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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Israel’s technological creativity George Gilder – author of such books as the Spirit of Enterprise, has a nice essay up about the technological savvy and business prowess of Israel’s IT sector. Makes a change to read something about that country that does not involve armed conflict. But then, as we should remember, it is the sheer success of Israel as an economic unit, as much as anything else, that drives its would-be destroyers nuts, because it shows up their own massive failings.
I would like to get Gilder’s new book on Israel. As if my reading list were not long enough as it is.
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A good post.
Without Israel’s rejection of socialism (which looked very likely to take over the country in the early years) it would have collapsed long ago.
Of course Israel has a very big government (as do almost all Western nations now), but at least neither business or science (economic creativity and scientific creativity) are not dirty concepts in Israel.
Sadly many modern leftists have rejected the idea of human progress and have come up with a weird hybrid version of collectivism – where state control is justified because economic growth is considered evil. So to tell such people of the harmful effects on the economy of government intervention carries no weight with them – as they want government to have harmful effects. Of course government intervention (“nudging” people) also has HARMFUL (not benefical) effects on the environment – but Green collectivists will not accept that.
Such Commissars as Cass Susteen (Regulation Commissar with oversight over all Federal regulations in every aspect of Civil Society – confirmed by the Senate last week) and John Holdren (the Science Commissar with a fanatical hatred of science and technolgy – confirmed by the Senate some time ago) are examples of this sort of collectivist – I doubt either man would prosper in Israel (even in the Labour Party).
In the United States the Democrats seem to have totally sold out to the Marxists and the Greens (and to the weird hybrid Green/Marxists who would have really confused Karl Marx) and too many of the Republicans in the Senate and the House are either ignorant or cowardly.
After all if they resist anything too much they will be called racists – in spite of the fact that both the above Commissars are white (I suppose the basis of the racism charge is that President Obama, the person who appoints all the Commissars, is black – well sort of black anyway).
Even critics like Glenn Beck could do with spending more time in study (like an Israeli scientist) then they would stop saying “Czar” (an absurd misuse of the word) and start saying “Commissar” – which is what these people actually are.
Also they would not get angry when called “McCarthites” – as they would have read Stanton Evans’ “Blacklisted by History” and know more of the truth of those times.
If Senator McCarthy had won (although the odds were wildly against him – considering the vast influence collectivists had even in the early 1950’s) the United States would not be in danger of the total collapse of Civil Society – as it now is.
It’s also interesting that India is now third in applications for new technological patents after the United States and Germany.
Recently In British Army:
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/technology/8247143.stm
Speaking to the BBC, Radwin’s Adi Nativ said the system had been bought by the MoD a few months ago.
“The systems were fitted – and operators trained – on to vehicles in the UK which were then deployed to Afghanistan.
“Traditional microwave links only work on line-of-sight, meaning buildings and trees can get in the way.
“Our system works in near line-of-sight and non-line-of-sight, which is one of the advantages of the frequency and mechanisms we use,” he said.
Interesting, would this be sort of short range troposcatter?
Johnathan –
Would love to have you join us at the Gilder/Forbes Israel Test Telecosm Conference in November.
See http://www.TelecosmConference.com for the details.
– Mary
Good point, Paul Marks. Same with Barry Goldwater. And if the left hadn’t been allowed to manufacture “WaterGate”…
It’s bizarre, but other than Reagan and Thatcher, the march has, against all human instincts, been to the left. I suppose those who hunger to control others are more strongly motivated than those who just want to make money and have a comfortable life. (I realise Ayers and Obama have, inexplicably, done both…)
Not belittle the talents of the Israelis, but they do get lots of support (direct and indirect) from the US too.
It’s bizarre, but other than Reagan and Thatcher, the march has, against all human instincts, been to the left.
I don’t think that’s against instincts at all. Most people are quite happy to surrender their freedoms for the comforting embrace of the nanny state.
“I don’t think that’s against instincts at all. Most people are quite happy to surrender their freedoms for the comforting embrace of the nanny state.”
Well there’s the rub right there.
Human nature vs human depravity. Except we’re not allowed to say “human depravity” because the physics crowd keep telling us that, since there are no numbers to crunch, it’s only subjective opinion.
I haven’t been present around these parts much of late, so maybe I’ve missed a few things – but is that the same Verity from Samizdata’s deep dark past, back from self-imposed exile?
