Spooky Economics 101 (not voodoo!)

A socialist comrade and I have been discussing the need for more vacation among our overworked brethren. He insists a European style state-regulated system is required. I insist we increase vacation time more dramatically and without all the evil. Here's what I mean...(comments please!)

Securing more vacation time is too valuable to release to the black hole of governmental regulation. The consequence of such plans almost always has the opposite effect of what their well intentioned advocates expect. Passing a law such as this has the unavoidable consequence of lowering the amount of income that can be devoted to vacation days.

Oh, you don't mind trading income for vacation? OK, let's assume you only want to earn $1000 a year for food and take the rest as vacation.

Let's say your skills are worth (for easy math), $52,000 a year on the free market. You sign a contract to work for a company for one week. You plan to earn your $1000 and take the rest of the year off.

But wait, the government suddenly passes a law requiring 25 days of vacation per year - this is 10 more days than before. The company currently employs 100 other employees and now must hire approximately 3 additional employees to make up for the 1000 days of work being missed this year. Of course, the company needs to get the same amount of work done in order to pay its existing employees' raises etc. It simply adds 3% to its workforce.

Now, let's take the best case scenario and not include any costs of finding the new employees, providing medical insurance, or training. Let's say the additional three employees magically appear and pick up the required work perfectly. Since this is a national law, all companies need to do this.

Wait! the country doesn't have 3% more people - certainly not 3% more qualified people! Why didn't we think of that?! Oh no's.

The company now requires its workers to be 3% more productive, but they were already working at 100% productivity. The company loses revenue, and cut expenses. This is a technology company, so its workers are its primary expense. All employees get a wage reduction of 3%.

This 3% translates to a hidden tax lowering the amount the company can pay any new employee for any position. (This would be much higher considering training etc.)

Instead of $1000, you are only offered $970 for the same week's work. You are now required to work either 3% more productively or 3% longer than before the vacation law.

Now, in reality, this type of law simply increases the lowest common denominator for worker requirements. It now can only afford employees who are much more productive - especially considering the extra expenses (medical, training etc.). This is why the unemployment rate is about 10% in Europe compared to 4% in the US. More unemployment means higher corporate taxes to afford the expanding welfare state. Higher corporate taxes means less money for payroll = less money for vacation and even higher productivity requirements to keep the company competitive - which is a losing battle.

As much as they try, these workers will not be able to make up for the difference and will end up working during vacation being paid under the table (breaking the law) to keep the company afloat while perfectly able workers beneath the government manufactured productivity threshold are eliminated from the workforce and destined to ride the wave of the welfare state.

Now, if any of the above makes sense, I can also tell you how we could just as easily increase worker income about 30% (which would translate to 30% more vacation without any sacrifice to standard of living) while lowering unemployment and increasing productivity. I'll save this for another blog.

Smoke on the horizon

The bright light seemed to advance and he focussed on it calmly. It was like a tunnel drawing him in, only partially aware of the silhouettes in the periphery. It was the opposite of fear; wonder, strength, lucidity. This meditation brought him supreme comfort. Creativity flowed through his being as the dark figures' lips recited in unison. Through the hazy looking glass they bobbed like buoys under a brilliant moon, silent and graceful. Peace could be attained in this place, and nowhere else it seemed. "How did we get here," he asks himself. The distractions are few and welcome. "Hmm, front row - she looks like a Mary and is quite possibly the Antichrist." Here he exercises his petty thought crimes with impunity and encouragement as the magic fingers pluck in an order they had before.

His purpose is no longer in question, at least for the next hour, and he remembers the last time he sat down with himself to have a similar dialog. It was last night in a place far away but exactly the same; his clandestine solitude behind an army of millions. In such moments, unencumbered by rationality, he entered his universal thought window; an unexplainable unified consciousness of some kind. This number somehow evoked such irresistible nonsense. He imagines his next poem and lets an open chord fade into surreal silence.

State of the Union 2013

Mr. Speaker, Vice President, members of Congress, distinguished citizens and fellow citizens, every year, by law and by custom, our government meets to consider the state of the union. This year, on the eve of revolution, We the People gather in the last remaining vestige of our free society, deeply aware of the decisive days that lie ahead.

You and I serve our country in a time of great consequence. In recent months We have awoken to find ourselves pitted against the same great challenge our forefathers faced in other times of exaggerated fear mongering and departure from the rule of law - a government more dangerous to its people than the enemy it was created to protect us from.

We now understand with increasing clarity the powerful words penned by our third president over two-hundred years ago.

"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain inalienable rights, that among these are life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness.
That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness." -Thomas Jefferson

It was with great faith in these principals, and with tremendous understanding, will, and courage that his countrymen prevailed in bringing the first triumph of freedom to humanity. From the smoldering ashes of tyranny rose a Constitution constructed to limit the size and scope of government. A Constitution that would forever protect the rights each individual to self-govern based on their own definition of happiness provided it didn't infringe on the rights of anyone else. These radical and virtually unprecedented ideas, which barely struggled to gain a toehold at first, accelerated the prosperity of mankind into the modern age bringing unprecedented wealth, security, and freedom to its people.

Not all benefited from this transition. The descendants of the elite and aristocracy lost fortunes due to the rise of liberty. With no royalty, central bank, or fiat monetary system, the primary mechanisms by which the few could reign over the many were abolished and the spoils distributed through free trade to the population based on mutually beneficial cooperation. The modern world was built on this promise of prosperity, which we have seen eroding for one hundred years. We need little reminder of our current condition.

