Monday morning links

To make my case, I next show how the EU evolved from a constructive European community to an overbearing, undemocratic force that acts as if people have ceased to identify with their national communities and are already loyal citizens of the EU.

Posted by Bird Dog in Hot News & Misc. Short Subjects at 06:41 | Comments (22) | Trackbacks (0)

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WHAT IS SOCIALISM? It's long past time that people should be discussing this question. Socialism is the rightless political/economic system whereby a man doesn't have the right to live for his own sake, but must serve his neighbors. Since the will of his neighbors can't be known, it must be determined by some "strong leader", which means an individual is a slave to the whims of government. Socialism is an immoral system, which is why it always ends in poverty and death. I think the only way to attack socialism is on the moral issue, not the economic. The inevitable economic decline is just a symptom of the idea that man must sacrifice for his neighbors.

#1 snopercod on 2019-09-16 08:40 (Reply)

I believe man must sacrifice for his neighbors, but he has to decide for himself to do it. No system that demands it of him as a right will ever lead to anything but poverty and murder. The best we can do is a system that prevents his use of force or fraud, so he has to learn to give and take by consent. After that, if he wants simply to give, more power to him.

#1.1 Texan99 on 2019-09-16 10:47 (Reply)

@texan & @snopercod - i'll go one step further, and affirm after 1/2 century observing my fellow mankind, that voluntary charity is the best charity; borne of free will, with the sole intent to help one's fellow man. There's a synergy, G-d inspired IMHO, from private charity that simply cannot exist when imposed top-down from our self-annointed betters.

I recall once, years ago, reading an article comparing US government foreign assistance to US private citizen charity - and the numbers surprised me... the US private charities $$ was larger than that provided by USGov.

But, like defensive gun uses, you're not going to hear much about private charity being "better" than USGov --- that could lead to curtailing of those top-down efforts, curbing their power over us...

The JG

#1.1.1 The Jacksonian Grouch on 2019-09-16 12:31 (Reply)

If charity is imposed, then it's not charity.

It's a tax or a tithe.

#1.1.1.1 JJM on 2019-09-16 17:22 (Reply)

From the Wash. Examiner:

'The 2007 energy bill effectively outlawed most traditional incandescent bulbs through efficiency mandates on “general service lamps.” On the last full day of the Obama administration, the Energy Department issued a rule redefining the term “general service lamp” to include specialty bulbs, such as three-way bulbs and chandelier bulbs.

'Why did the Department of Energy play this Orwellian word game? “DOE expects these sales will likely increase since these lamps could be used as replacements for other regulated lamp types," the agency explained on January 19, 2017.

'In other words, the Obama administration knew that people appreciate traditional incandescents and would buy the classes of bulbs where traditional incandescents were still allowed. So they changed the rules to deny consumers even that little avenue of choice.

'[T]he media and Democrats are really upset about Trump “rolling back” lightbulb rules, but those rules aren’t even in effect yet. If three-way bulbs and chandelier bulbs were such a threat to the climate, why didn’t Obama rope them into the lightbulb mandates earlier? Trump’s “deregulation” is basically preserving the regulatory structure that existed throughout the Obama administration.'

#2 Texan99 on 2019-09-16 08:45 (Reply)

Then Trump rolled back the EPA's new water regs and even halted the car MPG mandates...the administrative state is now descending into a catatonic state and the political uniparty is aghast. For the first time in the recorded post civil war history we find the Dems are moving into the states rights sphere.

#2.1 indyjonesouthere on 2019-09-16 10:58 (Reply)

re Yes, They Are Coming for Your Guns

This has been a dream of the Left for decades. It was nice of O'Rourke to say it in plain English.

Ironically, he didn't have a problem with the ownership of 'assault rifles' when he was running for senator.

#3 feeblemind on 2019-09-16 08:48 (Reply)

Beto has just earned his place in pop history with a video clip that's going to be repeated every two years into perpetuity - whatever the outcome. What a thing to be famous for.

#3.1 Aggie on 2019-09-16 09:44 (Reply)

He said that Texans don't want our AR15s and would gladly give them up if asked. Look, Texas is a huge state with roughly 28 million people. So maybe Beto did talk to a couple of Texans with that opinion. I doubt it, but it is possible.

Even if he did, though, there are MILLIONS of us who wouldn't give up our scary rifles no matter what he said about us.

Like feeble said, it is nice that he said what libs were thinking for so long.

#3.1.1 Dangerous Dean on 2019-09-17 10:00 (Reply)

Those of you that like reading about sailing ships may find this story interesting. It's about the voyage and wreck of the HMS Wager in 1741. It is rather long read.

