Author: smartistone

Classic Scott from 2010 Okay, we get it, you don’t like tyranny: (see “Government should fear the people…“, “Power always thinks…“, “Those who give up liberty for security…“, et cetera)   Yes, whoever would give up liberty for security deserves neither. Okay, government should fear the people rather than people the government. Sure, the tree… Continue reading Tyranny advances under the banner of freedom

America’s hidden philosophy This is not an issue for rational choice theory, which concerns cases where my identity is not at stake, such as choosing which brand of toothpaste to buy, or (usually) which candidate to vote for. But when rational choice theory becomes Cold War philosophy, it applies to everything, and everything about me… Continue reading America’s ‘Cold War Philosophy’

Bitcoin breaks $3,000 to reach new all-time high Been long bitcoin since 2013. Glad I ignored the headlines about bubbles. The news is useless, as are most forecasts. For every bubble the media calls correctly, they get 10-20 of them wrong. Bitcoin is like General Electric and PG&E…not only does it fill a specific niche/function,… Continue reading Bitcoin at $3,000

Trump is here to stay David Brooks thinks Donald Trump will be impeached. Don’t count on it.The New York Times columnist penned an entire column about preparing for “the post-Trump era,” concluding that “the guy will probably resign or be impeached within a year.” He’s not alone. On the left, filmmaker Michael Moore predicted on… Continue reading Trump is here to stay

From Slate Star Codex: GENDER IMBALANCES ARE MOSTLY NOT DUE TO OFFENSIVE ATTITUDES Donald Trump is not a poster child for respectful inclusiveness. He is on record saying that he likes to “grab women by the pussy” in what sure sounds like a nonconsenual manner. His sophistication on gender issues is generally somewhere around the… Continue reading Whose Sexism?

The story of history is a power struggle between elites: monarchs vs. nobles vs. clergy vs. aristocrats vs. bourgeois, all vying for power. Beginning with King John signing of the Manga Carta in 1215, the nobility siphoned power from the monarchy, in which the then nascent English Parliament began gain power, eventually culminating in the… Continue reading The story of history is a power struggle between elites

Another Peterson lecture: Jordan Peterson – Atheist Scientists vs Christian Fundamentalists Peterson argues that fundamental Christianity and atheist science are opposite sides of the same coin. By ‘science’ I think he means absolutism; just as scientist believe in the infallibility of their models as ‘truths’, so to do fundamentalists. Peterson says, “and then the scientist… Continue reading Christianity, Science, Values, and Morality

A somewhat light-hearted article by Scott: Against Signal-Boosting As Doxxing And related: Don’t allow your hatred to cloud your judgment of what free speech is: But if you want to accuse Brown of violating Sobczak’s right to free speech, then you’re absolutely wrong. For a right to be violated, some sort of violence must be… Continue reading Free Speech and Its Limitations

How is that much different than being part of a protest and or leading a protest or demonstration? It’s like OWS or BLM holding hands and blocking traffic, except it’s a ship and not cars. From the comments, the boats weren’t recuse boats; rather they were intended to ferry migrants: Except they didn’t disrupt a… Continue reading Patreon CEO Jack Conte Disingenuous Explanation for Lauren Southern Banning