1 Shit, they're gonna start arguing about me, again.  I just know it.

2 Well, that didn't format right. Anybody know why text appeared below the CONTINUE READING clicky? I'd like to fix the post.

3 One of the first expressly political writings I was exposed to. My parents did good.

I have the Little Red Book of Capitalism around here somewhere.

Too bad we have to *keep* explaining all this stuff to people, over and over and over again.

Free to Choose on DVD is good, too.

4 I know I'm going to regret saying this, but can we please talk about the future and what we need to do for once, instead of fighting an Internet Tough Guy Civil War here?

5 I have been quoting this for years. Posted a one paragraph synopses a few days ago.

6 5 I know I'm going to regret saying this, but can we please talk about the future and what we need to do for once, instead of fighting an Internet Tough Guy Civil War here?

Posted by: Merovign, Dark Lord of the Sith at April 21, 2011 06:34 PM (bxiXv)

what is this future you speak of?

7 I suspect that one of the reasons "The Law" hits so hard is that Bastiat knew he was dying (TB) when he wrote it and he poured everything into it. It must have taken a great effort to keep it as short and concise as he did. (it's easy to write long)

8 Bastiat also lived through an "iconic" time and place with regards to Liberty and its perversion.

9 @1: Zombie Abraham Lincoln

Dude, you already got shot in the head.  You're done.  John Wilkes Booth saved us from your zombie ass.

10 Do you mind if I throw this softball thru your window?

11 FYI - Claude Frédéric Bastiat (29 June 1801– 24 December 1850)

12 Anybody know why text appeared below the CONTINUE READING clicky? I'd like to fix the post.

The <blockquote></blockquote> being split across the extended entry. I just fixed it.

13 I just realized that the Little Red Book of Capitalism doesn't appear to be on the Internet.

I'm going to have to rectify that. I'm not sure if it was every copyrighted per se, it was a Stanford student project IIRC, published hardbound, I have to find it in this huge pile of boxes.

It was a fairly solid polemic, with real-world street-level examples, about capitalism. I got it from my Dad when I was a kid. I don't know how widely published it was, I guess I assumed widely because it was a proper book and not a sloppy student pamphlet.

14 > 11 Do you mind if I throw this softball thru your window? Posted by: Mike MI FL By all means, go ahead! It'll be good for the economy.

15 I just realized that the Little Red Book of Capitalism doesn't appear to be on the Internet.

No?  The Ferengi rules of acquisition are though.

16 can we please talk about the future and what we need to do for once, instead of fighting an Internet Tough Guy Civil War here?

Don't get saucy with me, Bernaise. Maybe you should just fan yourself and eat those raisins.

17 Blanton's bourbon at the LCBO. FUCK. YES.

18 @5: "I know I'm going to regret saying this, but can we please talk about the future and what we need to do for once, instead of fighting an Internet Tough Guy Civil War here?"

It won't be fun.  We need to cut gummint by 40% immediately.  Failing that, buy guns, ammo, tools, farming supplies, fishing supplies, medical supplies, a generator, fuel, batteries, water purification, precious metals, and anything else that will make you self-sufficient.  We also probably need to consider getting rid of all the leeches and leftists who survive the immediate die-off to make sure that they don't infect our society again when it rebuilds.

19 Where else can you get your daily dose of DOOM!, unbelievably hysterical snark on progressive pukes, and discussion on French political theory in one day? At the coolest website on the 'Nets of course.

ps...Jeff, try Woodford the next time.

20 We also probably need to consider getting rid of all the leeches and leftists who survive the immediate die-off to make sure that they don't infect our society again when it rebuilds.

Posted by: Fa Cube Itches at April 21, 2011 06:44 PM (xy9wk)

If we don't create and maintain a system that can survive (or defend itself against) leeches and looters, it will inevitably happen again.

Because it's not like they all snuck across the border or were vat-grown, they spring out of the stock like gingers or people with one leg longer than the other.

21

Which is why you do not make bad laws. It is also why you do not need to make laws just because you got elected to the Legislature. The best Legislature only makes the laws that are necessary. I would include in the unnecessary laws all these laws they pass recognizing people for things they did. (I forgot what they are called). Only what is necessary should be the goal.

Of course I would have to be mentally challenged to believe that people would actually adhere to this.

 

22 If slavery would have fulfilled its obligation to the people and finished its term, I would wholeheartedly support it. But it ran away from its responsibilities to pursue a career in trash TV. The last time I saw it, it was on Oprah, for God's sake!

I for one just don't trust slavery anymore, and I don't think America can, either.

