Found this old joke. Posted for posterity: Socialism: You have two cows; you give one to your neighbour. Communism: You have tow cows; the government takes both and gives you the milk. Fascism: You have two cows; the government takes both and sells you the milk. Nazism: You have two […]
Read MorePost Tagged with: "Ideas"
Hang on a minute…
First, the Conservatives propose a tax on “problem drinks” and are told EU rules won’t allow it. Now the Lib Dems propose a cut in VAT on juices to be paid for by extra tax on “some alcoholic drinks”. I’m now looking forward to a stream of useful policy ideas […]
Read MoreSuch a thing as society, even in London
Today, I had two pleasant conversations with strangers in London. Now this is not unheard of in the north, but who speaks to anyone in the City? People on bikes, it turns out, at the traffic lights. I asked after a bizarre three-wheeled scooter and had a great response from […]
Read MoreGiuliani Official: ‘Get rid of Muslims’. This must stop.
Troubling footage of an official of the Giuliani campaign. Worrying in the context of increasingly authoritarian law and recent comments from Muslim leaders in the UK, saying they feel they are being “demonised”. See also http://www.guardian.co.uk/news/video/2007/dec/27/primaries.rudy.guiliani read more | digg story
Read MoreJack Straw: “Labour’s decade is liberty’s best since the vote was won”
See this Guardian article: First, the Human Rights Act. We really did “bring rights home”, as we said we would. At last British people have been able directly to access and to enforce positive rights in the British courts, rather than having to go to Strasbourg and wait for years […]
Read MoreAn “Aha!” moment
I just discovered Fabian gradualism. Put this in the context of the Lisbon Treaty and Hayek‘s “The Road to Serfdom” and things begin to make sense. The great ideological battle continues: Hayek shared his Nobel Prize with rival Gunnar Myrdal. The problem is, the combatants are in different places. While […]
Read More“To change one’s life,”
Start immediately, do it flamboyantly and allow no exceptions. The psychologist and philosopher William James, quoted in the BMJ.
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