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THE MORNING RANT: Free Trade Pundits Who Advocate for Offshoring American Jobs Can Now Have Their Own Jobs Outsourced, Thanks to AI
“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by Principled Free Traders, concurrent with their promotion of outsourcing and offshoring as many American jobs as possible. This lowers consumer prices, we are assured.
Well good news! There is no longer a need to continue paying “conservative” advocates of unilateral free trade to write these op-eds extolling the benefits of shipping American jobs overseas. Thanks to AI, those op-eds can now be written for free! All the Principled Free Traders at America-last publications can now enjoy the new opportunities created by losing their jobs in a dying industry, while also saving their employers that much labor cost. The savings will surely be passed on to the consumers of those publications. As I frequently mention, my derision of “free trade” is a result of 21st century Principled Free Traders hijacking the historically understood definition of free trade, that being reciprocal free trade (which I generally supported), and replacing it with advocacy for non-reciprocal “free trade,” which is actually a unilateral surrender to foreign mercantilism, even when the economic surrender is to foreign nations that are hostile to the United States. David Harsanyi is particularly passionate about the benefits of offshoring American jobs without any tariff protections, and without requiring reciprocal free trade. He also has a disturbing enthusiasm for foreign laborers being exploited and working in horrible conditions, as I’ll get to. But in this AI era, why should America-last publications even bother to pay an actual American citizen to write its pieces advocating for putting Americans out of work? AI can do it. So, I decided to have Grok give it a go. Specifically, I requested of Grok: Write a paragraph in the style of David Harsanyi advocating for non-reciprocal free trade that lowers consumer prices. I’d say that Grok nailed it:From Grok: Let's get one thing straight: the notion that we need reciprocal trade agreements to protect our economy is a relic of a bygone era. Non-reciprocal free trade, where we open up our markets without demanding the same from others, isn't just good policy—it's a game-changer for the average American. Why? Because it slashes consumer prices. When we don't shackle our trade policies with the tit-for-tat of reciprocity, we give our consumers access to a global bazaar of goods, from electronics to apparel, at lower prices. And let's be clear, this isn't about giving away the store; it's about unleashing the power of competition. Tariffs and protectionism are just fancy ways of saying "higher prices" for the folks back home. By embracing non-reciprocal free trade, we're not just boosting our own economy—we're standing up for the consumer, ensuring they get more bang for their buck in a world where every penny counts.
Now, I realize that some of the dead-eyed partisan zombies in the GOP will just repeat whatever Trump says, but this is idiocy. For one thing, tariffs are literally a tax, as they are paid by U.S. corporations and consumers. Secondly, the difference between the price of goods today and the price added by a tariff is called “tax incidence” or “the let’s screw consumers surcharge.” Sooner or later, consumers pay every tax. However, Trump is right about one thing: Trade isn’t fair. Americans should pray it never gets fair. I’m sure the billions of people in developing nations who work tedious menial labor jobs probably don’t find it “fair” that Americans use the savings found in trade to help build unprecedented wealth. Trade allows average working-class Americans to buy all kinds of things they could not otherwise afford because of trade. Forcing working-class Americans to make things foreigners or machines can make cheaper only undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children.Just for fun, let me translate that final sentence from Mr. Harsanyi into a call to outsource Mr. Harsanyi’s own writing: “Forcing Beltway pundits to write free trade pieces that machines can write cheaper only undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children. By the way, that line about ”billions of people in developing nations who work tedious menial labor jobs probably don’t find it fair” is pretty tame compared to some of Harsanyi’s enthusiastic writing about exploiting foreign labor in miserable working conditions. In a 2020 National Review piece titled ““The Dangerous Buy American Canard” Harsanyi wrote,
As to populists’ crowd-pleasing promises to level the trade playing field and make things “fair,” we should be careful what we wish for. If things are made truly fair, the average American worker will find himself laboring in a hazardous factory for a pittance, subsisting on a subpar diet, receiving third-world-quality medical care, and living in a tiny, decrepit house or apartment. The billions of people in developing nations who work dreary menial labor jobs probably don’t find it “fair” that we Americans, with our great wealth, can afford to make them do grunt work, even if the arrangement benefits both parties in the long run.John Calhoun smiles, and would probably agree with Harsanyi that rather than hiring American citizens to work in civilized conditions, more wealth can be accumulated by reaching overseas to access foreign laborers who should appreciate the “positive good” of having decrepit housing, rudimentary medical care, a hazardous workplace, and a subpar diet.
Second District Congressman Riley Moore, R-W.Va., announced Friday that he was introducing his first bill as a lead sponsor, the United States Reciprocal Trade Act, along with eight co-sponsors. The Reciprocal Trade Act would authorize Trump to directly negotiate with other countries to either lower foreign tariffs on American goods or to issue reciprocal tariffs on those countries and imported goods into the U.S. According to Moore, the bill will give Trump the tools needed to restore balance with other countries when it comes to exports of manufactured goods from the U.S.Riley Moore is an activist fighting on behalf of Americans and our energy industry, and against globalist woke capital. Thank you, Representative Moore. buck.throckmorton at protonmail dot com]
Comments
(Jump to bottom of comments)1
1st?
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:00 AM (77rzZ)
2
Sponge!
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:01 AM (CT61Q)
3
Yesss! I'll go call 'em.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:01 AM (77rzZ)
4
What.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver at January 31, 2025 11:01 AM (zdLoL)
5
?
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at January 31, 2025 11:01 AM (Ls1Xv)
6
I saw the Dead Eyed Zombies open for the Onesies at the Trough in '22.
Posted by: Warai-otoko at January 31, 2025 11:01 AM (+iIV1)
7
No munkey?!
Posted by: RedMindBlueState at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (kgE5c)
8
And they wonder why I don't respect "libertarians" anymore.
Posted by: Brother Tim, Keeper of the Tim Continuum at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (OUMaO)
9
This sounds like for trade what we are talking about with relationships in the prior thread.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (bss/y)
10
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
11
Willowed:
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
That's an ironic choice of words....
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
That's an ironic choice of words....
Posted by: SFGoth at January 31, 2025 11:03 AM (KAi1n)
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 31, 2025 11:03 AM (dxSpM)
13
I'd have been first, but this phone...
Don't you want all caps?
Wait, don't you want caps and lowers?
I can't decide either. I will switch back and forth.
This will take a while.
Don't you want all caps?
Wait, don't you want caps and lowers?
I can't decide either. I will switch back and forth.
This will take a while.
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at January 31, 2025 11:04 AM (Ls1Xv)
14
“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by Principled Free Traders, concurrent with their promotion of outsourcing and offshoring as many American jobs as possible. This lowers consumer prices, we are assured.
Tariffs are paid by consumers AND foreign manufacturers. It isn't 100% on the consumers.
BUT way more importantly then this ALL taxes penalize something
Income taxes penalize working
Real estate taxes penalize owning/renting a home
Capital Gains/investment taxes penalize saving your money
So out of all the things the government can penalize by levying taxes how is penalizing people buying crap from foreign countries not the best choice?
Tariffs are paid by consumers AND foreign manufacturers. It isn't 100% on the consumers.
BUT way more importantly then this ALL taxes penalize something
Income taxes penalize working
Real estate taxes penalize owning/renting a home
Capital Gains/investment taxes penalize saving your money
So out of all the things the government can penalize by levying taxes how is penalizing people buying crap from foreign countries not the best choice?
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:04 AM (t0Rmr)
15
I love this. Boss move. Let this become reality.
Posted by: Dworkin Barimen at January 31, 2025 11:04 AM (1HNap)
16
>Free Trade Pundits Who Advocate for Offshoring American Jobs Can Now Have Their Own Jobs Outsourced, Thanks to AI
---------
Maybe not 'just' these so-called "Free Trade Pundits."
There's like, a handful of "pundits" on the web who're worth a shit. A couple of them are right here.
---------
Maybe not 'just' these so-called "Free Trade Pundits."
There's like, a handful of "pundits" on the web who're worth a shit. A couple of them are right here.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 31, 2025 11:05 AM (Q4IgG)
17
receiving third-world-quality medical care
A reporter asked Fauci why the government wasn't clot shotting all the illegals crossing the border. His answer was they had rights unlike American citizens.
So..."third world quality medical care" might not be as shitty as our current elites want to argue
A reporter asked Fauci why the government wasn't clot shotting all the illegals crossing the border. His answer was they had rights unlike American citizens.
So..."third world quality medical care" might not be as shitty as our current elites want to argue
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:06 AM (t0Rmr)
18
[WILLOWED from Art Thread with perhaps the correct interpretation:]
I'm guessing this is an Egyptian watching the approach of the plague of locusts?
Posted by: NaughtyPine at January 31, 2025 11:00 AM (fxCK2)
-------------
I think you nailed it.
I'm guessing this is an Egyptian watching the approach of the plague of locusts?
Posted by: NaughtyPine at January 31, 2025 11:00 AM (fxCK2)
-------------
I think you nailed it.
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:06 AM (vAHT7)
19
Using AI to write op-eds is far more entertaining than the old way of either plagiarizing them, or cutting and pasting talking points.
Posted by: Roy at January 31, 2025 11:06 AM (z+ik4)
Posted by: Reforger at January 31, 2025 11:06 AM (xcIvR)
21
As a whole the American tax system is a tax on domestic products only. Imports avoid virtually all taxes.
That is one hell of a motivator to "offshore",
That is one hell of a motivator to "offshore",
Posted by: Itinerant Alley Butcher at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (/lPRQ)
22
Look at you, Bulg!
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (pZEOD)
23
“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by
...the sticky-fingered people and agencies who collect and distribute all federal, state, and local sales and income taxes but have ZERO people (yet) on the inside of the External Revenue Service.
...the sticky-fingered people and agencies who collect and distribute all federal, state, and local sales and income taxes but have ZERO people (yet) on the inside of the External Revenue Service.
Posted by: t-bird at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (0ljUU)
24
" If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames"
This is the question. Isn't it?
No one seems to know or care to answer it.
I guess everyone will be shopkeepers or Youtubers.
Posted by: BignJames"
This is the question. Isn't it?
No one seems to know or care to answer it.
I guess everyone will be shopkeepers or Youtubers.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (fV+MH)
25
Willowed:
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
That's an ironic choice of words....
Posted by: SFGoth
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
That's an ironic choice of words....
Posted by: SFGoth
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (CT61Q)
26
"Non-reciprocal free trade"
"So that's what they're calling it now?"
-- Amber "Ass Cow" Sparkles, noted porn star famous for anal scenes
"Non-reciprocal free trade"
"So that's what they're calling it now?"
-- Amber "Ass Cow" Sparkles, noted porn star famous for anal scenes
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (iFTx/)
27
Does increasing the number of makers here also increase the demand for slave-wage labor? They will need landscaping, drywall and roofing.
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (ogTiX)
28
Thanks to AI, those op-eds can now be written for free! All the Principled Free Traders at America-last publications can now enjoy the new opportunities created by losing their jobs in a dying industry, while also saving their employers that much labor cost. The savings will surely be passed on to the consumers of those publications.
-------------
Learn to cope ... and seethe.
-------------
Learn to cope ... and seethe.
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (vAHT7)
29
“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by Principled Free Traders
Not necessarily. They are if a tariff is imposed on all countries. However if only Columbia coffee and flowers have that 25% tax, coffee and flower from tariff-free countries will be cheaper and more widely purchased. Being even more painful for Columbia (or wherever). The president of Columbia figured that out, unlike the doltish leftist pundits
Not necessarily. They are if a tariff is imposed on all countries. However if only Columbia coffee and flowers have that 25% tax, coffee and flower from tariff-free countries will be cheaper and more widely purchased. Being even more painful for Columbia (or wherever). The president of Columbia figured that out, unlike the doltish leftist pundits
Posted by: Ripley at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (PTDkx)
30
Free traders: Find ways to compete with Chinese manufacturing, don't tariff them.
American workers: but China uses slave labor,
Free traders: well then, we know what is required to compete.
American workers: but China uses slave labor,
Free traders: well then, we know what is required to compete.
Posted by: Wowzers at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (7NqTg)
31
One thing about a trade deficit -- we are sending people our pieces of paper for their hard goods. When I can buy real things for paper, I tend to think that is a good deal...
Posted by: Con Reeder at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (Sb8iI)
32
I occasionally read lefty and NT writers and...
1) I always know the exact argument they are going to make after reading the first paragraph explaining what the "problem" is
2) Their solutions are always things that have been tried and failed, or are "solutions" to things that aren't actually problems - like how can we force people to take the clot shot or move out of their houses into a shitty apartment
1) I always know the exact argument they are going to make after reading the first paragraph explaining what the "problem" is
2) Their solutions are always things that have been tried and failed, or are "solutions" to things that aren't actually problems - like how can we force people to take the clot shot or move out of their houses into a shitty apartment
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (t0Rmr)
33
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
34
Freeloaders and trustafarians hate tariffs because they are a tax on buying rather than on working or producing.
How backwards is it to proclaim that taxing purchases instead of taxing labor (in the form of income tax) is just horrible. I'm pretty sure you have to have years of university 'education' to think that.
How backwards is it to proclaim that taxing purchases instead of taxing labor (in the form of income tax) is just horrible. I'm pretty sure you have to have years of university 'education' to think that.
Posted by: PaleRider at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM (34pOu)
35
There cannot be reciprocal free trade with countries that do not distinguish between private and public.
Every trade agreement with a Chinese "company" is an agreement with the CCP.
Every trade agreement with a Chinese "company" is an agreement with the CCP.
Posted by: San Franpsycho at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM (RIvkX)
36
Does Trump not have the authority to negotiate trade currently?
Posted by: Inogame at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM (53oGX)
Posted by: Some American Husband at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM (t0Rmr)
38
Riley Moore, trying to help the people that elected him, imagine that!
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM (FOSbT)
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (krQz2)
40
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Back in the day, several Union leaders asked if we were all just going to wash each others laundry once NAFTA was passed. They were considered fools by many.
Back in the day, several Union leaders asked if we were all just going to wash each others laundry once NAFTA was passed. They were considered fools by many.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (6rDIJ)
41
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
__________
There are a lot of scenarios by which mothers with kids are single.
"Yes, sometimes men do marry women with kiddos, but the woman really has to bring a lot to the table to get over that hump"
__________
There are a lot of scenarios by which mothers with kids are single.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (dxSpM)
42
I think most people understand that sometimes tariffs are a necessary cudgel to make the country at which they're directed behave according to the rules of reciprocal fair trade. The problem is that that cudgel almost inevitably turns into an entitlement and a market distortion. UAW, I'm looking at you.
If we're going to implement tariffs, it must be with the understanding that when the other nation plays by the rules, the tariff goes away. Otherwise, it's just government rewarding their buddies with sweetheart deals.
There are exceptions for national security, but as a general proposition, that's a good way to proceed.
If we're going to implement tariffs, it must be with the understanding that when the other nation plays by the rules, the tariff goes away. Otherwise, it's just government rewarding their buddies with sweetheart deals.
There are exceptions for national security, but as a general proposition, that's a good way to proceed.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (xCA6C)
43
OT, a judge has given the FBI until 2/7 to release the Seth Rich files . They have been stalling for 8 years. At one point the FBI requested 66 years to keep the files secret. If Patel is confirmed it should be released with Epstein files and all others.
Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (6v8aM)
44
Idle thought - Comparative Advantage is the framework, and as I think has been said here on the issue is that the trade must be reciprocal free trade for it to approach success.
Then imnsho it does need to be incorporated into a wider economic strategy...it does an economy no good to free up labor vis a vis Ricardo's framework and then have them sit idle bc capital is too tied up (in, say DEI) to create opportunities.
Then imnsho it does need to be incorporated into a wider economic strategy...it does an economy no good to free up labor vis a vis Ricardo's framework and then have them sit idle bc capital is too tied up (in, say DEI) to create opportunities.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (PzXaK)
45
Then: Income inequality is the biggest problem America faces
Now: Why shouldn't we offshore high paying jobs?
Now: Why shouldn't we offshore high paying jobs?
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (t0Rmr)
46
10 If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31,
1. Eliminate jobs
2. ???
3. Profit!
Posted by: BignJames at January 31,
1. Eliminate jobs
2. ???
3. Profit!
Posted by: The Underwear Gnomes at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (zgZCj)
47
The only "conservative pundits" I regularly read -aside from the ones here-are posters are "Legal Insurrection", "Front Page Magazine" and "The Other McCain."
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 31, 2025 11:12 AM (MQJVv)
48
"But how can my globalist overlords accumulate even more wealth if I don't shill for Americans to lose their jobs and corporations are incentivised to employ poor brown indentured servants?"
Posted by: Dworkin Barimen at January 31, 2025 11:12 AM (ESXYY)
49
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (CT61Q)
__________
Not in my case. But what you say is one of the hazards.
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (CT61Q)
__________
Not in my case. But what you say is one of the hazards.
Posted by: Hadrian the Seventh at January 31, 2025 11:12 AM (dxSpM)
50
I can’t claim to understand the economics of tariffs very well…. But I love how Trump uses tariffs (and tariff threats) for diplomacy…. Very effective and I do not remember part presidents in my lifetime doing that. In retrospect it’s amazing they didn’t
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at January 31, 2025 11:12 AM (VWT2b)
51
Missed the art thread. Glad I did, no idea what the ever loving fuck that picture below is.
Posted by: Minnfidel at January 31, 2025 11:12 AM (ewjUl)
52
One thing about a trade deficit -- we are sending people our pieces of paper for their hard goods. When I can buy real things for paper, I tend to think that is a good deal...
Posted by: Con Reeder at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (Sb8iI)
On paper it seems good, but it creates a very skewed economy with some big winners (tech, finance, government) and many losers (any American who makes tangible things.)
One thing that is missing from this discussion is the Triffin Dilemma. We made the USD the global reserve currency. That means there is constant demand for dollars overseas, which makes it structurally impossible to get rid of trade deficits until the USD dominance ends.
Posted by: Con Reeder at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (Sb8iI)
On paper it seems good, but it creates a very skewed economy with some big winners (tech, finance, government) and many losers (any American who makes tangible things.)
One thing that is missing from this discussion is the Triffin Dilemma. We made the USD the global reserve currency. That means there is constant demand for dollars overseas, which makes it structurally impossible to get rid of trade deficits until the USD dominance ends.
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:13 AM (TvOQq)
53
Riley Moore, trying to help the people that elected him, imagine that!
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM
Crazy talk!
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:09 AM
Crazy talk!
Posted by: Minnfidel at January 31, 2025 11:13 AM (ewjUl)
54
Forcing working-class Americans to make things foreigners or machines can make cheaper only undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children.
-------------
So, Mr. Harsanyi, you're saying that working-class Americans should learn to code?
-------------
So, Mr. Harsanyi, you're saying that working-class Americans should learn to code?
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:13 AM (vAHT7)
55
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January
If you are the biological father, this doesn’t become untrue.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January
If you are the biological father, this doesn’t become untrue.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (pZEOD)
56
Seriously, yes.
So tired of the coastal "elites" poo-pooing the destruction of manufacturing, mining, etc..
We are a nation, not an economic zone.
But, hey, if AI can churn out your stale, decades-old think pieces, who am I to stand in the way of progress.
Just another industry "disrupted" by tech! You've said "disruption" is awesome, right?
So tired of the coastal "elites" poo-pooing the destruction of manufacturing, mining, etc..
We are a nation, not an economic zone.
But, hey, if AI can churn out your stale, decades-old think pieces, who am I to stand in the way of progress.
Just another industry "disrupted" by tech! You've said "disruption" is awesome, right?
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (WbBbu)
57
But what does Kevin Williamson think???
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (VWT2b)
58
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
The left has a very poor understanding of how the economy works.
I was watching an episode of the Whatever podcast a while back and one of the male guests pointed out that women, in general, will not do a whole bunch of more dangerous/physically demanding jobs like oil rig worker, miner, construction worker, etc and the response from the lefty female guests was "well no one should have to do that type of work!"
The left has a very poor understanding of how the economy works.