Dead Reckoning The 18th century misadventures of HMS Wager and her reluctant crew

https://www.damninteresting.com/dead-reckoning/

#4 feeblemind on 2019-09-16 09:35 (Reply)

Great read! Thanks for the link. I had forgotten about damnintersting, lots of good stuff on that website.

#4.1 B. Hammer on 2019-09-16 11:22 (Reply)

The article on LED lamps is pretty silly (blindingly bright versions are readily available, as well as dimmable and warmer colored versions), but I won't use them because the light they emit is unnatural. It is not continuous "blackbody" radiation like what we get from the Sun, or from incandescent bulbs, but a "line spectrum", i.e., a collection of separate colors in the visual range with nothing in between them. Even though they "look" white to the eye, they cause colored objects to not look the way they do under natural light. (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Metamerism_(color))

The only place I use them is in the outdoor flood that I keep on at night, where I'm happy to have the high efficiency and to not have to get up on a ladder every year to replace it.

#5 Hairless Joe on 2019-09-16 09:41 (Reply)

Lots of examples of fake news today.

#6 Assistant Village Idiot on 2019-09-16 10:34 (Reply)

Disrespecting over 100 genders and your kids don't belong to you...tell me again that the Frankfort school hasn't spread out to the entire media complex and turned MSM brains into "collective" mush.

#7 indyjonesouthere on 2019-09-16 10:42 (Reply)

... Air Force Deal To Refuel Near Trump's Scottish Resort.... So what's new? I was a MATS (Air Force) pilot in the '50s, flying the N. Atlantic routes. We had several flights a month that layed over at Prestwick. I laid over there probably seven or eight times, always in the cheapest hotel available. We wouldn't have cared if Joseph V. Stalin was the owner as long it was the cheapest. If you've ever tried to survive on per diem you understand. I suspect they've been laying over at Prestwick ever since my time, and that's some 60 years.

#8 BillH on 2019-09-16 10:43 (Reply)

The EU lost its luster...it relied on the worst aspects of democracy until the inmates rebelled and then it relied on the well known aspects of the authoritarian/totalitarians to try to maintain control. Only the incoming "free riders" from dysfunctional cultures approve along with the self appointed political "experts".

#9 indyjonesouthere on 2019-09-16 11:10 (Reply)

The autism story has the potential to be interesting, if it wasn't all over the place. What stands out is the fact of a male child being reared by two lesbians only earns an incidental mention in the story line as background, and no place in the collection of potential factors - for example, if more than one of the other affected children is in the same circumstances. Instead, the autism is this: "it’s a difference that should be celebrated as adding diversity to human communities." So autism isn't normal and is worthy of study, but the potential influences of homosexual parenting on opposite-sex child-rearing is unworthy of any consideration, because it's 'normal'. And, added bonus: it's the male sperm donor's fault, too. And "the relationship collapsed" as a consequence, but not consequential enough to be a factor to consider. Got it. The news may or may not be fake, but my (apparently racist sexist homophobic) interest is.

#10 Aggie on 2019-09-16 11:21 (Reply)

As far back as the 1980's when discussing social science research with a (radically liberal psychiatrist), he winked at one point and said "Well, some research is just never going to be done."

#10.1 Assistant Village Idiot on 2019-09-16 13:48 (Reply)

Picking genetic material from a catalogue with descriptions written by the supplier.

I am 100% absolutely certain they're just as accurate as descriptions in personal ads or on dating sites. Maybe even as accurate as real estate descriptions.

I feel no sympathy for the "parents", only one.of whom actually is one. I.do feel sympathy for the children, being raised by two crazy people.

#10.2 Gospace on 2019-09-16 19:22 (Reply)

I heated my Ohio house one winter exclusively with incandescent lightbulbs, just to show it could be done. Leave them on 24/7. A watt is a watt of heat so costs no more than runing the electric furnace, even if it's light before turning into heat.

It would be hard to do with LED bulbs. It would require ten times more light to do it.

#11 rhhardin on 2019-09-16 15:03 (Reply)

Well, if you did you'd be able to read with your eyes closed.

#11.1 Hairless Joe on 2019-09-16 18:43 (Reply)

Speaking of fakes- remember when Al Gore and Bill Nye faked that CO2 experiment? Not only was the data faked, the experiment itself could not even be replicated.

Someone should Ask Bill Nye the Science Fraud why he did that.

#12 Rusty on 2019-09-16 15:22 (Reply)

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Monday, September 16. 2019

Monday morning links