tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.comments2023-09-25T04:26:51.568-06:00The Barefoot BumLarry Hamelinhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comBlogger7897125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-20135511625862915202020-12-01T05:21:38.784-07:002020-12-01T05:21:38.784-07:00Exactly! The Demoncrats are just rePUKEians in she...Exactly! The Demoncrats are just rePUKEians in sheep skin!! And even with the reasonable stuff the demoncrats put thru does not change what they refuse to do to make this country a nicer place. But most of that is caused by the delusional rather st00pid voters who think that working hard and honest will make them rich & powerful, meanwhile the 1%ers prove they are 100% wrong! Using a modern example ... show me how Gates got rich by 'working hard & honest'???L.Longnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-48956764274635245912020-10-13T17:27:24.983-06:002020-10-13T17:27:24.983-06:00The celebration of 'Bad immigration policy day...The celebration of 'Bad immigration policy day' where the people should have killed everyone who came ashore, but unlike the chrisANAL explorers, the heathen indians where much nicer ... to their destruction.L.Longnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-13481426263316678762020-10-11T22:21:07.912-06:002020-10-11T22:21:07.912-06:00I wonder what your thoughts are on Robinson's ...<i>I wonder what your thoughts are on Robinson's other point in his piece, namely that we don't really know a person's potential without bending over backwards in order to help them achieve it.</i><br /><br />I don't have a firm opinion on that. <br /><br />Much depends on what one means by "potential"; as an economist, I see the cost of reaching some quantity to be as important as the maximum quantity that can be achieved at any cost. Is it worth it to use up a ten times more educational resources into making one person an engineer than it would be for another person, even if the first could, with the extra resources, be a good engineer?<br /><br />In any event, deBoer goes through a lot of science (which I didn't study carefully); if Robinson wanted to make the case that we can't measure potential, then he would have to hit the science.<br /><br /><i>[A]re we sure that we're training as many engineers as we possibly can?</i><br /><br />Well, I don't know that we want to train as many as we <i>can</i>; we should be training as many as we <i>want</i>, given that more engineers means fewer doctors, teachers, etc.<br /><br />deBoer's point resonates with me precisely because I'm an economist. Regardless of other problems (which are admittedly severe), I think it's important to look at efficiency and opportunity cost, and differences in ability have an effect.<br /><br /><i>Perhaps Robinson is just presenting a false controversy in order to get a few more clicks?</i><br /><br />I'm quite hesitant to impute such base and trivial motives to him. I think the left is just as capable to deny science on sincerely held moral grounds.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-17288438382077220282020-10-11T20:09:08.609-06:002020-10-11T20:09:08.609-06:00I wonder what your thoughts are on Robinson's ...I wonder what your thoughts are on Robinson's other point in his piece, namely that we don't really know a person's potential without bending over backwards in order to help them achieve it. It sounds a bit like just the sort of whining that we on "the left" are long accused for, and yet I must say that this point resonates with my experience.<br /><br />Sure, differences in academic achievement as measured by current practice displays a strong genetic correlation, but are we sure that we're training as many engineers as we possibly can? It just seems like a much better approach to education in general than the current regime.<br /><br />I don't really see how this point is at odds with deBoer's point about forgoing an "equality of outcome" model either. Perhaps Robinson is just presenting a false controversy in order to get a few more clicks? gillflickahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18082337770604221634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-48307247959707602832020-10-11T20:08:14.368-06:002020-10-11T20:08:14.368-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.gillflickahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/18082337770604221634noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-48014312470161524882020-10-02T12:36:46.951-06:002020-10-02T12:36:46.951-06:00And science has the advantage that since it aint &...And science has the advantage that since it aint "HOLY SCRIPTURE" that even if some bigoted ahole says 'Blacks are inferior' the science will eventually be seen as bigoted by other science and just plain associating with blacks to show the bigoted scientist's science was just plain wrong...wakefield comes to mind.<br />In religion this never happens, as a new sect of religion is formed rather than the truth changing anything.<br />So yes science is the best way to know!L.Longnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-85370586216889577992020-05-18T07:57:40.262-06:002020-05-18T07:57:40.262-06:00The bigger point is that Cuba is Cuba, not the Uni...The bigger point is that Cuba is Cuba, not the United States. Capitalist, socialist, or communist, the specifics are important; valid generalizations are hard to extract.