Gratuitous photos of rampant capitalist symbols, ctd

Johnathan Pearce (London) · Sui generis

I always thought gleaming, European or US wooden motorboats were the height of cool. One can imagine David Niven, Cary Grant or Sophia Loren behind the wheel of one of these beauties. Yes, I know that in technology terms, some of the modern stuff is much better, but never mind. All I need now is my private Italian lake, and I can use one.

(You can tell I have been out of the country for a few days and my mind is not entirely on TARP, Gordon Brown’s mental health, taxes, ID cards…..)

July 15th, 2009 |

6 comments to Gratuitous photos of rampant capitalist symbols, ctd

• Andrew Duffin

  July 15, 2009 at 12:35 pm

  The Chris-Craft is a lovely thing, no doubt, but for real class, it has to be a Riva Aquarama.

• Chris Strange

  July 15, 2009 at 1:19 pm

  If you want a beautiful wooden boat then you cannot get much better than Brave Challenger

  http://www.shipspotting.com/modules/myalbum/photo.php?lid=330958&cid=33

• Diogenes

  July 15, 2009 at 3:40 pm

  Agree with you that there seem to have been quite a few air crashes lately. Not, however, I think, on the sort of short-haul flights that Ryanair, Easyjet, etc do.

  Also concur with your concern about Easyjet’s customer service, as you report it.

  Both these points may be good, but I suggest that, for the avoidance of doubt, it’s worth clarifying that they are unconnected.

• diogenes

  July 15, 2009 at 3:42 pm

  Damn, sorry, attached this comment to the wrong post. Moderator please remove!

• Richard Garner

  July 15, 2009 at 11:12 pm

  To quote John Hospers,

  When I see the ruined palaces and monuments of ancient emperors, and read of their profligate spending and festive balls, I cannot help thinking of the money and labor, the sweat and tears, that have been the price of these things, expropriated from the poor, with nothing given in return, taken by force from the last of what the worker could save, often resulting in starvation or death from overwork. But when I read of a lavish party given by an American industrialist – provided always that he has earned the money on a free market, from consumers who bought his product voluntarily, and not by robbery via government subsidy and the taxation of others – I think of what he has achieved to make it possible for him to possess this wealth – not by diminishing the wealth of others as taxation does, but by increasing it through increased production and employment; not by forced expropriation through taxes, but by voluntary trade of value for value. But the majority of people, even Americans, who ought to know better, do not recognize the difference. All they see is “he has more than we have,” and they are envious and bitter. Yet when the industrialist takes a vacation on his yacht, the taxpayer has not paid a penny toward that yacht; and when a king or a president takes a vacation on his, the taxpayer has paid for it down to to the last bolt and screw – and is that much poorer for the king’s enjoyment. Such is the difference between the economic realm, where wealth is created, and the political realm, where wealth is seized from those who created it in order to be enjoyed by those who have not.

  Hear, hear for rampant capitalist symbols.

• Paul Marks

  July 20, 2009 at 1:56 pm

  It is not just looks – wood just feels better than other materials.

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