which is the stage of the darkest periods of human history, the rule by brute force."
-Ayn Rand, "The Nature of Government"
2010/02/28
2010/02/27
Earthquake, V 2.0
I have already commented on the mess in Haiti - now we have a means of comparison between African tribal kleptocrat rule and a more typical western democracy in Chile.
The Chilean earthquake was several hundred times more powerful, yet there are very few fatalities. This is due to 1) a far more honest government's enforcement of building codes appropriate for seismic zones and 2) a functional economy making it possible to construct safe buildings - again courtesy of a more honest government.
Chile's main problem now is fiscal. They won't have to deal with tens of thousands of rotting bodies buried in rubble, or the inevitable epidemics that follow when a third world country has a sanitation disaster of this magnitude. The next problem would be the need to restore power, water and sanitation, but at least they know what those things mean. Also a concern is the fact that the structural integrity of many buildings is compromised beyond repair, and that aftershocks stronger than the main Haiti earthquake are possible. (All in all, though, it's most likely STILL safer to be in a damaged Chilean building that it was to be in a Haitian building during their quake.)
It's important to place the blame where it's due - the tens of thousands of deaths in Haiti are due to a corrupt government that has no respect for human rights. Rights that start with property rights, which are the foundation of gainful work. Gainful work and property rights combine to produce an economy capable of building safe structures in seismic zones.
It's also worth noting that the US government is fully engaged in destroying that equation here at home. Give THAT some thought too!
The Chilean earthquake was several hundred times more powerful, yet there are very few fatalities. This is due to 1) a far more honest government's enforcement of building codes appropriate for seismic zones and 2) a functional economy making it possible to construct safe buildings - again courtesy of a more honest government.
Chile's main problem now is fiscal. They won't have to deal with tens of thousands of rotting bodies buried in rubble, or the inevitable epidemics that follow when a third world country has a sanitation disaster of this magnitude. The next problem would be the need to restore power, water and sanitation, but at least they know what those things mean. Also a concern is the fact that the structural integrity of many buildings is compromised beyond repair, and that aftershocks stronger than the main Haiti earthquake are possible. (All in all, though, it's most likely STILL safer to be in a damaged Chilean building that it was to be in a Haitian building during their quake.)
It's important to place the blame where it's due - the tens of thousands of deaths in Haiti are due to a corrupt government that has no respect for human rights. Rights that start with property rights, which are the foundation of gainful work. Gainful work and property rights combine to produce an economy capable of building safe structures in seismic zones.
It's also worth noting that the US government is fully engaged in destroying that equation here at home. Give THAT some thought too!
2010/02/24
Channeling Columbine
Yesterday there was another school shooting here in Colorado, just two miles from Columbine High. Oh, the symbolism! The proximity!
The anchors can't stop yammering, and local programming was pre-empted for breathless live coverage. I'll bet none of them slept last night!
I actually watched an interview of someone who merely lived nearby. That's it. Didn't see it happen, but hey - it was a live feed. ("BREAKING NEWS!!!! Just after these messages, we'll go live at the scene for an exclusive interview with someone who lives around the corner and was in the bathroom when it happened!!!! STAY TUNED!!!!!)
It's really a shame the newsies are all seated behind desks. It would be interesting to see how often they really wet themselves. (Might even be an effective ratings gimmick at this late date...)
Interestingly, as with the Columbine shooting, there was a teacher on scene who was a good hand. Again, though, an unarmed teacher against an armed attacker. Again!
The teacher - Dave Benke - stopped the action and lived to tell. Only two kids were hit and both should be fine. It would be wholly appropriate to buy the man a nice steak dinner and a quality drink or three, and I wouldn't even object if they used taxpayer money (so long as 300 administrators didn't tag along).
Good show, Dave!
Despite the obvious implications, the anti-gun crowd will have an orgasm. Further, the shooter is apparently mentally ill (for real) and had sought help but was turned down because he couldn't pay. So, while actually being a better argument for our side on both issues, this episode will likely become fodder for the Health Care/Welfare Quislings as well as the anti-gunners.