I was watching an episode of the Whatever podcast a while back and one of the male guests pointed out that women, in general, will not do a whole bunch of more dangerous/physically demanding jobs like oil rig worker, miner, construction worker, etc and the response from the lefty female guests was "well no one should have to do that type of work!"
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (t0Rmr)
59
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
This seems to be the globalist free-traders' goal. And like the WEF the way to deal with the redundant workers (useless eaters) is computer games and drugs (fentanyl anyone).
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
This seems to be the globalist free-traders' goal. And like the WEF the way to deal with the redundant workers (useless eaters) is computer games and drugs (fentanyl anyone).
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (2NXcZ)
60
@8 And they wonder why I don't respect "libertarians" anymore.
Not at all. I do wonder a little how you came to allow Hillary Clinton and Cass Sunnstein to define libertarianism for you, but that's on you. Now I'm not that interested in your "respects."
There's only so dumb you can get and still walk around outside.
Not at all. I do wonder a little how you came to allow Hillary Clinton and Cass Sunnstein to define libertarianism for you, but that's on you. Now I'm not that interested in your "respects."
There's only so dumb you can get and still walk around outside.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (zdLoL)
61
I don't know who I might need to remind this:
But the late great Rush Limbaugh was an ardent Free-trader and a cheerleader for NAFTA at the time.
Al Gore even cited Limbaugh as a proponent of NAFTA.
But the late great Rush Limbaugh was an ardent Free-trader and a cheerleader for NAFTA at the time.
Al Gore even cited Limbaugh as a proponent of NAFTA.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (krQz2)
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (77rzZ)
63
This is just my opinion, but anyone who thinks AI is some great powerful tool that can reshape life is deluding themselves.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
64
When all these Free Traders can explain to me how the trade is either free or fair, between two countries with a myriad of different laws and usually vastly different economic conditions, I'd love to hear it.
Free Trade is another of these vague, sounds great ideas. Same as Capitalism. Yet when we get in the weeds, both are just attempts to define a theoretical extreme.
The Trade could indeed be free when my neighbor and I exchange cash for goods. Same laws, same currency, same economy. Between nation states ? No why is it Free Trade. No. Way.
Free Trade is another of these vague, sounds great ideas. Same as Capitalism. Yet when we get in the weeds, both are just attempts to define a theoretical extreme.
The Trade could indeed be free when my neighbor and I exchange cash for goods. Same laws, same currency, same economy. Between nation states ? No why is it Free Trade. No. Way.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (6rDIJ)
65
Ohio River valley has all sorts of small towns that used to have a factory or two that many of the towns residents worked for. Outsourcing took that away and the people that remain, many are on welfare and drugs (BIRM). But they can buy crappy products made overseas at low prices.Thanks one-sided free traders!
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (FOSbT)
66
Now: Why shouldn't we offshore high paying jobs?
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (t0Rmr)
Gal brain: If we offshore *all* of the jobs, then nobody has to work and Americans will have unlimited free time!
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:11 AM (t0Rmr)
Gal brain: If we offshore *all* of the jobs, then nobody has to work and Americans will have unlimited free time!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (TvOQq)
67
@60
Just in case anyone was wondering, Way, Way Downriver is Scogg.
Just in case anyone was wondering, Way, Way Downriver is Scogg.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (xCA6C)
68
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (CT61Q)
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Could you love her if she did not?
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:07 AM (CT61Q)
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Could you love her if she did not?
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:16 AM (bss/y)
69
55 Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January
If you are the biological father, this doesn’t become untrue.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (pZEOD)
But it does. It has to for marriages to work.
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223 at January
If you are the biological father, this doesn’t become untrue.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (pZEOD)
But it does. It has to for marriages to work.
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 11:16 AM (exHjb)
70
"If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?"
This really nails it. Lower prices? Great. So who can pay them when we're all unemployed?
I'd rather have a job and pay higher prices that I can afford because I have a job.
Free traders are engaged in an orgy of intellectual masturbation and have lost sight of the real world consequences.
This really nails it. Lower prices? Great. So who can pay them when we're all unemployed?
I'd rather have a job and pay higher prices that I can afford because I have a job.
Free traders are engaged in an orgy of intellectual masturbation and have lost sight of the real world consequences.
Posted by: DPICM at January 31, 2025 11:16 AM (M2VUX)
71
This is just my opinion, but anyone who thinks AI is some great powerful tool that can reshape life is deluding themselves.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
I totally agree
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
I totally agree
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at January 31, 2025 11:16 AM (VWT2b)
72
The Reciprocal Trade Act
Way ahead of you, homes. In fact, I think the name was even cribbed from my technothriller
The Reciprocal Trade Act
Way ahead of you, homes. In fact, I think the name was even cribbed from my technothriller
Posted by: Zombie Tom Clancy at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (FoIOl)
73
Riley Moore is an activist fighting on behalf of Americans and our energy industry, and against globalist woke capital.
------------
"How aberrant and abhorrent! That's NOT who we are ..."
-- GOPee (establishment eunuchs)
------------
"How aberrant and abhorrent! That's NOT who we are ..."
-- GOPee (establishment eunuchs)
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (vAHT7)
74
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
**scribbles notes**
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
**scribbles notes**
Posted by: Pothead College Grad at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (iODuv)
75
Non reciprocal free trade with Commie slave states works as well as open borders in a welfare state.
Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (wBaIH)
76
And they wonder why I don't respect "libertarians" anymore.
During the Cold War libertarians were much, much more serious.
Then after the Cold War ended the LP reached out to Dopetarians people whose big issue was drug legalization...even if they had standard leftwing views otherwise.
And they won them over...sort of. A bunch of these people ended up being leaders within the LP and the "libertarian" movement which is why it is not at all unusual to find nominal libertarians now that want draconian environmental laws, or bans on having kids without government approval, or supportive of clot shot mandates and so on
During the Cold War libertarians were much, much more serious.
Then after the Cold War ended the LP reached out to Dopetarians people whose big issue was drug legalization...even if they had standard leftwing views otherwise.
And they won them over...sort of. A bunch of these people ended up being leaders within the LP and the "libertarian" movement which is why it is not at all unusual to find nominal libertarians now that want draconian environmental laws, or bans on having kids without government approval, or supportive of clot shot mandates and so on
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (t0Rmr)
77
and the response from the lefty female guests was "well no one should have to do that type of work!"
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (t0Rmr)
Yes. This was the rallying cry for outsourcing manufacturing and outsourcing it. "Shop rats", as they called them in the 70s, were grey, sensory dulled people who needed to be brought into the light of universities. Now look what we have wrought with that stupid policy; billons for a few, little for the rest, but the rest must be replaced by migrants and H1b
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (t0Rmr)
Yes. This was the rallying cry for outsourcing manufacturing and outsourcing it. "Shop rats", as they called them in the 70s, were grey, sensory dulled people who needed to be brought into the light of universities. Now look what we have wrought with that stupid policy; billons for a few, little for the rest, but the rest must be replaced by migrants and H1b
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (2NXcZ)
78
>Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
--
Here is wisdom.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
--
Here is wisdom.
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (AOsQT)
79
>>”billions of people in developing nations who work tedious menial labor jobs probably don’t find it fair”
Let them eat Dirt.
Let them eat Dirt.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j8)
80
74 If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
**scribbles notes**
Posted by: Pothead College Grad at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (iODuv)
=======
Man, this couldn't lead to bad things happening.
*Butlurian Jihad intensifies*
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:02 AM (Yj6Os)
Universal Basic Income tied to your climate credit score!
Posted by: Billionaire Globalists and Unemployable Pothead College Commies at January 31, 2025 11:08 AM (TvOQq)
**scribbles notes**
Posted by: Pothead College Grad at January 31, 2025 11:17 AM (iODuv)
=======
Man, this couldn't lead to bad things happening.
*Butlurian Jihad intensifies*
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (GBKbO)
81
This is just my opinion, but anyone who thinks AI is some great powerful tool that can reshape life is deluding themselves.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
It might be a wee bit early for such pronouncements.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
It might be a wee bit early for such pronouncements.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xCA6C)
82
Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Could you love her if she did not?
Posted by: Aetius451AD
No. But just know you will always be second fiddle.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
Posted by: rickb223
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Could you love her if she did not?
Posted by: Aetius451AD
No. But just know you will always be second fiddle.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (CT61Q)
83
Offshoring manufacturing for increased profit is a good thing if you believe that the underlying goal of an economy is to create profit.
But what if the goal of an economy is to ensure that a nation is self-sufficient?
But what if the goal of an economy is to ensure that a nation is self-sufficient?
Posted by: Wowzers at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (7NqTg)
84
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames
Which is why free trade is a dead end. Outsourcing manufacturing to low cost countries means that eventually the goods imported cannot be paid for. The end state of globalism is slave labor and resource extraction by the cheapest means available - that is the ultimate in cost efficiency.
Posted by: BignJames
Which is why free trade is a dead end. Outsourcing manufacturing to low cost countries means that eventually the goods imported cannot be paid for. The end state of globalism is slave labor and resource extraction by the cheapest means available - that is the ultimate in cost efficiency.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (lTGtQ)
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j8)
86
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (xCA6C)
No; I don't think so. Scogg has a lot of names here but the style is different.
No; I don't think so. Scogg has a lot of names here but the style is different.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (MQJVv)
87
79 >>”billions of people in developing nations who work tedious menial labor jobs probably don’t find it fair”
Let them eat Dirt.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j
Let them actually have some agency.
Let them eat Dirt.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j
Let them actually have some agency.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:19 AM (bss/y)
88
" If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
Posted by: BignJames"
This is the question. Isn't it?
No one seems to know or care to answer it.
I guess everyone will be shopkeepers or Youtubers.
Posted by: eleven
Even Henry Ford understood how it works. He made a point of paying his workers well enough that they could actually buy the products they made. Folks used to understand that idea. Now it's every 'elite" for themselves, and Devil take the hindmost.
It's actually, legitimately ironic, Marxists used to think a worker's front of some sort would rise up to sweep out capitalism and replace it with their BS. They gave up and went with wokist thinking, imposed their BS, and...created the circumstances where workers now look to sweep out their BS.
It's almost as if their idea of how capitalists behave...was always modeled on how THEY behaved...and the one thing they got right was that people would eventually no longer tolerate it.
Posted by: BignJames"
This is the question. Isn't it?
No one seems to know or care to answer it.
I guess everyone will be shopkeepers or Youtubers.
Posted by: eleven
Even Henry Ford understood how it works. He made a point of paying his workers well enough that they could actually buy the products they made. Folks used to understand that idea. Now it's every 'elite" for themselves, and Devil take the hindmost.
It's actually, legitimately ironic, Marxists used to think a worker's front of some sort would rise up to sweep out capitalism and replace it with their BS. They gave up and went with wokist thinking, imposed their BS, and...created the circumstances where workers now look to sweep out their BS.
It's almost as if their idea of how capitalists behave...was always modeled on how THEY behaved...and the one thing they got right was that people would eventually no longer tolerate it.
Posted by: Brother Tim, Keeper of the Tim Continuum at January 31, 2025 11:19 AM (OUMaO)
89
Speaking of stale, I am hoping Peggy Noonan's time at the WSJ is nearing an end.
Daniel Henninger ended his column this week. Back in November, iirc, Noonan took a break, and one of the guest columnists was David Mamet. His columns are always bangers! The comments were nearly unanimous: replace Peggy now, this is what we need - fresh ideas and insight!! She returned quickly after that, lol.
Daniel Henninger ended his column this week. Back in November, iirc, Noonan took a break, and one of the guest columnists was David Mamet. His columns are always bangers! The comments were nearly unanimous: replace Peggy now, this is what we need - fresh ideas and insight!! She returned quickly after that, lol.
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:19 AM (WbBbu)
90
This is just my opinion, but anyone who thinks AI is some great powerful tool that can reshape life is deluding themselves.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
-------------
"THIS is exactly why we need massive joint GloboHomo, Feral Goverment, MDM-MSM, and Big Tech censorship of all non-state-approved opinions, comrade!"
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
-------------
"THIS is exactly why we need massive joint GloboHomo, Feral Goverment, MDM-MSM, and Big Tech censorship of all non-state-approved opinions, comrade!"
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (vAHT7)
91
I don't know a great deal about trade policy, so I'm just gonna watch.
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (AOsQT)
92
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
Posted by: Nova Local at January
My children are my world. Always have been, always will be.
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
Posted by: Nova Local at January
My children are my world. Always have been, always will be.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (pZEOD)
93
Grok is big improvement over a million monkeys with typewriters. "In the style of William Shakespeare" could yield some interesting results I bet.
Posted by: Chairman LMAO at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (LPS7w)
94
Some seem to forget that Saint Ronnie also liked a good tariff. Ask Harley Davidson.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (6rDIJ)
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (xCA6C)
96
If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?
The left has a very poor understanding of how the economy works.
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (t0Rmr)
---
That's because they only spend their time on how the economy “should” work.
Like with Marx's' variation of the "Labor Theory of Value", if I come and dig up your lawn, down to a depth of 2 feet, because I spent labor, that's value.
You don't want to steal my labor, do you?
Now, if you bring up a triviality like you didn't ask me to do that, well, according to Marx demand has little to do with the value of labor. (And Marx totally mixing up how Labor is the most determining COST to a good or service).
The left has a very poor understanding of how the economy works.
Posted by: The left at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (t0Rmr)
---
That's because they only spend their time on how the economy “should” work.
Like with Marx's' variation of the "Labor Theory of Value", if I come and dig up your lawn, down to a depth of 2 feet, because I spent labor, that's value.
You don't want to steal my labor, do you?
Now, if you bring up a triviality like you didn't ask me to do that, well, according to Marx demand has little to do with the value of labor. (And Marx totally mixing up how Labor is the most determining COST to a good or service).
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (krQz2)
97
57 But what does Kevin Williamson think???
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (VWT2b)
I hate my dad!
Posted by: LinusVanPelt at January 31, 2025 11:14 AM (VWT2b)
I hate my dad!
Posted by: Kevin Williamson at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (53oGX)
98
I have my own opinions on the Washington air disaster, but I'll refer you all to some YT aviation channels that I generally trust:
VASAviation, blancolirio, Pilot Debrief, and maybe Crazy Dan Gryder.
VASAviation, blancolirio, Pilot Debrief, and maybe Crazy Dan Gryder.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (7D76Q)
99
And there is nothing wrong with that.
Could you love her if she did not?
Posted by: Aetius451AD
I agree. But sadly too many woman will sacrifice a kid's welfare to keep a mean man.
Could you love her if she did not?
Posted by: Aetius451AD
I agree. But sadly too many woman will sacrifice a kid's welfare to keep a mean man.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (2NXcZ)
100
Having grown up in the Ohio valley, I can attest that a considerable portion of the blame for the lack of good jobs is the ridiculous attitude labor took toward management. That attitude has been passed down from generation to generation. A common refrain from OV alums is, "I would never start a business in the valley."
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (ogTiX)
101
Forcing working-class Americans to make things foreigners or machines can make cheaper only undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children.
1. Who defines "better jobs"?
2. Where are all these "better jobs"?
3. GenZ has come to suspect that their early adulthood is filled with more economic difficulty that GenX, or Boomer. Why would they have an expectation, barring changing policy direction, that this trend would reverse?
1. Who defines "better jobs"?
2. Where are all these "better jobs"?
3. GenZ has come to suspect that their early adulthood is filled with more economic difficulty that GenX, or Boomer. Why would they have an expectation, barring changing policy direction, that this trend would reverse?
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (ExV1e)
102
> Always remember: you will never come first.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
---------
I'd caveat that with "for some period of time." Once kids get to adulthood, and possibly married with kids, it becomes something entirely different to say that they'll always come first.
Not that it doesn't happen. But it IS different.
In. Any. Situation. Her kid does. Always.
---------
I'd caveat that with "for some period of time." Once kids get to adulthood, and possibly married with kids, it becomes something entirely different to say that they'll always come first.
Not that it doesn't happen. But it IS different.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (Q4IgG)
103
Another part in all this - we currently have more then $30T in debt. Unrestricted free trade with unrestricted immigration and unrestricted spending has failed completely and utterly.
Now I suppose you could argue that the problem is more with the immigration or spending but it would be safer to make a change in all three of these areas for the next few decades and then measure the results (which will be better)
Now I suppose you could argue that the problem is more with the immigration or spending but it would be safer to make a change in all three of these areas for the next few decades and then measure the results (which will be better)
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (t0Rmr)
104
The US increasingly resembles an open air insane asylum by many accounts. None of the massive social dislocations could have been possible without massive borrowing and spending of what amounts to a phony baloney currency not based on real economic output. Reserve currency status, allows the government to export inflation, but our leaders imported chaos and anarchy, and ultimately revolution. Fake money has real consequences, ironically enough.
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (KP4aP)
105
Using AI to write op-eds is far more entertaining than the old way of either plagiarizing them, or cutting and pasting talking points.
You could probably get a law degree or a humanities PhD solely using one of these "AI"s.
You could probably get a law degree or a humanities PhD solely using one of these "AI"s.
Posted by: t-bird at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (+j7Fj)
106
Eliminating jobs isn't what Comparative Advantage is saying the end point is. The idea there is to repurpose labor from doing things that another economy does better into something our economy does better.
And again, this relies on the ability of capital to be freed up to invest and create jobs (eg remove malinvestments or whatever Von Mises adherents call it these days).
The idea of "eliminating jobs" is the first step, but it isn't the last one.
And again, this relies on the ability of capital to be freed up to invest and create jobs (eg remove malinvestments or whatever Von Mises adherents call it these days).
The idea of "eliminating jobs" is the first step, but it isn't the last one.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (PzXaK)
107
Anyone own a Steam Deck?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (GBKbO)
108
“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by Principled Free Traders
---
Tariffs are a tax between equals--nation vs. nation--which is fair.
As opposed to the "fair" progressive income tax.
Which is a tax of nation vs. citizen.
If the people of a nation don't want to pay the tariff, they can sell their goods in another market.
If the people of a nation don't want to pay the tax on their labor, they go to jail.
Fuck the free trade absolutist that have done nothing but make us more poor, more in debt and worse off by every measure.
---
Tariffs are a tax between equals--nation vs. nation--which is fair.
As opposed to the "fair" progressive income tax.
Which is a tax of nation vs. citizen.
If the people of a nation don't want to pay the tariff, they can sell their goods in another market.
If the people of a nation don't want to pay the tax on their labor, they go to jail.
Fuck the free trade absolutist that have done nothing but make us more poor, more in debt and worse off by every measure.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (RPWCv)
109
@57 Linus, Kevin Williamson thinks he wants a donut
Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (6v8aM)
110
92
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
Posted by: Nova Local at January
My children are my world. Always have been, always will be.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (pZEOD)'
But as mentioned, you have no spouse now. From his behavior, he obviously didn't value you above the kids...
Or really value anyone else except himself at #1...
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
And EVERYONE in the family needs to know that.
This is so obvious, I'm surprised I'm writing it. This order keeps families together.
Posted by: Nova Local at January
My children are my world. Always have been, always will be.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (pZEOD)'
But as mentioned, you have no spouse now. From his behavior, he obviously didn't value you above the kids...
Or really value anyone else except himself at #1...
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (exHjb)
111
Canada is preparing to punish the US when President Trump's tariffs kick in.
There's talk of banning US booze.
That'll teach us....
Canada is run by retards.
There's talk of banning US booze.
That'll teach us....
Canada is run by retards.
Posted by: Stateless...28% - mental state clawing up from 10% at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (jvJvP)
112
I agree. But sadly too many woman will sacrifice a kid's welfare to keep a mean man.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (2NXcZ)
Valid, but that is a gigantic red flag.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (2NXcZ)
Valid, but that is a gigantic red flag.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (bss/y)
113
My children are my world. Always have been, always will be.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (pZEOD)
Yeah, kids should always be above spouse.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (pZEOD)
Yeah, kids should always be above spouse.
