In advance of the 2010 Winter Olympics, critics of the Games have been subjected to surveillance, harassment, along with other intimidation tactics. Voicing opposition to the Olympics appears to be all that is needed for one to be labeled as a security threat. There are concerns over the negative impacts associated with holding the Games, as well as concerted efforts to stifle anti-Olympic expression. As the Coca-Cola/RBC corporate torch relay nears its final destination, the opening ceremonies in Vancouver on February 12, 2010, more protests are expected. The Olympics are providing the perfect cover for many police state measures with ramifications that could leave a lasting legacy.
In a recent report, the Civil Liberties Advisory Committee (CLAC), an Olympic watchdog group issued a series of recommendations aimed at ensuring that rights and freedoms are respected during the Winter Games. The group strongly believes that protesters have a right to gather anywhere on public property, provided that they do not break the law. In regards to safe protest zones, CLAC favors that they be defined by painted lines on sidewalks or streets and not by fences or security barriers. This gives the perception that protesters are a threat. The watchdog group proposed that the Vancouver Police Department (VDP) be given the lead role in dealing with Olympic protests. This is due to concerns over mistrust of the RCMP in the province of BC as well as out of town police officers being, “unfamiliar with the groups and practices associated with peaceful protests here.” CLAC also recommended that, “the Integrated Security Unit issue a public assurance that plain-clothes police officers or other plain-clothes agents will not actively participate in protests during the Olympics.” There are fears that police could infiltrate anti-Olympic groups, in order to stage events which would justify a crackdown during the 2010 Winter Games. Read more.
Monday, December 14, 2009
Thursday, November 26, 2009
Governor General of Canada
Jack Burton comments:
I have been watching the Order of Canada Investiture ceremony in
Ottawa on the TV. The Governor General presides over this ceremony -
recognizing prominent Canadians for outstanding citizenship. I have been meaning
To congratulate Mr. Harper for some time on the appointment of Michael
Jean to the position of Governor General. It is one appointment that he has
made that shows the highest level of taste, appreciation of beauty and
that he indeed has passion. Michael Jean is beautiful, intelligent and
a most gracious head of state. I'm proud of her.
She's worth the price.
I have been watching the Order of Canada Investiture ceremony in
Ottawa on the TV. The Governor General presides over this ceremony -
recognizing prominent Canadians for outstanding citizenship. I have been meaning
To congratulate Mr. Harper for some time on the appointment of Michael
Jean to the position of Governor General. It is one appointment that he has
made that shows the highest level of taste, appreciation of beauty and
that he indeed has passion. Michael Jean is beautiful, intelligent and
a most gracious head of state. I'm proud of her.
She's worth the price.
Why Keep our British Ties
I will try to make the case for our British connection and why it should be enhanced not diminished. There are two branches of Western civilization. One emanates from the tradition of principle that followed King John’s signing of the Magna Charta at Runnymede in 1215 and the other is a tradition of pragmatism that is embodied by the reign of King Louis XIV of France. Basically these traditions boil down to “the means is the end” and “the end justifies the means”.
One of these philosophical traditions produced parliamentary democracy, free enterprise, equality before the law, the American Revolution and the enshrinement of Liberty of the individual. The other tradition produced totalitarian regimes that bankrupted and impoverished its people. The short term pragmatic view of the world enabled the horrors of the French revolution and its logical conclusion was the totalitarian dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte. Communism, Fascism and Socialism all flow from the pragmatic branch of philosophy.
After World War Two, Winston Churchill had hoped that the English speaking world, with all its traditions, would grow closer and perhaps even join in some sort of union. He hoped to form a bulwark of prosperity against the encroachment of a dangerous collectivist world. As things turned out the English speaking world did become a bulwark of prosperity and passed its traditions to former enemies such as Japan and Germany.
Canada benefits from our principled heritage and our success as a country depends on it. One only has to look at Argentina, a country with all the potential wealth of Canada, to see how a pragmatic tradition leads to a failed state.
I argue that Canada held more sway in the world as a Great Dominion within the British Empire than the pathetic Liberal pragma-state bestowed on us by Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Our greatest achievements as a nation came when we confidently believed we were part of a great civilization. The great railroads, the populating of the west, the RCMP, the war against intolerance in South Africa, the war against militarism in the Great War, the war against megalomania in World War Two and the war against collectivism in Korea were all achievements of a greater Canada.
We need an anchor that is based on ideas that protect our long-term interests. These concepts have nothing to do with race or creed. They work as well in India as they do in Canada.
The Liberal party (the party of pragmatism) has always tried to weaken our principled tradition. They know that it is impossible to dispense favouritism to their friends if the majority of people believe it is morally repugnant. They will always come out on the side of cultural equality, which would disarm anyone who holds to the exceptionalism of Western Civilization.
This is why I believe that our British connection is important. Our symbol has always been the Maple Leaf – long before the Pearson pennant appeared in 1965. The Red Ensign has three Maple Leaves on it and the RCAF has had the Maple Leaf on its wings since World War Two. The Liberals simply removed the Maple Leaf from its traditional home and aligned it with the uncertainty of multi-culturalism.
I fear for all of us if the Anglo-sphere fades away - as it appears to be doing. England is being subsumed into the multi-cultural soup of Europe and the United States is adopting statist policies that will only lead to ruin and decline. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have become inward looking self-debasers with no self-confidence. Ironically the only English speaking nation that is returning to western principles and benefiting is India – perhaps she will lead the way.
One of these philosophical traditions produced parliamentary democracy, free enterprise, equality before the law, the American Revolution and the enshrinement of Liberty of the individual. The other tradition produced totalitarian regimes that bankrupted and impoverished its people. The short term pragmatic view of the world enabled the horrors of the French revolution and its logical conclusion was the totalitarian dictatorship of Napoleon Bonaparte. Communism, Fascism and Socialism all flow from the pragmatic branch of philosophy.
After World War Two, Winston Churchill had hoped that the English speaking world, with all its traditions, would grow closer and perhaps even join in some sort of union. He hoped to form a bulwark of prosperity against the encroachment of a dangerous collectivist world. As things turned out the English speaking world did become a bulwark of prosperity and passed its traditions to former enemies such as Japan and Germany.
Canada benefits from our principled heritage and our success as a country depends on it. One only has to look at Argentina, a country with all the potential wealth of Canada, to see how a pragmatic tradition leads to a failed state.
I argue that Canada held more sway in the world as a Great Dominion within the British Empire than the pathetic Liberal pragma-state bestowed on us by Pierre Elliot Trudeau. Our greatest achievements as a nation came when we confidently believed we were part of a great civilization. The great railroads, the populating of the west, the RCMP, the war against intolerance in South Africa, the war against militarism in the Great War, the war against megalomania in World War Two and the war against collectivism in Korea were all achievements of a greater Canada.
We need an anchor that is based on ideas that protect our long-term interests. These concepts have nothing to do with race or creed. They work as well in India as they do in Canada.
The Liberal party (the party of pragmatism) has always tried to weaken our principled tradition. They know that it is impossible to dispense favouritism to their friends if the majority of people believe it is morally repugnant. They will always come out on the side of cultural equality, which would disarm anyone who holds to the exceptionalism of Western Civilization.
This is why I believe that our British connection is important. Our symbol has always been the Maple Leaf – long before the Pearson pennant appeared in 1965. The Red Ensign has three Maple Leaves on it and the RCAF has had the Maple Leaf on its wings since World War Two. The Liberals simply removed the Maple Leaf from its traditional home and aligned it with the uncertainty of multi-culturalism.
I fear for all of us if the Anglo-sphere fades away - as it appears to be doing. England is being subsumed into the multi-cultural soup of Europe and the United States is adopting statist policies that will only lead to ruin and decline. Canada, Australia and New Zealand have become inward looking self-debasers with no self-confidence. Ironically the only English speaking nation that is returning to western principles and benefiting is India – perhaps she will lead the way.
Tuesday, November 03, 2009
This is the face of the Enemy
If the West is to move forward again we must confront our true enemies and defeat their malignant hatred. Andrew Marr is our enemy.
Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain is a patronising and ignorant piece of history
Charles Moore reviews The Making of Modern Britain. Read more.
Andrew Marr's The Making of Modern Britain is a patronising and ignorant piece of history
Charles Moore reviews The Making of Modern Britain. Read more.
Thursday, October 29, 2009
This email is circulating everywhere in Ontario
Hello Ontario,
This new RST/GST tax is not getting any coverage in the newspaper/television and I am not sure why. It is going to be the biggest tax increase in history. It's like no one wants to inform us of the facts. I have been investigating and I would like to share my findings.
