I have commented at several places on the blog re Rand.
Terms search Ayn Rand
BOOMERBUSTER
OLD CELLO
Sunday, April 8, 2012
RE CHINA IN THE CARIBBEAN NYT SEE ALSO NEVINS ORDEAL OF THE UNION I AM NOT A JEFFERSONIAN
For almost all Americans, the political storm will seem a new thing.
We should have either bought or taken Cuba long ago (not for the sake of the Cubans, of course) back in the first half of the 19th Century. Just as Jefferson, contrary it seems to his own (lousy) principles, arranged for the Louisiana Purchase.
It is symptomatic of American political structural weaknesses that we did not; and that now something like a gathering of Chinese force in the Caribbean can be discussed, in some ways, in a rather similar political environment.
To see how American political and diplomatic blundering has almost always been structural and endemic in our system, you have to read something like the account in Nevins' Ordeal Of The Union Volume II Chapter 10 "Cuba, Ostend, and the Filibusters"
We should have either bought or taken Cuba long ago (not for the sake of the Cubans, of course) back in the first half of the 19th Century. Just as Jefferson, contrary it seems to his own (lousy) principles, arranged for the Louisiana Purchase.
It is symptomatic of American political structural weaknesses that we did not; and that now something like a gathering of Chinese force in the Caribbean can be discussed, in some ways, in a rather similar political environment.
To see how American political and diplomatic blundering has almost always been structural and endemic in our system, you have to read something like the account in Nevins' Ordeal Of The Union Volume II Chapter 10 "Cuba, Ostend, and the Filibusters"
RE CHINA IN THE CARIBBEAN NYT
Isn't that just good ole globalist, Democrat and Republican, Thomas Friedman esque, Zakaria esque, Flat World, Free, laissez fairy, trade?
Saturday, April 7, 2012
re quantitative easing and civilizational decline soft landing
Term search: inflation deflation, bozoflation
Because it is ultimately about economics,
it will not be soft.
Term search also, soft power.
Because it is ultimately about economics,
it will not be soft.
Term search also, soft power.
re China SAYS WANTED MILITANTS IN NEIGHBORING COUNTRIES
The customary excuse.
Some of you will know what I mean.
Some of you will know what I mean.
Friday, April 6, 2012
RE THE DEAD DIE HARD BOOK
Thumbing through this charming little number, I was surprised at how eager the French were to incorporate captured German soldiers into the French Foreign Legion, giving them commissions etc,
while our best combat general in the 20 C was called on the carpet for even thinking of using German prisoners to push the Soviets out of Eastern Europe and Germany.
while our best combat general in the 20 C was called on the carpet for even thinking of using German prisoners to push the Soviets out of Eastern Europe and Germany.
re nyt krugman NOT ENOUGH INFLATION article CALL IT BOZOFLATION
That nicely dumbs the debate down, for the mostly retarded readership.
On the other hand, for the relatively rare cognoscenti, it bespeaks a certain je ne sais qua.
On the other hand, for the relatively rare cognoscenti, it bespeaks a certain je ne sais qua.
RE NOT ENOUGH INFLATION NYT KRUGMAN A LITTLE INFLATION WOULD BE A GOOD THING BECAUSE OF ALL THE DEBT
Term search: inflation deflation.
A little inflation would have been a good thing in a flourishing domestic economy.
It will do nothing much good, in my judgment, in a globalized one, unfortunately.
But economists' hopes, for their theories, spring eternal, it seems.
A little inflation would have been a good thing in a flourishing domestic economy.
It will do nothing much good, in my judgment, in a globalized one, unfortunately.
But economists' hopes, for their theories, spring eternal, it seems.
RE BANKS ALWAYS WIN NYT ARTICLE TODAY
" Thurston Howell " had asked,
in Boca, at The Boca Raton Resort and Club,
at a meeting of
the Association of Eminent Domain Professionals,
back in 06 I believe,
"Who do you think they will bail out, you or me?"
This is the site of the famous Monkey Bar to which I have referred.
Term search also: monkeys, pyramid of experts, bonobos
in Boca, at The Boca Raton Resort and Club,
at a meeting of
the Association of Eminent Domain Professionals,
back in 06 I believe,
"Who do you think they will bail out, you or me?"
This is the site of the famous Monkey Bar to which I have referred.
Term search also: monkeys, pyramid of experts, bonobos
RE THE LAW OF THE GUN IN FLORIDA NYT TAMPA
Coming soon to a city near you.
Term search: your state, Lorch
Term search: your state, Lorch
Thursday, April 5, 2012
RE RUSSIAN VIEWERS OF THE BLOG WHY NOT GIVE THEM SOMETHING GOOD TO READ
In my view, most all Russians, as well as Westerners,
would have been much better served,
(if woefully late given his purges of the late 30s),
by removal of Stalin in 1945,
and pushing Soviet Russia back to its pre war borders,
than by leaving him in control not only of Russia but of Eastern Europe as well.
Patton would have done that, and lobbied the weak administration to do so.
Imagine if we could have prevented proliferation of the bomb as well? Imagine. But see Klaus Fuchs................