Posted by: Disinterested FDA Director at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (TvOQq)
114
God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
Posted by: Nova Local
I don't agree that the spouse should always come before the kid. It depends on the situation. If the spouse does something stupid that endangers the kid, or is intentionally abusive, then protecting the kid from harm takes precedence over what the spouse wants. Bad parents do not take priority over their children.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
Posted by: Nova Local
I don't agree that the spouse should always come before the kid. It depends on the situation. If the spouse does something stupid that endangers the kid, or is intentionally abusive, then protecting the kid from harm takes precedence over what the spouse wants. Bad parents do not take priority over their children.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (77rzZ)
115
>>"If you eliminate jobs...how do you sell your product to people w/o jobs?"
You import foreigner criminals who sell them cheap fentanyl and then they die!
What, were we supposed to not notice that?
You import foreigner criminals who sell them cheap fentanyl and then they die!
What, were we supposed to not notice that?
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (WbBbu)
116
One thing I am positive on, both based upon self taught theory as well as a few decades of observation;
The more two nation states trade, the quicker those two economies will eventually look the same. If one nation states enjoys higher incomes and a higher standard of living ? Those will fall, while the other nation states rises, until the two meet somewhere in the middle.
Keep that in mind, Free Traders. Trade with Canada and Germany is one thing. Trade with Mexico and the CCP is something else.
The more two nation states trade, the quicker those two economies will eventually look the same. If one nation states enjoys higher incomes and a higher standard of living ? Those will fall, while the other nation states rises, until the two meet somewhere in the middle.
Keep that in mind, Free Traders. Trade with Canada and Germany is one thing. Trade with Mexico and the CCP is something else.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (6rDIJ)
117
"April 2024 a lawsuit involving over 1000 applicants was filed against the FAA. Otherwise qualified candidates who had successfully completed training and test scores were left behind based solely on the fact that their hiring would NOT advance the 'great social engineering experiment'."
In other words, "White Men."
In other words, "White Men."
Posted by: Ju at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (aTmM/)
118
That's because they only spend their time on how the economy “should” work.
Like with Marx's' variation of the "Labor Theory of Value", if I come and dig up your lawn, down to a depth of 2 feet, because I spent labor, that's value.
You don't want to steal my labor, do you?
Now, if you bring up a triviality like you didn't ask me to do that, well, according to Marx demand has little to do with the value of labor. (And Marx totally mixing up how Labor is the most determining COST to a good or service).
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (krQz2)
---
Put differently, the idea that something has any kind of value OTHER THAN WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL PAY FOR IT is idiocy. It's the single basic and fatal flaw of Marxism.
Like with Marx's' variation of the "Labor Theory of Value", if I come and dig up your lawn, down to a depth of 2 feet, because I spent labor, that's value.
You don't want to steal my labor, do you?
Now, if you bring up a triviality like you didn't ask me to do that, well, according to Marx demand has little to do with the value of labor. (And Marx totally mixing up how Labor is the most determining COST to a good or service).
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:20 AM (krQz2)
---
Put differently, the idea that something has any kind of value OTHER THAN WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL PAY FOR IT is idiocy. It's the single basic and fatal flaw of Marxism.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (PzXaK)
119
My father in law married a broke, divorced woman with three kids.
They had more, and a very happy life together.
My father in law married a broke, divorced woman with three kids.
They had more, and a very happy life together.
Posted by: Auspex at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (j4U/Z)
120
118 Put differently, the idea that something has any kind of value OTHER THAN WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL PAY FOR IT is idiocy. It's the single basic and fatal flaw of Marxism.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (PzXaK)
=======
"Yeah, but I know what everything should be valued at."
-Guy who never showered
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (PzXaK)
=======
"Yeah, but I know what everything should be valued at."
-Guy who never showered
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:24 AM (GBKbO)
121
But what if the goal of an economy is to ensure that a nation is self-sufficient?
Ask the Norks.
Autarky is a tough sell but especially with a corrupt communist economy trying to implement it.
But I think that is the wrong way to look at it. If complete free trade is one end of the scale and autarky the other it isn't necessarily true that the best solution is 100% the former.
Ask the Norks.
Autarky is a tough sell but especially with a corrupt communist economy trying to implement it.
But I think that is the wrong way to look at it. If complete free trade is one end of the scale and autarky the other it isn't necessarily true that the best solution is 100% the former.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (t0Rmr)
122
We will miss Riley Moore in the state-level battles against Blackrock and the large banks. Happily, we still have Missouri and Texas.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (RQRKj)
123
>> It's the single basic and fatal flaw of Marxism.
A Bigger fallacy of Marxism is that Capitalism is a Theory and not a description of the Natural State.
A Bigger fallacy of Marxism is that Capitalism is a Theory and not a description of the Natural State.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (xk5j8)
124
111 Canada is preparing to punish the US when President Trump's tariffs kick in.
There's talk of banning US booze.
That'll teach us....
Canada is run by retards.
Posted by: Stateless...28% - mental state clawing up from 10% at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (jvJvP)
Canada ban booze?
So... Canada Dry?
There's talk of banning US booze.
That'll teach us....
Canada is run by retards.
Posted by: Stateless...28% - mental state clawing up from 10% at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (jvJvP)
Canada ban booze?
So... Canada Dry?
Posted by: Romeo13 at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (QAkQ3)
125
Canada is preparing to punish the US when President Trump's tariffs kick in.
Canada-US trade balance:
Trade in goods
In 2023, the US had a trade deficit of $64.26 billion with Canada on goods alone.
In 2022, the US had a trade deficit of $80.1 billion with Canada on goods alone.
Canada has had a trade deficit with the US on goods alone every year since 1985.
Trade in services
The US has an advantage in services trade with Canada, mainly due to Canadian travel to the US.
In 2022, the US exported an estimated $71.3 billion in services to Canada, while importing an estimated $44.6 billion in services from Canada
IOW, they need us a lot more than we need them. Find another strategy.
Canada-US trade balance:
Trade in goods
In 2023, the US had a trade deficit of $64.26 billion with Canada on goods alone.
In 2022, the US had a trade deficit of $80.1 billion with Canada on goods alone.
Canada has had a trade deficit with the US on goods alone every year since 1985.
Trade in services
The US has an advantage in services trade with Canada, mainly due to Canadian travel to the US.
In 2022, the US exported an estimated $71.3 billion in services to Canada, while importing an estimated $44.6 billion in services from Canada
IOW, they need us a lot more than we need them. Find another strategy.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (xCA6C)
126
I support unilateral free trade (with exceptions). The arguments for business deregulation apply across borders.
Exceptions include invasive species, endangered species, and strategic goods (e.g., don't sell missiles to China).
What two consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, office, factory, or the great outdoors is their business so long as no non-consenting party is harmed (and the definition of "harm" defines the limits of government power). This includes cross-border transactions.
Exceptions include invasive species, endangered species, and strategic goods (e.g., don't sell missiles to China).
What two consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, office, factory, or the great outdoors is their business so long as no non-consenting party is harmed (and the definition of "harm" defines the limits of government power). This includes cross-border transactions.
Posted by: Malcolm Kirkpatrick at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (fgkXD)
127
Put differently, the idea that something has any kind of value OTHER THAN WHAT SOMEONE ELSE WILL PAY FOR IT is idiocy. It's the single basic and fatal flaw of Marxism.
I see this from lefties constantly:
I put a lot of work in my LGBT Cowboy Poetry and I spent years in college I deserve to be paid well!
I see this from lefties constantly:
I put a lot of work in my LGBT Cowboy Poetry and I spent years in college I deserve to be paid well!
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (t0Rmr)
128
123 A Bigger fallacy of Marxism is that Capitalism is a Theory and not a description of the Natural State.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (xk5j
=======
I think this may be overselling it.
Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:25 AM (xk5j
=======
I think this may be overselling it.
Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (GBKbO)
129
This is just my opinion, but anyone who thinks AI is some great powerful tool that can reshape life is deluding themselves.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
---
That is my opinion as well.
However, I watched a video on the sort of "Can't Lose with AI" strategy that the big techs are pursuing.
1. If they have a big breakthrough on AI, then obviously that's value.
2. But if they don't, as long as they keep the hype on AI, and boost their AI brand, it will attract headlines and investors.
So, people should just remember, that if AI never goes anywhere, the longer you stay with the hype, the more you're just marketing for Big Tech.
Also AI is intrusive, never forget that.
AI is simply an agglomeration of various opinions that are in the database, including those of the deranged and those with ill intent. Garbage in, garbage out, at a large scale.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (lTGtQ)
---
That is my opinion as well.
However, I watched a video on the sort of "Can't Lose with AI" strategy that the big techs are pursuing.
1. If they have a big breakthrough on AI, then obviously that's value.
2. But if they don't, as long as they keep the hype on AI, and boost their AI brand, it will attract headlines and investors.
So, people should just remember, that if AI never goes anywhere, the longer you stay with the hype, the more you're just marketing for Big Tech.
Also AI is intrusive, never forget that.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (krQz2)
130
You import foreigner criminals who sell them cheap fentanyl and then they die!
What, were we supposed to not notice that?
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (WbBbu)
Schwab and Harari spelled that out pretty clearly.
What, were we supposed to not notice that?
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (WbBbu)
Schwab and Harari spelled that out pretty clearly.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (2NXcZ)
131
114 God 1st.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
Posted by: Nova Local
I don't agree that the spouse should always come before the kid. It depends on the situation. If the spouse does something stupid that endangers the kid, or is intentionally abusive, then protecting the kid from harm takes precedence over what the spouse wants. Bad parents do not take priority over their children.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (77rzZ)
God 1st...you aren't supposed to stay in situations that demean his creation. Abuse would be one of those.
But your spouse has to be #2. It's the person you made a marital covenant with - you don't marry God in the sacrament. It's the only sacrament (in Catholicism) where you marry the other person. Your love should be the offshoot of everything later in the marriage.
Spouse 2nd.
Kids 3rd.
Posted by: Nova Local
I don't agree that the spouse should always come before the kid. It depends on the situation. If the spouse does something stupid that endangers the kid, or is intentionally abusive, then protecting the kid from harm takes precedence over what the spouse wants. Bad parents do not take priority over their children.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:23 AM (77rzZ)
God 1st...you aren't supposed to stay in situations that demean his creation. Abuse would be one of those.
But your spouse has to be #2. It's the person you made a marital covenant with - you don't marry God in the sacrament. It's the only sacrament (in Catholicism) where you marry the other person. Your love should be the offshoot of everything later in the marriage.
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (exHjb)
132
I'm guessing this is an Egyptian watching the approach of the plague of locusts?
BOOM. And just like that, it's a Biblical painting!
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
BOOM. And just like that, it's a Biblical painting!
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver at January 31, 2025 11:26 AM (zdLoL)
133
What's David Harsanyi's deal on demanding zero control of the import of foreign made goods?
Does he have a vested interest in the free import of foreign made goods?
For instance, is he the CEO of-
"Harsanyi Spiral-Stroke Alsatian Dildos, Inc." whose product is sourced out of China?
Who knows?
Who even knows if there actually is such a corporation known as "Harsanyi Spiral-Stroke Alsatian Dildos, Inc.?"
Or even Harsanyi "Rough Saturday Night/Early Sunday Morning Soothing Bum Cream with Menthol, LLC" whose product is sourced out of Calcutta?
Do your own research, people!!!!
What's David Harsanyi's deal on demanding zero control of the import of foreign made goods?
Does he have a vested interest in the free import of foreign made goods?
For instance, is he the CEO of-
"Harsanyi Spiral-Stroke Alsatian Dildos, Inc." whose product is sourced out of China?
Who knows?
Who even knows if there actually is such a corporation known as "Harsanyi Spiral-Stroke Alsatian Dildos, Inc.?"
Or even Harsanyi "Rough Saturday Night/Early Sunday Morning Soothing Bum Cream with Menthol, LLC" whose product is sourced out of Calcutta?
Do your own research, people!!!!
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 11:27 AM (iJfKG)
134
>>Always remember: you will never come first.
This would make a great Valentine's Day card.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j
--------------
Never tell a girlfriend you're breaking up with that at least she was "second-best."
Ask me how I know ...
This would make a great Valentine's Day card.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:18 AM (xk5j
--------------
Never tell a girlfriend you're breaking up with that at least she was "second-best."
Ask me how I know ...
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:27 AM (vAHT7)
135
The above conflates certain things. '“Tariffs are a tax on consumers” we are often told by Principled Free Traders'. Well, yes, and that is clearly true. What neither Throckmorton nor Harsanyi does is go on to ask "What do we get for it?"
One unasked and unanswered question (not "begged", please) is, for the free trader, if protectionism "undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children", what are they; where are they? And for the protectionist, if the "historically understood definition of free trade, [is] reciprocal free trade", how is it that 19th C Britain thrived with non-reciprocal?
My instinct is free trade, but I know it's more complex than that. The debate is not being carried on a very high level.
One unasked and unanswered question (not "begged", please) is, for the free trader, if protectionism "undermines the creation of better jobs for them and their children", what are they; where are they? And for the protectionist, if the "historically understood definition of free trade, [is] reciprocal free trade", how is it that 19th C Britain thrived with non-reciprocal?
My instinct is free trade, but I know it's more complex than that. The debate is not being carried on a very high level.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:27 AM (1bNHn)
136
109 @57 Linus, Kevin Williamson thinks he wants a donut
Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (6v8aM)
Kevin called to say "Just because I'm a gelatinous fat slob doesn't mean I don't have deeply felt and well thought out opinions!"
Meantime...in his head **mmmm...dooonuts**
Posted by: Smell the Glove at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (6v8aM)
Kevin called to say "Just because I'm a gelatinous fat slob doesn't mean I don't have deeply felt and well thought out opinions!"
Meantime...in his head **mmmm...dooonuts**
Posted by: Boswell at January 31, 2025 11:27 AM (K+UlC)
137
Self sufficiency is a myth, but America doesn’t even make Aspirin.
Rubio was couching his concerns in the “Someday in the future, bad things will happen, maybe as soon as 10 years ….”
Not sure what these guys are smoking, by the 1990s a lot of things passed the event horizon. If you squint it looks a lot like they dusted off the morgenthau plan for postwar Germany and applied it in a modified way, certainly there is no appetite for an industrialized economy based on manufacturing and relying on a competitor if not an enemy for basic goods is unwise.
Rubio was couching his concerns in the “Someday in the future, bad things will happen, maybe as soon as 10 years ….”
Not sure what these guys are smoking, by the 1990s a lot of things passed the event horizon. If you squint it looks a lot like they dusted off the morgenthau plan for postwar Germany and applied it in a modified way, certainly there is no appetite for an industrialized economy based on manufacturing and relying on a competitor if not an enemy for basic goods is unwise.
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 11:28 AM (KP4aP)
138
BTW, Harsanyi is - by his own admission - more a libertarian than a conservative.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:28 AM (1bNHn)
139
The boss man was smacking around David Harsanyi pretty well this week on the twitters.
Posted by: banana Dream at January 31, 2025 11:28 AM (Y6IkP)
140
I have my own opinions on the Washington air disaster, but I'll refer you all to some YT aviation channels that I generally trust:
VASAviation, blancolirio, Pilot Debrief, and maybe Crazy Dan Gryder.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (7D76Q)
Yep. Posted a few links to a couple of them.
There is one more.....Captain Steeeve. Very good analytical explanation:
https://tinyurl.com/kvfdtppx
VASAviation, blancolirio, Pilot Debrief, and maybe Crazy Dan Gryder.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (7D76Q)
Yep. Posted a few links to a couple of them.
There is one more.....Captain Steeeve. Very good analytical explanation:
https://tinyurl.com/kvfdtppx
Posted by: thatcrazyjerseyguy at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (iODuv)
141
A Bigger fallacy of Marxism is that Capitalism is a Theory and not a description of the Natural State.
--------------
A nation state is not a theory - its a very definable group of people that trust one another. This might be why free traders are always subverting nation states.
--------------
A nation state is not a theory - its a very definable group of people that trust one another. This might be why free traders are always subverting nation states.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (Wg6v7)
142
What two consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, office, factory, or the great outdoors is their business so long as no non-consenting party is harmed (and the definition of "harm" defines the limits of government power). This includes cross-border transactions.
We're not talking about two individuals. We're talking about nation states, each of which deciding the economic outcomes of millions based upon the preferences of a relative few.
Your analogy is awful.
We're not talking about two individuals. We're talking about nation states, each of which deciding the economic outcomes of millions based upon the preferences of a relative few.
Your analogy is awful.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (6rDIJ)
143
>>Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j8)
144
Can someone tell me if something is going on with the site. It has been crashing on my phone for weeks and I can't even get it to load long enough to even comment to ask what the problem is. This is my work computer. Thanks, if anyone can shed light on what happened I would appreciate it.
Posted by: Jaimo at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (BCuCF)
145
>>Schwab and Harari spelled that out pretty clearly.
Yup.
People are just little interchangeable units that can be moved around the world, contained, controlled, etc.
Yup.
People are just little interchangeable units that can be moved around the world, contained, controlled, etc.
Posted by: Lizzy at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (WbBbu)
146
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:15 AM (xCA6C)
No; I don't think so. Scogg has a lot of names here but the style is different.
I disagree. This sounds like Scogg:
BOOM. And just like that, it's a Biblical painting!
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver
No; I don't think so. Scogg has a lot of names here but the style is different.
I disagree. This sounds like Scogg:
BOOM. And just like that, it's a Biblical painting!
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xCA6C)
147
Trade allows average working-class Americans to buy all kinds of things they could not otherwise afford because of trade.
---
I am coming to despise this argument. And those who make it.
Cheaper does not equal better.
And it's not true in any part, especially the "otherwise afford" part.
Yes, we can buy all sorts of thing "cheaper" than ever before.
And buy it again in a period measured in months, when it used to be years.
Two washing machines (that you can't repair) in 10 years at $500 each is not a better deal than 1 washing machine (that you can repair) at $800 every 10+ years.
That's what cheaper goods from free trade has gotten us.
---
I am coming to despise this argument. And those who make it.
Cheaper does not equal better.
And it's not true in any part, especially the "otherwise afford" part.
Yes, we can buy all sorts of thing "cheaper" than ever before.
And buy it again in a period measured in months, when it used to be years.
Two washing machines (that you can't repair) in 10 years at $500 each is not a better deal than 1 washing machine (that you can repair) at $800 every 10+ years.
That's what cheaper goods from free trade has gotten us.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (RPWCv)
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (77rzZ)
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (7D76Q)
150
The idea that outsourcing goods and services to foreign economies will have no follow on effect to your own economy... is stupid.
Those wages are now being spent there, on their products, in their restaurants, to their other people... not here.
With an explosively expanding economy, some of this wealth disposal from your economy is OK, but when combined Inflation, and Trade Deficit, exceeds actual economic growth in goods and services... you are destroying your own economy.
Those wages are now being spent there, on their products, in their restaurants, to their other people... not here.
With an explosively expanding economy, some of this wealth disposal from your economy is OK, but when combined Inflation, and Trade Deficit, exceeds actual economic growth in goods and services... you are destroying your own economy.
Posted by: Romeo13 at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (QAkQ3)
151
The very first and most essential step toward civilization is private property.
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (ogTiX)
152
143 >>Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (GBKbO)
153
I would advise anyone (and moms are esp prone to this!): DON'T make your kids your world. This places a huge burden on them as they grow.
Even if a single parent, make sure you do not do this! The world includes so much more than your kids, and your kids will benefit from knowing this. From witnessing it.
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Even if a single parent, make sure you do not do this! The world includes so much more than your kids, and your kids will benefit from knowing this. From witnessing it.
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Posted by: lizabth at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (Jfw7U)
154
Tariffs effectively raise the cost of foreign production, but we should also find ways to reduce the cost of domestic production.
And that way doesn't have to be lower wages. Eliminate the taxes and regulations that add to domestic production costs.
And that way doesn't have to be lower wages. Eliminate the taxes and regulations that add to domestic production costs.
Posted by: Bitcoin Fixes Everything at January 31, 2025 11:32 AM (V6W16)
155
Having grown up in the Ohio valley, I can attest that a considerable portion of the blame for the lack of good jobs is the ridiculous attitude labor took toward management. That attitude has been passed down from generation to generation. A common refrain from OV alums is, "I would never start a business in the valley."
