What we learned in recent years is that these people will love who they're told and hate who they're told. They hate Nazis and call for death to Israel and the Jews because that's what the Teevee told them to do. They loved electric car guy but now they hate them. They loved Trump until they hated Trump.
I wonder if the powers that be do it on purpose as a power trip?
I wonder if the powers that be do it on purpose as a power trip?
Some people claim that places like the UK have been in austerity for 10 or 20 years. Nothing could be further from reality.
Debt grew from about 30% of gdp in 2000 to over 100% of gdp today. Almost half of all the money spent in the economy comes from the government, and at its peak more than half the money spent in the economy came from government.
The question isn't about austerity because the government hasn't been austere (virtually no government on earth has been which is why despite devastatingly high taxes governments have also been racking up massive debt). The question is where is your money going?
There is no political party in most governments who are willing to be austere. That would mean laying off billions of pounds worth of bureaucrats and shutting off billions of pounds worth of pet projects, and even the tories aren't willing to do that.
Historically, income taxes are something of an aberration, and even when the UK implemented them in 1842, they were generally fairly low. Today, they are quite high, a relatively middle class person like an engineer or miner could see most of their income go to the government.
World War 1 changed everything in terms of taxation. Prior to World War 1, income taxes in the UK maxxed out at around 3%, and in the US and Canada there were no income taxes at all. The government funded itself entirely from other forms of taxation. So for people living under governments that can tax over half of their income today, these are oppressive tax levels, and despite these oppressive levels of taxation all 3 countries have racked up massive increases in their debts in the past 25 years.
When you're imposing oppressive levels of taxation upon your people, and you're still racking up massive amounts of debt, that isn't austerity. It's the exact polar opposite of austerity, it's largesse.
Debt grew from about 30% of gdp in 2000 to over 100% of gdp today. Almost half of all the money spent in the economy comes from the government, and at its peak more than half the money spent in the economy came from government.
The question isn't about austerity because the government hasn't been austere (virtually no government on earth has been which is why despite devastatingly high taxes governments have also been racking up massive debt). The question is where is your money going?
There is no political party in most governments who are willing to be austere. That would mean laying off billions of pounds worth of bureaucrats and shutting off billions of pounds worth of pet projects, and even the tories aren't willing to do that.
Historically, income taxes are something of an aberration, and even when the UK implemented them in 1842, they were generally fairly low. Today, they are quite high, a relatively middle class person like an engineer or miner could see most of their income go to the government.
World War 1 changed everything in terms of taxation. Prior to World War 1, income taxes in the UK maxxed out at around 3%, and in the US and Canada there were no income taxes at all. The government funded itself entirely from other forms of taxation. So for people living under governments that can tax over half of their income today, these are oppressive tax levels, and despite these oppressive levels of taxation all 3 countries have racked up massive increases in their debts in the past 25 years.
When you're imposing oppressive levels of taxation upon your people, and you're still racking up massive amounts of debt, that isn't austerity. It's the exact polar opposite of austerity, it's largesse.
They're generally fine right up until it gets cold.
The problem is that you need heat when it gets cold.
The problem is that you need heat when it gets cold.
Argumentum ex Sarcasmo, argument from sarcasm. Where instead of making a logical argument you just say the other person's argument sarcastically.
You can basically use it against anything. The law of gravity, for example. Just say "oh yeah! All matter is attracted to all other matter! THAT makes sense!" Then when you say you can prove it using experiments on earth they go "ooh! Look at Mr. Scientist over here, running experiments to prove stuff! Hah!"
It's ineffective logically, but possibly quite effective Rhetorically. In the current age, it's a heavily relied upon form of argumentation since people aren't taught proper rigor.
One big problem is that arguments that have no substance can be applied equally to all sides of an argument. "Oh! A! Yeah, totally! Definitely A (what a moron)" vs. "hah! No for sure not A! (Get a load of this guy!) Yep not A for sure! Who would possibly believe A? Lol"
It's absolutely toxic. Instead of properly engaging with ideas we disagree with, we usually end up just using sophistry to dismiss them. It's no wonder our political debates have gotten tribal, since nobody needs to engage with ideas and instead can just use universal tactics to protect or attack whatever hodgepodge of ideas your tribe claims to hold.
You can basically use it against anything. The law of gravity, for example. Just say "oh yeah! All matter is attracted to all other matter! THAT makes sense!" Then when you say you can prove it using experiments on earth they go "ooh! Look at Mr. Scientist over here, running experiments to prove stuff! Hah!"
It's ineffective logically, but possibly quite effective Rhetorically. In the current age, it's a heavily relied upon form of argumentation since people aren't taught proper rigor.
One big problem is that arguments that have no substance can be applied equally to all sides of an argument. "Oh! A! Yeah, totally! Definitely A (what a moron)" vs. "hah! No for sure not A! (Get a load of this guy!) Yep not A for sure! Who would possibly believe A? Lol"
It's absolutely toxic. Instead of properly engaging with ideas we disagree with, we usually end up just using sophistry to dismiss them. It's no wonder our political debates have gotten tribal, since nobody needs to engage with ideas and instead can just use universal tactics to protect or attack whatever hodgepodge of ideas your tribe claims to hold.
