The statist mind is always assuming every problem needs a policy to address it. When theft and coercion is in your tool kit, that’s the lazy way to approach it. Statist “solutions” are a band-aid, not a permanent solution.
Tag: change
Are You Being Played?
I suspect Scott Adams has been playing his listeners. I’ve suspected this for months, but have only discussed this with one person. Until now. I’ll go ahead and tell you now what I think has been going on. I believe he is using the technique of “pacing and leading” to get his “conservative” listeners to change their minds on “climate change” (and a few other topics as well).
The Mental Deadweight of Permission
Permission is the enemy of speed. Everyone knows this. But I think what’s less discussed is the negative psychosomatic effect that permission has. Just knowing that you have to ask permission adds a certain friction that makes everything a bit slower.
Anarchy Just Is
Statists and ancoms, too often, ask, “How does anarchy work?” or “How does your version of anarchy work?” They somehow think that because I am an anarchist that I am obligated to explain it to them as a system, like a tractor or ice cream. I am under no such obligation — in fact, my own conception of anarchy evolves from day to day.
Theft and Coercion Shouldn’t Be Your Default
There are paths to solving “climate change”, if it needs to be solved, which don’t give government additional power. Paths using economic means rather than political means. Why are they not promoting those paths?
The History of History
It would be interesting, though very difficult, to study how history changes. I don’t mean how the sequence of human events changes from the present into the future, I mean how the past changes. Since it exists only in memory from our present perspective, the stories we believe about the past are the past. But those stories aren’t fixed. They change all the time.
Sorry, Scott: “Climate Change” is a Power Grab
On a recent podcast, Scott Adams almost had a meltdown when confronted by the evidence that many of his listeners believe “climate change” hysteria is all about a power grab by those promoting it. He says this means people have been hypnotized by the media they get their news from.
Why I’m an Economic Optimist but Happiness Pessimist
When I insist that standard measures sharply underestimate economic growth, it’s easy to accuse me of motivated reasoning. Before you make this accusation, however, consider the whole picture. What possible agenda could I advance by simultaneously claiming that GDP has greatly increased, but brought us little joy?
Words Poorly Used #140 — Corporatism
In its worst misuse, “corporatism” is given as a synonym for capitalism. Corporatism is made of fictions, while capitalism is a natural economic occurrence. Corporatism is the case where statism is used to control purely natural market activities. When well-meaning people complain about the excesses of capitalism, they are usually resenting the dodging of responsibility, legislatively by the state-licensed corporation or illegally by the marauder.
Big Government and Big Tech versus the Internet and Everyone
Governments around the world began trying to bring the Internet under control as soon as they realized the danger to their power represented by unfettered public access to, and exchange of, information. From attempts to suppress strong encryption technology to the Communications Decency Act in the US and China’s “Great Firewall,” such efforts have generally proven ineffectual. But things are changing, and not for the better.