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (ogTiX)
===================
Labor is an issue but I would say state government is as well. Ohio taxes are higher than in most other states, and small companies are hardest hit (because, when bootstrapping, every dollar matters), and Ohio still has a state workers comp insurance pool. I believe only two other states still do this and the costs are many times private insurance states. DeWine and Husted are not Trump-like at all, as you know.
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:21 AM (ogTiX)
===================
Labor is an issue but I would say state government is as well. Ohio taxes are higher than in most other states, and small companies are hardest hit (because, when bootstrapping, every dollar matters), and Ohio still has a state workers comp insurance pool. I believe only two other states still do this and the costs are many times private insurance states. DeWine and Husted are not Trump-like at all, as you know.
Posted by: Huck Follywood at January 31, 2025 11:32 AM (GEJ15)
156
I’m conflicted about tariffs. I like the idea of paying a little more and having American made products. But then I think who are those Americans making the products? Unions who fund Democrats to the tune of hundreds of millions every year.
And then I think well maybe I do like my cheap Chinese made goods after all.
And then I think well maybe I do like my cheap Chinese made goods after all.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:33 AM (6PsrN)
157
China redeems their dollars by buying US land, and sending their (CCP Controlled) best and brightest to our universities, and many come here illegally. They also seem to be buying gold, and other assets around the world.
US debt makes the USD a weak currency, but for now it is still seen as a safe harbor. The huge bubble cold burst ... I thought it would have burst long ago ... but TARP and MMT (just print it) have kept hope alive, and the passive bid (workers faithfully dumping their wages/savings into the stock market) has kept the markets bubbling.
Even Trump dumped trillions into markets (Covid) to save them, since if markets flop, things get bad quickly.
US debt makes the USD a weak currency, but for now it is still seen as a safe harbor. The huge bubble cold burst ... I thought it would have burst long ago ... but TARP and MMT (just print it) have kept hope alive, and the passive bid (workers faithfully dumping their wages/savings into the stock market) has kept the markets bubbling.
Even Trump dumped trillions into markets (Covid) to save them, since if markets flop, things get bad quickly.
Posted by: illiniwek at January 31, 2025 11:33 AM (Cus5s)
158
Posted by: Romeo13 at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (QAkQ3)
Yeah, but the outsourcers made billions! Who are we to deny them billions?
Yeah, but the outsourcers made billions! Who are we to deny them billions?
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:34 AM (2NXcZ)
159
152 143 >>Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (GBKbO)
______
That's Hobbes's view (and really, Locke's) But the classical view is we are naturally social and cooperative. As usual, IMO the older view is right. The Hobbes view underlies, ultimately, the left's rise to prominence.
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (GBKbO)
______
That's Hobbes's view (and really, Locke's) But the classical view is we are naturally social and cooperative. As usual, IMO the older view is right. The Hobbes view underlies, ultimately, the left's rise to prominence.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:34 AM (1bNHn)
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 11:34 AM (ovhgY)
161
>Canada ban booze?
So... Canada Dry?
---
IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE THERE IS A SOFT DRINK CALLED CANADA DRY
-Ben Roethlisberger by proxy
So... Canada Dry?
---
IT'S FUNNY BECAUSE THERE IS A SOFT DRINK CALLED CANADA DRY
-Ben Roethlisberger by proxy
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:35 AM (AOsQT)
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:35 AM (AOsQT)
163
159 That's Hobbes's view (and really, Locke's) But the classical view is we are naturally social and cooperative. As usual, IMO the older view is right. The Hobbes view underlies, ultimately, the left's rise to prominence.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:34 AM (1bNHn)
=======
I'm not saying that we're exclusively violent animals.
I'm saying it's part of the equation.
If the natural state of man was mutually agreed upon free trade, then we'd never have created government to deal with people who kill other people or steal their stuff.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:34 AM (1bNHn)
=======
I'm not saying that we're exclusively violent animals.
I'm saying it's part of the equation.
If the natural state of man was mutually agreed upon free trade, then we'd never have created government to deal with people who kill other people or steal their stuff.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:35 AM (GBKbO)
164
BOOM. And just like that, it's a Biblical painting!
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xCA6C)
Whomever...lousy art critic.
Now all the Miss-Priss "I smell shit" prunes can sidle up to the High Horse ladder, climb down, and start discussing like it's Sunday school.
Once again the horde pants-shits two hours of vitriol on All Art Is Bad, only to find the subject would have been intensely meaningful to anyone who'd actually read the Bible.
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xCA6C)
Whomever...lousy art critic.
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (Yj6Os)
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (oDiei)
166
(1) Used to hear all the time: "God, Country, Family" (perhaps as the justification for men going off to war).
(2) But "God, Family, Country" seems to be more en vogue these days.
One could argue that, in the case of (1), the soldier going off to war is doing so for the long-term interests of his family (by trying to prevent them from being conquered by a tyrant). Which can then be interpreted as the case in (2), where you're going off to war MORE for your family than your country.
Interesting paradox ...
(1) Used to hear all the time: "God, Country, Family" (perhaps as the justification for men going off to war).
(2) But "God, Family, Country" seems to be more en vogue these days.
One could argue that, in the case of (1), the soldier going off to war is doing so for the long-term interests of his family (by trying to prevent them from being conquered by a tyrant). Which can then be interpreted as the case in (2), where you're going off to war MORE for your family than your country.
Interesting paradox ...
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (vAHT7)
167
Cheaper goods is always a race to the bottom.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (RPWCv)
168
The very first and most essential step toward civilization is private property.
A story I heard from someone that worked for one of those "help Africa" organizations:
He went there and helped build/maintain a well. He got to know a local man who had saved up some money from his day labor to buy a fair amount of flour - his plan was to open a small bread selling business.
And sure enough he found buyers in people that had a little extra money and not enough time to bake their own bread. But then one of the village elders saw the man and his bread stand and took the bread giving a lecture about how their were hungry children that needed it more then him
Having lost all his product and not having money to start over our would be baker learned that there was no point in trying to start a business because the government would just steal it from him. The elder fed some hungry children, maybe, one time, but the society lost out on more food permanently.
A story I heard from someone that worked for one of those "help Africa" organizations:
He went there and helped build/maintain a well. He got to know a local man who had saved up some money from his day labor to buy a fair amount of flour - his plan was to open a small bread selling business.
And sure enough he found buyers in people that had a little extra money and not enough time to bake their own bread. But then one of the village elders saw the man and his bread stand and took the bread giving a lecture about how their were hungry children that needed it more then him
Having lost all his product and not having money to start over our would be baker learned that there was no point in trying to start a business because the government would just steal it from him. The elder fed some hungry children, maybe, one time, but the society lost out on more food permanently.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (t0Rmr)
169
There is a chief thing that Marxist ignores when stating that that your employer is "stealing your labor" if he gets $100 dollars for a widget you get $20 to produce, and thus stealing $80 dollars worth of value.
Who set the "value" of that labor at $100? Well, the market, of course.
Marx didn't think the market should exist, because it exists for employers to steal your labor. (How much?)
However, they completely miss that without market forces, central planning can charge *anything* for that widget. So, central planning is "stealing" anything they *don't charge* and pass 100% of to you.
Also, laughably, central planning is going to try to estimate how many people need an item and how badly they need it. So, any central planned economy is DEMAND simply at one remove and with guessing.
Who set the "value" of that labor at $100? Well, the market, of course.
Marx didn't think the market should exist, because it exists for employers to steal your labor. (How much?)
However, they completely miss that without market forces, central planning can charge *anything* for that widget. So, central planning is "stealing" anything they *don't charge* and pass 100% of to you.
Also, laughably, central planning is going to try to estimate how many people need an item and how badly they need it. So, any central planned economy is DEMAND simply at one remove and with guessing.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:37 AM (krQz2)
170
What little I learned about Econ, I think 'tariffs are bad,' but I will wait and see. If consumer prices rise significantly as a result, this will be politically bad for the administration. People are really struggling with this inflation.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:37 AM (7D76Q)
171
Word of the day: Spuddle
To work inefficiently. To be extremely busy while achieving absolutely nothing.
To work inefficiently. To be extremely busy while achieving absolutely nothing.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:37 AM (CT61Q)
172
I'd be all for free trade if we had it. But we don't Never have. Which should make it an entirely academic matter. But it doesn't because every libertarian argument implicitly begins: "Assume libertarianism ... ."
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 31, 2025 11:37 AM (YtQZg)
173
‘ As to populists’ crowd-pleasing promises to level the trade playing field and make things “fair,” we should be careful what we wish for.’
How about I wish for all of the essential goods and services be produced within our borders so they can never be held hostage?
Utopian free traders don’t have an answer to that.
How about I wish for all of the essential goods and services be produced within our borders so they can never be held hostage?
Utopian free traders don’t have an answer to that.
Posted by: Dr. Claw at January 31, 2025 11:37 AM (jbnUc)
174
And now we're into the Philosophy Anthropologly Economic intersection.
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (PzXaK)
175
Posted by: Way,Way Downriver
Posted by: Archimedes
========
WWD has been around for awhile, I think he predates Scogg but under another nic.
Posted by: Archimedes
========
WWD has been around for awhile, I think he predates Scogg but under another nic.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (ctrM5)
176
167 Cheaper goods is always a race to the bottom.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (RPWCv)
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (RPWCv)
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (bss/y)
177
For those of you who are AI doubters, we continue to make great strides in boob resonance physics.
https://youtu.be/FamLmQhKgZQ
Probably NSFW.
https://youtu.be/FamLmQhKgZQ
Probably NSFW.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (xCA6C)
178
If the natural state of man was mutually agreed upon free trade, then we'd never have created government to deal with people who kill other people or steal their stuff.
The point of government originally was to stop the neighboring tribes from moving onto your lands and taking your stuff.
Of course now our government claims its role is to help the neighboring tribes move onto our land to take our stuff.
If the natural state of man was mutually agreed upon free trade, then we'd never have created government to deal with people who kill other people or steal their stuff.
The point of government originally was to stop the neighboring tribes from moving onto your lands and taking your stuff.
Of course now our government claims its role is to help the neighboring tribes move onto our land to take our stuff.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (t0Rmr)
179
Why isn't the natural state people bashing each other over the head with clubs to steal the other's food?
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (GBKbO)
_________
It took millions of years before homo (the genus) stopped bashing each other's heads in as a means of social, economic, and sexual politics. Even if you limit it just to homo sapiens, it still took 100s of thousands of years. If you map homo's evolution on this concept to the space of a yea, the modern concept of fair exchange of value didn't show up until December 31 at about 11:59 pm. Before that, it was war of all against all.
I hope, in that scenario, that you can afford a club.
Posted by: garrett at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xk5j
======
Essentially, the idea that the natural state of man is free exchange of materials based on mutually agreed upon value ignores a particular aspect of human nature: our propensity to bashing each other's heads in with clubs of ever-escalating ingenious invention.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (GBKbO)
_________
It took millions of years before homo (the genus) stopped bashing each other's heads in as a means of social, economic, and sexual politics. Even if you limit it just to homo sapiens, it still took 100s of thousands of years. If you map homo's evolution on this concept to the space of a yea, the modern concept of fair exchange of value didn't show up until December 31 at about 11:59 pm. Before that, it was war of all against all.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iFTx/)
180
The coming of AI probably will do a lot of social damage if it lives up to it's billing.
1) Why are we importing unskilled foreigners or even skilled one if AI is going to be eliminating jobs from top to bottom?
The population crash will require no replacement workers.
2) What to do with the, oh say, 50% of people kicked out of their jobs by cheap AI?
Any clerk-style or number-crunching or calculating or sales job could be easily replaced.
Do these folk now spend their lives eating Swanson's TV Dinners and watching TV?
ETc, etc, etc.
Sometimes I think the Butlerian Jihad might become a real thing.
Buuuuut, probably not. Our Betters seemed to have found that the best way to make money is to destroy society as it is.
The coming of AI probably will do a lot of social damage if it lives up to it's billing.
1) Why are we importing unskilled foreigners or even skilled one if AI is going to be eliminating jobs from top to bottom?
The population crash will require no replacement workers.
2) What to do with the, oh say, 50% of people kicked out of their jobs by cheap AI?
Any clerk-style or number-crunching or calculating or sales job could be easily replaced.
Do these folk now spend their lives eating Swanson's TV Dinners and watching TV?
ETc, etc, etc.
Sometimes I think the Butlerian Jihad might become a real thing.
Buuuuut, probably not. Our Betters seemed to have found that the best way to make money is to destroy society as it is.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iJfKG)
181
China funnily enough has priced itself out in a lot of manufacturing. All the cool outsourcers are now going to places like Vietnam since Chinas labor costs have increased substantially over the past decade.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (6PsrN)
182
It looks like Angela Merkel rose from her coffin in Transylvanian dirt to put another knife in the heart of the German economy.
She published a scathing attack to force some members of parliament to withdraw their support for a bill to remove illegal aliens from Germany, because not cooperating with the AfD is more important than the survival of Germany. The bill failed.
She published a scathing attack to force some members of parliament to withdraw their support for a bill to remove illegal aliens from Germany, because not cooperating with the AfD is more important than the survival of Germany. The bill failed.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (lTGtQ)
183
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (xCA6C)
No; Still slightly different. Scogg usually gets in his bashes about Baby boomers, says sh** several times in his posts and it always contains this sort of refrain "I don't know why you folks don't understand this. I do" and the handle usually reflects that. WWD was just crabby and as some poster said the other day something like "It's grumpy old men time again." And "intensely meaningful to anyone who has read the Bible "sounds like someone who actually might still read the Bible. Scogg gives the impression that he has gotten beyond that sort of nonsense.
No; Still slightly different. Scogg usually gets in his bashes about Baby boomers, says sh** several times in his posts and it always contains this sort of refrain "I don't know why you folks don't understand this. I do" and the handle usually reflects that. WWD was just crabby and as some poster said the other day something like "It's grumpy old men time again." And "intensely meaningful to anyone who has read the Bible "sounds like someone who actually might still read the Bible. Scogg gives the impression that he has gotten beyond that sort of nonsense.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (MQJVv)
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (PzXaK)
185
WWD has been around for awhile, I think he predates Scogg but under another nic.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (ctrM5)
I am sure some lurker or commenter has a string board detailing changing nics.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (ctrM5)
I am sure some lurker or commenter has a string board detailing changing nics.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (bss/y)
186
To work inefficiently. To be extremely busy while achieving absolutely nothing.
Posted by: rickb223
See also: Congress and most elected officials.
Posted by: rickb223
See also: Congress and most elected officials.
Posted by: Tonypete at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (WXNFJ)
187
179 It took millions of years before homo (the genus) stopped bashing each other's heads in as a means of social, economic, and sexual politics. Even if you limit it just to homo sapiens, it still took 100s of thousands of years. If you map homo's evolution on this concept to the space of a yea, the modern concept of fair exchange of value didn't show up until December 31 at about 11:59 pm. Before that, it was war of all against all.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iFTx/)
=======
We can be a fallen, broken people and not need Rousseau to dream up a Leviathan who can fix everything for us at the same time.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iFTx/)
=======
We can be a fallen, broken people and not need Rousseau to dream up a Leviathan who can fix everything for us at the same time.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (GBKbO)
188
There is also the supply chain threat to our nation if war (or even cold war) emerges. We can't supply our own (legal) drugs, or multiple other items, without China. India makes a lot of drugs but the components (iirc) are still sourced in China.
Keeping Western beliefs alive and well may have a price, but Dems don't care about Western values ... they are commie/Marxist/nihilist ... anything but Western.
Keeping Western beliefs alive and well may have a price, but Dems don't care about Western values ... they are commie/Marxist/nihilist ... anything but Western.
Posted by: illiniwek at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (Cus5s)
189
And then I think well maybe I do like my cheap Chinese made goods after all.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:33 AM (6PsrN)
I don't. Well you do have the theoretical right to buy lots of cheap garbage that you can't depend on for safety or trust the ingredient list. Some outsourcers demand high safety, but others do not. Recently, my brother (so it's close to home) bought some shirts from China from a local store. Seems the chemicals gave him an ugly reaction and he was on high dose prednisone for over a month. The pattern of the rash was the same as the shirts (which was washed before wearing) Hands and neck were clear, torso bright red with some exfoliation. No thanks. and no, no, no to food from China.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:33 AM (6PsrN)
I don't. Well you do have the theoretical right to buy lots of cheap garbage that you can't depend on for safety or trust the ingredient list. Some outsourcers demand high safety, but others do not. Recently, my brother (so it's close to home) bought some shirts from China from a local store. Seems the chemicals gave him an ugly reaction and he was on high dose prednisone for over a month. The pattern of the rash was the same as the shirts (which was washed before wearing) Hands and neck were clear, torso bright red with some exfoliation. No thanks. and no, no, no to food from China.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (2NXcZ)
190
China funnily enough has priced itself out in a lot of manufacturing. All the cool outsourcers are now going to places like Vietnam since Chinas labor costs have increased substantially over the past decade.
Posted by: Its Go Time
As of last fall, Mexico has cheaper labor than China.
Posted by: Its Go Time
As of last fall, Mexico has cheaper labor than China.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (lTGtQ)
191
183 Wow, you have studied this quite closely, Fen.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (7D76Q)
192
Probably NSFW.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (xCA6C)
You 'could' say you were just listening for the music.
You'd be a liar, but...
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (xCA6C)
You 'could' say you were just listening for the music.
You'd be a liar, but...
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:41 AM (bss/y)
193
Back in the day, several Union leaders asked if we were all just going to wash each others laundry once NAFTA was passed. They were considered fools by many.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (6rDIJ)
Service economy, baybee! We'll all be lawyers, and college professors, and scientists, and engineers, and the under-humans who serve us.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:10 AM (6rDIJ)
Service economy, baybee! We'll all be lawyers, and college professors, and scientists, and engineers, and the under-humans who serve us.
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at January 31, 2025 11:41 AM (ExV1e)
194
Also, laughably, central planning is going to try to estimate how many people need an item and how badly they need it. So, any central planned economy is DEMAND simply at one remove and with guessing.
Back in the 80s there was a nuclear power expert exchange between the Soviets and the Americans. One thing that stood out for the Americans viewing the facilities in the USSR was the fancy brass door handles on every door in the facility they visited. So they asked their peers about it and were told that the door handle request came near the end of a 5 year plan and all the cheaper materials had already been allocated leaving brass and while they looked nice they had to have them cleaned constantly...
Back in the 80s there was a nuclear power expert exchange between the Soviets and the Americans. One thing that stood out for the Americans viewing the facilities in the USSR was the fancy brass door handles on every door in the facility they visited. So they asked their peers about it and were told that the door handle request came near the end of a 5 year plan and all the cheaper materials had already been allocated leaving brass and while they looked nice they had to have them cleaned constantly...
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (t0Rmr)
195
and no, no, no to food from China.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (2NXcZ)
100% in agreement there.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (2NXcZ)
100% in agreement there.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (6PsrN)
196
Especially since China is using slave labor.
This part always makes me laugh. All the high dudgeon about the Confederacy and righteousness about freeing the blacks when the actual complaint was that slavery just needed to be out of sight.
This part always makes me laugh. All the high dudgeon about the Confederacy and righteousness about freeing the blacks when the actual complaint was that slavery just needed to be out of sight.
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (YtQZg)
197
She published a scathing attack to force some members of parliament to withdraw their support for a bill to remove illegal aliens from Germany, because not cooperating with the AfD is more important than the survival of Germany. The bill failed.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (lTGtQ)
She stayed bought.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:39 AM (lTGtQ)
She stayed bought.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (2NXcZ)
198
Government is a monopolist when it comes to providing its protection services, for which it unilaterally determines the cost. Thus we have crap protection for higher and higher prices.
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (ogTiX)
199
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:40 AM (7D76Q)
Well, not really. LOL. It's just that Scogg's been on here as long as I have, so I mostly recognize the style, I think.
Well, not really. LOL. It's just that Scogg's been on here as long as I have, so I mostly recognize the style, I think.