23 I'm feeling pretty lubricious anybody want to swap countries with me?

24 Bastiat played for the Raiders in 1987, right?

25 I would add that this is one of the best posts yet, just for what it says.

26 @21: "If we don't create and maintain a system that can survive (or defend itself against) leeches and looters, it will inevitably happen again."

Defending the schools and the media would be a good first step.

27 11 Do you mind if I throw this softball thru your window?
No! I mean yes!  I just had them improperly weatherized by some Obamabots!

28 The Aussies got the right idea - the doomed need to drink heavily and with stern resolve.

29 10 @1: Zombie Abraham Lincoln

Dude, you already got shot in the head. You're done. John Wilkes Booth saved us from your zombie ass.

Posted by: Fa Cube Itches at April 21, 2011 06:39 PM (xy9wk)

Oh, puh-leeze. Are you serious? That pansy ass Derringer flintlock only made me stronger.

30 The Heinlein System of Government might be a good start for a while after Civil War II.

31

Posted by: Harry at April 21, 2011 06:49 PM (TRv4z)

One of the largest systemic problems we have, is the Beltway recycling of Staff.

We have Staff Lawyers writing laws too complicated for their Congressmen to read and understand.... yet they then pass those same laws... and we are supposed to abide by them.

Thats why so much power has beed ceeded to various boards (NLRB?, board now overseeing Medicare?) and rule making Agencies (EPA? Fed Reserve and Sec Treasury?)... the Congresscritters don't really understand it anyway, so Punt it off... to more lawyers...

32 Ace has a date?  Said he is off the net tonight. 

Maybe he's getting his feet washed?

It is Maundy Thursday.

priests wash the feet of Church go-ers to the Maundy Thursday services to remember what Jesus had done

33
Bastiat?

Sounds fwench.

34 Shhhhh. Ace is out hunting hobos and stuef.

35
I was promised dancing fish.

36 A modern lesson of Bastiat:  Stolen from Insty.....

Those curly-Q light-bulbs contain cancer causing chemicals.... “Their report advises that the bulbs should not be left on for extended periods, particularly near someone’s head, as they emit poisonous materials when switched on.”

37 @30: "Oh, puh-leeze. Are you serious? That pansy ass Derringer flintlock only made me stronger."

It was a percussion cap derringer, and it certainly broadened your mind.  Of course, the "surgeon" who probed your brain with needle and finger gave us extra insurance.

38
O/T

The Kraut received a personal phone call from The Donald.  Kraut states it was civil with Trump measured and polite.  He also stated that Trump is in to win.  It's on folks, it's fucking on!

39 Bastiat talked of 'legal plunder'. Ominous foreshadowing. Although I'd call it 'legal pandering'. We are where are we because 'our elected betters' have placed their own need for power over the prosperity of the Nation and Her People. Creating the ultimate welfare state from cradle not grave not because they believe in the role of Government and not most certainly not for altruistic reasons. Merely because it's a permanent position of Power for themselves. That's the Greed that Bastiat referenced. Maybe not as he envisioned it when he wrote The Law but it's the beast that has taken on a life of it's own.

Solution: Term Limits

40
I was promised dancing fish.

Posted by: Leftover Soothsayers at April 21, 2011 06:57 PM (BPptn)

You can boogie with my Aunt Dottie Finsterwald the grouper.

41

Ace is pretending to make pancakes again.

Trump called Krauthammer?  whew I would have loved to hear that!

42 I know I'm going to regret saying this, but can we please talk about the future and what we need to do for once, instead of fighting an Internet Tough Guy Civil War here? You mean the War of Internet Aggression, fucko. Lacey, no like the Woodford's. I prefer Basil Hayden's, Blanton's and Buffalo Trace.

43 39:
The Kraut received a personal phone call job offer from The Donald.

FIFY

44 @33: "priests wash the feet of Church go-ers to the Maundy Thursday services to remember what Jesus had done"

Per the Jesuit who taught the Judeo-Christian Heritage class at my high school, the term "feet" in biblical times was a euphemism for genitals.  He'd then point out that the clergy going through the modern ceremony were washing about three feet South of where they needed to be.

45

O/T question of the day:

I know a few people who have an eye that points in a different direction from the other and I've never had the balls to ask them what the disorder is.

I always prefer to look someone in the eyes but that presents a challenge. Which eye is looking at you?

I wouldn't even even know how to broach the subject.

 

46 45:

Hanjos for Jesus?

Not buying it. We have government programs for that now.

47
do you have an Aunt Connie?

