Category: Uncategorized

Fred Reed writes: The Bell Curve, an excellent book more maligned than read, pointed out a trend seldom noticed. The authors called it “cognitive stratification,” not a phrase Byron would have chosen but serviceable enough. It means the concentration of the intelligent. In 1850 people of high intelligence were dispersed through the population. If the child of a cowboy had an IQ of 160, he would probably remain in the geographical region with cowboys. He might be more successful than most, and might choose as friends the quicker wits thereabouts. Yet he would be part of the community…. In 1850 there were few jobs requiring the very bright. Today they abound. Universities began to scour the country for the highly intelligent. These, once found, met each other at elite universities or, later, in the places where the bright concentrated to work: Laboratories, software houses, hospitals, magazine journalism, and occasionally law firms. They married each other. Their children tended to be bright. The result has been that the bright tend to live, play, work, and sleep almost entirely with each other.

It is true that the bright and educated are almost shockingly insulated. I once had an argument with a woman who insisted that everyone went to college – she defied me to name one person in our social circle who hadn’t. I couldn’t do that, so I was forced to make do with demonstrating that around 50 percent of the populace goes to college at all, and a significant percentage of those who do never graduate. My father used to get on my case for being contemptuous of other people’s intelligence, but he finally stopped when I illustrated how many of my problems in the corporate world stemmed directly from overestimating others. Contempt may not be nice, but it is nevertheless wise to temper your expectations of the capabilities of others on whom you are relying.

The most significant thing in this regard has little to do with intelligence. Possibly the great lie of the last 250 years is that man is rational. Our market theories depend on it, often our business activities postulate it, and it simply isn’t true. Man is inherently irrational, and this is supported day in and day out by watching the actions and decisions of those around you. Much of the time, intelligence simply helps one do a more convicing job of rationalizing one’s stupid decision to follow one’s desires.

From the Mises Institute: The revolutionary government first decided to cure the evils generated by inflation with more inflation. Instead of destroying assignats received for the national properties, they reissued them in the form of smaller notes. In June 1791, they issued another 600 million assignats (the previous promise not to issue more was conveniently and predictably forgotten), and in December an additional 300 million. By the end of the year, its market value had fallen to 66 percent of its face value. In 1792, they issued 600 million more. In April of the same year, they confiscated the estates of the émigrés (those who fled France to avoid being arrested or murdered) and added them to the national properties.

Then came 1793 Year One; the year of la Terreur. Having tried inflation and legal coercion, they would try terrorizing the population into accepting the plunging assignat at par, and producing and selling at a patriotic loss. In March, the National Convention created the Orwellian-named Committee of Public Safety (another unfortunate American precedent), which was a kind of committee of terror, dedicated to expropriating and murdering those deemed to be “traitors” to France or enemies of la Revolution. In May, they passed le Maximum, imposing price ceilings on grain. It worsened the grain shortage. In June, they passed the Forced Loan, a progressive income tax, whose progressivity was progressively lowered to reach more and more citizens. They also passed increasingly draconian and deadly laws designed to force people to accept the assignats at par and forbidding them from exchanging them for anything less than their face value. In July, the Convention repudiated the first issue of interest-bearing assignats. In August, trading (i.e. buying or selling) specie [gold] was prohibited. In September, the Convention passed the General Maximum, extending price ceilings to all foodstuffs, as well as firewood, coal, and other essentials. In that month, despite the deadly coercion, the assignat fell to 30 percent against gold. During 1793, the Convention issued 1,200 million assignats; in 1794, 3,000 million. Next came the deluge. In 1795, 33,000 million were printed, and in October, when a new government the Directory assumed power, the assignats’ purchasing power had fallen to almost nothing. On the black market, 600 francs of assignats traded for one gold franc.