We have all watched the horrors of the last several months with shock and bewilderment. For our entire lives we were reminded of our status as the greatest country of the world. Our Presidents won elections on platforms of bold promises, optimism and strength. We enjoyed a standard of living unparalleled in history. Then we observed the unthinkable as our homes went into foreclosure, our retirement accounts wiped out, and the dollar weakened to almost nothing. Our states are now in a race to secede from the union, what remains of the National Guard is quelling riots, and homeless refugees are fleeing to Canada and Mexico. At the same time foreigners are purchasing our homes and then turning around and renting them out to those of us who can afford it! How could this happen!

What we now know must be remembered. And it must not be remembered using the same means that perpetuated today's disaster, but by secure means. Tell your children, write letters to your friends and family. Carve it in stone and set it adrift in bottles. We must not forget our brief period of awakening as the cycle will soon begin again. Indeed, many will never awaken from this hypnosis of well being as they labor sixty hours a week for their freedom. For some the propaganda has pervaded the deepest regions of consciousness. For those there will be no hope or reprise. Indeed, it is only with a macabre sense of irony that we remember the old joke "be thankful you're not getting the government you're paying for."

Our enemy is silent, faces familiar, charisma unmatched. They pacify us and do not mind that we fear the evil doers. They are wise and professional with silver tongues and attractive suits. Their masters knew they must keep the goose fat, happy, and in debt lest it stop laying its golden eggs. They understood the people's willingness to believe they were free was resilient, but knew it couldn't last forever. They never really intended to keep up the deception - we were destined to be slaves since the beginning of it all.

"This [Federal Reserve Act] establishes the most gigantic trust on earth. When the President [Wilson] signs this bill, the invisible government of the monetary power will be legalized....the worst legislative crime of the ages is perpetrated by this banking and currency bill." -Charles A. Lindbergh, Sr. , 1913

Truth in art

If the most comprehensive truth could be expressed through art, I wonder what would it sound like. Pink Floyd?

Billy Bob

Billy Bob was an annoying and unpopular individual. He was a police officer and routinely wrote tickets for crimes such as long grass and parking in the street for more than three consecutive days. In our small town we didn't have much of a speeding problem - Billy Bob never ignored any violation to any degree, and would pull you over for a speed infraction of 1 mph. He never showed much emotion. Many figured he liked the power of the badge. He would justify it by saying stuff like "if you don't like the law don't blame me, blame the folks who passed it."

Other factors contributed to his unsavory reputation. Billy Bob never told a lie and opened his mouth perhaps more often than necessary. His shameless dedication to the truth was often inappropriate and embarrassing. When invited to dinner he would point out things like "ya know, this steak is unfit for consumption under 150 degrees according to the FDA. Do you happen to have a thermometer handy?" Billy Bob was very unpopular indeed. In fact, it's safe to say he was intensely disliked by everyone he had ever met.

Everyone accused Billy Bob of secretly enjoying his "power trip" as he pulled cars over all day and distributed citations for trivial code violations. One man, Mr. Dibble, went so far as to publicly ostracize him at the city council meeting. The transcript went something like this:

Mr. Dibble: "Billy Bob is an absolute menace to everyone in town. How dare he bully us around like this! I've had six frivolous violations in the last week. Sure I'm guilty of having long grass but if there isn't anything better for him to do he should be fired!"
Mayor: "He even gave ME a speeding ticket for going 2 over. What a rat bastard!"
Everyone: "Let's lynch Billy Bob!"
Billy Bob: "You are all idiots."

Billy Bob was subsequently beaten by the angry mob, dragged outside and hanged.

Wolf

I'm reading "The End of America" by Naomi Wolf. I decided to order it after seeing her on Colbert. She compares recent events in America with other politically interesting times - pre-WWII Germany, 1920's Italy, etc. There really isn't a direct comparison, which she is careful to repeat throughout the book, but still, it looks like America today is most similar to about 1930 in Germany before Hitler had any real power.

Turns out Germany was a Democracy with free elections, courts, human rights attorneys, all that good stuff. The population had been viciously polarized since the end of the first world war - basically Communists on one end National Socialists on the other. (Although it was sort of a mad house of differing opinions). Many lawmakers were horrified with the Nazi's, but their group was fervent well organized - more so than the other parties.

So, basically people wanted order and security more than anything, and Hitler provided that with an appeal to nationalism calling Nazi Germany "a state of order, freedom, and law." Fascism, it turns out, can be very popular with the average citizen - the great bulk of the people not being hauled to work camps anyway. (I doubt Giuliani knows the historical significance of his platform, but he could be playing dumb.) Check this out...

"We will overthrow parliament in a legal way through legal means. Democracy will be overthrown with the tools of Democracy." -Hitler

Fortunately we live in a world where we can look back and learn from these mistakes rather than repeating them. Alright, off to the Vikes game where I can safely bury my head in the sand for another couple hours.

Anti-predictions

I could be wrong. Things could go more like this...