Posted by: FenelonSpoke at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (MQJVv)
200
This part always makes me laugh. All the high dudgeon about the Confederacy and righteousness about freeing the blacks when the actual complaint was that slavery just needed to be out of sight.
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (YtQZg)
Absolutely, and the same for high levels of pollutants. NIMBY mentality
This part always makes me laugh. All the high dudgeon about the Confederacy and righteousness about freeing the blacks when the actual complaint was that slavery just needed to be out of sight.
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 31, 2025 11:42 AM (YtQZg)
Absolutely, and the same for high levels of pollutants. NIMBY mentality
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (2NXcZ)
201
Anyone own a Steam Deck?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (GBKbO)
Is that like a Diesel Dyke?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:22 AM (GBKbO)
Is that like a Diesel Dyke?
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (8zz6B)
202
The way I look at it is there is no free lunch. Either you pay higher prices for goods made in the USA, or you buy cheap goods from overseas and your fellow Americans need assistance due to being out of work. Either way you pay, and I'd rather pay to benefit my fellow citizens than foreign nations.
Posted by: InZona at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (mG0Ul)
203
If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:44 AM (xCA6C)
204
I would advise anyone (and moms are esp prone to this!): DON'T make your kids your world. This places a huge burden on them as they grow.
Even if a single parent, make sure you do not do this! The world includes so much more than your kids, and your kids will benefit from knowing this. From witnessing it.
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Posted by: lizabth at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (Jfw7U)
-------------
It can also be devastating for the single parent who -- if her entire self-esteem is wrapped up in her kids -- is only as happy as her least-happy child (especially if that child becomes a thieving, violent drug addict).
Can lead to suicide ... ask me how I know.
Even if a single parent, make sure you do not do this! The world includes so much more than your kids, and your kids will benefit from knowing this. From witnessing it.
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Posted by: lizabth at January 31, 2025 11:30 AM (Jfw7U)
-------------
It can also be devastating for the single parent who -- if her entire self-esteem is wrapped up in her kids -- is only as happy as her least-happy child (especially if that child becomes a thieving, violent drug addict).
Can lead to suicide ... ask me how I know.
Posted by: ShainS -- Make Treason Executable Again! at January 31, 2025 11:44 AM (vAHT7)
205
For those of you who are AI doubters, we continue to make great strides in boob resonance physics.
https://youtu.be/FamLmQhKgZQ
Probably NSFW.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (xCA6C)
_________
A while back "soft-body dynamics" became available on 3D modelling platforms like Maya and 3DS.
It's basically a feature that simulates the physics and motion of "soft bodies" like jello and, in more advanced forms, muscles and skin. Huge development at the time that led to major advancements in photo-real CGI effects.
What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
https://youtu.be/FamLmQhKgZQ
Probably NSFW.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (xCA6C)
_________
A while back "soft-body dynamics" became available on 3D modelling platforms like Maya and 3DS.
It's basically a feature that simulates the physics and motion of "soft bodies" like jello and, in more advanced forms, muscles and skin. Huge development at the time that led to major advancements in photo-real CGI effects.
What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:44 AM (iFTx/)
206
Everything China makes is cheap ass plastic garbage.
Amazon is nothing but cheap ass plastic garbage from fucking China.
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
Amazon is nothing but cheap ass plastic garbage from fucking China.
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 11:44 AM (fV+MH)
207
Fine.
We won't impose tariffs.
On countries that have a fully realized Bill of Right, the same as ours.
Export freedom.
We won't impose tariffs.
On countries that have a fully realized Bill of Right, the same as ours.
Export freedom.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:44 AM (RPWCv)
208
Pro per = ~"For each"
"Property" is about what is pro-per to you.
Thus if "Property [were] theft", that's saying it's not pro-per to you. And theft is a way of saying something is not proper to you.
However, even if there were a government distributing everything, it couldn't make the case that it's not proper to you.
And even if the only way we could eat is an official slicing say apples and putting them on our tongues. When they touched our tongue they would be proper to us.
Thus, you can never eliminate the idea of property. We just disagree on the extent of property.
"Property" is about what is pro-per to you.
Thus if "Property [were] theft", that's saying it's not pro-per to you. And theft is a way of saying something is not proper to you.
However, even if there were a government distributing everything, it couldn't make the case that it's not proper to you.
And even if the only way we could eat is an official slicing say apples and putting them on our tongues. When they touched our tongue they would be proper to us.
Thus, you can never eliminate the idea of property. We just disagree on the extent of property.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (krQz2)
209
174 And now we're into the Philosophy Anthropologly Economic intersection.
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (PzXaK)
______
Doesn't being tribal ASSUME being social? It does not, however, entail we all sit down and sing Imagine.
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (PzXaK)
______
Doesn't being tribal ASSUME being social? It does not, however, entail we all sit down and sing Imagine.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (1bNHn)
210
Do these folk now spend their lives eating Swanson's TV Dinners and watching TV?
more likely ordering Uber Eats and scrolling tik tok
more likely ordering Uber Eats and scrolling tik tok
Posted by: brak at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (jGJov)
211
If men were angels, fish wouldn't need bicycles.
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (ogTiX)
212
There is a reason that Schumpeter coined Ricardian vice for the fact that Ricardo emphasized simplified models rather than the much more complicated reality of economies.
Comparative advantage is an example of this with his two country and two product matrix. UK and Portugal were the original two and wine and cloth.
So the idea was that Portugal optimally produced wine and thus the UK could and did optimally produce cloth at the time of the analysis. There are a whole host of factors that Ricardo glossed over including climate, past capital investments, employee human capital aka experience, etc. He imagined a fluid exchange with each country magically adapting their systems to optimal outputs.
Ricardo was an investor that had the same pitfalls as our current investor class---reality to them is analysis and money, and not the shadowy real world that their paper assets derive from.
Comparative advantage is an example of this with his two country and two product matrix. UK and Portugal were the original two and wine and cloth.
So the idea was that Portugal optimally produced wine and thus the UK could and did optimally produce cloth at the time of the analysis. There are a whole host of factors that Ricardo glossed over including climate, past capital investments, employee human capital aka experience, etc. He imagined a fluid exchange with each country magically adapting their systems to optimal outputs.
Ricardo was an investor that had the same pitfalls as our current investor class---reality to them is analysis and money, and not the shadowy real world that their paper assets derive from.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (ctrM5)
213
What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
I would expect no less.
I would expect no less.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (xCA6C)
214
The people that claim "property is theft" mostly want to take your property for themselves, which, by their own argument, would also be theft.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
215
"If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
Posted by: Archimedes"
In a perfect world no government would be necessary.
But even then...who would build the roads?
Posted by: Archimedes"
In a perfect world no government would be necessary.
But even then...who would build the roads?
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 11:46 AM (fV+MH)
216
176 167 Cheaper goods is always a race to the bottom.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (RPWCv)
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (bss/y)
______
Slave labor is not actually more efficient. That is why it evolved into serfdom, and then serfs became ever freer. They were more productive that way.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:36 AM (RPWCv)
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (bss/y)
______
Slave labor is not actually more efficient. That is why it evolved into serfdom, and then serfs became ever freer. They were more productive that way.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (1bNHn)
217
The way I look at it is there is no free lunch. Either you pay higher prices for goods made in the USA, or you buy cheap goods from overseas and your fellow Americans need assistance due to being out of work
—
Theoretically it’s not binary. Because the money saved from foreign goods is then spent in the economy which generates new jobs for people out of work.
And this is true generally speaking. Problem is those new jobs are not taken by the people out of work. They’re jobs created for other people. At a macro level we’re better off with trade. On a micro level it causes a lot of pain.
The real binary is do we want to be better off as a whole with some people suffering. Or do we want everyone to be OK but as a whole, worse off.
—
Theoretically it’s not binary. Because the money saved from foreign goods is then spent in the economy which generates new jobs for people out of work.
And this is true generally speaking. Problem is those new jobs are not taken by the people out of work. They’re jobs created for other people. At a macro level we’re better off with trade. On a micro level it causes a lot of pain.
The real binary is do we want to be better off as a whole with some people suffering. Or do we want everyone to be OK but as a whole, worse off.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (6PsrN)
218
214 The people that claim "property is theft" mostly want to take your property for themselves, which, by their own argument, would also be theft.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
======
Best thing The Daily Show ever did was Samantha Bee talking to an Occupy Wall Street guy about "no personal property".
She then took the guy's iPad out of his hand and said, "So, I'm going to take this now."
"Wait, no, personal property. Not, you know, my property."
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
======
Best thing The Daily Show ever did was Samantha Bee talking to an Occupy Wall Street guy about "no personal property".
She then took the guy's iPad out of his hand and said, "So, I'm going to take this now."
"Wait, no, personal property. Not, you know, my property."
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (GBKbO)
219
153
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Posted by: lizabth at January
Just because my kids are my world, and they are, does not mean I don’t have interests outside of them. It doesn’t mean they have to be with me 24/7, either. It does mean they have security in knowing their mama loves them without question, and it carried / carries them through what they have faced. We are very, very close, the 4 of us. My oldest 2 are adults now, and when asked who their best friend is, they will both tell you me and each other. This doesn’t mean they weren’t taught manners and right from wrong - they know a flying chancla (which is definitely our joke) and a southern mom side eye. Our group chat is hysterical and we speak multiple times a day. My youngest reaches out to her older sisters to complain about me, which I love so much and I also love their responses. We got through some shizzle together, and we are good.
We love them, for sure, but for their own good, and ours, don't make them your world.
Posted by: lizabth at January
Just because my kids are my world, and they are, does not mean I don’t have interests outside of them. It doesn’t mean they have to be with me 24/7, either. It does mean they have security in knowing their mama loves them without question, and it carried / carries them through what they have faced. We are very, very close, the 4 of us. My oldest 2 are adults now, and when asked who their best friend is, they will both tell you me and each other. This doesn’t mean they weren’t taught manners and right from wrong - they know a flying chancla (which is definitely our joke) and a southern mom side eye. Our group chat is hysterical and we speak multiple times a day. My youngest reaches out to her older sisters to complain about me, which I love so much and I also love their responses. We got through some shizzle together, and we are good.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (p4NUW)
220
The way I look at it is there is no free lunch. Either you pay higher prices for goods made in the USA, or you buy cheap goods from overseas and your fellow Americans need assistance due to being out of work. Either way you pay, and I'd rather pay to benefit my fellow citizens than foreign nations.
Posted by: InZona
That pretty much covers it. We have outsourced the manufacturing to lower the cost of goods, but unemployed the people who used to make them here. We now pay them to sit at home. The cost to Americans has not changed, but have been redirected from the price tag to the 1040 form.
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: InZona
That pretty much covers it. We have outsourced the manufacturing to lower the cost of goods, but unemployed the people who used to make them here. We now pay them to sit at home. The cost to Americans has not changed, but have been redirected from the price tag to the 1040 form.
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
221
In a perfect world fish would have invented bicycles 100 million years ago.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (fV+MH)
222
Everything China makes is cheap ass plastic garbage.
Amazon is nothing but cheap ass plastic garbage from fucking China.
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
---
Bought an oil cooler from Amazon.
$159.
Mopar site lists it at $550.
Put it on.
Test drive.
Oil is pumping out of the coolant overflow.
Old one back on (with new gaskets).
No oil in the coolant.
5 years ago, you could buy stuff off of Amazon that worked. There has been a significant, massive decline in the quality.
The Chinese economy is about to crash and hard; that's what's driving it.
Amazon is nothing but cheap ass plastic garbage from fucking China.
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
---
Bought an oil cooler from Amazon.
$159.
Mopar site lists it at $550.
Put it on.
Test drive.
Oil is pumping out of the coolant overflow.
Old one back on (with new gaskets).
No oil in the coolant.
5 years ago, you could buy stuff off of Amazon that worked. There has been a significant, massive decline in the quality.
The Chinese economy is about to crash and hard; that's what's driving it.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (RPWCv)
223
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
there's no alternative -- basic consumer goods these days are cheap plastic stuff made in asia
Why do Americans keep buying this shit?
there's no alternative -- basic consumer goods these days are cheap plastic stuff made in asia
Posted by: brak at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (jGJov)
224
202 The way I look at it is there is no free lunch. Either you pay higher prices for goods made in the USA, or you buy cheap goods from overseas and your fellow Americans need assistance due to being out of work. Either way you pay, and I'd rather pay to benefit my fellow citizens than foreign nations.
Posted by: InZona at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (mG0Ul)
I feel this way. Then, I recall buying American made textiles, shoes, appliances and household goods. I didn't have as many, but I didn't need as many because they lasted longer (Still have cookware from the 70's and stainless that has lasted close to 50 years, rust free)
Posted by: InZona at January 31, 2025 11:43 AM (mG0Ul)
I feel this way. Then, I recall buying American made textiles, shoes, appliances and household goods. I didn't have as many, but I didn't need as many because they lasted longer (Still have cookware from the 70's and stainless that has lasted close to 50 years, rust free)
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (2NXcZ)
225
- @16 Martini Farmer
"A couple of them are right here."
Yep. Unfortunately, those two post, how to put this, somewhat intermittently.
"A couple of them are right here."
Yep. Unfortunately, those two post, how to put this, somewhat intermittently.
Posted by: TeeJ at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (hht4k)
226
Slave labor is not actually more efficient. That is why it evolved into serfdom, and then serfs became ever freer. They were more productive that way.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (1bNHn)
BUT. Yes, people do work better and harder when they have self interest involved. But competitively, it can be a massive advantage. That is one reason Chinese QC is such shit- the workers do not give one tenth of one fuck. However, It has allowed them to drive a lot of other, better products out of the marketplace.
Plus, it allows them to get rid of undesireables.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (1bNHn)
BUT. Yes, people do work better and harder when they have self interest involved. But competitively, it can be a massive advantage. That is one reason Chinese QC is such shit- the workers do not give one tenth of one fuck. However, It has allowed them to drive a lot of other, better products out of the marketplace.
Plus, it allows them to get rid of undesireables.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (bss/y)
227
>A while back "soft-body dynamics" became available on 3D modelling platforms like Maya and 3DS.
It's basically a feature that simulates the physics and motion of "soft bodies"
----
so, PornoSec
It's basically a feature that simulates the physics and motion of "soft bodies"
----
so, PornoSec
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (AOsQT)
228
The real binary is do we want to be better off as a whole with some people suffering. Or do we want everyone to be OK but as a whole, worse off.
Even deeper than that, though, is the question of whether those suffering suffer because of their own poor choices? Obviously, some suffer through no fault of their own (the handicapped, the retarded, children), and that's why there is nigh on universal support for taking care?
Even deeper than that, though, is the question of whether those suffering suffer because of their own poor choices? Obviously, some suffer through no fault of their own (the handicapped, the retarded, children), and that's why there is nigh on universal support for taking care?
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:49 AM (xCA6C)
229
If men were angles, would they ever be acute?
If men were angles, would they ever be acute?
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM (xG4kz)
230
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Long night... darkness lifted. at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM (2NXcZ)
231
In the tribal period it appear wars were basically constant, though low intensity - tonight your tribe would go raid a neighbor, next week they'd ambush a couple of your people fishing and so on.
And this carried into the bronze and iron ages with just more and more intensity. If you could take something from your neighbor why not? And while that "why not" never fully went away, Christianity at least finally served as something of a check...
And this carried into the bronze and iron ages with just more and more intensity. If you could take something from your neighbor why not? And while that "why not" never fully went away, Christianity at least finally served as something of a check...
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM (t0Rmr)
232
I'm thinking that with the value of the US dollar relative to most other currencies at near historic levels, that this would be the optimal time to test effects of tarrifs, i.e. a little would go a long way to help the US threatening tarrifs. But I'm not an economist, I could easily have this backwards.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM (FOSbT)
233
We can be a fallen, broken people and not need Rousseau to dream up a Leviathan who can fix everything for us at the same time.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
Think you mean Hobbes. Rousseau believed in proto Communism where happy fun came from magistrates who magically understood the general will of the people (or what their will should be if the general population was actually intelligent like the magistrates). Leviathan wasn't a praise of big gubmint but instead Hobbes argued that you might not think you needed a king, but you do. A nice benevolent king is great but even a horrible king that is a tyrant is better than the alternative of endless turmoil among the people.
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison
Think you mean Hobbes. Rousseau believed in proto Communism where happy fun came from magistrates who magically understood the general will of the people (or what their will should be if the general population was actually intelligent like the magistrates). Leviathan wasn't a praise of big gubmint but instead Hobbes argued that you might not think you needed a king, but you do. A nice benevolent king is great but even a horrible king that is a tyrant is better than the alternative of endless turmoil among the people.
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ctrM5)
234
Complimentary angle - "you are looking sharp today"
Posted by: Oglebay at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ogTiX)
235
Can someone tell me if something is going on with the site. It has been crashing on my phone for weeks and I can't even get it to load long enough to even comment to ask what the problem is. This is my work computer. Thanks, if anyone can shed light on what happened I would appreciate it.
Posted by: Jaimo at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (BCuCF)
There is some rogue ad, spewed up by Ace's choice of adserver, that has infested the comments site. I use Brave Browser (on a PC) so I never see it; only effect is slightly slower loading. See if you can install Brave as a browser on your phone.
Posted by: Jaimo at January 31, 2025 11:29 AM (BCuCF)
There is some rogue ad, spewed up by Ace's choice of adserver, that has infested the comments site. I use Brave Browser (on a PC) so I never see it; only effect is slightly slower loading. See if you can install Brave as a browser on your phone.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (8zz6B)
236
Even Henry Ford understood how it works. He made a point of paying his workers well enough that they could actually buy the products they made. Folks used to understand that idea. Now it's every 'elite" for themselves, and Devil take the hindmost.
Today's elite believe that wealth, and the power it conveys, is the desired goal rather than a byproduct. They have no loyalty to nation, or people, only to acquiring more for themselves. 1 Timothy 6:10 is shown to be correct time and time again.
Today's elite believe that wealth, and the power it conveys, is the desired goal rather than a byproduct. They have no loyalty to nation, or people, only to acquiring more for themselves. 1 Timothy 6:10 is shown to be correct time and time again.
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ExV1e)
237
5 years ago, you could buy stuff off of Amazon that worked. There has been a significant, massive decline in the quality.
The Chinese economy is about to crash and hard; that's what's driving it.
The young Chinese are no more interested in spending their lives in a factory doing mind-numbing work than are Americans.
The Chinese economy is about to crash and hard; that's what's driving it.
The young Chinese are no more interested in spending their lives in a factory doing mind-numbing work than are Americans.
Posted by: Archimedes at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (xCA6C)
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (aOqEy)
239
What'll be interesting is when people have a reckoning over the way free trade and immigration affect their 401ks.
Corporate managers being pushed by investors to maintain higher stock prices find the easiest route is cheap labor and also cheap raw materials being produced overseas by children and slaves.
Corporate managers being pushed by investors to maintain higher stock prices find the easiest route is cheap labor and also cheap raw materials being produced overseas by children and slaves.
Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (GD2xa)
240
Cheaper goods is always a race to the bottom.
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
Posted by: Aetius451AD
We can use our own slaves!!
Posted by: Democrats
And the fastest way to make goods cheaper is to make labor cheaper.
It's a race that everyone loses.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice
Especially since China is using slave labor. You cannot beat that- that is why it is such a pernicious blight through history.
Really illegals as they are used here are a low grade form of competition with slavery.
Posted by: Aetius451AD
We can use our own slaves!!
Posted by: Democrats
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (CT61Q)
241
179 ...
It took millions of years before homo (the genus) stopped bashing each other's heads in as a means of social, economic, and sexual politics. Even if you limit it just to homo sapiens, it still took 100s of thousands of years. If you map homo's evolution on this concept to the space of a yea, the modern concept of fair exchange of value didn't show up until December 31 at about 11:59 pm. Before that, it was war of all against all.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iFTx/)
______
That is almost 100% conjecture, based on circular reasoning.