England is at something like 22% poverty rate, and is being forced to cut social spending regardless. It'll get worse before it gets any better. Austerity is a dirty word, but if you spend money you don't have forever eventually you're spending all your money taking care of bankers instead of children.
If you spend money you don't have, you typically do so by creating bonds which are then purchased by banks. Just like a credit card, the banks don't take those for free, they lend money in exchange for being paid back more than was borrowed. Moreover, national governments don't just borrow money then pay it back, they borrow money, then borrow money to pay back the money borrowed. When rates are low, countries can borrow for fairly low amounts of money but just like when you rack up a credit card more and more the minimum payment grows and grows until you can't even pay that. If you also have a situation where interest rates rise, then suddenly your minimum payment is rising even faster than you rack up new debts. The interest on bonds is just money being handed to the banks, and it's tax money that cannot be spent on anything else. In 2024, Fitch projects that number will rise to 176 billion gbp, up 60-odd billion, and it'll continue to rise from there. It already makes up more money than the day to day operation cost of the NHS which was 171 billion in 2022/2023 (compares to a total budget including long term capital of 181 billion).
Some people think you can print your way out of such a situation, but ask a briton how they like the high inflation of the past while, whether it makes them feel richer or poorer. Print your way out of a debt crisis, and you print your way into a currency crisis, making your situation more difficult, as we've seen in many south American economies.
Some people say the state isn't like people when it comes to debt, and they're right -- it's far worse. If I foolishly rack up debt, it dies with me, but if my government foolishly racks up debt, the obligation passes to my children whether they benefited or not. This is why I call getting into perpetual debt selling your kids into slavery. You get money today at the cost of their future.
If you spend money you don't have, you typically do so by creating bonds which are then purchased by banks. Just like a credit card, the banks don't take those for free, they lend money in exchange for being paid back more than was borrowed. Moreover, national governments don't just borrow money then pay it back, they borrow money, then borrow money to pay back the money borrowed. When rates are low, countries can borrow for fairly low amounts of money but just like when you rack up a credit card more and more the minimum payment grows and grows until you can't even pay that. If you also have a situation where interest rates rise, then suddenly your minimum payment is rising even faster than you rack up new debts. The interest on bonds is just money being handed to the banks, and it's tax money that cannot be spent on anything else. In 2024, Fitch projects that number will rise to 176 billion gbp, up 60-odd billion, and it'll continue to rise from there. It already makes up more money than the day to day operation cost of the NHS which was 171 billion in 2022/2023 (compares to a total budget including long term capital of 181 billion).
Some people think you can print your way out of such a situation, but ask a briton how they like the high inflation of the past while, whether it makes them feel richer or poorer. Print your way out of a debt crisis, and you print your way into a currency crisis, making your situation more difficult, as we've seen in many south American economies.
Some people say the state isn't like people when it comes to debt, and they're right -- it's far worse. If I foolishly rack up debt, it dies with me, but if my government foolishly racks up debt, the obligation passes to my children whether they benefited or not. This is why I call getting into perpetual debt selling your kids into slavery. You get money today at the cost of their future.
I'm not sure I agree with you that Christianity is a failure as an ally in liberty.
Christianity has been a driving force for liberty in the west. The magna carta was drafted by the archbishop of Canterbury and is considered one of the founding documents of modern liberty.
Concepts such as all men being created equal and the idea of one law that applies to everyone are direct descendants of Christianity.
It was under such circumstances that the freest societies in the history of the world developed. They didn't develop in China which was technologically superior for much of its history, nor any other part of the world. It developed in the west due to a confluence of factors including the influence of Christianity.
It hasn't always been perfect and has its own scores of black marks, but if there's one thing I've been gaining an appreciation for it's the unusual society we're living in that's based on a really strange ideology that has led us to have the attitudes we have. If we didn't have certain factors people want to get rid of, it's likely we never would have developed to even care about something like liberty in the first place.
Christianity has been a driving force for liberty in the west. The magna carta was drafted by the archbishop of Canterbury and is considered one of the founding documents of modern liberty.
Concepts such as all men being created equal and the idea of one law that applies to everyone are direct descendants of Christianity.
It was under such circumstances that the freest societies in the history of the world developed. They didn't develop in China which was technologically superior for much of its history, nor any other part of the world. It developed in the west due to a confluence of factors including the influence of Christianity.
It hasn't always been perfect and has its own scores of black marks, but if there's one thing I've been gaining an appreciation for it's the unusual society we're living in that's based on a really strange ideology that has led us to have the attitudes we have. If we didn't have certain factors people want to get rid of, it's likely we never would have developed to even care about something like liberty in the first place.
I tend to disagree on the basis that something new is often derived from something old, and if everything old is owned and locked up by someone then that means you can't derive anything new from anything old and thus have to come up with everything from scratch.
The Divine comedy draws heavily upon the works of the greeks and the romans, as well as contemporary for the time christian ideas, and it's widely considered one of the most greatest works of all time.