The Internet does not spark widespread understanding and acceptance of the merits of limited government.
Ron Paul is not elected President of the United States.
The war on terror expands into Iran requiring additional troops and funds.
Congress authorizes a higher debt ceiling.
US government borrows more money from China to pay corporations for war necessities.
All federal tax income is allocated to interest payments on an increasing national debt
Politicians give contracts to giant corporations who contributed to their campaigns.
The security-industrial complex and military-industrial complex grow.
Shareholders of these companies see high profits, employ more people.
Investors are attracted to military/security holdings.
Most Americans gainfully employed in private companies funded by government contracts. (Most have never heard of the broken window parable).
National debt continues to rise.
With bureaucracy and nominal rewards for good teachers American public schools increasingly under perform.
American businesses increasingly move their headquarters overseas. Outsourcing also expands.
Americans in the technology and science industries are increasingly attracted to employment opportunities overseas.
Expanded intervention abroad results in collateral damage and civilian deaths.
Anti-American sentiment rises. Moderates increasingly attracted to terrorist organizations in the middle-east.
Pressured from industry, politicians with pro-war message get more funding and mass media attention.
With mass media in the pockets of Washington bureaucrats, presidential candidates that do not support war are censored just enough to swing election results. Most Americans are not aware of candidates who support limited government in industrial affairs.
Power of the executive branch increases drastically.
Secret prisons are constructed to detain terrorists.
President gains power to detain "enemy combatants" without due process violating the fifth and sixth amendments. Only foreign terrorists are detained.
Illegal torture is exercised and tolerated in the interest of national security.
Profits for American military and security corporations continue to rise.
National debt increases.
Fewer anti-war demonstrations publicized. Fewer news stories appear to be anti-war.
"Freedom" message a cornerstone of all major political candidates.
Dirty bomb explodes in a large American city. Islamo-fascism blamed.
American citizens rally in support of the war on terror.
Worldwide disgust for terrorism and sympathy for America.
Passport registration increases.
Pressure on government to crack down on domestic enemy combatants.
Americans are monitored, seized, detained and tortured at secret prisons.
What happens next needs no prediction as we have countless historical examples.

Quote

In my line of work you gotta keep repeatin' things over and over and over again for the truth to sink in to kinda catapult the propaganda. -President George W. Bush

So, if the degree to which your message is accepted as truth is not dependent on credibility and logic but on how many times you repeat it, can't you just make truth by repeating something over and over and over again? If that's the case, can I assume others are letting your truth sink in? Therefore, can I also assume that what you say will always be truth? After all, if everyone believes something isn't it true? How do I get into the business of making truth?

On a similar note, as many times as I've been told Miller Lite tastes great I haven't once actually tasted it, and I've drank a lot of Miller Lite. Something must be wrong with me.

Predictions

Nostradamus wrote volumes of vague predictions open to an even more endless library of interpretations. These predictions were essentially useless because they were impossible to decipher until after the event had occurred. I'm going to lay it on the line. Here we go, and I think they will happen in this order.

The Internet sparks widespread understanding and acceptance of the merits of limited government.
Ron Paul is elected President of the United States.
American troops are withdrawn from around the world.
Government bureaucracy is scaled back massively.
No Child Left Behind is repealed.
Social Security begins to be phased out in favor of voluntary private accounts.
Public vouchers are allocated to students sparking competition in education.
American high school students become competitive with foreign high schools.
In the next few decades the fun really begins.
The 16th amendment is repealed and the Constitution is amended to expressly prohibit any tax on income.
A federal consumption tax is enacted to replace all taxes on income and commercial expenditures. States follow the federal government's lead.
European, Asian, and Japanese businesses begin outsourcing to America.
Tax protesters march in the streets. Riot police required to quell the uprising.
Starved for workers, America opens its borders eliminating any numerical restriction on immigration.
Businesses begin moving their headquarters to America from abroad.
Massive economic growth floods public coffers paying off the national debt.
The Federal Reserve Act is repealed. The fiat money system is eliminated and the gold standard restored.
Tax protesters march in the streets. Riot police required to quell the uprising.
Medicare is deemed unnecessary and abolished.
Less than 1% of each American's income goes to state and federal taxes combined.
The last remaining nuclear warhead is shipped to the Smithsonian.
Most surpluses in national income funneled to scientific research.
Students from around the world enroll in American high schools.
An infinite source of free and clean energy is developed eliminating virtually all pollution.
The gaming industry advances beyond all imagination.
No one really knows or cares who the President is.
Tax protesters march in the streets. Riot police are not required.
Cure for cancer perfected.
Flying cars.
Cure for aging.
Warp drive.
First permanent colony outside our solar system.

People I would like to know

Mrs. Glenda Guilder eats five boxes of Special K daily and little else. Although she suffers severe health consequences she insists to be pulled down the streets of Manhattan in a cart all day. The man pulling the cart is named Bruce Baxter. Bruce is a trim, athletic man in his 30s who eats five Big Macs every day and washes them down with five large chocolate shakes.

Across Glenda's forehead is a tattoo that reads: "I eat nothing but Special K"
Across Bruce's forehead is a tattoo that reads: "I eat nothing but Big Macs and Chocolate shakes"

They both have rather big foreheads. Their heads are probably shaved or something, I don't know.

Dweezle

"I haven't read a book in 20 years" he said, proudly, with a touch of arrogance. This was a claim Dweezle had made several times before in a variety of different ways. "I don't read," "If I ever wanted to read a book I'd wait for the movie..." That sort of thing. Harriet, a recent college student didn't know what to say. She had just graduated with a double-major in classical literature and philosophy. It seemed like an insult, but she couldn't be sure. He couldn't really think there was no merit in reading, could he? "Really, I'll watch any movie," he said, "any movie." And he had watched many movies - any one you could name. He could tell you the director, screenwriter, and spout an oratory of quotes from it too. Perhaps he was weeding out the fluff that didn't have the brilliance to the gain support of a movie producer. Perhaps he wore his voluntary illiteracy as a badge of honor like a high-school dropout turned billionaire. Only Dweezle wasn't a billionaire. Of course, none of this mattered now, but it was a welcome distraction.