It took millions of years before homo (the genus) stopped bashing each other's heads in as a means of social, economic, and sexual politics. Even if you limit it just to homo sapiens, it still took 100s of thousands of years. If you map homo's evolution on this concept to the space of a yea, the modern concept of fair exchange of value didn't show up until December 31 at about 11:59 pm. Before that, it was war of all against all.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (iFTx/)
______
That is almost 100% conjecture, based on circular reasoning.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (1bNHn)
242
In a perfect world fish would have invented bicycles 100 million years ago.
Posted by: eleven
And they would have been scrupulously honest competitors in the Tour de France.
In a perfect world fish would have invented bicycles 100 million years ago.
Posted by: eleven
And they would have been scrupulously honest competitors in the Tour de France.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (xG4kz)
243
I have sent 40-foot shipping containers to the Philippines, construction materials, personal effects, tons (not an exageration) of books) I have a copy of tarrif and duties imposed by the Philippines. Of note is a 100% levy an any motor vehicles, engines, motorcycles, and boats.
There was a big deal under Duerte where he confiscated, heh, corvettes, Ferrari, Mercedes, and one Lambogini from wealthy Pinoy who paid the obligatory graft to clear these vehi cles. Duterte publicly crushed them for scrap.
There was a big deal under Duerte where he confiscated, heh, corvettes, Ferrari, Mercedes, and one Lambogini from wealthy Pinoy who paid the obligatory graft to clear these vehi cles. Duterte publicly crushed them for scrap.
Posted by: Cicero Kaboom ! Kid at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (hirWM)
244
If men were angles, would they ever be acute?
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM)
Everyone except Doof. He is, by his own admission, obtuse.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM)
Everyone except Doof. He is, by his own admission, obtuse.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (77rzZ)
245
What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (FOSbT)
246
"The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Long night."
This is so terse that retards like me don't know what this means.
Retards like me need more words.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Long night."
This is so terse that retards like me don't know what this means.
Retards like me need more words.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (fV+MH)
247
Why would a country place their fortunes on the policies of a childless Stasi wench? There is a strain of death wish in their psyche maybe. She has no business being near government. Dose clevah Churmans!
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (EfPCc)
248
And now we're into the Philosophy Anthropology Economic intersection.
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (PzXaK)
______
Doesn't being tribal ASSUME being social? It does not, however, entail we all sit down and sing Imagine.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (1bNHn)
---
We can be social within our own tribe and still wish death upon all the infidels...
I suppose I think the roots of sociablility come from our history of evolution. In the way way way way before, we were basically apes with no real obvious advantages on our own (our teeth sucked, couldn't run that fast, no claws, etc etc). Supposed they had to band together to survive, and it worked...then one group had a different idea than another group, and things went to hell.
Didn't any of you watch 2001 : A Space Odyssey?
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (PzXaK)
______
Doesn't being tribal ASSUME being social? It does not, however, entail we all sit down and sing Imagine.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (1bNHn)
---
We can be social within our own tribe and still wish death upon all the infidels...
I suppose I think the roots of sociablility come from our history of evolution. In the way way way way before, we were basically apes with no real obvious advantages on our own (our teeth sucked, couldn't run that fast, no claws, etc etc). Supposed they had to band together to survive, and it worked...then one group had a different idea than another group, and things went to hell.
Didn't any of you watch 2001 : A Space Odyssey?
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (PzXaK)
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:54 AM (aOqEy)
250
220 The way I look at it is there is no free lunch. Either you pay higher prices for goods made in the USA, or you buy cheap goods from overseas and your fellow Americans need assistance due to being out of work. Either way you pay, and I'd rather pay to benefit my fellow citizens than foreign nations.
Posted by: InZona
That pretty much covers it. We have outsourced the manufacturing to lower the cost of goods, but unemployed the people who used to make them here. We now pay them to sit at home. The cost to Americans has not changed, but have been redirected from the price tag to the 1040 form.
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine
------
Yep. Funny thing about China's manufacturing, even during the time of sailing ships, it was recognized that China manufacturers would turn out great goods initially to get their company's wares accepted in foreign markets.
Then they went through iterative cheapening of that product to enrich the owners until no one would buy it. Then they changed their name and repeated that process under the new name.
Posted by: InZona
That pretty much covers it. We have outsourced the manufacturing to lower the cost of goods, but unemployed the people who used to make them here. We now pay them to sit at home. The cost to Americans has not changed, but have been redirected from the price tag to the 1040 form.
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine
------
Yep. Funny thing about China's manufacturing, even during the time of sailing ships, it was recognized that China manufacturers would turn out great goods initially to get their company's wares accepted in foreign markets.
Then they went through iterative cheapening of that product to enrich the owners until no one would buy it. Then they changed their name and repeated that process under the new name.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:54 AM (ctrM5)
251
Profits should not be a dirty word. Don’t use the lefts playbook.
Most everyone here invests in stocks right? Well do you want profits to be high or low in the companies you fractionally own? Do you want your employer to do well or go out of business? Do you want the companies your pension fund is invested in to make peptone or negative profit?
I hate this fucking Marxist eat the rich language. Is there room to debate trade policy? Of course. But when you go down this “profits up, this is bad” road think of what you’re really saying .
Most everyone here invests in stocks right? Well do you want profits to be high or low in the companies you fractionally own? Do you want your employer to do well or go out of business? Do you want the companies your pension fund is invested in to make peptone or negative profit?
I hate this fucking Marxist eat the rich language. Is there room to debate trade policy? Of course. But when you go down this “profits up, this is bad” road think of what you’re really saying .
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 11:54 AM (6PsrN)
252
If men were angles, would they ever be acute?
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM
Men's angles are a subject I appreciate.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 11:50 AM
Men's angles are a subject I appreciate.
Posted by: Barry Soetoro at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (a3Q+t)
253
OT: So I made the spouse laugh. I know I've said the longer they don't release the female pilot's data, the more we know about the pilot...but what if the trans part was right, but the actual trans person was wrong? I mentioned it wouldn't be the strangest thing in NoVa to have more than 1 trans person in a group (in fact, it's odder to have just 1 - they tend to be in packs if they are in groups)...and since they do tend to congregate together, if you had one reserve unit taking them, they all might flock there. Most of us can't conceive of there being 1 trans pilot in a unit, let alone 2, so we wouldn't see it...
Just food for thought...unless they finally have released the last pilot's info...then we can finally put this all to bed.
But weird the 2 military guys were known yesterday...how long can it take to notify next of kin for the 3rd person?
Just food for thought...unless they finally have released the last pilot's info...then we can finally put this all to bed.
But weird the 2 military guys were known yesterday...how long can it take to notify next of kin for the 3rd person?
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (exHjb)
254
The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
And this is true in more way than one.
Same kind of people who trumpet free markets and laissez faire economics get TARP and the like when shit doesn't work out for them. And we get a story about how if we don't save the countryclubbers we'll be real, real sorry. During the good years, the profits are all theirs, of course. We should just work harder if we want to be successful like them.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
And this is true in more way than one.
Same kind of people who trumpet free markets and laissez faire economics get TARP and the like when shit doesn't work out for them. And we get a story about how if we don't save the countryclubbers we'll be real, real sorry. During the good years, the profits are all theirs, of course. We should just work harder if we want to be successful like them.
Posted by: bear with asymmetrical balls at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (YtQZg)
255
You ever notice that those folks that proclaim "tariffs are a tax on consumers" don't really have a problem with any other tax on consumers?
Posted by: Minuteman at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (KwRUp)
256
Profits at the expense of people is a problem.
Too many company refuse to innovate to increase profits. Instead, cutting costs is always the easy answer. Fire a bunch of people. Stock goes up.
Too many company refuse to innovate to increase profits. Instead, cutting costs is always the easy answer. Fire a bunch of people. Stock goes up.
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (aOqEy)
257
In other words, you keep your profits. The gubmint takes your losses.
Posted by: no one of any consequence at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (JVCkA)
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (7D76Q)
259
255 You ever notice that those folks that proclaim "tariffs are a tax on consumers" don't really have a problem with any other tax on consumers?
Posted by: Minuteman at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (KwRUp)
=======
Is regulation a tax on consumers?
Posted by: Minuteman at January 31, 2025 11:55 AM (KwRUp)
=======
Is regulation a tax on consumers?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (GBKbO)
260
The end state of globalism is slave labor and resource extraction by the cheapest means available - that is the ultimate in cost efficiency
==
Wait, are you saying that like its a bad thing?
==
Wait, are you saying that like its a bad thing?
Posted by: Soros and Klaus schwab looking confused at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (RqHGp)
261
I think the rumors that the real population of China is closer to 800 million are true.
And that the biggest driver of Trump's foreign policy is to secure relationships with more local sources.
Notice how he's basically ignoring China? That all the tariff talk is against regional countries?
I read it as him using a big stick to force a long-term deal--mutually beneficial deal--now because we don't have time to negotiate nicely.
And that the biggest driver of Trump's foreign policy is to secure relationships with more local sources.
Notice how he's basically ignoring China? That all the tariff talk is against regional countries?
I read it as him using a big stick to force a long-term deal--mutually beneficial deal--now because we don't have time to negotiate nicely.
Posted by: People's Hippo Voice at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (RPWCv)
262
233 ...Rousseau believed in proto Communism where happy fun came from magistrates who magically understood the general will of the people ...Leviathan wasn't a praise of big gubmint but instead Hobbes argued that you might not think you needed a king, but you do. ...
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ctrM5)
______
Not really. Rousseau, Locke, and Hobbes, all agreed with voluntarism; that our wills were simply urges. It took different forms. Locke really did believe we give up our freedom, just as Hobbes did, in our own interest. All three believed in a social contract.
Moderns gotta modern.
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ctrM5)
______
Not really. Rousseau, Locke, and Hobbes, all agreed with voluntarism; that our wills were simply urges. It took different forms. Locke really did believe we give up our freedom, just as Hobbes did, in our own interest. All three believed in a social contract.
Moderns gotta modern.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (1bNHn)
263
What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (FOSbT)
Read Chagnon's book about his time w/the Yanomano...money quote from a chief...It's all about the women"
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (FOSbT)
Read Chagnon's book about his time w/the Yanomano...money quote from a chief...It's all about the women"
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (Yj6Os)
264
The people that claim "property is theft" mostly want to take your property for themselves, which, by their own argument, would also be theft.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
======
Best thing The Daily Show ever did was Samantha Bee talking to an Occupy Wall Street guy about "no personal property".
She then took the guy's iPad out of his hand and said, "So, I'm going to take this now."
"Wait, no, personal property. Not, you know, my property."
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (GBKbO)
____
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
======
Best thing The Daily Show ever did was Samantha Bee talking to an Occupy Wall Street guy about "no personal property".
She then took the guy's iPad out of his hand and said, "So, I'm going to take this now."
"Wait, no, personal property. Not, you know, my property."
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (GBKbO)
____
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (iFTx/)
265
Is Man social? Yes.
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM
According to anthropologists, yes, in reverse order.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Is Man tribal? Yes.
Do the two clash? Absofuckinglutely.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM
According to anthropologists, yes, in reverse order.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (a3Q+t)
266
Just food for thought...unless they finally have released the last pilot's info...then we can finally put this all to bed.
But weird the 2 military guys were known yesterday...how long can it take to notify next of kin for the 3rd person?
Posted by: Nova Local
They released the pilot's name. It was mentioned on JJ's thread, I think, this morning
But weird the 2 military guys were known yesterday...how long can it take to notify next of kin for the 3rd person?
Posted by: Nova Local
They released the pilot's name. It was mentioned on JJ's thread, I think, this morning
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (77rzZ)
267
258 "Most everyone here invests in stocks right?"
I do. I specialize in picking losers.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (7D76Q)
======
Met with our financial advisor yesterday.
He was all wee-weed up about a new strategy.
Invest heavily in equities and balance out risk, not with a balanced portfolio, but with put options.
"That's a great idea," I say to myself. "I wonder why this hasn't been normal forever."
I look it up: It's the reason put options were created.
I do. I specialize in picking losers.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (7D76Q)
======
Met with our financial advisor yesterday.
He was all wee-weed up about a new strategy.
Invest heavily in equities and balance out risk, not with a balanced portfolio, but with put options.
"That's a great idea," I say to myself. "I wonder why this hasn't been normal forever."
I look it up: It's the reason put options were created.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (GBKbO)
268
The people that claim "property is theft" mostly want to take your property for themselves, which, by their own argument, would also be theft.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
---
Well something being proper for you to have seems to be a intuitive implication of control . Power. Determination.
In one sense it is true that we do not "possess" a body. But there is a sense in which nobody else has it as a possession, and we come closest to that.
Thus in having at our disposal a body, we mostly have control over using it.
Property is discretion, or power.
Collectivists want to bundle all the power together and hope that they've created a mankind "enlightened" enough not to abuse power.
But left unchecked, power just wants to abuse it.
An exaggerated collectivist does not want to waste your effort on anything he or she doesn't think they want done. After all, reforming the world into their image is going to take a lot of effort, and by having different ideas, you're just diffusing the time, effort, and resources the theoretical "we" have available.
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 11:45 AM (t0Rmr)
---
Well something being proper for you to have seems to be a intuitive implication of control . Power. Determination.
In one sense it is true that we do not "possess" a body. But there is a sense in which nobody else has it as a possession, and we come closest to that.
Thus in having at our disposal a body, we mostly have control over using it.
Property is discretion, or power.
Collectivists want to bundle all the power together and hope that they've created a mankind "enlightened" enough not to abuse power.
But left unchecked, power just wants to abuse it.
An exaggerated collectivist does not want to waste your effort on anything he or she doesn't think they want done. After all, reforming the world into their image is going to take a lot of effort, and by having different ideas, you're just diffusing the time, effort, and resources the theoretical "we" have available.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (krQz2)
269
Rousseau believed in proto Communism where happy fun came from magistrates who magically understood the general will of the people ...Leviathan wasn't a praise of big gubmint but instead Hobbes argued that you might not think you needed a king, but you do. ...
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ctrM5)
______
Not really. Rousseau, Locke, and Hobbes, all agreed with voluntarism; that our wills were simply urges. It took different forms. Locke really did believe we give up our freedom, just as Hobbes did, in our own interest. All three believed in a social contract.
Moderns gotta modern.
Eh, they're all asshoe.
Hobbes was also writing in the midst of the English Civil War which had something to do with his prose. Locke was a bit later and was writing, in part, to justify the Glorious Revolution and thus took the opposite side of Hobbes regarding tyrants.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (ctrM5)
______
Not really. Rousseau, Locke, and Hobbes, all agreed with voluntarism; that our wills were simply urges. It took different forms. Locke really did believe we give up our freedom, just as Hobbes did, in our own interest. All three believed in a social contract.
Moderns gotta modern.
Eh, they're all asshoe.
Posted by: That guy who thinks everyone is asshoe at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (xCA6C)
270
According to anthropologists, yes, in reverse order.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM
---
Just like a girl I dated in college.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM
---
Just like a girl I dated in college.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (PzXaK)
271
They released the pilot's name. It was mentioned on JJ's thread, I think, this morning
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (77rzZ)
No 2 pilots - one instructional, one not. We only know the 1 (which we knew yesterday). The actual officer (the captain) we don't know...
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (77rzZ)
No 2 pilots - one instructional, one not. We only know the 1 (which we knew yesterday). The actual officer (the captain) we don't know...
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (exHjb)
272
You ever notice that those folks that proclaim "tariffs are a tax on consumers" don't really have a problem with any other tax on consumers?
Posted by: Minuteman
They certainly didn't when John Roberts let BarkyCare get into the swim of things by calling its "premiums" a tax.
You ever notice that those folks that proclaim "tariffs are a tax on consumers" don't really have a problem with any other tax on consumers?
Posted by: Minuteman
They certainly didn't when John Roberts let BarkyCare get into the swim of things by calling its "premiums" a tax.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (xG4kz)
273
264 I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (iFTx/)
=======
Was the sequel, CHAZ in Seattle, not good enough?
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (iFTx/)
=======
Was the sequel, CHAZ in Seattle, not good enough?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (GBKbO)
274
270 According to anthropologists, yes, in reverse order.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM
---
Just like a girl I dated in college.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (PzXaK)
I think I dated her sister.
"First they fight, then they f*ck."
Posted by: Duncanthrax at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM
---
Just like a girl I dated in college.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 11:57 AM (PzXaK)
I think I dated her sister.
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (aOqEy)
275
232 I'm thinking that with the value of the US dollar relative to most other currencies at near historic levels, that this would be the optimal time to test effects of tarrifs, i.e. a little would go a long way to help the US threatening tarrifs. But I'm not an economist, I could easily have this backwards.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
=========
US ran on a tariff and excise tax regime for the first 120 some odd years and a partial tariff/excise plus income tax for about another 50 years or so.
We ran the trial and average GDP growth was greater in those years than today. Plus, it kept government leaner and smaller in size.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
=========
US ran on a tariff and excise tax regime for the first 120 some odd years and a partial tariff/excise plus income tax for about another 50 years or so.
We ran the trial and average GDP growth was greater in those years than today. Plus, it kept government leaner and smaller in size.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (ctrM5)
276
Too many company refuse to innovate to increase profits. Instead, cutting costs is always the easy answer. Fire a bunch of people. Stock goes up.
Sooner or later, we'll accept that the stock market is also a rigged game. Like all the other rigged games that have been exposed. Personally, I've went way past Libertarian and into full bore Old 70s Hippy territory. I think most of the institutions pushed on us as a product of the Cold War have turned out to be lies.
Sooner or later, we'll accept that the stock market is also a rigged game. Like all the other rigged games that have been exposed. Personally, I've went way past Libertarian and into full bore Old 70s Hippy territory. I think most of the institutions pushed on us as a product of the Cold War have turned out to be lies.
Posted by: Consider at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (6rDIJ)
277
Why buy cheap chink shit from Amazon when you can get it cheaper and shittier from Temu?
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (gm9Sb)
278
238 Yikes. Glad I missed the art thread.
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (aOqEy)
______
In my comment there, I suggested that if we must have 20th C art, why not Vargas?
Posted by: AlaBAMA at January 31, 2025 11:51 AM (aOqEy)
______
In my comment there, I suggested that if we must have 20th C art, why not Vargas?
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (1bNHn)
279
275 US ran on a tariff and excise tax regime for the first 120 some odd years and a partial tariff/excise plus income tax for about another 50 years or so.
We ran the trial and average GDP growth was greater in those years than today. Plus, it kept government leaner and smaller in size.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (ctrM5)
=======
We also didn't pay for the population's retirement or medical care.
We ran the trial and average GDP growth was greater in those years than today. Plus, it kept government leaner and smaller in size.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (ctrM5)
=======
We also didn't pay for the population's retirement or medical care.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (GBKbO)
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (AOsQT)
281
"The profits have increased, because the costs have been socialized.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Long night."
This is so terse that retards like me don't know what this means.
Retards like me need more words.
Posted by: eleven
Moving manufacturing to low cost countries lowers the cost of the goods at the point of sale, but puts American workers on unemployment. The American consumer still pays the same for the goods, but that cost is split between the price tag and the income tax they have to pay to cover the social benefits paid to their now unemployed fellow Americans.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:48 AM (lTGtQ)
Perfect.
Posted by: Long night."
This is so terse that retards like me don't know what this means.
Retards like me need more words.
Posted by: eleven
Moving manufacturing to low cost countries lowers the cost of the goods at the point of sale, but puts American workers on unemployment. The American consumer still pays the same for the goods, but that cost is split between the price tag and the income tax they have to pay to cover the social benefits paid to their now unemployed fellow Americans.
Posted by: Thomas Paine at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (lTGtQ)
282
Now do Jonah Goldberg!
Posted by: Paco at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (mADJX)
283
282 Now do Jonah Goldberg!
Posted by: Paco at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (mADJX)
=======
"Trigger warning!"
-Goldberg's dog
Posted by: Paco at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (mADJX)
=======
"Trigger warning!"
-Goldberg's dog
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:00 PM (GBKbO)
284
We can use our own slaves!!
