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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Samizdata quote of the day “For years, the people of this country have been corralled towards a future that they cannot see and cannot understand. But the energy crisis this winter will reveal what politicians and eco-activists have kept hidden – that in a Net Zero future you will be poorer and colder.”
– Dr Benny Peiser, Director, Net Zero Watch.
Net Zero Watch is a new group run by the Global Warming Policy Forum, and it has its own website. I intend to visit it regularly.
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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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Neither of which will be the fault of the politicians or the eco-activists. Just ask them. The Media will censor any opposing viewpoints, so it’s all good.
“This is known as bad luck.” – Heinlein
Let us hope that, as the damage mounts up from the pursuit of Net Zero, more and more people will seek to examine for themselves the evidence for there being a ‘climate emergency’. They will, like me, find there is very little, and none whatsoever of enough substance to warrant damage to our society and to our ability to cope with all manner of challenges.
Anyone willing to bet the activists will double-down and claim an Energy Crisis just proves we still don’t have enough renewables?
All that money spent just to prevent Birmingham having the same climate that Bournemouth currently enjoys.
The wealthy will survive the artificially high energy prices and the artificial energy shortages – ordinary people may face unemployment (as business enterprises close), poverty, and bitter cold.
Re “the energy crisis this winter“. Only time will tell with more certainty, but it looks like the Russians have outwitted us again. It appears they believe that it’s going to be a long cold winter.
Whether it’s true or not remains to be seen. But no surprise, they’ve cut back on their exports so that they can build up their domestic reserves for the winter. A short-term loss of revenue, for a long-term bonanza? As soon as their reserves are full-enough, they can start supplying Western Europe again, but at three-times the previous price! Mange tout! Lovely-jubblyski! A nice little earner! (as a Russian Dell Boy might say).
The idea of crushingly taxing the rich elite – considered in a vacuum – is horribly anti-libertarian.
At what point in the present arrangement – not in a vacuum, but in full consideration that we seem to have entered class warfare – does it become the libertarian option?
Libertarianism supports “leave us alone!”, but it must retain the right and power to enforce such a demand through anti-libertarian means. Otherwise it becomes as toothless and theoretical as pure pacifism.
About time, I say!
What gets me is just how the climate change meme has, so far, swept all before it, despite little, if any, evidence to support it.
Why did no-one resist? Do the people who run the oil and gas companies really want to be put out of business? Do the people who run the car companies really want to be forced to sell electric cars, which cost more than petrol or diesel ones, have limited range and take hours to recharge.
It’s no different in politics. For most of the twentieth century, a British voter who believed in nationalisation of industry and higher taxes voted Labour; one who didn’t voted Conservative. There was a choice. But who does someone vote for who doesn’t support Net Zero? All the main British political parties are fully on board with it. The only criticism levelled at the ruling Conservatives by the various opposition parties is that the government is not going far enough or fast enough
Personally, I think Net Zero is an act of collective insanity which, if implemented, will drive civilisation back to the seventeenth century. So who do I vote for?
Bobby: let me respectfully suggest that we should give Paul Marks a break on this.
Paul did not propose a tax on the ‘rich elite’.
More important, he did specify
(Emphasis added.)
Paul was opposing what he sees as problems created by government.
I believe that his view is correct, but even if it isn’t, it is still a libertarian view.
@bobby b
The idea of crushingly taxing the rich elite – considered in a vacuum – is horribly anti-libertarian. At what point in the present arrangement – not in a vacuum, but in full consideration that we seem to have entered class warfare – does it become the libertarian option?
In what way do you think that crushinly taxing the rich will improve the situation at all? The source of most of these problems is the government, so why do you think transferring money from private hands to that bunch of malignant, malicious goobers will many anything better?
I appreciate your general philosophy that libertarians shouldn’t live in an ivory tower, but if we are to compromise on our principles, surely we should only do so when it is productive to our goals? I don’t see how this, or trust busting google or the various other such ideas I am hearing, advances our cause one iota. In fact, AFAIK, it almost always makes things worse.
SG & FO:
Sorry. Chalk it up as an ill-expressed fit of pique.