Harriet was compelled to speak up. "Isn't it possible there are stories best communicated in writing?"
"Nope," he quipped. Anything written can be shown equally well if not better in a motion picture."
"How can you say that, Dweezle?"
"Because it appeals to three senses instead of only one, the auditory, visual, and intellectual."
"But what about the intricate thoughts of the characters? How they perceive the world?"
"A good director and good actors can bring the author's intentions to life. It's an improvement over writing in every way."
"But how do you know? You haven't read a book in 20 years!?"
"Um, Dweezle?" Both our heads turned.

"The doctor will see you now" she called from across the waiting room. Harriet helped him to his feet and they slowly walked towards the nurse. It was his final post-op appointment from colon surgery, and she felt for him. The doctors were all optimistic, but she could tell the whole ordeal was wearing on him. But she knew it didn't matter. Now was not the time to even hint at the very important thing she was obligated to tell him. The terminal consequences of his pride. Irony seeped from the new hairstyle of the receptionist as they walked by. It consumed every ounce of her being as we walked towards the office.
After the appointment they walked through the waiting room door and into the lobby.

"Harriet." he said softly.
"Yes, Dweezle."
"I want you to hold my hand as the tanks consume us."
"Yes Dweezle. I will never let go. Not until my strength is gone"

He raised his hand to her chin and they shared a moment with his sad eyes. "I need to use the bathroom; I will be a couple minutes" he said. What struck her next was a shameful and absurd contradiction for a woman who would be dead within the hour. Yes, the nefarious triviality of our thoughts are infinitely stubborn. As he walked through the door it escaped my lips. "Good God, two uses of a semicolon in the same moment."

Lord of the Flies 2

Hey Ryan. Wow. I am impressed that you mentioned Lord of the Flies at Jason's place as it is a fantastic illustration of the argument we were having. It warrants a much more, um, sober conversation than I could have conjured at the party, and I have really found a new respect for Golding. Here's my take - I'd like to start with a few questions.

1. Would you say man's natural state tends toward the honest, able, wise, and kind? (The Lord of the Flies seems to argue this is not the case. I assume your answer is no.)
   
2. Can you grant that if man's natural state did tend toward these things there would be little incentive to create and impose laws? That he could live thrive by consensus and voluntary agreement without government intervention? I think you would agree that he could, but that this is not a fair assessment of man's nature.
   
3. Now, we agree that every person is entitled to make decisions that suit themselves provided it does not prevent another person from doing the same. We agree that everyone has a right to their lives and their property. Right?
   
4. And, as a consequence of man's deviation from these qualities (innate or not), we are all threatened to some degree and must protect that which we all most value - life, property, and individual choice. Basic stuff, right?
   
5. And, government should be instituted to protect these things, and the government's powers must be derived only from the consent of the governed. Standard stuff, right?
   

So, if man's natural state tends toward the dishonest, unable, unwise, and unkind, as one might argue Lord of the Flies presumes; if we are inherently incapable of living without government, how can we expect such flawed individuals to govern us? How can we trust the dishonest nature of our friends, family, and community members to choose from a list of candidates with which we are even less familiar to protect our lives, property, and right to make decisions for ourselves? Where are these angels? But this argument is incomplete and humans are much too complicated to describe with this kind of blanket statement. The book is really about the subtle relationship between individuals and government.

First off, I want to clarify that while we agree that there are some evil tendencies of mankind, I think we disagree what those core tendencies are. I do agree that man's natural state is conducive to self-destruction, but I sincerely believe the cause is not a lack of government, but the pervasive nature of government itself. This puts me at odds with what some perceive as Golding's point; that people require government to save them from anarchy. But this is an incorrect interpretation. I propose his story was intended to illustrate a more sinister and visceral argument, and I believe it does so with chilling precision.

It all begins innocently enough with the boys trust of Jack. By telling the boys what they want to hear, Jack gains popularity. The boys find it easy to believe that which they find agreeable, and decide to follow him. He genuinely believes he is doing what's best for the group, and when they support him, this belief is reinforced. This is the double-edged sword which dooms the party. As much as Jack believes his decisions are best for the group, they are delusional and destructive. A thought vacuum in the minds of his followers prevents them from even realizing they are on a death march. At the point each boy decided to trust Jack, he replaced his own reasoning skills for trust of Jack's. Each was reinforced by the sheep like following of the other boys. At this point, there was no respect for any idea contrary to the will of Jack. Fear of the beast/terror also prevents them from challenging Jack. With complacent followers, a source of fear, and a scape goat (Ralphs tribe), his tyranny was complete. He slaughters the mother sow, initiates a precedence of killing with the death of Simon, then steals from Ralphs tribe.

It was the inability of the boys to discern between their own good, and the good that others saw for them. It was not a human tendency for evil that caused the children to devolve into savages, it was the very opposite - good intentions. Misguided good intentions with terrible consequences. Jack believed he was helping as he led his followers down the death spiral. It was the lack of skepticism and ability to stand up for themselves under pressure from their peers when they knew what was right. It was their weakness of mind to make the assumption that as long as others were doing it, it must be OK. Not only OK, but best for everyone.