I always wanted an Aunt Connie.

48 Maybe The Donald is the Kraut's landlord and Kraut is moving out.

49 @40: "Solution: Term Limits"

Better solution: Vince Flynn's Term Limits

50
people say Shannon Doherty (90210) is cross-eyed. I can't see it, myself.

51
or she has a lazy eye, rather

52
Posted by: ErikW at April 21, 2011 07:02 PM (NQmAk)

Paris Hilton has a "lazy eye", but no need to discuss the problem, just keep humping her taco!

53 #45

So did the Jesuit offer to wash your "feet"?

54

I know I'm going to regret saying this, but can we please talk about the future and what we need to do

Moverign

the only answer I've gotten is maybe wear an ace somewhere on your body, (that i can do)buy gold (I have no money) prepare to move out of town buy land over yonder (can't do as i'm still broke), buy an island (still broke), build a fort (sigh)

I'm just hoping if a nuke arrives it lands on top of my heead. that's my answer and i'm...

 

55 46:

Lazy eye. That's what we always called it. Sometimes caused by damage to the muscles surrounding the eyeball that normally keep them properly aligned and move them around.

Had a buddy who ate shit on his dirt bike and broke up his face. Had a permanent lazy eye afterwards.

Most folks are ok about answering the question if they know ya. Some go Lt. Col. Frank Slade on you.

56
  Screw those curly-q bastards. We got enough 'cans to do a serious restock to a Home Depot.  Ever since I heard about the proposed legislation, we've bought them on a once a week basis. I figure there's enough to last until the law is repealed.

  And any of the rest of this crap, proposed or otherwise can get parked.


  Had bloody ENOUGH.

57 @46: "I know a few people who have an eye that points in a different direction from the other and I've never had the balls to ask them what the disorder is.

I always prefer to look someone in the eyes but that presents a challenge. Which eye is looking at you?

I wouldn't even even know how to broach the subject."

Never really had that problem.  Ask Stuart Scott, maybe

58 55:

This.

Hard to prepare for the Crash of 2012 when I can't pay the Bills of May, 2011.

59 Those curly-Q light-bulbs contain cancer causing chemicals...

The phosphorus and mercury?  The glass tubes are sealed and can't offgas during normal operation.  The plastic shell might offgas a smidgen of VOC's as the plastic ages.

60

@45

You need to remember context. People walked around back then everywhere they went. Dusty roads, leather shoes probably without socks, sandals to some degree, barefoot to some degree. long walks, tired when you arrive, people would not have wanted you to track up their houses.

The idea that everybody went around handling everybody´s junk is not correct. The Jews had a reputation as strictly moral, a reputation that would not have held up if they were engaging in that sort of activity.

61 sifty, we can always snort the insides of the mercury twisty bulbs

62 @54: "So did the Jesuit offer to wash your "feet"?"

Nope, not the kiddie-diddler type of priest.  He spread most of his gospel with a BAR in the Pacific in WWII.  Very much a "pass the ammunition, and, if you happen to think of it later, praise the Lord, but seriously, killing those little yellow bastards will probably make Him happy enough" kind of guy.

63

the only answer I've gotten is maybe wear an ace somewhere on your body, (that i can do)buy gold (I have no money) prepare to move out of town buy land over yonder (can't do as i'm still broke), buy an island (still broke), build a fort (sigh)

Posted by: willow at April 21, 2011 07:05 PM (h+qn

If you can't buy a castle, and your friends don't have castles, maybe look to have a skill that people in castles need.

If there is a collapse, the first thing to have is friends, and the second thing is skills. Resources have always been something we've had to obtain.

Also, don't stress yourself out so bad you die when someone yells boo. Take a night off the Doom Train or something.

64 Thanks for this post. Another must-read text that I hadn't even heard of before. --And I think I went to a relatively decent public school, small town, 80s. Didn't take much non-core engineering classes in college.

65 The major lesson to be learned from Bastiat is that there are two kinds of people, producers and plunderers. It is the job of government and the law to protect the producers from the plunderers. When the government perverts the law to aid the plunderers then the country is doomed.

Also, socialism always ultimately leads to communism. The slavery issue is really secondary in his papers. He uses it as an example of the "law" plundering rights.

66 Most folks are ok about answering the question if they know ya. Some go Lt. Col. Frank Slade on you.

Posted by: sifty at April 21, 2011 07:05 PM (+cmP9)

Heh, yeah, I just feel funny asking. I just want to know, is one eye blind or do both eyes see different images. And if they do, how does the brain process that?

