Last Monday morning I did what I think was probably my best recorded conversation yet, with a man named Leon Louw. Here is the conversation we had, and here is the publication that Leon Louw was talking about. I recommend both with enthusiasm. Here is my bloggage about it all. Anyone even slightly interested in what distinguishes successful governments from failing governments, nice countries from nasty ones, will profit from following at least one of those links.
A few days before that, I did another recorded conversation, about the Libertarian Alliance and its workings, with Tim Evans, (pictured on the right here), who is now its President. Bloggage about that from me here.
And then last Tuesday, I had another of the regular conversations I have with Antoine Clarke about elections and related matters around the world, this time about the recent US midterms.
These conversations, especially the one with Leon Louw, have stirred me into setting up another of these things, with someone I have long wanted to talk with in this way, namely Samizdata’s own Perry de Havilland. I have just spoken on the phone with Perry and he has no objections to me flagging this up beforehand here nor to me asking the Samizdata commentariat if they have any questions that they would particularly like me to put to Perry. I do not promise to use every such suggestion, but all suggestions that do materialise will be considered.
This conversation will be happening this coming Saturday afternoon. Perry and I will be talking about what Perry did before Samizdata, what made him start it, about what it has been like doing it for the last five years, and about what effects it may or may not have had, during that time and in the future. That kind of thing.
I am going to start whatever preparatory reading I manage to do here.
Excellent stuff. Is it possible to download your podcasts? I would like to put them on my ipod so I can listen to them on the train, but I couldn’t see that option.
Yes I agree.
Serves me right for signing up to a cheap broadband service though, cos I get this irritating fluttering noiseover.
Leon Louw is one of the most relaxed urbane and intellegent speakers I have heard for years.
He deserves in the fullness of time, to be as well known and loved as Nelson Mandela.
RAB:
Should I be the first to print up “Hang Leon Louw” t-shirts, then?
Sam right click on the link to the MP3 file then click on “save link as” and save the file to your hard drive. Then I think ipod users have to use the itunes software to put it on to your ipod. I have a nice cheap MP3 player which my PC sees as another disk drive which I can just copy MP3’s on to.
Ah no TANSTAAFL, not quite what I meant.
The link is that they are both South African.
Now I infuriate my moonbat friends, by calling Nelson Mandela a complete wanker. He was a pretty useless terrorist and he was rubbish at the actual job of being President ( I wouldn’t leave him in charge of a corner shop over the weekend because it is bound to be bankcrupt by monday. Remember his AIDS denial and his Marxist background?).
But as a figurehead for reconsciliation, he has proved to be a winner. He could have been a Mugabe, but he was wiser than that. He could have said right I’m free let’s drive whitey into the sea! but he didn’t.
For that alone, I am grateful.
I was ill for the whole of Friday and have had to postpone doing a chat with Perry on Saturday. Which is why there’ll be no posting about that Saturday or any time soon after. Just so you know.
Thanks 1327, I’ve got it working.
I’m ready for your next podcast, Brian, when you are feeling better (soon I trust).
Very interesting stuff. Much appreciated, Brian, more than my clumsy words can ever convey.
Most certainly the UK is slipping back in the Rule of Law partly via the bias created by the Welfare State and the unaccountability of ministers, the bullying of Local Councillors who wish to speak up against malpractice and the blatant bypassing of Parliament.
For some reason I feel the Common Basic Income fits in with the direction proposed, though I have in the past not been comfortable with it.