"A large part of the Western intellligentsia of today forms and conveys a warped picture of our economic institutions. This is dangerous since it tends to divert a salutary urge to reform from feasible constructive tasks to the unfeasible and the destructive. The historian's contribution to the distortion of the picture has been under discussion, especially his interpretation of the 'Industrial Revolution.' I have little to add. Historians have done their obvious duty in describing the miserable social conditions of which they found ample evidence. They have, however, proved exceptionally incautious in their interpretation of the facts. First, they seem to have taken for granted that a sharp increase in the extent of social awareness of and indignation about misery is a true index of increased misery; they seem to have given little thought to the possibility that such an increase might also be a function of new facilities of expression (due partly to a concentration of workers, partly to greater freedom of speech), of a growing philanthropic sensitivity (as evidenced by the fight for penal reforms), and of a new sense of the human power to change things, mooted by the Industrial Revolution itself. Second, they do not seem to have distinguished sufficiently between the sufferings attendant upon any great migration (and there was a migration to the towns) and those inflicted by the factory system. Third, they do not seem to have attached enough importance to the Demographic Revolution. Had they used the comparative method, they might have found that a massive influx into the towns, with the resultant squalor and pauperism, occurred as well in countries untouched by the Industrial Revolution, where they produced waves of beggars instead of underpaid workers...
"The vast improvement achieved in workers' conditions over the last hundred years is widely attributed to union pressure and good laws correcting an evil system. One may ask, on the other hand, whether this improvement would have occurred but for the achievements of this evil system, and whether political action has not merely shaken from the tree the fruit it had borne. The search for this true cause is not an irrelevant pursuit, since an erroneous attribution of merit may lead to the belief that fruit is produced by shaking trees..."
---Bertrand de Jouvenal, "Treatment of Capitalism by Intellectuals" in FA Hayek, editor, Capitalism and the Historians, pp. 99-100.
Friday, February 13, 2009
Entitlements: Democrat Incompetence in Song
I just received the following lyrics from Sharad Karkhanis, who says that a lawyer friend had written them. One point I would add: the chief victims of the Democrats' stupidity will be, as always, the poor not the rich. The Democrats give the poor a plate of spam, and cheer as the money supply is doubled or troubled. Spam on a plate for the poor, trillions in subsidies to stock holders. The Democrats are true altruists.
ENTITLEMENTS
The Bush-Chaney era
Has come to an end
Now it is time to tax and spend
With Barack Hussain
And his wife Michelle
The U.S.A. will go straight to Hell
Living here will be such a pain
In four short years
We'll be down the drain
American hearts will fill with contrition
And working people will lose all ambition.
Socialism is our new theme
It makes me so mad, I just want to scream!
Freebies, entitlements
More, More, More, More
The Hell with our soldiers.
Just end the damn war.
Free Health care, Free rent, free food as well.
Just keep taxing the rich
Let them all rot in Hell.
First in War
First in Peace
But if four short years
Our work force will decrease.
Why work hard each night, each day
Tax the rich more
Let's make them pay.
America the beautiful
So goes the song
But in only four years
So much can go wrong.
Can we really trust Barack H. Obama
We'd be much better off
With the Dalai Lama.
By
A Concerned Citizen.
ENTITLEMENTS
The Bush-Chaney era
Has come to an end
Now it is time to tax and spend
With Barack Hussain
And his wife Michelle
The U.S.A. will go straight to Hell
Living here will be such a pain
In four short years
We'll be down the drain
American hearts will fill with contrition
And working people will lose all ambition.
Socialism is our new theme
It makes me so mad, I just want to scream!
Freebies, entitlements
More, More, More, More
The Hell with our soldiers.
Just end the damn war.
Free Health care, Free rent, free food as well.
Just keep taxing the rich
Let them all rot in Hell.
First in War
First in Peace
But if four short years
Our work force will decrease.
Why work hard each night, each day
Tax the rich more
Let's make them pay.
America the beautiful
So goes the song
But in only four years
So much can go wrong.
Can we really trust Barack H. Obama
We'd be much better off
With the Dalai Lama.
By
A Concerned Citizen.
The Stock Market Decrements Incompetence of Democrats, Obama
The stock market fell on Wednesday despite rising consumer sales and lower unemployment. Today, it was down for most of the day but then ended approximately even. The Fed has laid the ground work for a major rally, yet investors remain nervous. In fact, the Fed has done so much to transfer wealth from the general American public to Wall Street and stock holders that one can truly say that America's stock holders have become the chief welfare beneficiaries of all time. Yet, they continue to spurn this gift.
The reason, of course, is that the Democrats turned the massive subsidization of Wall Street into a more general pork-and-graft bill.