Socialized medicine's abysmal track record is well documented, as is the much better track record of private charity. Most charities are populated with people who actually care about the issue at hand, and that real passion produces real results. If we weren't taxed so much in so many ways, there would have been a charity out there that had the means to provide someone like that with real help.
As to the anti-gunners, the Dave Sanders/Dave Benke continuum illustrates why it would be wise to allow teachers to bear arms if they were so inclined. (Works nicely in Israel!) There are clearly some teachers out there who still have a pair, and they should be encouraged.
Come to think of it, society might be better off if we armed the better teachers and disarmed the cops. (Hmmm....)
Bus drivers helped Benke control the shooter. (Finally - an argument for busing!) The assistant principal, one Becky Brown, ran up after the gunman was subdued and actually picked up the rifle. Pretty cool stuff, but in a later interview she reverted to smarmy public school bureaucrat mode and gushed "Those kids are my kids, and it's important, and my teachers, we're like family." (Makes you wonder how she held the gun...)
Yours is the opposite of the genuine passion we find at charities, Becky. You and your fellow educrats may be like family, but that's YOUR village.
Those little souls are OUR kids, they don't live in your village, and real heroes don't talk like that. To an extent we can chalk her comments up to 15 minutes of PR giddiness, but (yet again) the emperor's clothes reveal much self idolatry and little else...
All's well that ends well, though, and this one did. The important thing now is to frame the inevitable debates truthfully, to wit: An armed society is a polite society, and the government really doesn't know you exist (or care) until you fail to file.
The anchors can't stop yammering, and local programming was pre-empted for breathless live coverage. I'll bet none of them slept last night!
I actually watched an interview of someone who merely lived nearby. That's it. Didn't see it happen, but hey - it was a live feed. ("BREAKING NEWS!!!! Just after these messages, we'll go live at the scene for an exclusive interview with someone who lives around the corner and was in the bathroom when it happened!!!! STAY TUNED!!!!!)
It's really a shame the newsies are all seated behind desks. It would be interesting to see how often they really wet themselves. (Might even be an effective ratings gimmick at this late date...)
Interestingly, as with the Columbine shooting, there was a teacher on scene who was a good hand. Again, though, an unarmed teacher against an armed attacker. Again!
The teacher - Dave Benke - stopped the action and lived to tell. Only two kids were hit and both should be fine. It would be wholly appropriate to buy the man a nice steak dinner and a quality drink or three, and I wouldn't even object if they used taxpayer money (so long as 300 administrators didn't tag along).
Good show, Dave!
Despite the obvious implications, the anti-gun crowd will have an orgasm. Further, the shooter is apparently mentally ill (for real) and had sought help but was turned down because he couldn't pay. So, while actually being a better argument for our side on both issues, this episode will likely become fodder for the Health Care/Welfare Quislings as well as the anti-gunners.
Socialized medicine's abysmal track record is well documented, as is the much better track record of private charity. Most charities are populated with people who actually care about the issue at hand, and that real passion produces real results. If we weren't taxed so much in so many ways, there would have been a charity out there that had the means to provide someone like that with real help.
As to the anti-gunners, the Dave Sanders/Dave Benke continuum illustrates why it would be wise to allow teachers to bear arms if they were so inclined. (Works nicely in Israel!) There are clearly some teachers out there who still have a pair, and they should be encouraged.
Come to think of it, society might be better off if we armed the better teachers and disarmed the cops. (Hmmm....)
Bus drivers helped Benke control the shooter. (Finally - an argument for busing!) The assistant principal, one Becky Brown, ran up after the gunman was subdued and actually picked up the rifle. Pretty cool stuff, but in a later interview she reverted to smarmy public school bureaucrat mode and gushed "Those kids are my kids, and it's important, and my teachers, we're like family." (Makes you wonder how she held the gun...)
Yours is the opposite of the genuine passion we find at charities, Becky. You and your fellow educrats may be like family, but that's YOUR village.
Those little souls are OUR kids, they don't live in your village, and real heroes don't talk like that. To an extent we can chalk her comments up to 15 minutes of PR giddiness, but (yet again) the emperor's clothes reveal much self idolatry and little else...
