In These Times

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• • 11 May 09
  • 12:33 pm

  Boy, scorp, is out of control: "I defy you to explain how “overuse of antibiotics” can possibly “increase the possibility of diseases like swine flu”" Sirota clearly DOESN'T in any way assert that connection. scorp is just linking two separate statements. (Faulty head wiring?) And look at how much space this blowhard takes!

  Posted to Piggish Capitalism

• • 08 May 09
  • 2:33 pm

  To take a quick jab at Paul Thiel, he says: " Capitalism, which has lifted more people out of poverty than any other system in the history of mankind, will be replaced by corrupt statism." That's the equivalent of: "Piracy, which has lifted more Somalis out of poverty than any other system in its history, will be replaced by corrupt statism." That particular argument is insufficient except as a knee jerk stab at self-preservation. And if corruption is such a problem, why embrace its core motivation with capitalism? Anyone who thinks full-tilt capitalism is going to keep us free of corruption …

  Posted to The Meltdown Goes Global

• • 10 May 09
  • 12:17 am

  To Paul Thiel: I didn't realize people were sitting around waiting for comments! I'm not sure I can devote quite THAT much time to this, though it is fun. As to your challenge, I've no idea about absolute numbers. I doubt it matters. Nor would I trust any coming from the enemy camp. (The Inuit didn't use capitalism before contact with the west which pretty much devastated them. I'll bet they were happier then, before contact, than you are now, by the way. Any case of a primitive system outdoing our own is a pretty ringing indictment. And you could have …

  Posted to The Meltdown Goes Global

• • 11 May 09
  • 10:29 am

  To Thiel: You really should consider me your enemy. Oops, meant to say I wouldn't trust any NUMBERS coming from the enemy camp. (How'd that happen?) As I said by your logic we should never have turned away from say, for example, patriachies because "show me a social system that's socialized more people" or how about horse and buggies because "show me a transportation system that's transported more people". It's nonsense. Arguing that your point is a red herring IS a proper response.

  Posted to The Meltdown Goes Global