Posted by: Democrats
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (CT61Q)
That is why I said 'competition with slavery'. The workers are still coming here of their own free will and accepting the wages so they are working in their own self interest. That it is pretty destructive and detrimental and keeps the playing field the same is is the problem.
It allows the free world to act as if China is not a slave, tyrannical state of Evil.
Posted by: Democrats
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (CT61Q)
That is why I said 'competition with slavery'. The workers are still coming here of their own free will and accepting the wages so they are working in their own self interest. That it is pretty destructive and detrimental and keeps the playing field the same is is the problem.
It allows the free world to act as if China is not a slave, tyrannical state of Evil.
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 12:00 PM (bss/y)
285
168
‘ The elder fed some hungry children, maybe, one time, but the society lost out on more food permanently’
That sort of culture deserves its inevitable fate of starvation .
‘ The elder fed some hungry children, maybe, one time, but the society lost out on more food permanently’
That sort of culture deserves its inevitable fate of starvation .
Posted by: Dr. Claw at January 31, 2025 12:00 PM (jbnUc)
286
Hmmm.
The 24 second trailer for David Cronenberg's new flick, "The Shrouds" reveals too much.
Makes it look like a snazzy version of "The Vanishing".
Probably is not that but appears to give away the ending which is.
A 24 second spoiler. A new record of H'wood!
Hmmm.
The 24 second trailer for David Cronenberg's new flick, "The Shrouds" reveals too much.
Makes it look like a snazzy version of "The Vanishing".
Probably is not that but appears to give away the ending which is.
A 24 second spoiler. A new record of H'wood!
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (iJfKG)
287
267 For the past few years, I've been picking Falling Knives With High Dividends. That doesn't work. I should go back to just buying the whole market with VTI. That worked.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (7D76Q)
288
Borrowing money from China to buy their stuff isn’t “sustainable”, a popular word always applied to anything and everything though rarely government finances.
They are borrowing money, copping 10% for themselves and the Party, and then doling it out to countries and call it “foreign aid”, to discover the sex life of cockroaches running on treadmills in Honduras, crap like that. Meanwhile our infrastructure falls apart and basic energy production curtailed or outlawed. Somebody from outer space would just scratch their head. WTF is wrong with you?
They are borrowing money, copping 10% for themselves and the Party, and then doling it out to countries and call it “foreign aid”, to discover the sex life of cockroaches running on treadmills in Honduras, crap like that. Meanwhile our infrastructure falls apart and basic energy production curtailed or outlawed. Somebody from outer space would just scratch their head. WTF is wrong with you?
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (EfPCc)
289
Chuck Todd leaving NBC News, huh?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (GBKbO)
290
WWD has been around for awhile, I think he predates Scogg but under another nic.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (ctrM5)
This is true. I remember his long-time former nic, but won't repeat it here. I am pretty sure I have met WWD in person, as we share a common interest. But that could be one of a number of folks, so I don't know his real name, and would not reveal that, even if I knew. He can be a gadfly, but he is quite often right, you know.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 11:38 AM (ctrM5)
This is true. I remember his long-time former nic, but won't repeat it here. I am pretty sure I have met WWD in person, as we share a common interest. But that could be one of a number of folks, so I don't know his real name, and would not reveal that, even if I knew. He can be a gadfly, but he is quite often right, you know.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (8zz6B)
291
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (p4NUW)
You are an amazing woman, Piper. Your daughters are lucky they have you as their mom.
You are an amazing woman, Piper. Your daughters are lucky they have you as their mom.
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (77rzZ)
292
286 A 24 second spoiler. A new record of H'wood!
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (iJfKG)
======
No one really seemed to like it when it was on the festival circuit.
Gotta sell it somehow.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (iJfKG)
======
No one really seemed to like it when it was on the festival circuit.
Gotta sell it somehow.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (GBKbO)
293
Met with our financial advisor yesterday
—
IMO an FA is the biggest bullshit job out there. N par with life coach. scam artist. It is damn near impossible to beat the average. You’re better off managing your own money, and investing in a no fee index fund. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands in fees over your lifetime.
—
IMO an FA is the biggest bullshit job out there. N par with life coach. scam artist. It is damn near impossible to beat the average. You’re better off managing your own money, and investing in a no fee index fund. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands in fees over your lifetime.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (6PsrN)
294
5 I love this. Boss move. Let this become reality.
Posted by: Dworkin Barimen at January 31, 2025 11:04 AM (1HNap)
******
Yes, this is great!
Posted by: Dworkin Barimen at January 31, 2025 11:04 AM (1HNap)
******
Yes, this is great!
Posted by: redridinghood at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (NpAcC)
295
Why buy cheap chink shit from Amazon when you can get it cheaper and shittier from Temu?
--
Jr. Black called Hakeem Jeffries a Temu Obama the other day and Mr. Black said, "what's Temu?" All I could say was I think it's cheap Chinese junk and if you order something from it based on great pictures, what you get is nothing like it.
--
Jr. Black called Hakeem Jeffries a Temu Obama the other day and Mr. Black said, "what's Temu?" All I could say was I think it's cheap Chinese junk and if you order something from it based on great pictures, what you get is nothing like it.
Posted by: Lady in Black at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (qBdHI)
296
277 Why buy cheap chink shit from Amazon when you can get it cheaper and shittier from Temu?
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (gm9Sb)
And it is shitty.. Someone accidently left an order from them at the place My husband works and never claimed it so he brought it home.. I have never seen such poor quality stuff in my life.. Went right in the garbage can
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at January 31, 2025 11:59 AM (gm9Sb)
And it is shitty.. Someone accidently left an order from them at the place My husband works and never claimed it so he brought it home.. I have never seen such poor quality stuff in my life.. Went right in the garbage can
Posted by: It's me donna at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (VE6XX)
297
293 IMO an FA is the biggest bullshit job out there. N par with life coach. scam artist. It is damn near impossible to beat the average. You’re better off managing your own money, and investing in a no fee index fund. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands in fees over your lifetime.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (6PsrN)
=======
Or I can pay someone to do that for me and not worry about it.
We all choose what we value. I value not having to worry about it.
But you're superior to us all.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (6PsrN)
=======
Or I can pay someone to do that for me and not worry about it.
We all choose what we value. I value not having to worry about it.
But you're superior to us all.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (GBKbO)
298
Canada has a VAT tax and its people can't afford basics. Is there a lesson here?
Posted by: Field Marshal Zhukov at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (wBaIH)
299
258 "Most everyone here invests in stocks right?"
I do. I specialize in picking losers.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House
I am still waiting on my bitcoin from Doof. My $100 of cbBTC is apparently not going to make me a billionaire anytime soon on its own!
I do. I specialize in picking losers.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House
I am still waiting on my bitcoin from Doof. My $100 of cbBTC is apparently not going to make me a billionaire anytime soon on its own!
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:03 PM (p4NUW)
300
It's really kind of funny how God has chosen that arrogance and ignorance creates great ironies.
So, the collective want's to take ALL your labor toward their causes (which SHOULD be yours!) because they have some theory that says employers steal PART of your labor.
And you'll probably starve, because it's Marxism.
So, the collective want's to take ALL your labor toward their causes (which SHOULD be yours!) because they have some theory that says employers steal PART of your labor.
And you'll probably starve, because it's Marxism.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (krQz2)
301
What I love about the Chinese stuff on Amazon are the obviously photoshopped ad pics.
Two really happy smiling beautiful people holding a crappy angle grinder.
Two really happy smiling beautiful people holding a crappy angle grinder.
Posted by: WitchDoktor at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (PzXaK)
302
297 293 IMO an FA is the biggest bullshit job out there. N par with life coach. scam artist. It is damn near impossible to beat the average. You’re better off managing your own money, and investing in a no fee index fund. It’ll save you hundreds of thousands in fees over your lifetime.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (6PsrN)
I mean, you're also better off buying and cooking your own food and cleaning your own house, but folks pay for chefs, personal shoppers, maids, etc all the time.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:02 PM (6PsrN)
I mean, you're also better off buying and cooking your own food and cleaning your own house, but folks pay for chefs, personal shoppers, maids, etc all the time.
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (exHjb)
303
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I especially enjoyed their plaintive wails of "Which one of my socialist brethren stole my $1,000 laptop?"
The modifier "socialist" already told you that you were in a nest of thieves. It was a hilarious pity that your substandard public schooling failed to make that characterization clear to you.
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I especially enjoyed their plaintive wails of "Which one of my socialist brethren stole my $1,000 laptop?"
The modifier "socialist" already told you that you were in a nest of thieves. It was a hilarious pity that your substandard public schooling failed to make that characterization clear to you.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (xG4kz)
304
263 What were the 3D forums churning out as examples of this wonderous new tech? Big giggly boobs.
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (FOSbT)
Read Chagnon's book about his time w/the Yanomano...money quote from a chief...It's all about the women"
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (Yj6Os)
_______
The same course that assigned that also had us read one about the Tiki of W Australia. They had a system where women were really the currency.
They are the most important influence on humanity. I always thought the problem with feminists' argument was this: If you have 100% unbreakable monopoly on the most desired thing in the universe, how can you be oppressed?
As Chesterton pointed out, all those "wives as chattel" accounts leave out that her owner is hiding in fear of his chattel. And as Foxworthy said, "If they ain't happy, you ain't happy."
_____
Amazing are the incentives to motivate men to create and innovate.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 11:53 AM (FOSbT)
Read Chagnon's book about his time w/the Yanomano...money quote from a chief...It's all about the women"
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (Yj6Os)
_______
The same course that assigned that also had us read one about the Tiki of W Australia. They had a system where women were really the currency.
They are the most important influence on humanity. I always thought the problem with feminists' argument was this: If you have 100% unbreakable monopoly on the most desired thing in the universe, how can you be oppressed?
As Chesterton pointed out, all those "wives as chattel" accounts leave out that her owner is hiding in fear of his chattel. And as Foxworthy said, "If they ain't happy, you ain't happy."
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (1bNHn)
305
FAA's new temp head 1st action:
"FAA indefinitely closes helicopter routes near Reagan National Airport, official says" (from NBC, but really everywhere)...
They apparently had a near miss the day before the crash, too, for the same reasons...
"FAA indefinitely closes helicopter routes near Reagan National Airport, official says" (from NBC, but really everywhere)...
They apparently had a near miss the day before the crash, too, for the same reasons...
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 12:05 PM (exHjb)
306
I am still waiting on my bitcoin from Doof.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:03 PM (p4NUW)
check's in the mail?
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:03 PM (p4NUW)
check's in the mail?
Posted by: BignJames at January 31, 2025 12:05 PM (Yj6Os)
307
I think Temu has Amazon covered with the most egregious ads of Chinese shit imaginable.
Posted by: Martini Farmer at January 31, 2025 12:05 PM (Q4IgG)
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:06 PM (7D76Q)
309
308 "the most desired thing in the universe,"
I am SO glad I outgrew that nonsense.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:06 PM (7D76Q)
======
Time Bandits can entertain adults even more than children!
I am SO glad I outgrew that nonsense.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:06 PM (7D76Q)
======
Time Bandits can entertain adults even more than children!
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:06 PM (GBKbO)
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (7D76Q)
311
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
Could you imagine them trying to have any sort of physical contest? Bunch of pale, lazy, high people. They would be the first ones to die on the Oregon trail.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
Could you imagine them trying to have any sort of physical contest? Bunch of pale, lazy, high people. They would be the first ones to die on the Oregon trail.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (p4NUW)
Posted by: Commissar of Plenty and Lysenkoism in Solidarity with the Struggle for festive little hats at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (oDiei)
313
Even deeper than that, though, is the question of whether those suffering suffer because of their own poor choices? Obviously, some suffer through no fault of their own (the handicapped, the retarded, children), and that's why there is nigh on universal support for taking care?
Posted by: Archimedes
A step further: Should a person, suffering from their own poor choices, who repents of those errors and strives to improve themselves and their ways, be forever locked into being punished for those mistakes? In other words, whither redemption?
Posted by: Archimedes
A step further: Should a person, suffering from their own poor choices, who repents of those errors and strives to improve themselves and their ways, be forever locked into being punished for those mistakes? In other words, whither redemption?
Posted by: Brother Tim, Keeper of the Tim Continuum at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (OUMaO)
314
307 Temu follows the model of stuff sold in late 50s early 60s comic books. Cardboard submarines, sea monkeys, 3D glasses.
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (gm9Sb)
315
money quote from a chief...”It's all about the women"
———-
If it weren’t for men, we’d still be living in caves. If it weren’t for women …. we’d still be living in caves.
———-
If it weren’t for men, we’d still be living in caves. If it weren’t for women …. we’d still be living in caves.
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (TgO2L)
316
Moderns gotta modern.
Posted by: Eeyore
=======
That is basically a distortion of Lockeanism. To create a society, all of those above believe that individuals have to give up absolute sovereignty (and practically this happened even in primitive society) because otherwise bad things happen in anarchy. You cannot have one human decide to do bad things to another as being perfectly sovereign to another sovereign individual but without a society, there is no way to prevent that. Life, liberty, and property are the key values of a person kept apart from a governing tyranny in the social contract as natural rights. Different than Hobbes or Rousseau.
Pure libertarianism is as fanciful as Marxism because it posits that people are basically good plus tabla rasa (a Lockean fallacy) instead of a mix of personality types from genetics and from socialization. So both libertarianism and Marxism try to obliterate current society and institutions to 'reset' society. Hobbes is basically warning that such an attempt will result in worse tyranny of man v. man than ruled v. ruler.
Posted by: Eeyore
=======
That is basically a distortion of Lockeanism. To create a society, all of those above believe that individuals have to give up absolute sovereignty (and practically this happened even in primitive society) because otherwise bad things happen in anarchy. You cannot have one human decide to do bad things to another as being perfectly sovereign to another sovereign individual but without a society, there is no way to prevent that. Life, liberty, and property are the key values of a person kept apart from a governing tyranny in the social contract as natural rights. Different than Hobbes or Rousseau.
Pure libertarianism is as fanciful as Marxism because it posits that people are basically good plus tabla rasa (a Lockean fallacy) instead of a mix of personality types from genetics and from socialization. So both libertarianism and Marxism try to obliterate current society and institutions to 'reset' society. Hobbes is basically warning that such an attempt will result in worse tyranny of man v. man than ruled v. ruler.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (ctrM5)
317
TBH the Chinese crap I've ordered from Amazon mostly meets my low expectations.
The clothing is funny though. A Chinese large is about an American small.
Do not give this stuff to your GF without explaining that part first...
I DON'T EVEN FIT IN A LARGE ANYMORE?!?! /cries
The clothing is funny though. A Chinese large is about an American small.
Do not give this stuff to your GF without explaining that part first...
I DON'T EVEN FIT IN A LARGE ANYMORE?!?! /cries
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (t0Rmr)
318
I look forward to the Chinese offering to sell to the gullible among us sections of turf on the vast islands of plastic waste that they have spawned in the Pacific Ocean.
I look forward to the Chinese offering to sell to the gullible among us sections of turf on the vast islands of plastic waste that they have spawned in the Pacific Ocean.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (xG4kz)
319
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (iFTx/)
=======
Was the sequel, CHAZ in Seattle, not good enough?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (GBKbO)
____
Too far away. Just for shits and giggles, I went to OWS encampment (Zuccotti park, IIRC). I lasted about 30 seconds before I felt vomit bubbling up in my throat.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 11:56 AM (iFTx/)
=======
Was the sequel, CHAZ in Seattle, not good enough?
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 11:58 AM (GBKbO)
____
Too far away. Just for shits and giggles, I went to OWS encampment (Zuccotti park, IIRC). I lasted about 30 seconds before I felt vomit bubbling up in my throat.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (iFTx/)
320
318
I look forward to the Chinese offering to sell to the gullible among us sections of turf on the vast islands of plastic waste that they have spawned in the Pacific Ocean.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (xG4kz)
======
I'm spent on overseas land transactions.
That one square foot of land in Scotland to make me a laird tapped me out.
I look forward to the Chinese offering to sell to the gullible among us sections of turf on the vast islands of plastic waste that they have spawned in the Pacific Ocean.
Posted by: Krebs v Carnot: Epic Battle of the Cycling Stars (TM) at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (xG4kz)
======
I'm spent on overseas land transactions.
That one square foot of land in Scotland to make me a laird tapped me out.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (GBKbO)
321
Even deeper than that, though, is the question of whether those suffering suffer because of their own poor choices?
The story of the ant and the grasshopper is ever relevant...
The story of the ant and the grasshopper is ever relevant...
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 12:09 PM (t0Rmr)
322
291 Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (p4NUW)
You are an amazing woman, Piper. Your daughters are lucky they have you as their mom.
Posted by: Bulg at January
Thank you, I really do appreciate you.
You are an amazing woman, Piper. Your daughters are lucky they have you as their mom.
Posted by: Bulg at January
Thank you, I really do appreciate you.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:09 PM (p4NUW)
323
Slave labor is not actually more efficient. That is why it evolved into serfdom, and then serfs became ever freer. They were more productive that way.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (1bNHn)
But the lords and masters of the universe became less happy. The WEF exists to try and determine the least amount of freedom required for the proles to produce that which their overlords demand. Then we'll get that and not one iota more.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 11:47 AM (1bNHn)
But the lords and masters of the universe became less happy. The WEF exists to try and determine the least amount of freedom required for the proles to produce that which their overlords demand. Then we'll get that and not one iota more.
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at January 31, 2025 12:09 PM (ExV1e)
324
322 Concur.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:09 PM (7D76Q)
325
#2 son is a FA and he says a lot of people are really stupid with managing their own money.
Posted by: fd at January 31, 2025 12:09 PM (vFG9F)
326
TEMU is offering me free money everyday and then some. Unfortunately, it only buys shit from TEMU.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 31, 2025 12:10 PM (Wg6v7)
327
“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy” is the correct verbiage, I assure you.
Posted by: Common Tater at January 31, 2025 12:10 PM (TgO2L)
328
I pay people to manage my account
their incentive to do it well is, when I make money, they make money
it's a good arrangement
I pay people to manage my account
their incentive to do it well is, when I make money, they make money
it's a good arrangement
Posted by: Don Black at January 31, 2025 12:10 PM (AOsQT)
329
Buck, you made my morning! Let's start by offshoring Paul Ryan.
Posted by: Tracy at January 31, 2025 12:10 PM (mOyIJ)
330
""Most everyone here invests in stocks right?"
Those that invested in the Magnificent Six or Seven have gotten incredibly wealthy.
Google, MSFT, NVDA, Tesla, Netflix, AMZN, AAPL ... umm,
Those that invested in the Magnificent Six or Seven have gotten incredibly wealthy.
Google, MSFT, NVDA, Tesla, Netflix, AMZN, AAPL ... umm,
Posted by: illiniwek at January 31, 2025 12:10 PM (Cus5s)
331
A 24 second spoiler. A new record of H'wood!
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (iJfKG)
======
No one really seemed to like it when it was on the festival circuit.
Gotta sell it somehow.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (GBKbO)
Yeah, probably. From what I've read about the movie itself, and seen in 24 seconds 😬
it emphasizes all of Cronenberg's worst movie instincts.
He can make a boring movie and this may be one of them.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (iJfKG)
======
No one really seemed to like it when it was on the festival circuit.
Gotta sell it somehow.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:01 PM (GBKbO)
Yeah, probably. From what I've read about the movie itself, and seen in 24 seconds 😬
it emphasizes all of Cronenberg's worst movie instincts.
He can make a boring movie and this may be one of them.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (iJfKG)
332
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I miss their farming attempts.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I miss their farming attempts.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (CT61Q)
333
Could you imagine them trying to have any sort of physical contest? Bunch of pale, lazy, high people. They would be the first ones to die on the Oregon trail.
Seems like a mobile food supply, you know, just in case.
Seems like a mobile food supply, you know, just in case.
Posted by: The Donner Party at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (xCA6C)
334
mean, you're also better off buying and cooking your own food and cleaning your own house, but folks pay for chefs, personal shoppers, maids, etc all the time.
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (exHjb)
I dont know how to cook most things a chef can cook. But I can set an auto investment plan easily. It’s not quite the same thing.