Certainly Kennan thought that something like pushing Russia back out of Berlin, at least, if not out of Poland, should have been done.
would have been much better served,
(if woefully late given his purges of the late 30s),
by removal of Stalin in 1945,
and pushing Soviet Russia back to its pre war borders,
than by leaving him in control not only of Russia but of Eastern Europe as well.
Patton would have done that, and lobbied the weak administration to do so.
Imagine if we could have prevented proliferation of the bomb as well? Imagine. But see Klaus Fuchs................
Certainly Kennan thought that something like pushing Russia back out of Berlin, at least, if not out of Poland, should have been done.
RE DAVID KAISER'S CURRENT POST
S Glover has a nice spirited comment,
but he frames the issue as if the political structure were a given,
and he lambasts what he calls the Dems,
whereas, the existing political structure,
because it does not work any more,
for anyone, except the top .1%,
and poor foreign workers,
is precisely what is now coming into issue.
but he frames the issue as if the political structure were a given,
and he lambasts what he calls the Dems,
whereas, the existing political structure,
because it does not work any more,
for anyone, except the top .1%,
and poor foreign workers,
is precisely what is now coming into issue.
RE ANALOGIES MUST KILL TO EAT KANT WITTGENSTEIN ET AL
Kant talked about certain analogies.
Analogies, and other kinds of relations, go way back, into Greek philosophy.
Wittgenstein discussed at length certain so called mistaken analogies.
I would just say that virtually all analogies must kill to eat.
Analogies, and other kinds of relations, go way back, into Greek philosophy.
Wittgenstein discussed at length certain so called mistaken analogies.
I would just say that virtually all analogies must kill to eat.
RE FIRST CONTINGENT OF US MARINES ARRIVE IN DARWIN BBC
What an utter fiasco to bother with,
after Australia has long given away the store,
by contract,
and is virtually economically
a Chinese protectorate
at this point,
by its own hands.
after Australia has long given away the store,
by contract,
and is virtually economically
a Chinese protectorate
at this point,
by its own hands.
Wednesday, April 4, 2012
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
re WW IV
As I said several months ago,
those looking back may well some day
conclude that WW IV began some few months ago.
India says politics ruining India.
Coup rumors in China baseless apparently.
Syria: and great powers taking sides for a proxy war. China and Russia against intervention by international community, ostensibly.
those looking back may well some day
conclude that WW IV began some few months ago.
India says politics ruining India.
Coup rumors in China baseless apparently.
Syria: and great powers taking sides for a proxy war. China and Russia against intervention by international community, ostensibly.
RE CHALABI KENNAN GADDIS KISSINGER HOWARD LEWIS IDEOLOGY AND HISTORY
Re: Michael Howard, " The World According to Henry: From Metternich to Me ", Foreign Affairs May/June 1994.
Following up on the Chalabi comment, I happened to look at Sir Michael Howard's review of Kissinger's Diplomacy yesterday; had never read it.
I love Sir Michael Howard's way of framing things.
It was a more illuminating review of Diplomacy,
and more importantly, a nice gloss on Western political history,
(admittedly not Kissinger's Memoirs, ie not biography; so I compare to some extent apples to oranges here),
than, say, Kissinger's review of Gaddis' biography of Kennan.
Kissinger approves of Gaddis' castigation of Kennan for not
' understanding ' 'politics',
ie the diplomatic, and political, weaknesses,
of weak liberal democracies.
They all, of course, understood this very well.
The difference was that Kennan was willing to talk about it,
a diplomatic faux pas.
I will talk more about this, and Lewis anon.
Howard strove for an interdisciplinary approach, which was not so favorably imitated over here, for various reasons,
and it shows in various huge, dropped, grand strategic balls, over many decades,
the giving over to the USSR of Eastern Europe in 1945 being only the hugest ball dropped.
As Howard also bemoans, neither Britain nor the US was able to give diplomacy a free enough hand while being always in the grips of liberal democratic politics.
(I would just add, military power was similarly hamstrung in this way, particularly Patton's perspective vis a vis the Soviets in 1945.)
Following up on the Chalabi comment, I happened to look at Sir Michael Howard's review of Kissinger's Diplomacy yesterday; had never read it.
I love Sir Michael Howard's way of framing things.
It was a more illuminating review of Diplomacy,
and more importantly, a nice gloss on Western political history,
(admittedly not Kissinger's Memoirs, ie not biography; so I compare to some extent apples to oranges here),
than, say, Kissinger's review of Gaddis' biography of Kennan.
Kissinger approves of Gaddis' castigation of Kennan for not
' understanding ' 'politics',
ie the diplomatic, and political, weaknesses,
of weak liberal democracies.
They all, of course, understood this very well.
The difference was that Kennan was willing to talk about it,
a diplomatic faux pas.
I will talk more about this, and Lewis anon.
Howard strove for an interdisciplinary approach, which was not so favorably imitated over here, for various reasons,
and it shows in various huge, dropped, grand strategic balls, over many decades,
the giving over to the USSR of Eastern Europe in 1945 being only the hugest ball dropped.
As Howard also bemoans, neither Britain nor the US was able to give diplomacy a free enough hand while being always in the grips of liberal democratic politics.
(I would just add, military power was similarly hamstrung in this way, particularly Patton's perspective vis a vis the Soviets in 1945.)
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