The Directory was done with the assignat, but it was not done with inflation. In February 1796, it issued a new paper currency, the mandat, and made it exchangeable for assignats at the rate of 30 to 1. By August, after 2,500 million had been issued, the mandat had fallen to three percent of its face value. In 1796, the Directory had had enough, finally, and it withdrew the legal tender character of both the assignat and the mandat. Thereupon, their remaining meager exchangeable value disappeared altogether.

Interesting how modern it all sounds, doesn’t it. Fiat money and socialism have gone hand-in-hand longer than socialism has been a recognizable philosophy. Not that one can blame socialism for inflation, as it’s been around since the first king decided to spend a few extra denari by issuing adulterated coins. If Prechter is not correct, and we are NOT heading for a deflationary Great Depression, we may be unfortunate enough to see what happens if the Fed tries to inflate us out from underneath the mountain of debt hanging overhead. At least our monetary masters have been more circumspect. It’s taken us 70 years for our dollar to lose 95 percent of its value; the French Directory managed to completely destroy the assignat in five.

From the Star and Sickle: The anecdotal stories that crime was decreasing in downtown Minneapolis, St. Paul and at the Mall of America started soon after the Metro Transit strike began in early March. Curious about what might be happening, police began discreetly monitoring crime figures and found some intriguing numbers.

• Police calls at the Mall of America, especially on weekends, were down by as much as 21 percent.

• Arrests in downtown Minneapolis had dropped.

• In St. Paul, police calls for so-called “quality of life” complaints, such as narcotics sales near bus stops, also had fallen.

After the metro area’s first transit strike in a decade, the possible relationship between the strike and crime has become a much-debated — and politically touchy — issue. Critics complain that the focus unnecessarily paints an unflattering portrait of bus riders. Police contend that the figures, while showing drops in possible criminal activity, may have uncertain meaning and caution against hasty conclusions.

Interestingly enough, and unsurprisingly, you won’t see a single mention of race in the entire article. But the nervous tone leads to the inescapable conclusion that it was members of a particular group favored by the left-liberal media wasn’t getting arrested as often during the bus strike. I’m just curious to know what point is served by talking around easily established facts.

Lest you get the wrong impression, I should point out that I’m on the side of the narcotic sellers anyhow. They’re just supplying an existing demand, they aren’t forcing their wares on little kids by means of their parents. Oh, that’s right, I forgot. If the government okays it, then it must be desirable.

I seem to recall someone, perhaps Resispa, had numbers on how many government employees there were at the Federal, State and Local levels. Could whoever that is please email me? Also, if you have them, please let me know what the rate of change since either 2000 or 1992 has been. Thanks.

Robert Alt writes on NRO: While a number of networks chose to air graphic scenes from Fallujah, one deserves special mention. Charlie Ryan and Rachel Levin of NBC contacted military officials in Baghdad immediately after the events in Fallujah to request an interview with a group of soldiers. A Coalition military source confirmed that the crew wished to show soldiers a graphic video of the events in Fallujah, and to record the soldiers’ responses. When military officials objected for obvious reasons to this Clockwork Orange proposal, the NBC reporters were incredulous, suggesting that the idea was somehow appropriate because the victims were not soldiers.

As if there wasn’t enough reason to turn off the ABCNNBCBS cabal already. I absolutely HATE the news technique of sticking a microphone in the face of someone who has just experienced a personal tragedy, and the reporter asking in a fake compassionate voice: “how do you feel about your parents dying in a freak opening of a Dho-Nha gate in their microwave?” This is nothing but the worst emotional porn. Emotional vampires – someone should drive a stake through their parasitic hearts.

“Soft on terror? Arguably, terror is his long suit!” Big Chilly went on to point out that while having an Elder God tearing at the fabric of reality could present even more problems for the nation than a Hillary presidency, there’s ample Lovecraftian precedent for a remote-controlled zombie operated by devotees of the mighty octopoid one. A Mancthulhian Candidate, if you will.