I spoke, not of the well-off, not even of the wealthy, but of the ultra-wealthy who all seem to have adopted a complete enthusiasm for socialist progressivism. I’m thinking we ought to give them – just them – exactly what they seek, good and hard.
I tire of the fairly-well-off portion of the libertarian world fighting hard to protect the fabulously-well-off from the travails of the very system that those fabulously-well-off people are working so hard to impose on everyone.
I generally place a high value on life. Last week, I shot a rattlesnake. I see no conflict. (ETA: At least, I’m comfortable with the conflict.)
@bobby b
I generally place a high value on life. Last week, I shot a rattlesnake. I see no conflict. (ETA: At least, I’m comfortable with the conflict.)
Excellent analogy. Unfortunately, in human society it is the rattlesnakes who have the biggest guns.
Various Gulf states have grown rich beyond normal comprehension over the past 50 years or so by ruthlessly screwing the entire world over the price of their oil.
It seems hypocritical to be demonising Russia for potentially doing something infinitely less far-reaching – especially when in this case the countries bleating the loudest have brought so much of this on themselves.
bobby b – I have never suggested crushing taxes on the rich, and I do not support that.
But I do support ending tax loopholes – such as the deductibility of State and local income taxes (essentially ended by President Trump – but which the Democrats are trying to bring back), which enable rich leftists to support endless government spending in such places as New York and California (both of which are abominations – whose State governments actively support all that is evil) knowing they will not pay for it.
Even more importantly the Credit Money monetary and financial system must end – it is endless subsidies to the “Woke” Corporations (via the “Woke” Credit Bubble banks) and rich “Woke” individuals. It is the Cantillon Effect on a scale that Richard Cantillon could never have imagined, even in his worse nightmares.
I know I have been “banging on” about the Credit Money monetary and financial system for decades, but it is the centre of economic corruption in the modern world – it is not just economically damaging (the source of the twisting of the Capital Structure and an incredible level of ARTIFICIAL inequality), it is a moral outrage.
The-Beast-Must-Die.
I know that there will be terrible suffering when the Credit Money monetary and financial system finally collapses, but…..
The-Beast-Must-Die.
@John Lewis
Various Gulf states have grown rich beyond normal comprehension over the past 50 years or so by ruthlessly screwing the entire world over the price of their oil.
That seems an odd thing to say. They have a resource that they have been trying to get best price for. Why is that any more “ruthlessly screwing” that you or I in a salary negotiating trying to get the best raise possible, or, when selling a home trying to get the best price possible?
In what sense have they ‘screwed over the entire world’ over the past 50 years?
I think the people who need demonising are the ones who think becoming dependent on Russian energy was a good idea. The Gulf states are unlikely to send ‘little green men’ into European nations.
No, I was being unclear. I was the one suggesting that in my comment. Mostly for the communist/progressive ultra-rich.
After Richard Nixon cut the link between the dollar and gold in 1971, it was hardly surprising that the Arab states would want more dollars for their oil. Mr Nixon was in effect telling the world that the USA had defaulted on its debts, and instead of gold, in future its creditors could expect payment in green coupons which the US government could create (and has created) ad infinitum. Why would the Arabs not want a lot more of these coupons for their oil?
bobby b – the “Woke” left will not be paying higher taxes. Their endless subsidies from an institutionally-corrupt monetary and financial system will continue – till the system collapses (which it will).
You will be paying higher taxes Sir. You know this.
This will go on till the system collapses – which it will.
I have always wanted reform NOT collapse – but collapse is what we are all going to get.
And the cruel rulers of the People’s Republic of China are waiting for the collapse to the Western powers – especially the United States.
Indeed the rulers of the PRC are more than waiting for the collapse of the United States – they have been pushing it, for many years now. Aided by corrupt and despicable traitors such as Mr Joseph Biden (who has been paid well for his treachery – over many years). And remember – the entire establishment knew of all this, the FBI and the “Justice” Department are rotten to the core.
At this point we have to put our faith in God (which will amuse atheists – and they are correct, I can not prove the existence of God), because only a miracle can save liberty in this world.
Still – fight on to the bitter end, if bitter it must be.
As that old French children’s series “The Flashing Blade” put it – “It is better to have fought and lost, than not to have fought at all”.