I think a big part of it is the mystery of finance. A mystery propagated by the industry. It’s not that mysterious and it’s pretty basic stuff. Paying someone to manage your money long term rarely leads to better returns and doesn’t save much time either.
All good though. Everyone has their own calculations on time/money.
Posted by: Nova Local at January 31, 2025 12:04 PM (exHjb)
I dont know how to cook most things a chef can cook. But I can set an auto investment plan easily. It’s not quite the same thing.
I think a big part of it is the mystery of finance. A mystery propagated by the industry. It’s not that mysterious and it’s pretty basic stuff. Paying someone to manage your money long term rarely leads to better returns and doesn’t save much time either.
All good though. Everyone has their own calculations on time/money.
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (6PsrN)
335
331 Yeah, probably. From what I've read about the movie itself, and seen in 24 seconds 😬
it emphasizes all of Cronenberg's worst movie instincts.
He can make a boring movie and this may be one of them.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (iJfKG)
======
I'm not a big Cronenberg fan. I like him fine, but he feels...overpraised by people in genre fandom desperate for a good filmmaker to root for.
it emphasizes all of Cronenberg's worst movie instincts.
He can make a boring movie and this may be one of them.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (iJfKG)
======
I'm not a big Cronenberg fan. I like him fine, but he feels...overpraised by people in genre fandom desperate for a good filmmaker to root for.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (GBKbO)
336
It looks like I might have to research on my own the effect of tariffs on economies with strong currencies. I'll be right back.
Posted by: Chuck Martel at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (FOSbT)
337
Two chain stores packed to the ceiling with utterly useless plasticrap: Party City, Hobby Lobby.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (7D76Q)
338
I miss their farming attempts.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (CT61Q)
We're gonna need a shit ton of toothpicks and avocado pits!!!!
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (CT61Q)
We're gonna need a shit ton of toothpicks and avocado pits!!!!
Posted by: Warai-otoko at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (+iIV1)
339
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
Could you imagine them trying to have any sort of physical contest? Bunch of pale, lazy, high people. They would be the first ones to die on the Oregon trail.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (p4NUW)
_____
Very high percentage of trannies, gays, lezbos, and who-knows-what CHUD-ish things from undiscovered species. Basically, these are the same mutants and undesirables that morphed into antifa. The names may change, but the game stays the same.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
Could you imagine them trying to have any sort of physical contest? Bunch of pale, lazy, high people. They would be the first ones to die on the Oregon trail.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (p4NUW)
_____
Very high percentage of trannies, gays, lezbos, and who-knows-what CHUD-ish things from undiscovered species. Basically, these are the same mutants and undesirables that morphed into antifa. The names may change, but the game stays the same.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (iFTx/)
340
He can be a gadfly, but he is quite often right, you know.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
========
I don't care for insults as arguments becuz feelings were hurt.
Posted by: Alberta Oil Peon
========
I don't care for insults as arguments becuz feelings were hurt.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (ctrM5)
Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (GD2xa)
Posted by: fd at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (vFG9F)
343
“If Mama ain’t happy, ain’t NOBODY happy” is the correct verbiage, I assure you.
Posted by: Common Tater
Or, as the late talk-radio host Jerry Doyle once said, "If I'm unhappy and she's happy, I'm still happier than when I'm happy and she's unhappy."
Posted by: Common Tater
Or, as the late talk-radio host Jerry Doyle once said, "If I'm unhappy and she's happy, I'm still happier than when I'm happy and she's unhappy."
Posted by: Bulg at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (77rzZ)
344
We can use our own slaves!!
Posted by: Democrats
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (CT61Q)
And, best of all, we won't have to ship them from anywhere. They'll walk here all on their own. -- also the Democrats
Posted by: Democrats
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 11:52 AM (CT61Q)
And, best of all, we won't have to ship them from anywhere. They'll walk here all on their own. -- also the Democrats
Posted by: I used to have a different nic at January 31, 2025 12:13 PM (ExV1e)
345
342 *looks at AMD stock*
*kicks self again*
Posted by: fd at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (vFG9F)
========
When I was 20, I decided I was going to invest $1000 in the stock market.
I decided it was between Netflix and Sony.
I chose Sony.
Netflix was selling for $20.
*kicks self again*
Posted by: fd at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (vFG9F)
========
When I was 20, I decided I was going to invest $1000 in the stock market.
I decided it was between Netflix and Sony.
I chose Sony.
Netflix was selling for $20.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:13 PM (GBKbO)
346
I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I miss their farming attempts.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (CT61Q)
______
I think that was CHAZ in SF (?), but yes. Those retards literally couldn't plant a blade of grass or water a potted plant.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
I miss their farming attempts.
Posted by: rickb223 at January 31, 2025 12:11 PM (CT61Q)
______
I think that was CHAZ in SF (?), but yes. Those retards literally couldn't plant a blade of grass or water a potted plant.
Posted by: Elric The Blade at January 31, 2025 12:13 PM (iFTx/)
347
The clothing is funny though. A Chinese large is about an American small.
Do not give this stuff to your GF without explaining that part first...
I DON'T EVEN FIT IN A LARGE ANYMORE?!?! /cries
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (t0Rmr)
I ordered a new safety vest. Someone had given me the old one and I liked the fit and look. I usually wear a large or XL on the outside. The size for this one? 3XL.
Hah!
Do not give this stuff to your GF without explaining that part first...
I DON'T EVEN FIT IN A LARGE ANYMORE?!?! /cries
Posted by: 18-1 at January 31, 2025 12:08 PM (t0Rmr)
I ordered a new safety vest. Someone had given me the old one and I liked the fit and look. I usually wear a large or XL on the outside. The size for this one? 3XL.
Hah!
Posted by: Aetius451AD at January 31, 2025 12:13 PM (bss/y)
348
337 Two chain stores packed to the ceiling with utterly useless plasticrap: Party City, Hobby Lobby.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin
Party City is no more.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin
Party City is no more.
Posted by: Piper at January 31, 2025 12:13 PM (p4NUW)
349
311 I miss OWS. It was a source of unending comedy and schadenfreude. The stupidest and most inept people in the country tried building a utopian commie society. In about 48 hours it was a smelly, starving cesspool of drugs, crime, rape, and filth. Basically Thunderdome without the cool gladiator contests.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
=======
Now do Somalia or Yemen.
Posted by: Elric The Blade
=======
Now do Somalia or Yemen.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:14 PM (ctrM5)
350
319 When OWS was a thing with all the squalor and disease spreading, there was an encampment at U of Arkansas, Little Rock. The ROTC must have set it up. Actually, looked neat as a Dutch NATO lager without the white washed sandbags. When the kids left, they picked up the trash. Evidently the outside rabble rousers never made it to town.
Posted by: bill in arkansas, not gonna comply with nuttin, waiting for the 0300 knock on the door at January 31, 2025 12:14 PM (gm9Sb)
351
341 Morlocks extract resources. Eloi enjoy resources. Morlocks eat eloi.
Circle of life!
Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (GD2xa)
From the perspective of a chicken in a big yucky horrible mechanized poultry farm.... we're the slaves.
"I get to sit here in my little cube, safe from dogs and foxes and weasels, fed to bursting every day, and shot full of drugs so I don't get sick. And these stupid monkeys do it all for free!"
Circle of life!
Posted by: Jack Squat Bupkis at January 31, 2025 12:12 PM (GD2xa)
From the perspective of a chicken in a big yucky horrible mechanized poultry farm.... we're the slaves.
"I get to sit here in my little cube, safe from dogs and foxes and weasels, fed to bursting every day, and shot full of drugs so I don't get sick. And these stupid monkeys do it all for free!"
Posted by: Warai-otoko at January 31, 2025 12:15 PM (+iIV1)
352
nood
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin House at January 31, 2025 12:15 PM (7D76Q)
353
I've done okay in the market cuz really there's not much choice.
I've started looking at what I would've consider a stupid way to handle money, and still kind of do, but the instability thrown into the system by Biden has me looking at-
annuities. (I know, I know..fire away)
Fixed income annuity doesn't look too bad to make sure the lovely and financially secure Mrs naturalfake stays that way after I croak.
I've started looking at what I would've consider a stupid way to handle money, and still kind of do, but the instability thrown into the system by Biden has me looking at-
annuities. (I know, I know..fire away)
Fixed income annuity doesn't look too bad to make sure the lovely and financially secure Mrs naturalfake stays that way after I croak.
Posted by: naturalfake at January 31, 2025 12:15 PM (iJfKG)
354
In the 1970s, the looming ice age was the climate crisis du jour—proof that today’s “settled science” may not be so settled after all.
The Frights of Climate Catastrophe in the Disco Era
-
There is a clip from CNN stating that global warming will have killed all fish by 2030 so we've got five years people!
The Frights of Climate Catastrophe in the Disco Era
-
There is a clip from CNN stating that global warming will have killed all fish by 2030 so we've got five years people!
Posted by: Anonosaurus Rex, Now Is the Winter of Our Discontent Made Glorious Summer By This Son of [New] York at January 31, 2025 12:15 PM (L/fGl)
355
336 It looks like I might have to research on my own the effect of tariffs on economies with strong currencies. I'll be right back.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
=======
A hint, look at the British pound pre WWI as an example.
Spain, after getting the gold and silver of the Western World, is the counter example.
Posted by: Chuck Martel
=======
A hint, look at the British pound pre WWI as an example.
Spain, after getting the gold and silver of the Western World, is the counter example.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:15 PM (ctrM5)
356
348 337 Two chain stores packed to the ceiling with utterly useless plasticrap: Party City, Hobby Lobby.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin
Party City is no more.
---------------
In my day it was Woolworth's 5 and Dime packed with tin toys and rubber army men. Those were our salad days.
Posted by: gp's Livin In A Hurtin
Party City is no more.
---------------
In my day it was Woolworth's 5 and Dime packed with tin toys and rubber army men. Those were our salad days.
Posted by: Pudinhead at January 31, 2025 12:16 PM (Wg6v7)
357
When I was 20, I decided I was going to invest $1000 in the stock market.
I decided it was between Netflix and Sony.
I chose Sony.
Netflix was selling for $20.
—
There are people who invested in AOL. Could been worse. 😀
I decided it was between Netflix and Sony.
I chose Sony.
Netflix was selling for $20.
—
There are people who invested in AOL. Could been worse. 😀
Posted by: Its Go Time Donald at January 31, 2025 12:17 PM (6PsrN)
358
Nood Chuck Todd
Posted by: The Underwear Gnomes at January 31, 2025 12:17 PM (zgZCj)
359
Why in the world did Sony try to get into entertainment?
That was perhaps the worst choice ever.
It's like Kelloggs getting into motorcycles.
That was perhaps the worst choice ever.
It's like Kelloggs getting into motorcycles.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 12:18 PM (fV+MH)
360
359 Why in the world did Sony try to get into entertainment?
That was perhaps the worst choice ever.
It's like Kelloggs getting into motorcycles.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 12:18 PM (fV+MH)
=======
I bought it because I thought the licensing money from winning the high-def disc format war against Toshiba would lead to great profits.
It might have, but it never reflected in the stock price.
That was perhaps the worst choice ever.
It's like Kelloggs getting into motorcycles.
Posted by: eleven at January 31, 2025 12:18 PM (fV+MH)
=======
I bought it because I thought the licensing money from winning the high-def disc format war against Toshiba would lead to great profits.
It might have, but it never reflected in the stock price.
Posted by: TheJamesMadison, watching B-movies with Roger Corman at January 31, 2025 12:19 PM (GBKbO)
361
Pure libertarianism is as fanciful as Marxism because it posits that people are basically good plus tabla rasa (a Lockean fallacy) instead of a mix of personality types from genetics and from socialization. So both libertarianism and Marxism try to obliterate current society and institutions to 'reset' society. Hobbes is basically warning that such an attempt will result in worse tyranny of man v. man than ruled v. ruler.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (ctrM5)
---
Nice take on Locke. Yeah, I agree. Locke on Politics is first rate. But I reject the "tabla rasa" idea.
Still the "tabla rasa" is kind of a good theoretical point-0 for epistemology. Just not much practical application.
I've been following "The Palmer Worm" on X, and she's getting into something about those 3 that I'm finding doubtful. She claiming that the "State of Nature" was almost a conspiracy to occlude the idea of Natural Law. But she sites Hobbes in the early to mid 1600s.
We have the first modern Republic in America, 1776. So, it seems that "Natural Law" and "Natural Rights" has mainly been a political force for monarchy.
Locke is mainly writing in rejection of Filmer.
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (ctrM5)
---
Nice take on Locke. Yeah, I agree. Locke on Politics is first rate. But I reject the "tabla rasa" idea.
Still the "tabla rasa" is kind of a good theoretical point-0 for epistemology. Just not much practical application.
I've been following "The Palmer Worm" on X, and she's getting into something about those 3 that I'm finding doubtful. She claiming that the "State of Nature" was almost a conspiracy to occlude the idea of Natural Law. But she sites Hobbes in the early to mid 1600s.
We have the first modern Republic in America, 1776. So, it seems that "Natural Law" and "Natural Rights" has mainly been a political force for monarchy.
Locke is mainly writing in rejection of Filmer.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 12:19 PM (krQz2)
362
316 Moderns gotta modern.
Posted by: Eeyore
=======
That is basically a distortion of Lockeanism. To create a society, all of those above believe that individuals have to give up absolute sovereignty (and practically this happened even in primitive society) because otherwise bad things happen in anarchy. You cannot have one human decide to do bad things to another as being perfectly sovereign to another sovereign individual but without a society, there is no way to prevent that. Life, liberty, and property are the key values of a person kept apart from a governing tyranny in the social contract as natural rights. Different than Hobbes or Rousseau.
...
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (ctrM5)
______
No. You still assume the state of nature, which is pure myth. The basic unit of humanity is not the individual, but the family.
Also, Locke was the all time champ in leaving loose ends dangling. That comes out in every college class. Hume and Berkeley spent tons of ink trying to fix that.
But if you start out nominalist and voluntarist, you're going to fail.
Posted by: Eeyore
=======
That is basically a distortion of Lockeanism. To create a society, all of those above believe that individuals have to give up absolute sovereignty (and practically this happened even in primitive society) because otherwise bad things happen in anarchy. You cannot have one human decide to do bad things to another as being perfectly sovereign to another sovereign individual but without a society, there is no way to prevent that. Life, liberty, and property are the key values of a person kept apart from a governing tyranny in the social contract as natural rights. Different than Hobbes or Rousseau.
...
Posted by: whig at January 31, 2025 12:07 PM (ctrM5)
______
No. You still assume the state of nature, which is pure myth. The basic unit of humanity is not the individual, but the family.
Also, Locke was the all time champ in leaving loose ends dangling. That comes out in every college class. Hume and Berkeley spent tons of ink trying to fix that.
But if you start out nominalist and voluntarist, you're going to fail.
Posted by: Eeyore at January 31, 2025 12:20 PM (1bNHn)
363
Somebody asks about a "steam deck" and nobody makes a cleveland steamer joke??? Who are you people and what did you do with the real horde??!!?!?!?!
Posted by: Sherlock at January 31, 2025 12:25 PM (RqHGp)
364
I use to have the section memorized, but Adam Smith called for tariffs in The Wealth of Nations.
I think it is book 4, part 2. He calls for tariffs as a negotiating tactic to get other countries to reduce their tariffs.
I think it is book 4, part 2. He calls for tariffs as a negotiating tactic to get other countries to reduce their tariffs.
Posted by: MikeN at January 31, 2025 01:16 PM (HVZOH)
365
Harsyani is right, you are economically illiterate.
Posted by: Bert the Samoan Lawyer at January 31, 2025 01:22 PM (7AOmV)
366
It's ironic that as a nominalist, I have more faith in the coordination of the human brain than people who demand that "goodness" be an independent object dwelling somewhere.
Nominalism is simply the analysis vector that says that abstracts and universals don't "exist", and that it's a more analytically productive to consider them as names and labels, or as I prefer "descriptions".
There seems to be this current bug out there to argue that more complex analytics were a plot against "what everyone just knows".
When, in a political realms, what a lot of people "knew" is that God wanted kings. That the kingship pattern was inherent in Jesus as king.
Nominalism is simply the analysis vector that says that abstracts and universals don't "exist", and that it's a more analytically productive to consider them as names and labels, or as I prefer "descriptions".
There seems to be this current bug out there to argue that more complex analytics were a plot against "what everyone just knows".
When, in a political realms, what a lot of people "knew" is that God wanted kings. That the kingship pattern was inherent in Jesus as king.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 01:35 PM (krQz2)
367
The ironic thing is that a nominalist wouldn't think of "Nature" as a thing, but a name into which we isolate related concerns.
And probably, my variety anyway, would reject "The State of Nature" as any one thing.
And probably, my variety anyway, would reject "The State of Nature" as any one thing.
Posted by: Axeman at January 31, 2025 01:38 PM (krQz2)
368
Excellent piece for many reasons, especially sticking it to the 'free trade' assholes who gave or sold our IP to China. They were enriched, we weren't.
I have worked in manufacturing American OEM durable goods for close to three decades and these same assholes funded the elections of the regulators who regulated us to China rather than push back on them here.
Remember, the price of steel decreased 23% from 2018 to early '21. Aluminum went down 24% in the same frame.
I have worked in manufacturing American OEM durable goods for close to three decades and these same assholes funded the elections of the regulators who regulated us to China rather than push back on them here.
Remember, the price of steel decreased 23% from 2018 to early '21. Aluminum went down 24% in the same frame.
Posted by: Danimal28 at January 31, 2025 01:51 PM (1E4GV)
369
One thing that the anti-Trump folks never seemed to either know or to grasp was that Trump's going-in position of tariffs was for both sides / countries to go to zero tariffs. Those "anti-tariff free-traders" never seemed to want to talk about that initial position. All they ever discussed was the "punitive tariffs" that followed after the rejection of Trump's "no tariffs" position.
That is, their principled free-trade position against tariffs was and is purely and merely hatred for Trump.
That is, their principled free-trade position against tariffs was and is purely and merely hatred for Trump.
Posted by: LCMS Rulz! at January 31, 2025 01:59 PM (bufu1)
370
I like stopping into Hobby Lobby every once in awhile
Posted by: Skip at January 31, 2025 06:47 PM (fwDg9)
371
126: "What two consenting adults do in the privacy of their home, office, factory, or the great outdoors is their business so long as no non-consenting party is harmed (and the definition of "harm" defines the limits of government power). This includes cross-border transactions."
142: "We're not talking about two individuals. We're talking about nation states, each of which deciding the economic outcomes of millions based upon the preferences of a relative few.
Your analogy is awful."
My argument is not by analogy. I argue from basic principles. The case for a market-oriented legal/institutional environment (i.e., capitalism) applies regardless of where the parties to a mutually-beneficial transaction live.
States are aggregations of people. The leader in a market-oriented State oversees the operation of law enforcement, the military, the EPA, and a few other functions. Tariff protection is a version of industrial policy (i.e., socialism in disguise). The leader in no way represents the will of the people. Some people disagree, here.
Please read Benito Mussolini, "The Doctrine of Fascism".
Please read Friedrich Hayek, _The Constitution of Liberty_
Compare and contrast.
142: "We're not talking about two individuals. We're talking about nation states, each of which deciding the economic outcomes of millions based upon the preferences of a relative few.
Your analogy is awful."
My argument is not by analogy. I argue from basic principles. The case for a market-oriented legal/institutional environment (i.e., capitalism) applies regardless of where the parties to a mutually-beneficial transaction live.
States are aggregations of people. The leader in a market-oriented State oversees the operation of law enforcement, the military, the EPA, and a few other functions. Tariff protection is a version of industrial policy (i.e., socialism in disguise). The leader in no way represents the will of the people. Some people disagree, here.
Please read Benito Mussolini, "The Doctrine of Fascism".
Please read Friedrich Hayek, _The Constitution of Liberty_
Compare and contrast.
Posted by: Malcolm Kirkpatrick at January 31, 2025 11:23 PM (fgkXD)
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