Most of the harm in the world is done by good people, and not by accident, lapse, or omission. It is the result of their deliberate actions, long persevered in, which they hold to be motivated by high ideals toward virtuous ends… [I]n periods when millions are slaughtered, when torture is practiced, starvation enforced, oppression made a policy, as at present over a large part of the world, and as it has often been in the past, it must be at the behest of very many good people, and even by their direct action, for what they consider a worthy object. -Isabel Paterson

The worthy object in Jack's mind was fun. The boys wanted to believe him. They ended up devolving to savages.

At a given point, Jack's government became destructive to the good of the tribe and to the basic rights of the individuals. At this point, it was the responsibility and obligation of the boys to overthrow their oppressor. Some argue the boys did not have the historical knowledge to foresee the consequences of their complacency, and this is a valid excuse for their behavior and evidence humans are inherently destined for slavery under oppressive dictatorships. But this is not the message Golding intends to leave us with. He did not write this book to illustrate how ignorance is an excuse for human failure. The boys were seduced by Jack's empty promises. They were seduced despite their own better judgment which they chose to ignore. It is the scourge of their own laziness that sealed their fate, and they are held duly accountable as we see by their condition at the end of the book. While Golding's indictment may allude to the fact that knowledge of history and civilization can help us choose more wisely, I believe it is the lack of belief in our own individual sovereignty that condemns us to fail.

Mental laziness and complacency was the natural state of man that caused the tyranny and subsequent fall to savagery. Inability to stand up for his own rights, intolerance of ideas, oppressive use of fear, and a blind trust of well-intentioned but oppressive ideas. It is this well-intentioned enemy we must face.

They are believable because they believe in themselves. They are an able, effective, and powerful enemy - they who have an unwavering trust in their own judgment. We follow them at our own peril.

Yes, history has shown that man's tendency does lead to oppressive conditions - Stalin's Russia, Hitler's Europe, Mao's China. But these are not ill-intentioned individuals. They all thought their vision for humanity was just and, overall, best for mankind. It was their inability to trust the capabilities of each individual to live according to his own best interests. It was their inability to understand that humans are most capable of success when they have the right to deal with each other on an individual and voluntary basis. And for good reason. It was because individuals in each of these communities failed to demonstrate that they are not a mindless cowering heard of sheep destined for slaughter. That they will not live under a repressive and unrepresentative government. A government of hidden, will-sucking, compulsory taxes. A government where each individual carries a national ID. A government who's leader can designate any citizen an enemy combatant and detain and torture him without warrant.

No, I reject the notion that man's natural state is dishonest, unable, unwise, and unkind. I reject it because it implies that without government we are incapable of voluntary, mutually beneficial cooperation. This is exactly what the politicians want us to believe - that we cannot live without them. He or she will spend a lifetime trying to prove it. It is not only false, but contrary to reality. An oppressive state is the very institution which prevents man from being moral, honest, able, wise, and kind. In Lord of the Flies, it was Jack's monarchy. In reality, it's collectivism (socialism and fascism). Just look at the evidence. Observe the reasons why the country with the most respect for individual rights in history became the most successful and the most collective/socialist/fascist counties in history became the most poverty stricken, tyrannical and bloody. The reasons are always, in every case, because individuals were given the freedom to engage in productive behavior with little intervention by the state. The sad tyranny of collectivism oppressed its willing participants to such a degree that its standard of living was beneath our country's poverty line. It is these conditions which foster treachery by otherwise good and moral people, not lack of government. And, this is the trend that history prescribes for every nation with an increasingly powerful government, including us.

For now, we do control our destiny to a certain degree. We do not have the right to blame any other body for our failures, nor do we have the obligation to give credit to any other body for our successes. This will continue until our complacency has allowed others to strip these rights from us. This should only happen over our cold, dead bodies.

Life, faculties, production—in other words, individuality, liberty, property—this is man. And in spite of the cunning of artful political leaders, these three gifts precede all human legislation, and are superior to it. 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. -Frederic Bastiat.

Just sayin'

Before the Internet, society had some excuse to be ill-informed and self-destructive. Now we must blame it on individual stupidity.

Republican debate

Ug, here I go again. OK, is is just me, or are we really all basically doomed?

With I think two exceptions, all the Republican and Democratic candidates want to keep provoking terrorists and I don't like it. Why would we vote to keep kicking the hornet's nest?

It all comes down to the fear of allowing Iran develop nukes with the certainty that they will distribute them to terrorists who will sneak them over here in a pop machine and blow up a football stadium in Baltimore.

Here's what I think the deal is...Politicians (Hillaruliani) want to be president, but they are terrified to go down in history as the first president to allow a nuclear strike on one of our cities. Did you see what I did there...TERRIFIED. I'm pretty sure this is evidence terrorism is working. There are several flaws with that thinking.

1. Terrorism is a tactic. You can't have a war against a tactic. There are unintended consequences and civilian deaths.
2. Civilian deaths = more terrorists.
3. More terrorists = more of a mandate to "fight" terrorism. It's like job security for politicians on a depraved, evil, global scale.

I'm sorry, but this seems to spell disaster. There is nothing I detest more than a nutty conspiracy theorist, but I have to be skeptical when it's apparent that a politician could so easily gain popularity and power while at the same time putting the people at a greater risk.