The new tax will be administered by the Federal Government. It will be based on the GST, that means if the tax is currently collected on the Goods and Service Tax at 5% it is going to be increased to 13%, that sounds fine as Ontario's Provincial Retail Sales Tax is 8%. Add the two together and things seem fine.
One problem, Retail Sales Tax is not collected on everything that Goods and Services Tax is, the key word here is "Services". Retail Sales Tax is not collected on services. What is going to increase?
Here is a small list of services currently only taxed at 5% going up to 13%.
Natural Gas bill
Internet bill
Water bill
Gas at the pumps- That is like 7 cents per L., or, in English, 31 cents a gallon (that is a tax on top of a tax)
Hair cuts
Massage therapy & Condo Maintenance Fees !
Anything that requires labour around your house- plumber, electrician, painting, grass cutting ext.
Electricity bill- This is a good one. Look at your electricity bill there is a charge on it for debt retirement charge. That is a charge for the huge debt the OPC ran up. Only in Ontario would we pay tax on a debt, and only in Ontario would we increase this tax.
This is just a small list as there is so much much more.
Let talk about small business for a minute.
Mr. Mcguinty tells us in the budget that this new tax is going to save small businesses 500 million dollars. I do not know how much it costs to fill out a six line tax return monthly, but all small business owners I know do their own. If you are in business you will know about compensation on your Retail Sales Tax return. This is when you get to keep 5% of the tax collected up to $1,500.00 per year to help with your administration costs. That is gone once this tax is combined. Really it only helps large corporations with multiple vendor permit numbers, not small businesses.
Good news, I thought. There were two places where we were going to see an advantage to this tax. First there is no GST on used cars if bought privately and provincial tax on alcohol in between 10% to 12%. That is 2% to 4% higher than our normal Retail Sales Tax. Good old Mcguinty took care of that real quick. He is now saying to make it fair between used car lots, that he will collect the Retail Sales Tax on used cars still. Get ready for this one, he is going to add a levy on alcohol to promote social responsibility. This man is using the words social responsibility at the same time as he is raising our taxes, what he promised not to do.
Sending this could save you a lot of money over your lifetime.
Please forward it to everyone in your contact list.
Stand up Ontario and tell him we cannot afford any more Mcguinty politics. No new taxes.
This new RST/GST tax is not getting any coverage in the newspaper/television and I am not sure why. It is going to be the biggest tax increase in history. It's like no one wants to inform us of the facts. I have been investigating and I would like to share my findings.
The new tax will be administered by the Federal Government. It will be based on the GST, that means if the tax is currently collected on the Goods and Service Tax at 5% it is going to be increased to 13%, that sounds fine as Ontario's Provincial Retail Sales Tax is 8%. Add the two together and things seem fine.
One problem, Retail Sales Tax is not collected on everything that Goods and Services Tax is, the key word here is "Services". Retail Sales Tax is not collected on services. What is going to increase?
Here is a small list of services currently only taxed at 5% going up to 13%.
Natural Gas bill
Internet bill
Water bill
Gas at the pumps- That is like 7 cents per L., or, in English, 31 cents a gallon (that is a tax on top of a tax)
Hair cuts
Massage therapy & Condo Maintenance Fees !
Anything that requires labour around your house- plumber, electrician, painting, grass cutting ext.
Electricity bill- This is a good one. Look at your electricity bill there is a charge on it for debt retirement charge. That is a charge for the huge debt the OPC ran up. Only in Ontario would we pay tax on a debt, and only in Ontario would we increase this tax.
This is just a small list as there is so much much more.
Let talk about small business for a minute.
Mr. Mcguinty tells us in the budget that this new tax is going to save small businesses 500 million dollars. I do not know how much it costs to fill out a six line tax return monthly, but all small business owners I know do their own. If you are in business you will know about compensation on your Retail Sales Tax return. This is when you get to keep 5% of the tax collected up to $1,500.00 per year to help with your administration costs. That is gone once this tax is combined. Really it only helps large corporations with multiple vendor permit numbers, not small businesses.
Good news, I thought. There were two places where we were going to see an advantage to this tax. First there is no GST on used cars if bought privately and provincial tax on alcohol in between 10% to 12%. That is 2% to 4% higher than our normal Retail Sales Tax. Good old Mcguinty took care of that real quick. He is now saying to make it fair between used car lots, that he will collect the Retail Sales Tax on used cars still. Get ready for this one, he is going to add a levy on alcohol to promote social responsibility. This man is using the words social responsibility at the same time as he is raising our taxes, what he promised not to do.
Sending this could save you a lot of money over your lifetime.
Please forward it to everyone in your contact list.
Stand up Ontario and tell him we cannot afford any more Mcguinty politics. No new taxes.
Thought police could have a new tool soon!
Brain scanners can tell what you're thinking about
WHAT are you thinking about? Which memory are you reliving right now? You may think that only you can answer, but by combining brain scans with pattern-detection software, neuroscientists are prying open a window into the human mind. Read more.
WHAT are you thinking about? Which memory are you reliving right now? You may think that only you can answer, but by combining brain scans with pattern-detection software, neuroscientists are prying open a window into the human mind. Read more.
Monday, October 26, 2009
Keep questioning and apply the method!
It seems there is still room for those with doubts. Read "Seven questions that keep physicists up at night"
Thursday, October 22, 2009
National Archives displays 'present anti-British view of history'
This is the same mindset that will fight against progress on almost every front. If they perceive that individuals will benefit without enhanced state control - they will fight us.
The National Archives in Kew have been accused of presenting an "anti-British" view of history by presenting a display which describes the Empire as having been "profoundly oppressive" to its overseas subjects. Read more of this sad story.
The National Archives in Kew have been accused of presenting an "anti-British" view of history by presenting a display which describes the Empire as having been "profoundly oppressive" to its overseas subjects. Read more of this sad story.
What's the problem with a little logo when you're helping a child learn?
Should the corporate sector be involved in supporting childhood education? It seems that some are more fearful of company logos than improving our schooling system. Read more.
50 technological advances your children will laugh at
Things are really moving fast and I am not laughing yet.
Over the last 30 years the pace of technological change has increased so quickly that one decade’s must-have gadget becomes the next decade’s laughing stock. Read more.
Over the last 30 years the pace of technological change has increased so quickly that one decade’s must-have gadget becomes the next decade’s laughing stock. Read more.
Some East German jokes about communism.
From an Oct. 14 article by Hans-Ulrich Stoldt and Klaus Wiegrefe in Spiegel Online International's ongoing series "20 Years After the Wall":
Did East Germans originate from apes? Impossible. Apes could never have survived on just two bananas a year. Such jokes were whispered in communist East Germany—and West German spies recorded them diligently to gain insights into the public mood, according to recently released intelligence files.
"What would happen if the desert became communist? Nothing for a while, and then there would be a sand shortage." Jokes like that made the rounds among East Germans during the communist era, and West Germany's intelligence service would collect them, as a way to assess the public mood behind the Iron Curtain but also to amuse its masters in Bonn, the West German capital.
Here's another one: "Why does West Germany have a higher standard of living than we do? Because communists can't get work permits there." The ubiquitous Trabant or Trabi, East Germany's legendary plastic car with its clattering two-stroke engine, was a favorite butt of jokes as well. Like this one: "A new Trabi has been launched with two exhaust pipes—so you can use it as a wheelbarrow." . . .
East Germans weren't averse to secretly lampooning their political leaders, bureaucracy or the chronic supply shortages that plagued the country, even though it was risky for them.
Did East Germans originate from apes? Impossible. Apes could never have survived on just two bananas a year. Such jokes were whispered in communist East Germany—and West German spies recorded them diligently to gain insights into the public mood, according to recently released intelligence files.
"What would happen if the desert became communist? Nothing for a while, and then there would be a sand shortage." Jokes like that made the rounds among East Germans during the communist era, and West Germany's intelligence service would collect them, as a way to assess the public mood behind the Iron Curtain but also to amuse its masters in Bonn, the West German capital.
Here's another one: "Why does West Germany have a higher standard of living than we do? Because communists can't get work permits there." The ubiquitous Trabant or Trabi, East Germany's legendary plastic car with its clattering two-stroke engine, was a favorite butt of jokes as well. Like this one: "A new Trabi has been launched with two exhaust pipes—so you can use it as a wheelbarrow." . . .
East Germans weren't averse to secretly lampooning their political leaders, bureaucracy or the chronic supply shortages that plagued the country, even though it was risky for them.
