We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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…when it was never actually operating in a free market? Over on AintNoBadDude, the indomitable Brian quotes part of an e-mail of mine but also takes the view regarding the Enron fiasco.
I still maintain my position that Enron is a failure of free markets, but I’m more concerned with the bad impression something like this leaves in people’s minds. If nothing much happens in the way of prosecution, the case for open markets will be harder to make in these industries.
Well I certainly agree that incidents like Enron crashing and burning does not help the case for free markets, but the reason for that is folks do not seem to understand that heavily regulated markets, whilst they are certainly a form of capitalism, they are in fact not free markets, they are (obviously) regulated markets.
Thus what Enron’s failure suggests is not that free markets do not work but rather regulating a market sector like energy in the way it is currently regulated is a failure. Here is a novel idea: how about actually completely deregulating the power sector (for starters) and make the market, er, free. What is the worst that can happen? Maybe Enron will go broke if subjected to the full force of market pressures… oh, I forgot, it already did.
California’s power industry provides us with another lovely example of what happens when heavily regulated markets are required to respond to dynamic circumstances… and it ain’t pretty. Either abandon the pretence that the market is ‘free’ and in effect nationalise the power sector, or let the market do what it does best and stay the hell out of the way. The alternative, like so many half way measures, is to get the worst of both worlds: bloated corporations who do not fully control their own businesses and who are also not fully vulnerable to more agile corporate predators and new market entrants.
Regulating fixed infrastructure sectors of an economy because they are said to either be ‘natural monopolies’ or because they are ‘strategic industries’ rather misses the point: they are actually not natural monopolies if you have a large (preferably global) market of power companies. Functioning fixed infrastructure for which there is a demand does not just vaporise if the owning company goes belly up in the fish tank… other people will most certainly leap into the breach and take over the assets (plus the associated revenue streams from users), hopefully at fire sale prices, and thus life goes on. That might not be the case in Nigeria or Romania or Myanmar, but in a sophisticated and well developed Western economy it most certainly is.
If it is indeed a ‘strategic’ industry, then why encourage a few fat sluggish players to develop who, if they cock things up, fall with rather a big crash (i.e. Enron). Surely it is better to allow full global competition to ensure no player can get so damn important.
Enron in the USA and RailTrack in the UK are two classic cases in point not of ‘free market failures’, but rather of regulated market failures. If all you have to do to make things work better is to impose layers of cunningly crafted regulations, then I suppose that explains the longevity of the Soviet Union and why China is the world’s wealthiest country… oops, sorry, wrong parallel universe.
Actually I do not mean Sauron at all, I mean Noam Chomsky (I know, I know, same thing).
What do they have in common? Flit, an interesting new blog run by Bruce R., that is what. I found this polished looking little jewel via Dawson, whom I was checking out to see if he had any new Ann Coulter pictures <snigger>.
There is an excellent article critiquing the Horowitz attacks on Chomsky and I must say I largely agree with him on all but a few minor points. I think Christopher Hitchens‘ attacks were far more damaging to Chomsky than those of Horowitz, though he does indeed land a few blows on the Vile One too.
In an earlier Flit article, had I started blogging sooner than November, I would have made much the same points regarding the historical analogies in Afghanistan. Much of the ill informed punditry fretting US involvement in view of the disastrous Soviet and before them, British Afghan wars missed something rather importent… Britain learned the lessons of the horrendous First Afghan War and kicked the crap out of the Pashtun in the Second Afghan War. Likewise the military ‘template’ of successful colonial style warfare, namely using the synergy of friendly local forces and a smaller but highly professional British force with higher technology (the famous mountain warfare ‘screw gun’ light artillery) is exactly what we have seen in Afghanistan once again with the Americans (and some Brits too) operating with the various anti-Taliban forces. It is gratifying to see someone else make those points. However it also backs up what I have also pointed out myself in earlier Samizdata articles, the trick after victory in the Second Afghan War was to install ‘friendly’ local leaders and then get the hell out before an insurgency developed…so why oh why does that cretin Tony Blair want to stick around ‘peacekeeping’? The Americans clearly understand the relevance of British military history better than the half-wits in the Foreign Office… no surprise there I suppose.
But Bruce, as for Kylie and that song… resistance is futile, you have been assimilated.
Never offend people with style when you can offend them with substance.
– Sam Brown
Generally rational content, sheer variety and remarkable quality, that is why. Although sometimes certain stories get widely blogged, the differences in style and perspective makes it interesting to read them all.