"All propaganda has to be popular and has to accommodate itself to the comprehension of the least intelligent of those whom it seeks to reach." -Adolf Hitler

Going out on a limb

Here I go.

Existence precedes essence. Individual human beings create the meanings and essence of their own lives.

Flame on.

I could be wrong, but...
1. I'm not much use dead.
2. Other people aren't much use dead.
3. If anyone must die to make an idea work, it's probably not a good enough idea.
4. I am the only person I have the right to kill in order to achieve a greater good. (If you can convince me it's for the good of the species, which it very well might be, I have the right to agree, but that still doesn't give you the right to kill me).

If you believe that something or someone else creates the meaning and essence of your life, please let me know what it is and where I can sign up. I've found this whole essence thing quite difficult to work out for myself.

That is all. Thank you.

If Your Happy and You Know It

If your happy and you know it denounce terrorism
If your happy and you know it denounce terrorism
If your happy and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
If your happy and you know it denounce terrorism

If your happy and you know it abhor poverty
If your happy and you know it abhor poverty
If your happy and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
If your happy and you know it abhor poverty

If your happy and you know it reject violence
If your happy and you know it reject violence
If your happy and you know it
Then your face will surely show it
If your happy and you know it reject violence

I've Drank Every Beer

I was toting my pack along the long dusty Winnemucca road
When along came a semi with a high canvas covered load
If your goin' to Winnemucca, Mack with me you can ride
And so I climbed into the cab and then I settled down inside
He offered me a beer, said "have you tried Surly in can"?
And I said, "Listen! I've drank every damn beer in this here land!"

I've drank every beer, man
I've drank every beer, man
Chugged them far and near, man
It's almost a career, man
Just tap the keg right here, man
I've drank every beer

I have drank:
Cynic Ale
Extra Pale
Bass Ale
Celebration
Winter Ale
Curly Tail
Scotch Ale
Restoration
Red Baron
Red Stripe
Redhook
Red tail
Old Ale
Old Style
Old Peculier
Old Rasputin
Weizen
Hefeweizen
Weizen-bock
Maibock
Dopple-bock
Caramel Bock
Double-dunkel
Weizen Bock

I've drank every beer, man
I've drank every beer, man
Chugged them far and near, man
It's almost a career, man
Just tap the keg right here, man
I've drank every beer

And I've drank:
Roggen Beer
Steam Beer
Spiced Beer
Wit Bier
Weisse Bier
Dusseldorf
Northern German
Alt bier
Oberon
Boddington
Orval
Ommegang
Extra Stout
Pub Dought
Furious
No doubt
Surlyfest
Darkness
Big glass
Big mess
One
Bender
Keller
Cellared
Dogfish head
Never felt better!

I've drank every beer, man
I've drank every beer, man
Chugged them far and near, man
It's almost a career, man
Just tap the keg right here, man
I've drank every beer

And I've drank:
Vienna Lager
Black Lager
Light Lager
Dark Lager
Boston Lager
Premium
Green bottled
Skunked lager
Primo
Prima
Pilsner
Uquelle
Bitburger
Big Sky
Big Foot
Big Easy
Genesee
Avery
Yuengling
La Folie
Samual Smiths
Nut brown
Bring us all
Another round!

I've drank every beer, man
I've drank every beer, man
Chugged them far and near, man
It's almost a career, man
Just tap the keg right here, man
I've drank every beer

And I've drank:
Miller lite
Busch Light
Natti Light
Amstel Light
Sex in a
Canoe
Fuckin' close to water, boo!
Coors Light
Mich Light
Shiner Light
Keystone Light
I might as well
Drink this
cold gallon
of my own urine
Sam Light
Stroh's Light
High Life Light
The world's blight
I said I wanted
anything BUT a damn
Bud Light!

I've drank every beer, man
I've drank every beer, man
Chugged them far and near, man
It's almost a career, man
Just tap the keg right here, man
I've drank every beer

I've drank every beer

Save Us Grunt Monkeys!