Wednesday, October 21, 2009
U.S. Spies Buy Stake in Firm That Monitors Blogs, Tweets
America’s spy agencies want to read your blog posts, keep track of your Twitter updates — even check out your book reviews on Amazon. Read more.
Reefer sanity
Finally something I can agree with the Obama Administration about:
In an act of merciful sanity, the Obama administration has made good on its promise to stop interfering with states that allow the medical use of marijuana. Read more.
In an act of merciful sanity, the Obama administration has made good on its promise to stop interfering with states that allow the medical use of marijuana. Read more.
New camera promises to capture your whole life
A camera you can wear as a pendant to record every moment of your life will soon be launched by a UK-based firm.
Originally invented to help jog the memories of people with Alzheimer's disease, it might one day be used by consumers to create "lifelogs" that archive their entire lives.
Read more.
Originally invented to help jog the memories of people with Alzheimer's disease, it might one day be used by consumers to create "lifelogs" that archive their entire lives.
Read more.
Monday, October 19, 2009
Confessions of a Cultural Drop-out
I find myself thinking and acting the same way - but I guess that is the point of this piece.
Read it and think.
Read it and think.
It always starts in the Balkans - Trouble in Bosnia again.
Bosnia 'on brink of new civil war'
Bosnia is heading for a new civil war as a constitutional crisis threatens to cause the collapse of the political system, the country's leaders have warned.
The concerns have been triggered by Bosnian Serb leaders who have stepped up their demands for independence with a warning the country is no longer "sustainable".
The growing ethnic divisions have raised fears of a return to the fighting which claimed the lives of up to 110,000 people between 1992 and 1995. Read more.
Bosnia is heading for a new civil war as a constitutional crisis threatens to cause the collapse of the political system, the country's leaders have warned.
The concerns have been triggered by Bosnian Serb leaders who have stepped up their demands for independence with a warning the country is no longer "sustainable".
The growing ethnic divisions have raised fears of a return to the fighting which claimed the lives of up to 110,000 people between 1992 and 1995. Read more.
Friday, October 16, 2009
Brain-Dead Conservatives Obsessed with ‘Freedom’
Conservative arguments against President Obama are becoming increasingly silly. They oppose Obama rescuing businesses despite all the jobs on the line, they’re against government taking control of health care from soulless insurance companies, and they oppose increased taxes on energy consumption despite the sorry state of the environment. And why do they oppose these most sensible actions? Because of their irrational, brain-dead obsession with liberty. Read. entire story.
Thursday, October 15, 2009
Self-Talk and Self-SabotageBy Steven Pressfield
Writing Wednesdays #12: Self-Talk and Self-SabotageBy Steven Pressfield
Published: October 14, 2009
If you’ve read The War of Art, you know that the thematic core of the book is the concept of Resistance. Resistance with a capital R, which the book defines as “an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.”
Resistance is what keeps an entrepreneur from making the cold calls he knows he has to, to get his business rolling. It’s the force that keeps an aspiring painter away from her studio, or makes a writer back off from the blank page. Resistance stops us from going to the gym, from meditating, from donating our time to a cause we believe in.
That’s what Resistance is. But how do we experience it? What form does it take? How does Resistance manifest itself in our lives?
Resistance comes as a voice in our heads
The voice tells us not to work today and it gives us a reason. Our daughter’s dance recital starts at seven; this headache is killing us; the boss wants us to organize the Penske file.
This is not self-talk, it’s self-sabotage.
The difference between self-talk and self-sabotage
Self-talk is positive. It’s the coach or best friend in our heads. Self-talk sounds like this:
“Okay, that’s enough screwing around … let’s go! Crank ‘er up, buddy.”
Self-talk is our #1 self psyching up our #2. In movie terms, it’s our producer kicking our writer’s butt. On the football field, it’s forty-five bouncing, helmet-banging maniacs gathering in a circle. shouting, “One, two, three … Dominate!”
Self-talk can be Gandhi, it can be Patton; it can be Julia Child. “A slice of blueberry cheesecake tonight if you finish Act Two.” Self-talk is the opposite of self-sabotage.
Self-talk is an act of the will
Self-talk is consciously generated. Its aim is to overcome inertia, to push through Resistance. Self-talk is an act of will. It costs effort. It hurts.
Self-talk is masculine in the sense that it’s the Act of Thrust seeking to generate a response from the fertile Creative Field.
That field is our lazy-ass selves. “Put down that bottle, turn off that TV, get your sorry butt into that studio.” Self-talk is the starter that gets our engine going.
A definition of sabotage
Sabotage comes from the French word “sabot,” which means wooden shoe. When industrialization began stealing jobs from workers in Europe, the factory hands used to take off their sabots and chuck them into the gears of the machinery.
Resistance is when we, as artists and entrepreneurs, throw our own shoes into our own machinery.
My personal rule of thumb
I hear the same voices in my head that you do. We all hear them. The trick to doing our work is to listen to the good voice and tell the bad voice to go to hell.
In my opinion, the bad voice isn’t even us. It fools us. Because we hear it in our heads, we mistake it for our own legitimate thought. But it’s not. That voice isn’t us. It’s Resistance.
Once we make that critical distinction, we cease being amateurs. We become professionals.
When we can hear the voice in our heads that’s trying to distract us, deter us, derail us, and recognize it as Resistance–then it loses its power over us. We can see through it. We’re not going to believe its bullshit.
What do we do? We dismiss it. We refuse to grant it legitimacy.
That doesn’t mean we don’t go to our daughter’s recital. Hey, we’re not robots. But when we go, we resolve to carve out an extra hour sometime tomorrow or the next day and save those sixty minutes for our work.
Now that’s self-talk.
Published: October 14, 2009
If you’ve read The War of Art, you know that the thematic core of the book is the concept of Resistance. Resistance with a capital R, which the book defines as “an energy field radiating from a work-in-potential. It’s a repelling force. It’s negative. Its aim is to shove us away, distract us, prevent us from doing our work.”
Resistance is what keeps an entrepreneur from making the cold calls he knows he has to, to get his business rolling. It’s the force that keeps an aspiring painter away from her studio, or makes a writer back off from the blank page. Resistance stops us from going to the gym, from meditating, from donating our time to a cause we believe in.
That’s what Resistance is. But how do we experience it? What form does it take? How does Resistance manifest itself in our lives?
Resistance comes as a voice in our heads
The voice tells us not to work today and it gives us a reason. Our daughter’s dance recital starts at seven; this headache is killing us; the boss wants us to organize the Penske file.
This is not self-talk, it’s self-sabotage.
The difference between self-talk and self-sabotage
Self-talk is positive. It’s the coach or best friend in our heads. Self-talk sounds like this:
“Okay, that’s enough screwing around … let’s go! Crank ‘er up, buddy.”
Self-talk is our #1 self psyching up our #2. In movie terms, it’s our producer kicking our writer’s butt. On the football field, it’s forty-five bouncing, helmet-banging maniacs gathering in a circle. shouting, “One, two, three … Dominate!”
Self-talk can be Gandhi, it can be Patton; it can be Julia Child. “A slice of blueberry cheesecake tonight if you finish Act Two.” Self-talk is the opposite of self-sabotage.
Self-talk is an act of the will
Self-talk is consciously generated. Its aim is to overcome inertia, to push through Resistance. Self-talk is an act of will. It costs effort. It hurts.
Self-talk is masculine in the sense that it’s the Act of Thrust seeking to generate a response from the fertile Creative Field.
That field is our lazy-ass selves. “Put down that bottle, turn off that TV, get your sorry butt into that studio.” Self-talk is the starter that gets our engine going.
A definition of sabotage
Sabotage comes from the French word “sabot,” which means wooden shoe. When industrialization began stealing jobs from workers in Europe, the factory hands used to take off their sabots and chuck them into the gears of the machinery.
Resistance is when we, as artists and entrepreneurs, throw our own shoes into our own machinery.
My personal rule of thumb
I hear the same voices in my head that you do. We all hear them. The trick to doing our work is to listen to the good voice and tell the bad voice to go to hell.
In my opinion, the bad voice isn’t even us. It fools us. Because we hear it in our heads, we mistake it for our own legitimate thought. But it’s not. That voice isn’t us. It’s Resistance.
Once we make that critical distinction, we cease being amateurs. We become professionals.
When we can hear the voice in our heads that’s trying to distract us, deter us, derail us, and recognize it as Resistance–then it loses its power over us. We can see through it. We’re not going to believe its bullshit.