More recently, a lot of writers got their start writing fan fiction, and the massively popular 50 shades of gray started off as a twilight fan fiction (which itself draws upon lore about werewolves and vampires)
There's a line somewhere that you stop getting more works by the limited time monopoly and start inhibiting works that are stifled by those monopolies owning generations of our stories.
The Divine comedy draws heavily upon the works of the greeks and the romans, as well as contemporary for the time christian ideas, and it's widely considered one of the most greatest works of all time.
More recently, a lot of writers got their start writing fan fiction, and the massively popular 50 shades of gray started off as a twilight fan fiction (which itself draws upon lore about werewolves and vampires)
There's a line somewhere that you stop getting more works by the limited time monopoly and start inhibiting works that are stifled by those monopolies owning generations of our stories.
I don't think it necessarily needs people to get it right for Liberty to win. Are we really need is for one group to lack a monopoly on power, and that balance of power will help prevent anyone from pushing too hard because it'll just push everyone else in the arms of someone else.
I don't want theocracy anymore than you do, but thankfully the right has a lot more than one faction included within it. You've got the red pillers, the petersonians, the theocrats, the libertarians, and I tend to think as long as there's a coalition there and an opposition there will be compromises that give more people a little of what they want and that'll look like more freedom overall. That is in contrast to ideological homogeneity where you're free to be exactly what everyone else is like.
I don't want theocracy anymore than you do, but thankfully the right has a lot more than one faction included within it. You've got the red pillers, the petersonians, the theocrats, the libertarians, and I tend to think as long as there's a coalition there and an opposition there will be compromises that give more people a little of what they want and that'll look like more freedom overall. That is in contrast to ideological homogeneity where you're free to be exactly what everyone else is like.
It's a pretty good suggestion that people should take up arms against commies, since that ideology has murdered more people than every other ideology in human history combined...
But I suspect what is intended was "oh you need to fight the people I call nazis because I don't like them!"
But I suspect what is intended was "oh you need to fight the people I call nazis because I don't like them!"
I've been asked a few times about whether 2024 is going to be a better year than 2023.
My prediction for 2024 is the massive undeniable recession hits hard. Economically it's going to be hard for everyone... It already is and has been.
On the other hand, I think that it could be a massive win on a bunch of other fronts. Culturally, I think that freedom has passed its nadir and is on the upswing, even if we dont feel it much yet. The forces keeping authoritarianism alive are now feeling the pull of gravity because authoritarians tend to be incompetent, and they believe their own hype.
Spending the time developing family relationships, and personal relationships, communities, nurturing my son, making plans for all kinds of activities this year that don't rely on economic throughput to be fulfilling. I've made a lot of progress on my next book, I would like to see if I can get that done before the end of 2024.
Materialism is an incorrect ideology. You can get every bit of stuff in the world that you ever wanted, and it won't make you happy. Stuff doesn't really matter. What matters is relationships, setting personal goals and either achieving them or doing your best to try to achieve them, and fighting to live a life that you can be proud of regardless of your material circumstances.
So even though our material situation will be I expect worse in 2024 than 2023, I expect 2024 to be a much better year because we are achieving, and we are learning, and we are building.
My prediction for 2024 is the massive undeniable recession hits hard. Economically it's going to be hard for everyone... It already is and has been.
On the other hand, I think that it could be a massive win on a bunch of other fronts. Culturally, I think that freedom has passed its nadir and is on the upswing, even if we dont feel it much yet. The forces keeping authoritarianism alive are now feeling the pull of gravity because authoritarians tend to be incompetent, and they believe their own hype.
Spending the time developing family relationships, and personal relationships, communities, nurturing my son, making plans for all kinds of activities this year that don't rely on economic throughput to be fulfilling. I've made a lot of progress on my next book, I would like to see if I can get that done before the end of 2024.
Materialism is an incorrect ideology. You can get every bit of stuff in the world that you ever wanted, and it won't make you happy. Stuff doesn't really matter. What matters is relationships, setting personal goals and either achieving them or doing your best to try to achieve them, and fighting to live a life that you can be proud of regardless of your material circumstances.
So even though our material situation will be I expect worse in 2024 than 2023, I expect 2024 to be a much better year because we are achieving, and we are learning, and we are building.
There is a concept in maintenance where people think if you maintain a thing more it'll always get more reliable, but in reality even skilled practicioners can take something that worked and walk away with something that doesn't work, so you have to balance the risk of failure with the residual risk of maintenance. More often than not, you just let the failure happen because you can't mitigate some risks and by trying you introduce more risks. By understanding this you can do less maintenance and get more reliability.
I've always applied this logic to medicine as well ...
I've always applied this logic to medicine as well ...
All things considered, that's kind of exceptional.
It obviously hope that nobody gets hurt or is trapped, but at the beginning of the post I expected things to be way worse
It obviously hope that nobody gets hurt or is trapped, but at the beginning of the post I expected things to be way worse
I'm deeply saddened by the fact that so many previously funny interesting people gave it all up to become the fact that they don't like one guy.