Überblog Instapundit‘s often sardonic style contrasts with The Fly Bottle‘s head-on philosophical deconstructions. Natalie Solent‘s irony intensive and highly ideological approach makes an interesting juxtaposition with Dawson‘s anarchic Ann Coulter fixated streams of consciousness. Over on Where HipHop and Libertarianism meet we are just likely to be presented with a statement of home truths as we are to read a brief exegesis of some rap singer that I have never heard of. Tim Blair‘s dependably hilarious daily roundup of the sundry ruminations in blogland is an absolute ‘must see’. Combative Ken Layne is a treat as he ‘fact-checks the asses’ of the talking heads in medialand… and he may well have introduced a new verb into contemporary on-line English. Muslimpundit delivers intermittently updated but chunky analysis from a perspective that is Muslim and yet unmistakably British. Mind over what matters ponders with a style that is often querulous and analytical in equal measure. Transterrestrial Musings displays a style reminiscent to Instapundit (no bad thing) but tends to target different subject matter. Matthew Edgar reminds me of a splendid economics professor I knew, but hopped up on far too much caffeine. Daimnation heaps expletive ladened abuse upon moral relativists and would-be invaders of Canada. What is it about Canada that it produces so many pissed off bloggers?
And the list goes on and on and on and on…
I read Perry de Havilland and David Carr writing in Samizdata how Britain must resist the EU and defend its civil liberties against Blair’s rapid elimination of traditional constitutional common laws. Yet at least some of the UK media also realises this and there is surely a possibility to fight the tide of creeping repression and backdoor Euro socialism. But if a powerful and rich country like Britain, with long traditions of freedom, has found itself in a situation with enemies of liberty within and without, what chance does the Czech Republic have against Brussels? What chance Poland? What chance Hungary?
When these countries join the EU, they will find their advantages of low labour costs are quickly legislated away in the interests of French and German Trade Unions, and they will be left to compete with the Western Europeans but with antiquated infrastructures and underdeveloped services. Worst of all, they will have their developing culture of liberty that started growing post-Communism, smothered in socialist inspired EU ‘directives’.
And I see many people in Serbia, Croatia, Bosnia-Herzegovina and Slovenia who just cannot wait to be swallowed alive by these same people. No sooner do they finish slaughtering each other so that they can have self-determination for their respective societies, than they are cueing up to surrender everything they have won at such a terrible cost…and to who? To a bunch of smarmy Eurocrats in cheap suits who promise the same thing as Natalie Solent wrote about regarding Africa.
The EU will seduce the political class with ‘largess’ and make them good little ‘subsidy slaves’. It makes me despair how we will ever see proper capitalist systems develop to provide us with lasting liberty and a decent standard of living, if even Britain has ended up where it is now. The economy of just Greater London is considerably larger than all of former Yugoslavia…what chance do small Slavic societies have of ever developing a wealthy capitalist order once we are under the influence of that increasingly authoritarian bureaucratic nightmare in Brussels?
Receiving junk snail-mail and spam e-mails can certainly be irritating, particularly when it is yet another pyramiding scam/’teen-slutathon’/debt consolidation/shyster solicitation/weepy group-hug chain letter or whatever the annoyance-of-the-week is. As a result the urge to legislate over what is frankly a pretty trivial matter is on the agenda on both sides of the Atlantic.
Matthew Edgar wrote a worthwhile piece on this as it pertains to the USA. In Britain, ever since 1832, Election Rolls have been for sale and have been used by marketing professionals as a source of information and ‘list cleaning’ ever since. In this age of spam, we sometimes forget that marketing is an essential aspect of capitalist economics. Restricting it with regulations that go beyond anti-fraud measures adds unnecessary costs that we, the consumer, inevitably end up paying in the end via more expensive products.
Under the absurd British Data Protection Act, the recording of marketing data has been made subject to ever more bureaucratic red tape and imposed cost. This has made Election Rolls a particularly valuable source of reliable data. Yet now there are plans to require local authorities to produce a severely edited version of the Electoral Roll, which will be available for sale, whilst the unexpurgated version will be available only to the government and for ‘election purposes’… in other words, parties will have unrestricted access to your personal information in order to market their political candidates, yet people who want to sell you something you might actually need are told to get stuffed. If I dislike a piece of junk mail I can bin it; if I an annoyed by e-mail spam I can delete it… oh how I wish we could remove the intrusions of our political ‘masters’ so easily.