What do we do? We dismiss it. We refuse to grant it legitimacy.
That doesn’t mean we don’t go to our daughter’s recital. Hey, we’re not robots. But when we go, we resolve to carve out an extra hour sometime tomorrow or the next day and save those sixty minutes for our work.
Now that’s self-talk.
Wednesday, October 14, 2009
The Danger of Environmentalism
Earth Day approaches, and with it a grave danger faces mankind. The danger is not from acid rain, global warming, smog, or the logging of rain forests, as environmentalists would have us believe. The danger to mankind is from environmentalism.
Greens against green energy
Environmentalists claim, with ever-increasing hysteria, that our consumption of carbon-based energy in pursuit of prosperity and economic growth is altering the earth’s climate. Human survival, they insist, requires the immediate abandonment of fossil fuels, which provide more than 80 percent of the world’s energy, in favor of carbon-free sources. Read more.
Confusion over the definition of a "Right"
Finland becomes the first country in the world to make broadband a legal right.
Tuesday, October 13, 2009
Friday, October 09, 2009
The Nanny State Gets Nasty
Britain is experiencing the literal embodiment of the nanny state — the government telling you who can watch the kids.
Thursday, October 08, 2009
Nanny State Expansion is a Global Issue
The Nanny State is not a policy - it is an evolution. The power of the state will expand by "a thousand cuts". Here is a report from Australia.
Wednesday, October 07, 2009
I Counter with a few Libertarian Points
I would argue that individuals know what is best for them-selves. I do not believe that we are on this earth to serve or be served. We all have certain values and most of us accept as true that it is rational to treat others the way you would like to be treated. I have never liked paternalism in any form and I certainly would not abide by the tyranny of any person or entity that proposes that they know what is good for me. I guess I am stubborn – but it is I who will pay the price.
In a free society we must be able to discriminate against that which we do not agree. – As long as we do not initiate violence against others.
Observing history that chronicles the last two thousand years one will see that a recurring theme is the tension between individuals and the powers that be. This I fear will never end – perhaps there are genetic differences between the two types. The difference is that only one side must use force to make the other conform – the elites need the individuals not the other way around.
All I can say is that freer countries with less government interference tend to be richer, cleaner and attract many more immigrants. Also, most government programs are ruled by the law of unintended consequences; i.e. money for unwed mothers produces an increase in the number of unwed mothers, generous unemployment insurance produces more unemployed and welfare produces a larger number of poor.
Remember there is no such person as society – only the individuals within it. A free democracy like Canada, Britain or the United States is the best arena that the elites and the individuals can do battle without bloodshed. The system at least keeps the extremes in check.
In a free society we must be able to discriminate against that which we do not agree. – As long as we do not initiate violence against others.
Observing history that chronicles the last two thousand years one will see that a recurring theme is the tension between individuals and the powers that be. This I fear will never end – perhaps there are genetic differences between the two types. The difference is that only one side must use force to make the other conform – the elites need the individuals not the other way around.
All I can say is that freer countries with less government interference tend to be richer, cleaner and attract many more immigrants. Also, most government programs are ruled by the law of unintended consequences; i.e. money for unwed mothers produces an increase in the number of unwed mothers, generous unemployment insurance produces more unemployed and welfare produces a larger number of poor.
Remember there is no such person as society – only the individuals within it. A free democracy like Canada, Britain or the United States is the best arena that the elites and the individuals can do battle without bloodshed. The system at least keeps the extremes in check.
Thea makes strong argument for compelling institutional compassion
"There are ways to serve others that do not infringe on a person's basic human rights. It would be lovely if everyone sought out these ways to serve willingly, unfortunately, humans do tend to be somewhat egocentric. The government can be helpful in determining (through the democratic process) ways in which it is helpful for all of us to serve others, for example Social Insurance, Unemployment insurance, Welfare, public housing. etc. There may be challenges and problems in administrating these social networks that could be improved, but they are helpful to our society."
Brain to Brain Communications Achieved!
Soon we will be able to download and upload ourselves into different bodies or perhaps synthetic entities. The first step is to reduce the content of our essence to digital information. Read this!
Tuesday, October 06, 2009
The Dominion Frontier Project
Canada is a land of great abundance and opportunity. Most of her land mass is sparsely populated, (a result of the escalating “cost of living” the farther one moves north) with the gigantic Nunavut Territory holding far less than half the population of Brantford Ontario. The bulk of the Canadian population lives in a temperate zone that bears no relation to the climatic extremes of the immense regions of the north. It is the unawareness of the nature of the country that shrouds the mighty potential that will transform the future.
What of the future? What will be the salient feature of the next twenty years? I suggest that it will be a time of ever increasing anxiety and retrenchment in the First World, with almost all of our societal assumptions under attack. Our individual freedom will be restricted by a deluge of arbitrary good intentions; don’t promote hatred, don’t drink and drive, don’t pollute, and above all don’t offend anyone. The concept of human rights will be debased by special interests that reject the Magna Charta and The US Declaration of Independence by substituting skewed notions like the “right” to a job, the “right” to healthcare and the “right” of cultural equality. In effect we will have lost confidence in the Western philosophy that was the foundation of our success.
Yet, as the historian Thomas Macaulay observed: “Nothing is so galling to a people not broken in from the birth as a paternal, or, in other words, a meddling government, a government which tells them what to read, and say, and eat, and drink and wear.” I am confident that a rebellion against the Nanny State is inevitable and sound rational philosophy will once again be our guiding light.
I only mention the above trend to illustrate the impediments that we must overcome in order to secure our future. It really is just a question of confidence in our civilization and how we prioritize the value of our species. The plan that I advocate will harness existing technology, is economically sustainable, and will free indigenous people, while enriching and securing the entire population.
The answer lies in the north, or more precisely in the great rivers that flow into the James and Hudson Bays. This area has the distinction of the greatest volume of water flow in the world. It is exceptionally remote and virtually untouched by modern society. Once the energy potential of this region is harvested we will solve our energy requirements for the next two hundred and fifty years.
Back in the 1970’s Hydro Quebec built the template for successful hydro-electric production in the North. Their James Bay complex has produced an abundance of reliable electric power and despite the best efforts of detractors it has been a resounding success.
The crucial drawback to the project is its remoteness from the markets it seeks to serve; it is by definition very inefficient. The line-loss over the distances to populated areas is massive and the power is subject to interruption due to single points of failure. Hydro Quebec is producing the wrong product!
Solution: Hydrogen Fuel
The only product that will make economic sense for these remote power stations is hydrogen fuel. With 100% of the electricity used locally to produce a portable fuel like hydrogen the financial side becomes viable. The production of hydrogen would be predictable and reliable and inexhaustible. Over time this would lead to price stability as enough production comes online.
This vision would rival the Apollo Project in its scope and would return benefits to North American society out of all proportion. I am opening a movement to promote the “Dominion Frontier Project” for humanity. We can make the north an entity as powerful as OPEC without the political baggage.
I will be asking for submissions on how to overcome the myriad issues that will arise and will maintain a website to share ideas.
Issues to be covered would include:
1) Respect and benefit for the indigenise population.
2) Political Champions.
3) Technology updates – i.e. tank and pipeline containment, cars, heating etc.
4) Rolling out of infrastructure – concentric deployment of hydrogen fuel.
5) Financial investment – what incentives would drive development?
6) Environmental concerns and benefits: reduced pollution etc.
7) Defeating naysayer’s arguments.
By the end of 2010 I hope to be able to have enough material to make a comprehensive case and a book.
Please make your contributions with a eye toward tangibility and adaptability to today’s capabilities.
And remember: “In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” Galileo Galilei
Christopher J. Burton
What of the future? What will be the salient feature of the next twenty years? I suggest that it will be a time of ever increasing anxiety and retrenchment in the First World, with almost all of our societal assumptions under attack. Our individual freedom will be restricted by a deluge of arbitrary good intentions; don’t promote hatred, don’t drink and drive, don’t pollute, and above all don’t offend anyone. The concept of human rights will be debased by special interests that reject the Magna Charta and The US Declaration of Independence by substituting skewed notions like the “right” to a job, the “right” to healthcare and the “right” of cultural equality. In effect we will have lost confidence in the Western philosophy that was the foundation of our success.
Yet, as the historian Thomas Macaulay observed: “Nothing is so galling to a people not broken in from the birth as a paternal, or, in other words, a meddling government, a government which tells them what to read, and say, and eat, and drink and wear.” I am confident that a rebellion against the Nanny State is inevitable and sound rational philosophy will once again be our guiding light.
