Brad DeLong concludes the benevolent government should put those people to work – without, however, worrying as to what they will be doing, forgetting that people should work to produce the particular goods and services that other people want, or perhaps confidently believing that the wise folk of the government have lots of useful work for idle people to do, forgetting that a large part of the unemployed are unemployed because they were producing things, such as financial services or housing for non Asian minorities, that the recipients are demonstrably unwilling to pay for.
Author: Jim
I consult the ghost of Raffles on Afghanistan
Blog: “Previously I talked to Xenophon on our troubles in Afghanistan. His advice was perhaps a little bit anachronistic. Today we are a bit too civilized for such drastic measures.†Raffles: “Troubles?†“A war, we are losing. In the Hindu Kush.†“Ah, yes, the Hindu Kush was a problem in my day. You should leave …
I consult the ghost of Xenophon on Afghanistan
Blog: “Ah, Xenophon, I am glad you could spend some time with us.†Xenophon: “I was not doing anything.†Blog: “We have a bit of a problem in Afghanistan. Despite overwhelming military superiority, we are losing.†Xenophon: “Afghanistan?†Blog: “It is a mountainous land east of your journey through Asia – the people there somewhat …
The brilliance of Sarah Palin’s “common sense conservatismâ€
When the nation is in trouble, “common sense conservativism†sure sounds mighty attractive, even if you do not know, or much care, what precisely it means. Sarah Palin is a politician who has her finger right on the pulse of the ordinary American. If you are a “common sense conservative†then that implies that other …
President McCain would have been worse.
McCain would have implemented the policies of financial ruin, national socialism, economic destruction, defeat and humiliation from the“centerâ€, and these policies would have been associated with Sarah Palin instead Bill Ayers and Reverend Wright.
The improbable economic growth of Argentina.
Over the last hundred years or so, Argentina as swung violently, and with increasing frequency, between policies of on the one hand constitutionalism, rule of law, and the free market, and on the other hand populism, bureaucratic decree, and national socialism. It has also swung violently between being one of the wealthiest countries in the …
Aiming to lose in Afghanistan
Obama is smart enough to know you should not announce intent to retreat in advance, so I conclude that for political reasons, he aims to lose in Afghanistan, and aims to justify the defeat with a disturbingly large level of American casualties rather than leaving immediately. The great wrong is staying there without intent to win.
Northwest passage not open for cargo traffic
since the world is supposedly warming, we need regular announcements that the northwest passage is opening.
Eureferendum provides a nice fisking of the latest report of the northwest passage opening
Darwinian and divine morality
Morality derived from human nature (and thus from Darwin’s sociobiology) differs from divine law as expressed in the New Testament in significant ways. It is Aristotlean and Randian morality, is fundamentally selfish. Aristotle and Rand tells us to cultivate our own excellence. Darwin tells us we commit ourselves to conduct that will enable us to …
Losing in Afghanistan 3
Pashtuns need to be defeated, not morally uplifted.