All's well that ends well, though, and this one did. The important thing now is to frame the inevitable debates truthfully, to wit: An armed society is a polite society, and the government really doesn't know you exist (or care) until you fail to file.
Burning Question
The internet argument rages: Did Stack's choice of landing sites in some way eclipse the evil of the agency he targeted?
In my book, NO. That column of smoke is merely good punctuation. At first blush, I thought Stack's desperate choice was a poor one, because I expected it to be ineffective. I was wrong - I didn't grasp the extent of America's foul mood, and his "end of my rope" desperation play was quite powerful.
Of course, that power is derived from the fact that much of our population feels the same way, and is on the way to being just as fed up. (If power wasn't so addictive,this might be a teachable moment. If only our rulers could grasp the error of their ways before this pressure cooker blows...)
In my book, NO. That column of smoke is merely good punctuation. At first blush, I thought Stack's desperate choice was a poor one, because I expected it to be ineffective. I was wrong - I didn't grasp the extent of America's foul mood, and his "end of my rope" desperation play was quite powerful.
Of course, that power is derived from the fact that much of our population feels the same way, and is on the way to being just as fed up. (If power wasn't so addictive,this might be a teachable moment. If only our rulers could grasp the error of their ways before this pressure cooker blows...)
2010/02/23
Interesting CBS News Poll on Obama's First Year
Not scientific, anyone can participate. What's striking is that there is a fair amount of selection here - not too many conservatives would find the CBS blog relevant, so it stands to reason the vast majority of respondents would be liberal.
With that, here are the scores thus far:
The Economy
A 1.97%
B 3.16%
C 5.06%
D 19.12%
F 70.69%
Foreign Policy
A 3.68%
B 3.22%
C 7.81%
D 23.08%
F 62.21%
Health Care
A 2.12%
B 2.31%
C 3.49%
D 9.87%
F 82.20%
Afghanistan
A 3.38%
B 13.58%
C 27.86%
D 24.16%
F 31.01%
Iraq
A 3.51%
B 9.59%
C 26.42%
D 24.75%
F 35.73%
Threat of Terrorism
A 3.20%
B 3.76%
C 7.99%
D 20.68%
F 64.37%
Energy and the Environment
A 2.77%
B 4.18%
C 12.01%
D 21.46%
F 59.57%
Social Issues
A 3.25%
B 4.17%
C 12.87%
D 21.22%
F 58.49%
Bipartisanship
A 3.10%
B 2.51%
C 4.18%
D 9.35%
F 80.86%
Obama's Overall Job as President
A 2.54%
B 3.26%
C 4.20%
D 26.11%
F 63.89%
(That grade on Afghanistan tells us how few people read Kipling these days!)
And I'll help out, since they forgot the Illinois poll on his first year:
A 113.8%
B 94.9%
C 31.6%
D 2.5%
F 0.4%
Go ahead. Make his day!
With that, here are the scores thus far:
The Economy
A 1.97%
B 3.16%
C 5.06%
D 19.12%
F 70.69%
Foreign Policy
A 3.68%
B 3.22%
C 7.81%
D 23.08%
F 62.21%
Health Care
A 2.12%
B 2.31%
C 3.49%
D 9.87%
F 82.20%
Afghanistan
A 3.38%
B 13.58%
C 27.86%
D 24.16%
F 31.01%
Iraq
A 3.51%
B 9.59%
C 26.42%
D 24.75%
F 35.73%
Threat of Terrorism
A 3.20%
B 3.76%
C 7.99%
D 20.68%
F 64.37%
Energy and the Environment
A 2.77%
B 4.18%
C 12.01%
D 21.46%
F 59.57%
Social Issues
A 3.25%
B 4.17%
C 12.87%
D 21.22%
F 58.49%
Bipartisanship
A 3.10%
B 2.51%
C 4.18%
D 9.35%
F 80.86%
Obama's Overall Job as President
A 2.54%
B 3.26%
C 4.20%
D 26.11%
F 63.89%
(That grade on Afghanistan tells us how few people read Kipling these days!)
And I'll help out, since they forgot the Illinois poll on his first year:
A 113.8%
B 94.9%
C 31.6%
D 2.5%
F 0.4%
Go ahead. Make his day!
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