I only mention the above trend to illustrate the impediments that we must overcome in order to secure our future. It really is just a question of confidence in our civilization and how we prioritize the value of our species. The plan that I advocate will harness existing technology, is economically sustainable, and will free indigenous people, while enriching and securing the entire population.
The answer lies in the north, or more precisely in the great rivers that flow into the James and Hudson Bays. This area has the distinction of the greatest volume of water flow in the world. It is exceptionally remote and virtually untouched by modern society. Once the energy potential of this region is harvested we will solve our energy requirements for the next two hundred and fifty years.
Back in the 1970’s Hydro Quebec built the template for successful hydro-electric production in the North. Their James Bay complex has produced an abundance of reliable electric power and despite the best efforts of detractors it has been a resounding success.
The crucial drawback to the project is its remoteness from the markets it seeks to serve; it is by definition very inefficient. The line-loss over the distances to populated areas is massive and the power is subject to interruption due to single points of failure. Hydro Quebec is producing the wrong product!
Solution: Hydrogen Fuel
The only product that will make economic sense for these remote power stations is hydrogen fuel. With 100% of the electricity used locally to produce a portable fuel like hydrogen the financial side becomes viable. The production of hydrogen would be predictable and reliable and inexhaustible. Over time this would lead to price stability as enough production comes online.
This vision would rival the Apollo Project in its scope and would return benefits to North American society out of all proportion. I am opening a movement to promote the “Dominion Frontier Project” for humanity. We can make the north an entity as powerful as OPEC without the political baggage.
I will be asking for submissions on how to overcome the myriad issues that will arise and will maintain a website to share ideas.
Issues to be covered would include:
1) Respect and benefit for the indigenise population.
2) Political Champions.
3) Technology updates – i.e. tank and pipeline containment, cars, heating etc.
4) Rolling out of infrastructure – concentric deployment of hydrogen fuel.
5) Financial investment – what incentives would drive development?
6) Environmental concerns and benefits: reduced pollution etc.
7) Defeating naysayer’s arguments.
By the end of 2010 I hope to be able to have enough material to make a comprehensive case and a book.
Please make your contributions with a eye toward tangibility and adaptability to today’s capabilities.
And remember: “In questions of science, the authority of a thousand is not worth the humble reasoning of a single individual.” Galileo Galilei
Christopher J. Burton
Wednesday, September 09, 2009
Stirling Moss at 80: the interview
Exclusive: Sir Stirling Moss talks about Formula One, that Mille Miglia race, the accident that sent him into a coma and how he wants to be remembered.
By Simon Arron
Published: 7:00AM BST 05 Sep 2009
Sir Stirling remains an active and determined racer
Jimi Hendrix, Nancy Mitford, William Pitt the Younger, George Frideric Handel, John Logie Baird… There is no shortage of commemorative blue plaques in London W1, but one quiet corner of Mayfair bears a different type of landmark – a black and silver Smart Fortwo cabriolet with telltale registration plate, 7SM. This is the domain of Sir Stirling Moss, British national treasure and a sportsman in the term's truest sense.
Widely acknowledged as the greatest racing driver never to be crowned world champion, Sir Stirling celebrates his 80th birthday this month and is commemorating the occasion with a new book, All My Races, compiled in partnership with Formula One media doyen Alan Henry.
Sir Stirling Moss calls for elderly drivers to retake tests"I've written diaries since my early racing days," Sir Stirling says, "and thought it would be nice to put everything together. I've got a terrible memory at the best of times, so it's a good job I kept records."
The result is a chronological account of 585 races, rallies, sprints, hillclimbs and trials in which he participated between the ages of 17 and 32. He won 209 of them before a serious accident during a non-championship Formula One race at Goodwood brought his professional career to an end.
The book skips over his brief comeback in 1980 – when he drove an Audi 80 in the British Saloon Car Championship ("A big mistake. I had never raced on slick tyres and front-wheel drive was new to me. I didn't enjoy it") – and barely mentions historic racing, in which he remains an active participant to this day, at the wheel of a 1956 Osca.
"A small sports car suits me perfectly," Sir Stirling says. "It [the Osca] is only 1,500cc and handles beautifully. A big, powerful brute such as a D-type Jaguar is a bit of a stretch for me to drive to my maximum nowadays. I always raced at ten tenths in my heyday and reckon I can manage about eighth tenths in the Osca today." Just to reconfirm, in case you missed it, he turns 80 this month…
He raced before commercial contracts stifled versatility and estimates that he competed in 108 different types of car. "People assume that drivers are somehow busier nowadays, because there are 17 or 18 grands prix per season and we only had eight or 10," he says, "but I was constantly racing other things and many non-championship grands prix were considered to be important events."
His greatest success? "It was probably my Mille Miglia victory in 1955," Sir Stirling says, "because you couldn't memorise 1,000 miles of public roads and the route was lined with crowds of spectators, who obscured many of the sight lines. I had Jenks [Motor Sport journalist Denis Jenkinson] in the passenger seat, as my guide dog, reading pace notes, but you still had to improvise. It was very different from circuit racing.
"In F1 terms I'd nominate Monaco 1961. The race lasted 100 laps back then. I'd managed to qualify Rob Walker's privately entered Lotus 18, a one-year-old car, on pole position and got into the lead after about 12 laps. The Ferraris turned out to be dominant that season and they just sat behind me, applying tremendous pressure. I thought they were biding their time, because they had quite a bit more power, but I managed to keep them at bay. If I'd repeated my pole position time on every one of those 100 laps, I'd only have beaten myself by about 40 seconds. That underlines how hard I had to drive."
The ability to win races in inferior cars has always been a hallmark of class, but Sir Stirling's failure to win the world title – he was second four times and third three – does not irk him unduly. Besides, its absence from his CV owes much to his own integrity.
In 1958, Sir Stirling scored four world championship grand prix victories and Vanwall team-mate Tony Brooks won three, but a solitary success and a string of podium finishes were enough to make Mike Hawthorn Britain's first F1 champion. In Portugal, Hawthorn had been initially disqualified from second place for receiving a push-start – a decision that would ultimately have given the title to Sir Stirling, had he not voluntarily gone to the stewards to recommend his rival's reinstatement.
"My feelings about the incident have never changed," he says. "Mike did nothing wrong. He got stuck in an escape road and received a push when he wasn't actually on the circuit. I didn't see how that warranted exclusion. It's irrelevant that I didn't subsequently take the title. The fact I was runner-up four times gives me a certain kind of exclusivity – and I know for sure that I was quicker than some of those who did win it. Driving percentage races, just to secure a finish and some points, didn't really interest me.
"Some people can do that and we have seen it many times over the years. My philosophy was different – I had absolutely the wrong mindset for winning titles, but I'm a racer."
The Goodwood event that ended his career – he sustained serious head injuries when his Lotus 18/21 ploughed into the bank at St Mary's, a quick right-hander – remains a blur and the accident has never been explained. "I remember driving away from my hotel in Chichester," he says, "and my Lotus Elite bottomed out as I exited the car park, which didn't sound too good. During the morning I saw a very courageous chap I knew named Paul Bates, who was completely paralysed, and the previous evening I'd met a cute South African girl, but beyond that… nothing.
"The next thing I recall is coming to in hospital, a month later, and seeing flowers everywhere. I said: 'Blimey, they must have thought I was going to die.' I didn't appreciate quite how close to the mark that was."
One year later Sir Stirling returned to Goodwood, to test a Lotus 19 sports car. The track was damp and his lap times were respectable, but driving no longer felt as instinctive as it once had and he opted to retire – a decision he now considers to have been premature.
Overall, though, he has few regrets. He'd like to have driven for Ferrari, but fell out with the team after travelling to Italy to test a car and arriving to find his services weren't required. "It would have been nicer if I'd been told," he says. "After that I vowed never to drive for Enzo Ferrari – I just wanted to beat him. The irony is that he was going to supply me with an F1 car for 1962. It wasn't ready for Goodwood, though: had it been, perhaps my accident wouldn't have happened."
And he also fancied a crack at the Indianapolis 500 – but that meant committing himself to the United States for a whole month, for just one race, when he could take part in several others elsewhere and have a chance of winning them all.
"I'd like to be remembered," Sir Stirling says, "as a driver who preferred to lose while driving quickly than to win by driving slowly enough to get beaten."
All My Races, by Sir Stirling Moss with Alan Henry, is out now (Haynes Publishing, RRP £30).