There is some humour to be had at the prospect of Hobart’s Funnies chasing blogista to the cognoscenti Natalie Solent across the sandy parts of Normandy.
If you have any idea what this cryptic remark actually means, you really do need to send an e-mail to Natalie and explain it to her at great length.
Over on muslimpundit there is an interesting analysis of Arafat‘s self-serving objectives for Palestine and his ‘credibility gap’. Adil Farooq administers boot-to-groin therapy where it is needed as usual.
Over on Cal Ulmann‘s blog Where HipHop and Libertarianism meet, he points out a simple truth
Bush says quitting drugs will stop terrorism. Well then why can’t marijuana that is grown on American soil be given to medical marijuana patients?
Quite so.
The urge to save humanity is almost always a false front for the urge to rule
– H.L. Mencken
Editors note: you need to read this carefully in order to ‘get it’
From Reporter J Baxter, Boston (BS NewsNetwork)
The Boston Celtics announced today they have signed a new power forward after several trial workouts. Standing tall is 6′ ‘7″ power forward Sam Ladenson, who demonstrated explosive charges through the paint, and a distinct ability to draw crucial fouls. Contract details are expected to be ironed out by the end of the day.
Celtic General Manager Red Auerbach said Ladenson is a triple threat–a mixture of Bob Cousy’s ball handling skills, weaving through bigger men almost unseen, Havlicek with his stop short 20 foot jumper, and Bill Russell, who could take on the big men in the middle whenever necessary. Auerbach envisions Ladenson’s presence permitting the Celtic’s leading scorer, Paul Pierce, to take more uncontested shots inside the three point stripe.
Celtic officials indicate Ladenson may well get some playing minutes during Tuesday’s game in New York. Remarked one team official—“It is not often such talent just appears out of nowhere.” Ladenson has traveled with various European and Central Asian teams, but apparently decided to give the NBA a shot. Overseas he was known for his ability to disappear until a critical big shot was needed.
Ladenson’s agent – M. L. O’Marr – well-known for having a singular keen eye for unusual and special talent, said negotiations are underway with the Celtic brass for a partial year contract, and a contract extension option for the 2002-03 season and beyond. O’Marr said Ladenson was looking to put down permanent roots. The team’s press agent did indicate that Ladenson had one contract stipulation—that he would be joining the Palestinian Olympic team for the Summer games. O’ Marr expected such contract details to be minor concerns, and predicted his client would fare well in the negotiations.
The Celtics, currently a half-game behind the New Jersey Nets, are making their first serious run at the Eastern Division title since the departure of Rick Pitino to the college ranks. Celtic scouts have privately conceded that Ladenson may expect trouble in the middle from the game’s biggest man in Shaquille O’Neil, but O’Marr was quick to point out Ladenson’s quick moves when surrounded.
Ladenson was not available for comment.
Over on National Review, Jonah Goldberg remains in the hole and appears to be digging with all his might. He writes in The Libertarian Lie:
Virginia Postrel suspects that my “anti-libertarian outbursts” stem from a desire to get her and other libertarians to link to my site. Well, we can put aside the suggestion that it’s a web-traffic bonanza to get linked on something called “Libertarian Samizdata” (I actually lose traffic when I indulge my anti-libertarian bent). But Postrel seems to believe my arguments are so silly that they’re better explained by some sort of cynical ploy.
Gosh, I wonder why she might think that? Could it be that she actually has a genuine objective philosophical underpinning to her ideas? Just a guess.
In fact, he makes libertarianism sound like a warm bath you can slip into to melt all your political cares and concerns away. And that’s all fine. Except for the fact that when criticized, all of a sudden libertarianism becomes this deeply complex body of thought with all sorts of Kantian categories and esoteric giggling about “rational fallibility” flying all about (many of my blogger critics actually sound like self-parodies). On offense, you guys are like the “Drink Me” bottle in Alice in Wonderland, or Morpheus’s pill in The Matrix. But on defense, you turn on the smoke machines and cloud the room up with faculty-lounge verbiage. You can’t have it both ways.
Of course not for a moment did I expect Goldberg to actually recognize Karl Popper‘s theory of rational falliblism. Those sort of ideas inevitably lead to the rejection of irrational dogmatism of the sort which underpins Mr. Goldberg’s flavour of anti-intellectual intuitive conservatism. So what does his defence upon finding his views challenged intellectually amount to? “No fair! You’re using big words!”
Thank you for living up to my expectations, Jonah. And by the way, if you are going to insult the Samizdata, you could at least have given us a link! Sheesh.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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