Knowing me, I could come off sounding like an insensitive prick, that's why I'm asking here.  

67 sometimes feets are just feet.

68 65:

What if you're like me and nobody likes you?

I doubt anyone will trade for potatoes with an asshole like me.

69 Please somebody swap countries with me. Pleasey. I'll throw in the keys on a carrier that i came to the party in.

70

 Allen Colmbes has a glass eye.  I guess that's not the same.

71 68:

If the lazy eye is far enough outside of the correct alignment it causes severe headaches and dizzyness. The lazy eye can eventually just shut down and quit working so the brain can process vision again. Least that's what my buddy told me. I wouldn't trust him.

He's got an evil eye.

72 What is it about the future that you would like to talk about?

73
Allen Colmbes (sic) has a glass eye. 

Posted by: Soona at April 21, 2011 07:14 PM (QLZYU)

And a very dark heart.

74

Merovign

o Hell, I bet I'll still be a maid, cook, child keeper , just as i am now. Drats!

Yes to the doom. I took a couple of days off reading , and although my mood is still black, I can laugh a little more at it and I'm not wanting to throw myself off a cliff this week.

75 I prefer Basil Hayden's, Blanton's and Buffalo Trace. Posted by: Empire of Jeff at April 21, 2011 07:00 PM (h8pRl) Elmer T. Lee. Maker's. Bulleit when money is tight.

76 What if you're like me and nobody likes you?

Develop a scarce valuable skill, like making furniture.  Then they'll deal with you even if they don't like you.

77 > 30 10 @1: Zombie Abraham Lincoln Dude, you already got shot in the head. You're done. John Wilkes Booth saved us from your zombie ass. Posted by: Fa Cube Itches at April 21, 2011 06:39 PM (xy9wk) Oh, puh-leeze. Are you serious? That pansy ass Derringer flintlock only made me stronger. Posted by: Zombie Abraham Lincoln BTW, the "Abraham Lincoln, Vampire Hunter" book is being made into a movie.

78
My favorite cowboy character actor with a lazy eye, Jack Elam.

79 I doubt anyone will trade for potatoes with an asshole like me.

Posted by: sifty at April 21, 2011 07:13 PM (+cmP9)

 

Yeah.  Probably not.

80 78:

I'm gonna go sign up with The Humungus. He has dental.

81 Per the Jesuit who taught the Judeo-Christian Heritage class at my high school, the term "feet" in biblical times was a euphemism for genitals.

But was also used to refer to the part of the anatomy known as "feet"
washing of feet was a common custom of the time due to the popular footwear of the day: Sandals. It occurs in both the OT and NT, about 8 or so times. I can't think the intended text of
Gen 24-32
"And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him."

Was intended to mean a sack scrubbing for everyone present.

82 Who knows what they meant? The Bible was written like 120 years ago.

83 @62: "The Jews had a reputation as strictly moral, a reputation that would not have held up if they were engaging in that sort of activity."

Except morality varied greatly depending on culture.  The Greeks regarded the Spartans as the epitome of high morals, but their morality would not have translated terribly well into a lot of other cultures.  Likewise, in their day, the Jews were just another weirdo cult in the Middle East.  The Philistines and such probably considered them as debased as the Jews found the Philistines et al.

The washing of "feet" is supposed to be about humbling yourself before another.  Washing someone's junk would tend to be even more effective at that than giving them a pedicure.  I don't really know or care what was being washed - it's simply an interesting story, if accurate.

84

"And the man came into the house: and he ungirded his camels, and gave straw and provender for the camels, and water to wash his feet, and the men's feet that were with him."

 

That sounds suspect right there.

85

Heh, yeah, I just feel funny asking. I just want to know, is one eye blind or do both eyes see different images. And if they do, how does the brain process that?

Posted by: ErikW at April 21, 2011 07:12 PM (NQmAk)

Lazy Eye

Most of the time, the eye is "lazy" *because* the brain is not processing input from that eye, because the input is either so much worse as to be a distraction, or damaged in some way.

So look at the "good" eye, always.

IIRC there are a few cases where the cause is different, but generally the "bad" eye's input is either blocked or reduced because it's not controlled well.

It's called "Amblyopia." Strabismus is the most common cause.

86

Allen Colmbes (sic) has a glass eye. 

Posted by: Soona at April 21, 2011 07:14 PM (QLZYU)

And a very dark heart.

 

Posted by: Fish the Impaler at April 21, 2011 07:15 PM (ZHsNw)

I haven't watched Megyn Kelly in a long while but the last time she had Colmes on, I swear she was going to rip off his face with her pearly whites.