By Simon Arron
Published: 7:00AM BST 05 Sep 2009
Sir Stirling remains an active and determined racer
Jimi Hendrix, Nancy Mitford, William Pitt the Younger, George Frideric Handel, John Logie Baird… There is no shortage of commemorative blue plaques in London W1, but one quiet corner of Mayfair bears a different type of landmark – a black and silver Smart Fortwo cabriolet with telltale registration plate, 7SM. This is the domain of Sir Stirling Moss, British national treasure and a sportsman in the term's truest sense.
Widely acknowledged as the greatest racing driver never to be crowned world champion, Sir Stirling celebrates his 80th birthday this month and is commemorating the occasion with a new book, All My Races, compiled in partnership with Formula One media doyen Alan Henry.
Sir Stirling Moss calls for elderly drivers to retake tests"I've written diaries since my early racing days," Sir Stirling says, "and thought it would be nice to put everything together. I've got a terrible memory at the best of times, so it's a good job I kept records."
The result is a chronological account of 585 races, rallies, sprints, hillclimbs and trials in which he participated between the ages of 17 and 32. He won 209 of them before a serious accident during a non-championship Formula One race at Goodwood brought his professional career to an end.
The book skips over his brief comeback in 1980 – when he drove an Audi 80 in the British Saloon Car Championship ("A big mistake. I had never raced on slick tyres and front-wheel drive was new to me. I didn't enjoy it") – and barely mentions historic racing, in which he remains an active participant to this day, at the wheel of a 1956 Osca.
"A small sports car suits me perfectly," Sir Stirling says. "It [the Osca] is only 1,500cc and handles beautifully. A big, powerful brute such as a D-type Jaguar is a bit of a stretch for me to drive to my maximum nowadays. I always raced at ten tenths in my heyday and reckon I can manage about eighth tenths in the Osca today." Just to reconfirm, in case you missed it, he turns 80 this month…
He raced before commercial contracts stifled versatility and estimates that he competed in 108 different types of car. "People assume that drivers are somehow busier nowadays, because there are 17 or 18 grands prix per season and we only had eight or 10," he says, "but I was constantly racing other things and many non-championship grands prix were considered to be important events."
His greatest success? "It was probably my Mille Miglia victory in 1955," Sir Stirling says, "because you couldn't memorise 1,000 miles of public roads and the route was lined with crowds of spectators, who obscured many of the sight lines. I had Jenks [Motor Sport journalist Denis Jenkinson] in the passenger seat, as my guide dog, reading pace notes, but you still had to improvise. It was very different from circuit racing.
"In F1 terms I'd nominate Monaco 1961. The race lasted 100 laps back then. I'd managed to qualify Rob Walker's privately entered Lotus 18, a one-year-old car, on pole position and got into the lead after about 12 laps. The Ferraris turned out to be dominant that season and they just sat behind me, applying tremendous pressure. I thought they were biding their time, because they had quite a bit more power, but I managed to keep them at bay. If I'd repeated my pole position time on every one of those 100 laps, I'd only have beaten myself by about 40 seconds. That underlines how hard I had to drive."
The ability to win races in inferior cars has always been a hallmark of class, but Sir Stirling's failure to win the world title – he was second four times and third three – does not irk him unduly. Besides, its absence from his CV owes much to his own integrity.
In 1958, Sir Stirling scored four world championship grand prix victories and Vanwall team-mate Tony Brooks won three, but a solitary success and a string of podium finishes were enough to make Mike Hawthorn Britain's first F1 champion. In Portugal, Hawthorn had been initially disqualified from second place for receiving a push-start – a decision that would ultimately have given the title to Sir Stirling, had he not voluntarily gone to the stewards to recommend his rival's reinstatement.
"My feelings about the incident have never changed," he says. "Mike did nothing wrong. He got stuck in an escape road and received a push when he wasn't actually on the circuit. I didn't see how that warranted exclusion. It's irrelevant that I didn't subsequently take the title. The fact I was runner-up four times gives me a certain kind of exclusivity – and I know for sure that I was quicker than some of those who did win it. Driving percentage races, just to secure a finish and some points, didn't really interest me.
"Some people can do that and we have seen it many times over the years. My philosophy was different – I had absolutely the wrong mindset for winning titles, but I'm a racer."
The Goodwood event that ended his career – he sustained serious head injuries when his Lotus 18/21 ploughed into the bank at St Mary's, a quick right-hander – remains a blur and the accident has never been explained. "I remember driving away from my hotel in Chichester," he says, "and my Lotus Elite bottomed out as I exited the car park, which didn't sound too good. During the morning I saw a very courageous chap I knew named Paul Bates, who was completely paralysed, and the previous evening I'd met a cute South African girl, but beyond that… nothing.
"The next thing I recall is coming to in hospital, a month later, and seeing flowers everywhere. I said: 'Blimey, they must have thought I was going to die.' I didn't appreciate quite how close to the mark that was."
One year later Sir Stirling returned to Goodwood, to test a Lotus 19 sports car. The track was damp and his lap times were respectable, but driving no longer felt as instinctive as it once had and he opted to retire – a decision he now considers to have been premature.
Overall, though, he has few regrets. He'd like to have driven for Ferrari, but fell out with the team after travelling to Italy to test a car and arriving to find his services weren't required. "It would have been nicer if I'd been told," he says. "After that I vowed never to drive for Enzo Ferrari – I just wanted to beat him. The irony is that he was going to supply me with an F1 car for 1962. It wasn't ready for Goodwood, though: had it been, perhaps my accident wouldn't have happened."
And he also fancied a crack at the Indianapolis 500 – but that meant committing himself to the United States for a whole month, for just one race, when he could take part in several others elsewhere and have a chance of winning them all.
"I'd like to be remembered," Sir Stirling says, "as a driver who preferred to lose while driving quickly than to win by driving slowly enough to get beaten."
All My Races, by Sir Stirling Moss with Alan Henry, is out now (Haynes Publishing, RRP £30).
Tuesday, September 08, 2009
Adam Smith would not be optimistic in today's economic world
This may be the only way to restore prosperity:
Adam Smith once commented that "there is a great deal of ruin in a nation". He meant that bungling governments imposed only a limited check on the economic performance of a Great Nation.
Published: 6:59PM BST 06 Sep 2009
As Nathanael Smith and I show in our study of US economic contractions, Adam Smith would be much less sanguine were he confronted by today's financial crisis and the US government's response. Indeed, it is not impossible that the US will experience the kind of economic collapse from first- to third-world status experienced by Argentina under the national socialist governance of Juan Peron.
The US economy suffers from a growing culture of indebtedness that has increasingly contaminated the federal government since 2001 and has spilled over dramatically into private household behaviour. The combination of the ill-conceived fiscal-furnace fired by President Bush and the US Congress and the reckless monetary-furnace fired by Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke throughout the period 2001-2007, created unsustainable housing market and stock market bubbles whose collapse brought on the financial crisis and economic contraction of 2008-2009.
The policy responses to the debt bubble demonstrate crude political consideration rather than economic understanding. If excessive government indebtedness is a major source of the problem, why increase the government debt? Why encourage households to go yet further into debt?
The prognosis is catastrophic if projected government policies are not cut back. According to the White House's own estimates, the federal budget deficit in 2009 will be $1.6 trillion, approximately 11.2pc of the overall economy, the highest on record since the end of the Second World War. In 2019, the national debt will represent 76.5pc of the US national economy, the highest proportion since just after the Second World War. In such circumstances, the international reserve status of the US dollar will not survive. As it fades, so interest rates on government securities will rise and the real burden of servicing the debt will increase. In such circumstances, the US economy will teeter on the edge of a black hole.
Prosperity and full employment in the US will only be restored by a return to laissez-faire capitalism. Our study outlines a radical, but politically feasible, approach. Monetary policy should be expansionary. But, on the micro-economic side, tariffs and other trade barriers should be repealed unilaterally; a "Right-to-Work" Act should reduce the minimum wage and curtail the powers of unions; and business regulation should be reduced. Individual banks and their counterparties should not be bailed out, although the system should be protected by ensuring that failing banks are wound up in an orderly fashion – this is the only way to restore market discipline.
Charles K Rowley is Duncan Black Professor of Economics at George Mason University and general director of The Locke Institute
Adam Smith once commented that "there is a great deal of ruin in a nation". He meant that bungling governments imposed only a limited check on the economic performance of a Great Nation.
Published: 6:59PM BST 06 Sep 2009
As Nathanael Smith and I show in our study of US economic contractions, Adam Smith would be much less sanguine were he confronted by today's financial crisis and the US government's response. Indeed, it is not impossible that the US will experience the kind of economic collapse from first- to third-world status experienced by Argentina under the national socialist governance of Juan Peron.
