Aaron dismisses the study of Marx as useless , but possibly falls into the the tempting trap of reductionism. The study of Karl Marx is more than Communism, which of course is a failure, as mass deaths during communists regimes or the economic under-performance of communist countries versus capitalistic ones (North Korea v. South Korea,… Continue reading Understanding Marx
Month: November 2016
American Libertarianism vs. European Libertarianism
Often there is confusion over American libertrianism and its lesser-known European variant. Libertarian-socialists like Noam Chomsky will give talks describing how Americans have hijacked libertarianism. American libertarianism can be summed up succinctly as ‘maximizing individual freedom by minimizing government’. The British version/definition of libertarianism, which is related to libertarian-socialism, is more confusing and archaic, dating… Continue reading American Libertarianism vs. European Libertarianism
‘I don’t think that candidate is who you think he is’
This meme applies to a lot of populists, non-interventionists, and fiscal hawks, who think Trump is one of them: The tax cuts and defense spending is a shoe-in…border control, wall, deportations, and trade deal renegotiation…much less likely. Politics is storytelling. Tell people a good story and they will vote for you. There’s a joke…politicians are… Continue reading ‘I don’t think that candidate is who you think he is’
Trump stimulus is not important
What Happens When Trump’s Populism Collides with Ryan’s Austerity? Ryan rejects Trump’s agenda on trade, on immigration, and, not least, on infrastructure. In September, a reporter asked Ryan about Trump’s proposal to spend $550 billion on infrastructure (a more modest version of Bannon’s trillion-dollar fantasy). The Republican Party is united in name only. In truth,… Continue reading Trump stimulus is not important
The MSM is ‘fake news’
The past month has been a roller coaster. A lot of stuff happened, that to ‘the experts’ was inconceivable or improbable: By election night, Trump’s odds were only 10-35% (depending on your source), and he won. Remember this: Or how about the New York Times, which throughout the entire campaign put Hillary’s odds at no… Continue reading The MSM is ‘fake news’
Overton Bubble
The Overton Bubble If two factions won’t talk, war is inevitable. If the elite mainstream won’t open to dialogue and understanding with the outside, and the outside doesn’t make good-faith attempts to engage with the intellectual mainstream, the intellectual-political landscape will divide, and we will get civil war. The conclusion of Warg’s article may not… Continue reading Overton Bubble
Hail to the easily offended
There is concern by Vox and Mike about Richard Spencer being ‘controlled opposition’: Controlled opposition or media indiscipline? But I have to admit, it was somewhat fortuitous that I didn’t go given the manufactured media coverage of a minor incident towards the end, when apparently some idiots in the crowd began throwing Roman salutes on… Continue reading Hail to the easily offended
Alt-Right Twitter Purge
As a consequence of Trump’s win, Twitter has begun purging alt-right accounts, including the accounts of Matt Forney, Richard Spencer (and his NPI accounts), Pax Dickinson, and others. This is the problem with social media – you do not own it, rather you rent it, and you can be evicted at any time. I can… Continue reading Alt-Right Twitter Purge
Real news or fake news? Give me the fake news
In case it wasn’t already obvious, I don’t hold the news media in high regard: Why the News Is Still Mostly Pointless The Financial Media: It’s Still Useless Right now the left is losing their collective minds over so-called ‘fake news’, blaming it (along with fraud and racism) for Hillary losing and demanding that Facebook… Continue reading Real news or fake news? Give me the fake news
Why Progressives Lose Their Minds When They Lose Elections
Here’s Why Progressives Lose Their Minds When They Lose Elections Liberals, especially the far-left, have a lot intellectually, emotionally, and spiritually invested in their ideology. Their ideology and ’cause’ is an extension of their existence, ‘being’, and purpose. When the ‘right’ loses, for their supporters it’s back ‘work’ or whatever they were doing before. A… Continue reading Why Progressives Lose Their Minds When They Lose Elections