03/10/21
[L/G/power/debt] Congress has decided to dump $1.9T into the M1 money supply which is not only highly inflationary but adds to the out-of-control debt. There seems no way to ever pay the $28T and soon to be $30T of debt but history has shown us that one way for a government to get out of debt is to default through high inflation.
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09/23/20
Steven Pinker is optimistic about the trend towards less violence siting one reason among others that people's ability to reason is increasing. He seems to equate greater reasoning ability with the right-thinking value of individualism. [R/G/think] [R/S/welc] [R/S/noharm] “But the key qualification is that the escalator of reason predicts only that intelligence should be correlated with classical liberalism, which values the autonomy and well-being of individuals over the constraints of tribe, authority, and tradition. Intelligence is expected to correlate with classical liberalism is itself a consequence of the interchangeability of perspectives that is inherent to reason itself.” Better Angels of Our Nature Steven Pinker 09/22/20
The author of Angels of Our Better Nature is a left-thinker but occasionally gets it right: [L/FP/coercion] This gives us the more sinister sense of the word pacification: not just a bringing about a peace but the imposition of absolute control by a coercive government. Better Angels of Our Nature Steven Pinker 09/18/20 [L/G/bureau/overreg] Formerly we suffered from crimes; now we suffer from laws.
Tacitus 06/13/20 [L/G/intol] The Sedition Act of July 14th, 1798 made it illegal to speak against the US government or organize for that purpose. Today this spirit of intolerance takes the form of “political correctness”. 05/11/20 [R/G/vigil] “The greatest dangers to Liberty lurk in insidious encroachment by men of zeal well-meaning but without understanding.” Louis D. Brandeis 04/24/20 [L/G/indoc] [L/G/dogma] Herding sheep isn't difficult. A dog can do it. [R/G/indiv] [R/G/think] Trying to herd cats is unfruitful as it is inconsistent with their nature. 04/15/20 KOHLBERG SCALE Preconventional Level Children are concerned with avoiding punishment and satisfying their own needs. Right action is determined in response to physical authority or egocentric sense of loss or gain. Stage 1 [L/FP/coercion] Right action consists or doing things that will not result in punishment. [L/G/authority] The authority figure determines correct behavior. Children tend to believe punishment and and reward are reciprocal--if I am bad, bad things will happen. Stage 2 [L/FP/care] Right behavior means something which fulfills one's own needs. Child views relations in terms of reciprocity--an equal exchange of favor or punishment. Conventional Level [L/G/indoc] Children tend to seek definition cf right or wrong that goes beyond punishment or one's own needs, Children tend to be loyal to the present social order. Child seeks approval and upholds rules. Stage 3 Golden Rule stage—doing what's right is defined by the Golden Rule. Generally, correct behavior is that which pleases or helps other people and that of which others will approve. Stage 4 [L/G/order] Right behavior consists of maintaining social order and showing respect for authority. Doing one's duty and relying on fixed rules are typical behavior patterns. Post Conventional Level Stage 5 Called contractual legalistic level. People tend to avoid actions that would violate rights of others. There is a concern for due process. Stage 6 [R/G/ideal] Conscience oriented--people are likely to make moral decisions based on respect for dignity of human beings. [R/G/nat] The right action is defined in terms of universal human rights. [R/G/indrights] People tend to see individual rights as more important than societal rules. |