The US economy suffers from a growing culture of indebtedness that has increasingly contaminated the federal government since 2001 and has spilled over dramatically into private household behaviour. The combination of the ill-conceived fiscal-furnace fired by President Bush and the US Congress and the reckless monetary-furnace fired by Alan Greenspan and Ben Bernanke throughout the period 2001-2007, created unsustainable housing market and stock market bubbles whose collapse brought on the financial crisis and economic contraction of 2008-2009.
The policy responses to the debt bubble demonstrate crude political consideration rather than economic understanding. If excessive government indebtedness is a major source of the problem, why increase the government debt? Why encourage households to go yet further into debt?
The prognosis is catastrophic if projected government policies are not cut back. According to the White House's own estimates, the federal budget deficit in 2009 will be $1.6 trillion, approximately 11.2pc of the overall economy, the highest on record since the end of the Second World War. In 2019, the national debt will represent 76.5pc of the US national economy, the highest proportion since just after the Second World War. In such circumstances, the international reserve status of the US dollar will not survive. As it fades, so interest rates on government securities will rise and the real burden of servicing the debt will increase. In such circumstances, the US economy will teeter on the edge of a black hole.
Prosperity and full employment in the US will only be restored by a return to laissez-faire capitalism. Our study outlines a radical, but politically feasible, approach. Monetary policy should be expansionary. But, on the micro-economic side, tariffs and other trade barriers should be repealed unilaterally; a "Right-to-Work" Act should reduce the minimum wage and curtail the powers of unions; and business regulation should be reduced. Individual banks and their counterparties should not be bailed out, although the system should be protected by ensuring that failing banks are wound up in an orderly fashion – this is the only way to restore market discipline.
Charles K Rowley is Duncan Black Professor of Economics at George Mason University and general director of The Locke Institute
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Julie Burton Delivers a Heart-Felt Response to Me and Gregory
My dear big brother ... I thought you learned your lesson!
It seems I am not the only one who doesn't appreciate your demeaning debate style.
Gregory took the time to put his opinions together and risked putting them
out there. I applaud his spanking of your rebuttal.
I must, however, enter into this discussion and try to redirect Gregory's
position since you could not. I am not a great thinker or a great writer
and so I am sure any of you will find many holes with which to distort and
manipulate my words for your own point of view. Be that as it may, I cannot
ignore the fact that my nephew does not know what Canada is or chooses not
to articulate it.
Canada is a country in which women have already fought the major battles for
rights and equality. These battles continue as we try to elliminate the
violence against women. However, Canada is still light years ahead of many
of the countries from which these immigrants come. I teach students who
come from countries where women are still completely covered (actually there
are many in Brampton who still are covered except for their eyes) and they
have no respect for me ... let alone "love."
Canadian values toward women are not perfect but they are values that I
expect immigrants to accept. This is part of Canadian values and they are
different from many countries of origin of our immigrants.
Canada is a country with a highway that spans from one coast to the other.
While driving this highway you see what Canada was and quickly is losing: a
nation of hard workers, a nation of innovators, a nation of peace, a nation
that values her builders, a nation with water, a nation that many choose.
We have a history, with mistakes, like all other countries (Gregory mentioned
the treatment of the native population but this is certainly not our only
error in judgement: japanese internment, Chinese mine workers etc..).
But right now our greatest mistake is raising a generation of youth who do not
know what Canada is, who do not know her history, who do not consider themselves
Canadian. I actually had a student say to me on Remembrance Day - "What do I have be
silent for; what did they ever do for me?" His family immigrated here from another
war torn country.
But it is not just recent immigrant families who do not value this place. I have taught in
Woodbridge for most of my career. The Italian community there are the hardest workers
I know. They immigrated here, worked, earned a living ... but in many cases they never
called themselves Canadian. If you ask third and fourth generation Italian kids what their
nationality is - most say Italian. They are not alone in this attitude. Why is it important to
"be Canadian?" If you do not value something; you will not take care of it.
If you do not respect something, you will not love it.
Canada has two official languages and we need not get into that but ...without a common
language we cannot hope for this "love" and world of mutual understanding that you,
Gregory, aspire.
In my humble opinion, Canada is not multicultural. A "label" does not a country make.
Multicultural implies to me that many people from many countries live harmoniously
together sharing their culture and accepting the cultures of others. I live in the city
of Brampton which is now the destination of choice for most immigrants entering Ontario.
Cultures remain separated and divided because there is no common language to allow them to
intermingle. Immigrants are not being required to learn English. Instead workers are only
being hired if they can speak the language of these immigrants. Youth have formed ethnic
gangs. Church names include words like "Chinese" to denote who will worship there. Each year
Brampton has a cultural festival. Each of the ethnic groups has a pavilion and the idea
is that people will visit all the different pavilions and learn about our neighbours countries.
But very few people do that. Most people go to their pavilion and socialize in their language
with their people.
So my point, Gregory, is that a common language is crucial in
order for multiculturalism to work. We cannot love our neighbour if we cannot
understand and communicate our differences. Immigrants need to learn English and
French so they can speak about their lives and share their stories and ask for what they
need. If I were moving to Pakistan the same would apply to me. I would have to learn
the language of that country.
The national anthem issue is huge for me. Without a love for our country, immigrants
and non-immigrant’s alike will not value the things that are the reason immigrants
come here. And if we do not value these things we will not fight to preserve them.
The natural beauty will be lost, the crime and hatred will increase, the feeling of isolation
of various cultures will continue. I feel great empathy for people who immigrate here
because they were forced to leave their country. I believe that we should help them
settle in. In the same way, I feel much empathy for children in my classes who come
to school from homes with abuse, alcoholism and divorce; but I do not let them do what
ever they want because it makes them feel better. There are expectations in my room
that allow the classroom to function well and with love and consideration for all. In the
same way, while we need to be compassionate, we also need to establish the wonder
and the love for this country that is so sadly lacking. The singing of the national anthem
is a symbolic gesture of the love we have for this country.
I cannot repeat enough that if we do not love Canada, we will not take care of her,
and if we do not take care of her, we will soon find the horrors of the world are
no longer "across the pond" but right here. When we sing the anthem together,
in a common language, we are communicating to all the strength of a people who
are truly Canadian. My students have to be reprimanded on a daily basis to stand silently for
the national anthem. I would ask them to sing it but that would require that they know
the words. The teachers who teach them do not stand at attention. It is a sad, sad,
commentary on the value Canadians, both new and old, place on their country.
No one thinks more about "love" than I do Gregory. I wish that it could heal the world.
But we have been raised to love ourselves ... because some idiot decided if we don't
love ourselves first we cannot love others. (A topic for another day!) You might be
saying to yourself - "that's my point!"
But you see, when immigrants come to Canada and want things in their language,
when they want to treat people the way they did in their homeland, when they want
their values to override the values of their new country ... you must realize that love
includes teaching right and wrong, teaching values, and teaching others that there
might be a better way.
And yes Gregory, I believe in Canada we will live a "better way" than in many of
these countries where immigrants come from.
I am going to close with a personal story Gregory about you and me. When you
were a little boy you were, shall we say, a bit difficult. When I was around you I
was very tough on you. One day your father said to me " Why do you have to be
like that with him? Do you want him to be afraid of you?"
My answer was "yes." I knew it was not me you were afraid of. It was the
consequences of your behaviour that you were afraid of and you knew that Aunt
Julie would see it through. I also knew that what began as fear, would turn to respect,
and that respect is an important component of love. What does this story have to do
with anything ... well, many immigrants are like my students. They are testing the
waters to see what they can get away with, they are afraid and uncertain, and they are
beginning a chapter of growth that will be difficult because there is much they do not
understand. As "Canadian teachers" of these immigrants we need to provide direction
and establish expectations as they grow to be Canadians.
It seems I am not the only one who doesn't appreciate your demeaning debate style.
Gregory took the time to put his opinions together and risked putting them
out there. I applaud his spanking of your rebuttal.
I must, however, enter into this discussion and try to redirect Gregory's
position since you could not. I am not a great thinker or a great writer
and so I am sure any of you will find many holes with which to distort and
manipulate my words for your own point of view. Be that as it may, I cannot
ignore the fact that my nephew does not know what Canada is or chooses not
to articulate it.