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-51214610857945751752020-05-17T14:39:41.477-06:002020-05-17T14:39:41.477-06:00It's true that Communist Cuba isn't a plac...It's true that Communist Cuba isn't a place where I would want to live. On the other hand, Cuba under Battista was a shitty place for most of its citizens, too. Why shouldn't that be charged against capitalism's account?<br />VinnyJH57https://www.blogger.com/profile/17954441753543764706noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-83374393372812155342020-01-03T11:55:26.398-07:002020-01-03T11:55:26.398-07:00To my eyes, they're basically a distinct group...<i> To my eyes, they're basically a distinct group that made the unfortunate decision to reclaim "neoliberal"</i><br /><br />That's always the problem, no? When all of these terms are self-applied, who is "genuine", and who is "misappropriating" the label?<br /><br /><i>But this is something you could decide for yourself, based on their stated platform.</i><br /><br />Their stated platform seems squarely in what at least Noah Smith would call neoliberalism: "a combination of well-functioning, properly regulated markets and effective government." But would it work? It's not like this kind of neoliberalism (genuine or not) is coming out of left field. It was the dominant political ideology from WJ Clinton (perhaps earlier) until Trump, and is still the mainstream opposition to Trumpism. <br /><br />The problem always is <i>quis custodiet ipsos custodes?</i> Who regulates the markets? Who make sure the government is "effective"? The capitalists don't want <i>anyone</i> to regulate them, even if that regulation is necessary to their own survival as a class.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-62615350278694686112020-01-03T07:58:45.047-07:002020-01-03T07:58:45.047-07:00Since you mentioned a lack of modern examples of n...Since you mentioned a lack of modern examples of neoliberalism, perhaps you would be interested in a group that I was recently made aware of--the YIMBY neoliberals. I met them when I tried getting involved in California housing politics, and my understanding is that they came out of internal arguments over prop 10 (they were against). To my eyes, they're basically a distinct group that made the unfortunate decision to reclaim "neoliberal", in which case nothing they could say would controvert your points about neoliberalism. But this is something you could decide for yourself, based on their <a href="https://medium.com/yimbyneoliberal/platform-8f4d7cc16265" rel="nofollow">stated platform</a>.Siggyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01825209502285712140noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-16110473562532922402019-09-11T09:24:23.040-06:002019-09-11T09:24:23.040-06:00Treating guns like abortion in anti-abortion state...Treating guns like abortion in anti-abortion states? That's cute.There is an old feminist joke that states "If men could get pregnant, abortion would be a sacrament."<br /><br />More recent versions over Twitter, last May 16:<br /><br />Barbra Streisand: "If these male GOP elected officials could get pregnant, there would be free abortion nationwide."<br /><br />Alexandria Ocasio-Cortez: "If male politicians could get pregnant, there would be as many Planned Parenthood clinics as there are Post Offices. ����"<br />Lorenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/13984896453534621864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-77771389281367866372019-09-06T15:02:34.272-06:002019-09-06T15:02:34.272-06:00Thanks!Thanks!Vizboneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11440218868666159014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-47617145039006480142019-09-05T18:50:16.250-06:002019-09-05T18:50:16.250-06:00Nice post.Keep sharing. Thanks for sharing.
Nice post.Keep sharing. Thanks for sharing.<br />Clipping Pathhttps://www.clippingpathquick.com/noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-29561764347950239322019-08-18T05:24:31.750-06:002019-08-18T05:24:31.750-06:00I'll start you off:
The integral zee-squared ...I'll start you off:<br /><br />The integral zee-squared dee-zee<br />...Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-84658728403940896092019-08-15T15:14:45.540-06:002019-08-15T15:14:45.540-06:00I got the first one:
A dozen, a gross, and a score...I got the first one:<br />A dozen, a gross, and a score<br />plus three times the square-root of four<br />Divided by seven<br />Plus five times eleven<br />Equals nine squared and not any more<br /><br />But I'm at a loss for the second one. Can you toss me a bone?Vizboneshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11440218868666159014noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-85569709790498321202019-08-02T03:28:54.412-06:002019-08-02T03:28:54.412-06:00Unknown: you clearly know nothing about communism,...Unknown: you clearly know nothing about communism, Bolshevism, this blog, or much of anything else. If you have something of substance to contribute, do so. Otherwise, your comment is entirely unhelpful.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-29379144925777863142019-08-01T21:25:25.237-06:002019-08-01T21:25:25.237-06:00Dustin's statements sound exactly like the Bol...Dustin's statements sound exactly like the Bolshevik revolution which ushered in Communism to the USSR: everyone promised a job, a place to live, etc. etc. all paid for by the government; take a look at the history of countries that practice communism: it is not a pretty storyAnonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11107723166789681637noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-18793556668748066612019-07-29T00:00:06.633-06:002019-07-29T00:00:06.633-06:00Welcome abcrane, and thanks for your comments.