Our yellow rockin' nuclear submarine rests at the floor of the deepest abyss on the planet, and when I hear the walls creak it is kind of creepy (which is more often these days). But usually I forget about it and enjoy myself - all of us do. This is no regular submarine. Yesterday I awoke, strolled across the hall into our 10,000 square foot recreation area and played racquetball. I'm a member of the Club, and our clan always goes to the spa for complimentary massages afterwards. Yes, we have a spa here, and a staff of lovely attendants. This is our Saturday ritual and we've done it ever since the accident. Well, it was hardly an accident. We gently glided onto a flat and level portion of the sea floor. Some didn't even notice we crashed!
Oh, and the food! For breakfast I ate Mahi Mahi and eggs. You wouldn't think they complement each other, but our chefs are damn good. So good I often order the most obscure thing on the menu. Food is all part of the package, and it means I don't have to worry about overeating or cholesteral or anything. The chefs mold my meals according to my medical charts and physical activity. There is a whole department hired by the Club that handles nutrition. It's kind of funny, non-crew members can actually request a specific level of health. If I choose a higher BMI on my account's LP (Life Preference) settings I get larger portions and extra desserts! Everyone would see that on the CM (Club Monitor) though and I'd kind of look like a slob, but the option is there. Right now I'm already on a "socially active lifestyle plan" which compels extra physical activity and a low-cal diet for a couple extra beers on the weekend - all my friends are too. (It feels sort of rebellious). My level of compliance is constantly recorded and displayed in real-time on the CM. I work out hard early in the week so I can relax a bit as the weekend nears - I do like beer.
Club membership pretty much takes care of everything actually, and just about everyone on the sub is a Club member. We call the few remaining non-Club members grunt monkeys because they work twice as hard for the same pay. They also drive the tiny fishing and mining subs, which look like bananas. The Club owns those. Anyway, Club membership has become very expensive and the dues keep going up. Basically everyone also works for the Club, so they actually just take more out of our paycheck. Like I said, the Club takes care of everything, so we don't complain. This time the dues went up because the chef's union needed more money for fish. They said the grunt monkeys raised the price of fish for some reason. Something about a higher mini-sub user fee. (Damn grunt monkeys!) The Club Captains know we won't stand for second-rate fish, so the dues went up.
Actually, this means that the amount I earn is precisely the same as the Club dues. (I'm just a cameraman for the sub porn industry, so my income is relatively low.) It's a common predicament, and everyone knows what happens next. When they raise dues again, I'll tell the Club captains I can't afford it because they aren't paying me enough. I know the Club needs our membership dues to survive, and can't do without sub porn. They will raise the mini-banana-sub user fee on the grunt monkeys. Then, they will give me a raise, but just enough to cover the extra dues. But, the extra Club income from the mini-banana-sub user fee won't be quite enough. The Club will also have to borrow some money to pay me every two weeks. Overall, the Club actually borrows about half the money it pays to its workers from the super-rich Grunt Monkey Bank, which is owned by the Club Captain's red-headed identical triplet bastard stepchildren. (And, just because they officially named the bank "Grunt Monkey" doesn't mean it's still not used exclusively the pejorative.) So anyway, the portion of the dues that consists of real money combined only covers the interest payment on this huge loan. And, since the dues always go up, the proportion of real money compared to borrowed money in each month's revenue will always go down. The GMB (Grunt Monkey Bank) knows it can't stay in business if the Club is broke, so when the Club says it can't pay, the GMB just lowers the monthly payment and reschedules the payment over a few more years. Or, sometimes it gives the Club another loan so it has the money to pay. In any case, it all ends up working out just fine. Well, time for my power rock ballad jello-yoga class.
Ha, the Club's sub maintenance crew just went on strike. Fix that damn creaking grunt monkeys!

Into the Furnace

I was the heaviest in a democracy of three. Our temporary nation floated within the basket of a hot air balloon, gently drifting directly into a volcano. The vote was be 2-1 in favor of my dismissal. My right to life unhinged for the good of the whole. Feeling my feet warm against the bottom of the basket, I glanced over the side into the molten, bubbling abyss pondering my impending doom. I reassure myself..."the thought of this excruciating horror is probably worse than the seconds of agony." Vivid images filled me; the day I got onto the school bus in 1st grade long ago. I had a light blue backpack and a Mickey Mouse lunch box. It had a faint, but unmistakable smell, like bread, plastic and tuna. Out the window my mother waved at me. She grew smaller and smaller until the bus turned the corner. I sat in my seat and looked at my lunch box. "Dude! everyone knows even your bones will be incinerated within seconds. Haven't you seen Episode III?" My eyes remain affixed on glowing red hell below, pondering my sins. "A short, wretched, useless life. Why couldn't I have done more with it! Why didn't I make use of the time I had - it was so precious..." I walked out of my dorm early that morning. The sun glistened off the wet grass. Across the valley I could see the building that would excuse me - my last final. It was across campus. It wouldn't go well but my worries were behind me. I started work three days later. This was freedom. "Dude, trust me, it will be virtually painless. I promise. I knew this guy who was a geology major and he said..." I think of my father, my friends, my wife. I hope they will forgive me and know my death was selfless and honorable. That given the choice I had the courage and strength to sacrifice myself for the greater good. "Dude! Earth to major Mark, you still with us? hu huh." His legs flipped almost effortlessly over the wicker wall and we quickly ascended. We agreed he was selfless and honorable.

Lord of the Flies

This post is for Ryan. I took your advise and am re-reading "Lord of the Flies." I'm sure it will help me understand your point and am looking forward to a discussion.
I'm trying to see how respecting the constitution and promoting individual liberty suggests all out anarchy? If a government's just powers derive from the consent of the governed, I think it's evident it's taken some liberties of it's own. Did any of us consent to the four months of paychecks we're giving the government each year? Did any of us really consent to throwing black people in prison for smoking pot? Banning public nudity?

As far as whether it's sane to depend on government to solve our problems...

"If the natural tendencies of mankind are so bad that it is not safe to permit people to be free, how is it that the tendencies of these organizers are always good? Do not the legislators and their appointed agents also belong to the human race? Or do they believe that they themselves are made of a finer clay than the rest of mankind?" Frédéric Bastiat "The Law"

Buy my truck

Is it okay to post two times in the same day? Is it okay to spell out OK? I have no idea, but if these things hadn't a precedence, now they do. And now for something completely different. I just listed my truck on Craigslist. Go there and buy it! Now! Buy my truck and you will be happy!

Note: Someone bought my truck. They are now filled with glee.

Selfishness vs. Self-interest

Self-interest = Neither of us wanted a full pizza, so we split the cost and each ate half.
Selfishness = I ate all the pizza that you paid for and drank all of your beer, then I threw up on your dog.