Jeff comments: When violence is used to preserve life or the life of a loved one, it is justified. When violence is used as part of a greater purpose, say to preserve our God given human rights in the face of a tyrranical government, it is justifed. But violent reaction to being screwed over by a radio talk show host, is out of line…unless your balls are so small that you can’t take it.

Of course, this leaves out violence for sheer enjoyment’s sake. But Jeff’s reference to the purportedly miniscule size of my genitals reminds me of a story – now there’s a start! Space Bunny and I were lifting weights one afternoon, and I happened to be throwing up a pair of 75s for a few reps of dumbbell shoulder press. One of the women who was a weight room regular yelled out: “what are you compensating for?” To which I responded, loudly, “small penis!”

A shocked silence filled the room as everyone stopped what they were doing and looked right at Space Bunny. She smiled, nodded and held her thumb about an inch away from her index finger, at which point everyone cracked up. Now, there’s a girl!

Joseph Farah is disgusted with them over their support of Arlen Spector. Adam McManus has an even better reason: in a more obscure race in Alabama for State Board of Education, the state Republican Party decided to disqualify Christian radio talk-show host Kelly McGinley from the ballot, indicating she was too disloyal. McGinley had written on her website that “maybe, if we practice tough love, the Republican Party will repent and come back to its platform.” Thankfully, Montgomery County Circuit Judge William Shashy said in a recent ruling that while McGinley had made “strong criticisms” of the GOP, the party had not set any rules that would disqualify a candidate for such criticisms.

“Zere vill be no dissent! You must adhere to zee Party!” Maybe the Republican leadership is fascist after all. Although you’d think calling for a strict adherence to the party platform would be considered desirable. I have no doubt they’ll take care of that little rule next time around. Obey or Else!

I’m not disgusted, however, I’m amused. You get what you pay for and you get what you vote for. If you’re dumb enough to support strong government “conservatives”, don’t be surprised when you get left-liberal leadership. You cannot hope to see smaller government come from those dedicated to making it bigger. I’d think this was a priori apparent, but it’s clear that a surprisingly large number of conservative Republicans need to hear it anyhow: some people don’t mean what they say. This can even be true of politicians whose last name isn’t Clinton and who don’t have a (D) in front of their name.

I’m so tired of hearing “well, I think Bush is a good man and I believe he really wants to blah blah blah.” You can think whatever you want, of course, but you’re obviously not paying very close attention. So he led us into Afghanistan and Iraq – BFD! Wilson got us into WWI, FDR led us into WWII, LBJ led us into Vietnam, did that make them all conservative champions of small government?

Gypsy writes: Why vote for the lesser of two evils? Cthulhu 2004!!!

Are there any rules in the Constitution that bar the candidacy of an Elder God from the Outer Darkness just because he happens to be slumbering beneath the ice in Antarctica? Perhaps that’s the third-party solution. Once he gets into the debates – and who’s going to gainsay Mighty Cthulhu – he’ll win hands down by virtue of causing the other candidates to fail their SAN roll. And then, he’ll nail down both the squamous and rugose votes, no problem.

No one will ever be able to argue that Cthulhu will be soft on terror after he devours the entire contents of Guantanamo Bay live on camera.

From the Village Voice: With the air gushing out of John Kerry’s balloon, it may be only a matter of time until political insiders in Washington face the dread reality that the junior senator from Massachusetts doesn’t have what it takes to win and has got to go. As arrogant and out of it as the Democratic political establishment is, even these pols know the party’s got to have someone to run against George Bush. They can’t exactly expect the president to self-destruct into thin air…. What to do? Look for the Dem biggies, whoever they are these days, to sit down with the rich and arrogant presumptive nominee and try to persuade him to take a hike. Then they can return to business as usual—resurrecting John Edwards, who is still hanging around, or staging an open convention in Boston, or both.

Wow! When the Village Voice hates a Democratic nominee even more than they hate George Bush, you know the Dems are in disarray.