87

Yes to the doom. I took a couple of days off reading , and although my mood is still black, I can laugh a little more at it and I'm not wanting to throw myself off a cliff this week.

Posted by: willow at April 21, 2011 07:15 PM (h+qn

So you're giving up hang gliding?

88
Even Claude Frédéric Bastiat could have foreseen that day that America would be led by a man of African descent.

89 Merovign. especially the hang part.

90 What if you're like me and no body likes you? by ???? If you were in the movie True Grit, you'd be shot in the first scene. By shot i mean, bang bang/Chinese, peng peng

91 @88: "Ragli'im?  Balls? I doubt it.  I never even heard such a thing (and modern Hebrew retains a good amount of such slang from the past).  But even if it were true, the chances of that being the meaning are nil."

Slang changes over time, so it could be possible - consider what "gay" meant for most of the history of the English language and what it means now - the slang has overtaken the historical meaning.  And again, I don't really know or care - it's just an interesting story.

92 93:

I think I'd at least make it to the dugout by the river.

93 damn sock

94 Paris Hilton has a lazy eye that could be corrected if she stopped wearing her colored contact lenses.She rather have blue lazy eye than 2 good ones.Vanity.

95 How in the shit did we go from talking about the economics of socialism to washing someone's junk?

96 I think I'd at least make it to the dugout by the river. Posted by: Ezra Klein Mr. Ezra Klein, i like you. I was just using you for a political/religious/humorous example. thanks

97

@85

Thanks for not being argumentative on this. There is nothing worse than being argumentative over obscure religious points. My interest in this is merely to point out that meaning which is the most likely. Sometimes teachers avoid the most obvious meaning for something less likely. To do that, you have to have a good reason to ignore the obvious.

98 98 How in the shit did we go from talking about the economics of socialism to washing someone's junk?

Posted by: Vic at April 21, 2011 07:36 PM (M9Ie6)

I was thinking it was one of the stranger threadjacks I've seen recently.

99 Are these comments still working?

100 Sure are.

Carry on washing your junk

101 Easy thread to jack because we all now the law, particularly regarding property rights, is now a big joke in the US. You can use your land if:
 
You get a building and occupancy permit, don't have any endangered species on it, don't have any areas under water more than a few days a year, meet the right codes, pass endless inspections, pay your property taxes forever, keep your lawn mowed, don't put any signs up, have the right sized culvert, hook up to city services whether you want to or not, keep it 'well maintained', and don't piss off the local powers that be.
 
Maybe.
 
So we might as well talk about feet.

102 If you paid Amazon $1 you paid too much.  Hit up Project Gutenberg and get their free Kindle edition of Bastiat's Essays on Political Economy which includes The Law in the collection.  I'd include a link but apparentlu this site doesn't allow real links.

103 > 106 ... Hit up Project Gutenberg and get their free Kindle edition of Bastiat's Essays on Political Economy which includes The Law in the collection. Posted by: John Morris Here's a link directly to the Bastiat page on Gutenberg

104 Mises Institute has the collected Bastiat for free as well.

105 Bastiat is the guy who came up with the Broken Window Fallacy. Or was that from Stuff Jefferson Said? Anyway, the Obama version would be to break the window, blame W, demand you pay to fix the window after you fixed the window yourself and call you a racist before leaving town on a high-speed train. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Parable_of_the_broken_window

106 > 108

As I was saying..   Tinyurl is acceptable in a tweet or some other place with a severe space limit.  But as a link behind a hyperlink it is just lame to require a shortener.  I want to know how the fracking spammers can post links a lot longer than the one I was trying to use for PG but the site bounced my original submission.

URL shorteners are just an invitation to some wit trolling links to two girls one cup, goatse, etc.

107 Love Bastiat. Disagree with his take on tariffs. Use a Eukariotic cell as an example. You have your nucleus - central government - then your cytoplasm - then a cell membrane ( border ). The cell membrane has selective permeability. That membrane is a requirement for the functioning of the cell. The cell will die without it. It is the boundary separating one regulatory space from another. There MUST be some incentive for it maintainenve. For a nation state, the tariff is that incentive. Having said that, I am for keeping tarriffs to the lowest level that sustains border enforcent.

108 sac louis vuitton pas cher

109 Obtenir une r¨¦dution de 10% pour les achats avant le 15 mai, le mot de passe est

110 Obtenir une r¨¦dution de 10% pour les achats avant le 15 mai, le mot de passe est "m¨¨re"