Sometimes people way smarter than I have these really great ideas, and then they use words that have a way of advertising the opposite of what they mean. The above is an example...Self-interest is a basic human right, selfishness implies the violation of human rights - big difference. Acting in one's own self-interest is simply pursuing happiness; selfishness may also be in the pursuit of happiness, but more than implies you are doing it at someone else's expense. And I'm not just talking pizza. It goes for beer too. It is always in everyone's self-interest to enjoy my pizza and beer, but they are selfish if they take it without my consent. Selfishness leads to a sense of entitlement, which leads to plunder, which is in violation of someone else's self-interest. Since beer is not an inalienable human right (sniff), if you are drinking it for free, and no one gave it to you, it is plunder. Ay! aarg, it's PLUNDER me brothers!

Truck

Anyone got a beater truck for sale? Especially anyone who needs parts for a c. 1988 Ford Ranger.

Read

Thunder roars among the crowd
our hats against our hearts.
The echo of the anthem's snore
before the evening starts.

Our voice does drone among them,
repeated words by rote.
We chant the question once again,
vibration in our throat.

There, from the rafters up above,
its huge unfurled clout.
A hundred-thousand stand and stare
without a trace of doubt.

But when a spotlight couldn't be aimed,
its adversaries near.
Some new ideas loved by some,
its stripes inspired here.

Persistent so were these ideas,
the symbol so admired,
no shrewd thief could resist its cloak
when some of us grew tired.

Picked from the dawn that morning
and placed among the drove,
propositioned by his own fresh words,
what findings he would loath.

So, while there is no doubt today,
it does yet wave indeed.
Will those of us who chant away
beat those of us who read?

Memo

Just a friendly warning to all kind hearted philosophers out there. You are all way too honest. Do not test your powers of reason with everyone. Many wish you to fail. New and great ideas are rare and vulnerable - they must often be defended with silence.

Mises

I'm often reminded that beauty is in the little things...little things like the scent of a flower or the purr of a Penny. I don't disagree. I find beauty in small things like the tiny bubbles in a pint of hefeweizen drifting to the top of the glass, all meeting in a gorgeous frothy white head. But there are wonderful little things that are not beautiful. A stack of 100 dollar bills is relatively little. But I think there is a bit of wonder required for true beauty. Is a sunset or an historic painting just a bit more awe inspiring because of its mystery? I know beer is. I'll never figure it out, so it shall ever lose its beauty. The more I consume, the lesser a chance I'll ever figure it out. It's the perfect spiral.
But then there are questions...is everything mysterious beautiful? Hell no. Also, does solving a mystery make it less beautiful? I don't know. I do think the greatest mysteries are the ones I haven't been able to solve but keep trying because they are so damn beautiful I can't resist. No, not just brewing. I think music falls into that category. Women. The Austrian School of economics. Paulian libertarianism.
So, I did grab a homebrew last night and derive one way to remove my cast. My removal procedure was shot down immediately. I will be calling the doctor tomorrow to make an appointment. Tomorrow I plan to learn more about Ludwig Von Mises. Baby steps - I'm still proud of myself for actually posting my third blog.

well

Let's see, it's my second blog post and I have little to report. Monday's volleyball game was a success. Although we lost all three games, I think the team is making good progress. My sideline view offers a perspective that seems to allows me to take note of all the good things - and enjoy a beer or two and some light heckling. Not all that bad of a gig.
It's been a slow week so far. Other news of note...I got kicked off freerepublic.com for posting three comments supportive of Ron Paul's positions (a bit ironic, but not really). I agreed to perform security duty (with "delta force B") along side Kami at Russ' auction preview on Saturday. Beware the red fiberglass gauntlet all ye ill-intentioned miscreants - you will feel my stony wrath against your pebble-brained noggin.
Speaking of my splendid sleeve, I'm supposed to keep it on for another week but I'm not sure I'll make it. Even after five weeks I still find difficulty growing any sort of fondness towards it (other than it's defense capabilities). It's more like a parasite feasting on my will to perform any sort of manual labor, and that includes brewing. So, it shall be removed by methods hereto unknown, but I am encouraged by precedence. (I somehow got one of these off in college, but I can't remember how). I will report on my progress later.
So, I found a thing or two to write about after all. Hopefully this blog will continue. The past becomes history when it is written down (I think someone said that), but more importantly, recording a goal probably doesn't hurt its chance of success. So with that, let's say I'll fetch myself a homebrew and think of at least one way to liberate my favorite drinking wrist.

Hey, why not

Inspiration comes from many sources, but on Saturday it happened to be several pints of homebrew and a hazy conversation with a fellow blogger (who, to protect the innocent, shall remain nameless). Yes, I must blog. My recent passage into yet another decade condenses the urgency to collect some random thoughts and introduce them to the collective consciousness that we call the interwebs.
So, how shall I begin. Well, the first annual Marktoberfest was a success to say the least! Lots of friends and beer lovers came to help shove me into my 30s with plenty of warm encouragement. As far as I could tell a good time was had by all. Das Boot was passed, brats were consumed, and a few lucky individuals left with commemorative T-SHIRTS. (Yes, "Marktoberfest" t-shirts by Kassera Design Studio - they are awesome). What can I say - a fantastic way to ring in a new decade. So, looks like this first one is going to have to be quick - got a v-ball game to observe/coach. Will be sans cast in a couple weeks.