Canada is a country in which women have already fought the major battles for
rights and equality. These battles continue as we try to elliminate the
violence against women. However, Canada is still light years ahead of many
of the countries from which these immigrants come. I teach students who
come from countries where women are still completely covered (actually there
are many in Brampton who still are covered except for their eyes) and they
have no respect for me ... let alone "love."
Canadian values toward women are not perfect but they are values that I
expect immigrants to accept. This is part of Canadian values and they are
different from many countries of origin of our immigrants.
Canada is a country with a highway that spans from one coast to the other.
While driving this highway you see what Canada was and quickly is losing: a
nation of hard workers, a nation of innovators, a nation of peace, a nation
that values her builders, a nation with water, a nation that many choose.
We have a history, with mistakes, like all other countries (Gregory mentioned
the treatment of the native population but this is certainly not our only
error in judgement: japanese internment, Chinese mine workers etc..).
But right now our greatest mistake is raising a generation of youth who do not
know what Canada is, who do not know her history, who do not consider themselves
Canadian. I actually had a student say to me on Remembrance Day - "What do I have be
silent for; what did they ever do for me?" His family immigrated here from another
war torn country.
But it is not just recent immigrant families who do not value this place. I have taught in
Woodbridge for most of my career. The Italian community there are the hardest workers
I know. They immigrated here, worked, earned a living ... but in many cases they never
called themselves Canadian. If you ask third and fourth generation Italian kids what their
nationality is - most say Italian. They are not alone in this attitude. Why is it important to
"be Canadian?" If you do not value something; you will not take care of it.
If you do not respect something, you will not love it.
Canada has two official languages and we need not get into that but ...without a common
language we cannot hope for this "love" and world of mutual understanding that you,
Gregory, aspire.
In my humble opinion, Canada is not multicultural. A "label" does not a country make.
Multicultural implies to me that many people from many countries live harmoniously
together sharing their culture and accepting the cultures of others. I live in the city
of Brampton which is now the destination of choice for most immigrants entering Ontario.
Cultures remain separated and divided because there is no common language to allow them to
intermingle. Immigrants are not being required to learn English. Instead workers are only
being hired if they can speak the language of these immigrants. Youth have formed ethnic
gangs. Church names include words like "Chinese" to denote who will worship there. Each year
Brampton has a cultural festival. Each of the ethnic groups has a pavilion and the idea
is that people will visit all the different pavilions and learn about our neighbours countries.
But very few people do that. Most people go to their pavilion and socialize in their language
with their people.
So my point, Gregory, is that a common language is crucial in
order for multiculturalism to work. We cannot love our neighbour if we cannot
understand and communicate our differences. Immigrants need to learn English and
French so they can speak about their lives and share their stories and ask for what they
need. If I were moving to Pakistan the same would apply to me. I would have to learn
the language of that country.
The national anthem issue is huge for me. Without a love for our country, immigrants
and non-immigrant’s alike will not value the things that are the reason immigrants
come here. And if we do not value these things we will not fight to preserve them.
The natural beauty will be lost, the crime and hatred will increase, the feeling of isolation
of various cultures will continue. I feel great empathy for people who immigrate here
because they were forced to leave their country. I believe that we should help them
settle in. In the same way, I feel much empathy for children in my classes who come
to school from homes with abuse, alcoholism and divorce; but I do not let them do what
ever they want because it makes them feel better. There are expectations in my room
that allow the classroom to function well and with love and consideration for all. In the
same way, while we need to be compassionate, we also need to establish the wonder
and the love for this country that is so sadly lacking. The singing of the national anthem
is a symbolic gesture of the love we have for this country.
I cannot repeat enough that if we do not love Canada, we will not take care of her,
and if we do not take care of her, we will soon find the horrors of the world are
no longer "across the pond" but right here. When we sing the anthem together,
in a common language, we are communicating to all the strength of a people who
are truly Canadian. My students have to be reprimanded on a daily basis to stand silently for
the national anthem. I would ask them to sing it but that would require that they know
the words. The teachers who teach them do not stand at attention. It is a sad, sad,
commentary on the value Canadians, both new and old, place on their country.
No one thinks more about "love" than I do Gregory. I wish that it could heal the world.
But we have been raised to love ourselves ... because some idiot decided if we don't
love ourselves first we cannot love others. (A topic for another day!) You might be
saying to yourself - "that's my point!"
But you see, when immigrants come to Canada and want things in their language,
when they want to treat people the way they did in their homeland, when they want
their values to override the values of their new country ... you must realize that love
includes teaching right and wrong, teaching values, and teaching others that there
might be a better way.
And yes Gregory, I believe in Canada we will live a "better way" than in many of
these countries where immigrants come from.
I am going to close with a personal story Gregory about you and me. When you
were a little boy you were, shall we say, a bit difficult. When I was around you I
was very tough on you. One day your father said to me " Why do you have to be
like that with him? Do you want him to be afraid of you?"
My answer was "yes." I knew it was not me you were afraid of. It was the
consequences of your behaviour that you were afraid of and you knew that Aunt
Julie would see it through. I also knew that what began as fear, would turn to respect,
and that respect is an important component of love. What does this story have to do
with anything ... well, many immigrants are like my students. They are testing the
waters to see what they can get away with, they are afraid and uncertain, and they are
beginning a chapter of growth that will be difficult because there is much they do not
understand. As "Canadian teachers" of these immigrants we need to provide direction
and establish expectations as they grow to be Canadians.
My Favorite Critic - Nephew Gregory dishes it out!
First of all, why are we so afraid of our culture changing?
What is Canadian culture?
This country was built on colonial capitalism; economic imperialism.
The country was created by those who paid no attention to theimportance of culture (eg: systematic destruction of First Nations heritage...)
and thus has always experienced confusion and conflict concerning its cultural
roots. It's nothing new, and that should say something to us.
I highly doubt that all immigrants come to Canada solely because it is thecountry of choice. Obviously if that were true they would not care abouthaving the national anthem sung in Hindi.
It seems more likely that most immigrants would much rather live in
their own countries, but they end up being forced out because ofviolence or economic instability...most often violence because of economicinstability; economic instability created by those in control of an incredibly
nearsighted and often malicious Global Economy which our "culture" works
hard to maintain, and has worked hard to maintain since its conception.It is because of the common citizen's ignorance to the absolutely terribleforesight inherent in our system, and our lack of recognition of ourpersonal contribution to the atrocities being experienced by so many aroundthe world that a Global culture of exploitation and out-of-control consumption(especially apparent during Christmas, which has been twisted to the pointthat most of us cannot consider the Idea of Christmas without thinkingabout spending money) is allowed to continue to exist and to perpetuate the
difficulties forcing people to leave their own Nations and come to ours. And
we're fine with it until they don't pay their taxes or try and speak their own language.If we really want to ameliorate this situation we will look at the real roots of the problem,
and stop blaming the victims of our own ancestors' Bigotry and Greed.
Maybe this Christmas we can begin to figure out who really
s most in need of charity.Somehow, out of all people in the world, I doubt it's upper-middle class,white, English, Canadians like Bruce Allen.
What is Canadian culture?
This country was built on colonial capitalism; economic imperialism.
The country was created by those who paid no attention to theimportance of culture (eg: systematic destruction of First Nations heritage...)
and thus has always experienced confusion and conflict concerning its cultural
roots. It's nothing new, and that should say something to us.
I highly doubt that all immigrants come to Canada solely because it is thecountry of choice. Obviously if that were true they would not care abouthaving the national anthem sung in Hindi.
It seems more likely that most immigrants would much rather live in
their own countries, but they end up being forced out because ofviolence or economic instability...most often violence because of economicinstability; economic instability created by those in control of an incredibly
nearsighted and often malicious Global Economy which our "culture" works
hard to maintain, and has worked hard to maintain since its conception.It is because of the common citizen's ignorance to the absolutely terribleforesight inherent in our system, and our lack of recognition of ourpersonal contribution to the atrocities being experienced by so many aroundthe world that a Global culture of exploitation and out-of-control consumption(especially apparent during Christmas, which has been twisted to the pointthat most of us cannot consider the Idea of Christmas without thinkingabout spending money) is allowed to continue to exist and to perpetuate the
difficulties forcing people to leave their own Nations and come to ours. And
we're fine with it until they don't pay their taxes or try and speak their own language.If we really want to ameliorate this situation we will look at the real roots of the problem,
and stop blaming the victims of our own ancestors' Bigotry and Greed.
Maybe this Christmas we can begin to figure out who really
s most in need of charity.Somehow, out of all people in the world, I doubt it's upper-middle class,white, English, Canadians like Bruce Allen.
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