No...Welcome abcrane, and thanks for your comments.<br /><br />Note that my comment on exploiting people to clean toilets was sarcasm; I don't think there's a natural dichotomy between exploiters and exploited.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-55155131159498701662019-07-28T15:05:57.157-06:002019-07-28T15:05:57.157-06:00"It would be nice to just be pluralistic, to ..."It would be nice to just be pluralistic, to say that well, we're still going to need people to clean our toilets, and those who cannot consistently understand reality in a rational, adult manner will always be at a substantial disadvantage." the worker-owned (for profit) cooperative solves for this "dichotomy" --worker-owners can all be adults together and take turns with that toilet scrubber:) check out "Mondragon" cooperative to see how successful and mature this business model/paradigm can be! abcranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15366964308255450820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-60085260493301060772019-07-28T14:58:12.197-06:002019-07-28T14:58:12.197-06:00great great article! I've been thinking a lot ...great great article! I've been thinking a lot about how infantile are so many adults that I know (coworkers, strangers, etc.). this externalization of authority is huge, but also religious sexual repression is a major factor in preventing people from progressing naturally and holistically through the critical milestones of becoming an adult. (pop culture with its perverse "sexualization" of children in media is a masked reactive version of this). the beginning of mind control started with this whole religious sexual shame/original sin BS. and in turn, we have adults with addictive, vindictive, subservient or domineering personality (disorders)running around in their Disney overalls acting like baboons. I'd say our wars of conquest are waged and fought by infantile-minded adults, and this is the most tragic consequence along with child abuse/clergy abuseabcranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15366964308255450820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-35639470282052592922019-07-28T14:53:37.627-06:002019-07-28T14:53:37.627-06:00This comment has been removed by the author.abcranehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15366964308255450820noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-29857997224218686052019-06-26T06:43:50.298-06:002019-06-26T06:43:50.298-06:00Thanks! Fixing now.Thanks! Fixing now.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-12906365886899401612019-06-26T06:39:53.737-06:002019-06-26T06:39:53.737-06:00Hey, there is a broken link in this article, under...Hey, there is a broken link in this article, under the anchor text - can't find Iran on a map<br /> <br />Here is the working link so you can replace it - https://selectra.co.uk/sites/selectra.co.uk/files/pdf/FINALReport2006GeogLitsurvey.pdfAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-45039320293466741772019-01-25T04:58:17.343-07:002019-01-25T04:58:17.343-07:00Are there elements of antisemitism in "On the...Are there elements of antisemitism in "<a href="https://www.marxists.org/archive/marx/works/1844/jewish-question/" rel="nofollow">On the Jewish Question</a>"? Perhaps. <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/On_the_Jewish_Question" rel="nofollow">Scholarly analysis is mixed</a>.<br /><br />However, to conclude that the entire political left is inevitably tarred with antisemitism because of OtJQ is so completely irrational that I must conclude that you, Dustin, are simply impervious to reason.<br /><br />You are no longer welcome here, Dustin. Take your hysterical stupidity to Tumblr.Larry Hamelinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08788697573946266404noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-28755195.post-28550768810967114522019-01-25T02:35:03.427-07:002019-01-25T02:35:03.427-07:00I did read it. It was required reading for a cours...I did read it. It was required reading for a course during my freshman year at college, along with The Communist Manifesto. <br /><br />Here is some of the stuff it says:<br /><br />"What is the secular basis of Judaism? Practical need, self-interest. What is the worldly religion of the Jew? Huckstering. What is his worldly God? Money."<br /><br />"Once society has succeeded in abolishing the empirical essence of Judaism – huckstering and its preconditions – the Jew will have become impossible, because his consciousness no longer has an object, because the subjective basis of Judaism, practical need, has been humanized, and because the conflict between man’s individual-sensuous existence and his species-existence has been abolished."<br /><br />I could barely complete the required reading because I was so disgusted with it. Dustin Vinland Jarlhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06321791031988119649noreply@blogger.com