The Gilder book “The Israel Test” is excellent and the best part is when he explained that Bibi was able to leverage US pressure in order to eliminate some of the worst aspects of Israeli socialism and privatize a good chink of the economy. Its been roughly a decade since the US stopped giving Israel economic aid, These days it is 100% military.
I recall Microsoft Israel was the one that came up with Win32s, the 32-bit extensions to Windows 3.x that would later become Windows 95 and MSFT’s gradual dominance in the world of desktop computing.
Whether this is a good thing or a bad thing I guess depends on your perspective. Considering the alternatives out there, I rather chalk it up to ‘good’.
Hello, James Waterton, and yes, it’s me. And I remember you, too!
Egypt gets huge subsidies from the US too, or at least it used to. The difference is, Egypt is a corrupt mess, so the money is simply spread around to keep the current regime in power. It doesn’t do anything.
Israel constructively uses its aid. They also have a work ethic and a can-do mentality – amazing what you can do when you are surrounded by numerically superior countries whose aim is your destruction. It seems to sharpen the mind.
James Waterton, yes, it’s me. I remember, you, too. If I’m not mistaken, you post from Oz … ?
Hi Verity.
I’m sure you remember me too.
Welcome back, though that may not be a universal sentiment.
Now if this time you stick to what you know, then we will be on a roll!
If not, it will be Banjo’s at 20 paces, just like the old days. 😉
I wonder if Israel is the 51st State, Area 51, where all the alien technology goes? That would explain a lot!
O.K., Alisa, GIVE! Is Mossad on Mars yet? Tell all!
I was going to ask the same as James. Damn, that was back before I even became CountingCats, and well before I became a kitty kounter.
Verity, I have seen you wandering around other premises, but not for a long time.
Good to see you and looking forward to acerbic commentary.
You, even now, are mentioned on occasion.
Counting Cats, thank you and what a wonderful blogname! (I’m sorry if this fails the acerbity test, but cats are sensational.)
The Watergate case is interesting Verity.
One of the ways the left destroyed Senator McCarthy was to declare that Executive Branch papers were sacred – he could not have access to these papers (without the free consent of the President) to defend himself before the Senate.
And as Ike did not feel like upsetting the supporters of FDR and Truman by releasing papers that proved that many of their staff has indeed been Communists (and disliked McCarthy for personal reasons anyway) he let him be hung out to dry. After all if did not matter – the Communists were finished now (accept that is not the way it turned out).
Anyway – when Richard Nixon claimed “Executive Privilage” for his papers (and tapes) the left suddenly decided it did not exist.
That is a problem with a “Common Law” system – the “law” is whatever the judges want it to be. The law (even the Constitution) has no fixed meaning – it changes with the balance of forces.
By the way Nixon was guilty – but only of things that had been standard political practice in Washington since the time of F.D.R.
Although I can not say I care much (inspite of the fact that Nixon was railroaded). ANd it is not just price controls and his other domestic policy failings.
He could have brought the roof down (like Sampson) by simply pointing out that FDR, Truman, JFK and LBJ had all done the stuff he had (and much worse). But he did not.
And, besides, any friend of Mao’s is no friend of mine.
There is no Mars, Nuke, don’t you know? We made it up!
You mean, Doctor Who’s been lying to me all these years? You can’t trust no-body!
OK, they all seem to be gone, so I can tell you that Dr. Who is a Mossad agent.
At last, the truth! Of course- the Daleks stand for the Nazies- DuetchrepubLiK. I wonder how many other subtle clues are embedded in the show? Does Tardis stand for ‘Israel Is always Right’?
Yes, but you didn’t hear it from me.
Hear what, Alisa? 🙂
They’re Always Right; Defend Israeli Settlers! (TARDIS)
Well in the old days, before the show became obsessed with “human relationships” (not always a mistake – but often a mistake), Dr Who was identified (in several different stories) as working with the Timelord Celestial Intellegence Agency.
Of course, also in the old days, there was no problem in working both with the CIA and with Mossad – only in recent times have Americans been thrown in jail for such things as “leaking American secrets” (for example on the Iranian support for SUNNI Islamic terrorists, not just Shia ones, and the Iranian nuclear buildup) to “Israel” – i.e. trying to expose what is happening TO THE PUBLIC.
There have always been “Progressives” in govenrmnet – but now their stranglehold is so strong (and there level of extremism is so great) that having a Jew as Chief of Staff is not going to save matters.
It will need Dr Who.