It is likely that the markets are discounting the ever-more-evident failure of American democracy; the evident stupidity of the American Congress; the incompetence of the public in electing the current government; and, most of all, the incompetence of Wall Street publicists, the New York Times, CNN, NBC, etc.
The reason, of course, is that the Democrats turned the massive subsidization of Wall Street into a more general pork-and-graft bill.
It is likely that the markets are discounting the ever-more-evident failure of American democracy; the evident stupidity of the American Congress; the incompetence of the public in electing the current government; and, most of all, the incompetence of Wall Street publicists, the New York Times, CNN, NBC, etc.
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Half Man, Half Boy
Jim Crum writes:
>I am at work right now, but felt this was worth sharing right away.
Bryan Potter writes:
>This dropped into my mailbox from a retired soldier I know and thought I should pass it along. Bryan
>>1/2 boy 1/2 man
If you read this, you WILL forward it on. You just won't be able to stop yourself.
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax
his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark.
He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop,or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those
around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . .
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.
A Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it Please send this on after a short prayer.
Prayer Wheel
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq , Afghanistan and all foreign countries.
There is nothing attached... This can be very powerful...
Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Airman, Soldier, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Sailor, prayer is the very best one.
I can't break this one, sorry. Pass it on to everyone and pray.
>I am at work right now, but felt this was worth sharing right away.
Bryan Potter writes:
>This dropped into my mailbox from a retired soldier I know and thought I should pass it along. Bryan
>>1/2 boy 1/2 man
If you read this, you WILL forward it on. You just won't be able to stop yourself.
The average age of the military man is 19 years. He is a short haired, tight-muscled kid who, under normal circumstances is considered by society as half man, half boy. Not yet dry behind the ears, not old enough to buy a beer, but old enough to die for his country. He never really cared much for work and he would rather wax
his own car than wash his father's, but he has never collected unemployment either.
He's a recent High School graduate; he was probably an average student, pursued some form of sport activities, drives a ten year old jalopy, and has a steady girlfriend that either broke up with him when he left, or swears to be waiting when he returns from half a world away. He listens to rock and roll or hip-hop or rap or jazz or swing and a 155mm howitzer.
He is 10 or 15 pounds lighter now than when he was at home because he is working or fighting from before dawn to well after dusk. He has trouble spelling, thus letter writing is a pain for him, but he can field strip a rifle in 30 seconds and reassemble it in less time in the dark.
He can recite to you the nomenclature of a machine gun or grenade launcher and use either one effectively if he must.
He digs foxholes and latrines and can apply first aid like a professional.
He can march until he is told to stop,or stop until he is told to march.
He obeys orders instantly and without hesitation, but he is not without spirit or individual dignity. He is self-sufficient.
He has two sets of fatigues: he washes one and wears the other. He keeps his canteens full and his feet dry.
He sometimes forgets to brush his teeth, but never to clean his rifle. He can cook his own meals, mend his own clothes, and fix his own hurts.
If you're thirsty, he'll share his water with you; if you are hungry, his food. He'll even split his ammunition with you in the midst of battle when you run low.
He has learned to use his hands like weapons and weapons like they were his hands.
He can save your life - or take it, because that is his job.
He will often do twice the work of a civilian, draw half the pay, and still find ironic humor in it all.
He has seen more suffering and death than he should have in his short lifetime.
He has wept in public and in private, for friends who have fallen in combat and is unashamed.
He feels every note of the National Anthem vibrate through his body while at rigid attention, while tempering the burning desire to 'square-away ' those
around him who haven't bothered to stand, remove their hat, or even stop talking.
In an odd twist, day in and day out, far from home, he defends their right to be disrespectful.
Just as did his Father, Grandfather, and Great- grandfather, he is paying the price for our freedom. Beardless or not, he is not a boy. He is the American Fighting Man that has kept this country free for over 200 years.
He has asked nothing in return, except our friendship and understanding. Remember him, always, for he has earned our respect and admiration with his blood.
And now we even have women over there in danger, doing their part in this tradition of going to War when our nation calls us to do so.
As you go to bed tonight, remember this shot. . .
A short lull, a little shade and a picture of loved ones in their helmets.
A Prayer wheel for our military... please don't break it Please send this on after a short prayer.
Prayer Wheel
'Lord, hold our troops in your loving hands. Protect them as they protect us.
Bless them and their families for the selfless acts they perform for us in our time of need. Amen.'
When you receive this, please stop for a moment and say a prayer for our troops in Afghanistan , sailors on ships, and airmen in the air, and for those in Iraq , Afghanistan and all foreign countries.
There is nothing attached... This can be very powerful...
Of all the gifts you could give a U.S. Airman, Soldier, Coastguardsman, Marine, or Sailor, prayer is the very best one.
I can't break this one, sorry. Pass it on to everyone and pray.
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