Of course. Why would anyone expect someone else to turn down a handout? Literally everyone else should oppose handouts.
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Though I strongly agree with this in principal, I think there’s a serious issue with the disenfranchised who are likely to attempt usurping the system which ‘oppresses’ them. I DO think it’s dangerous to have uninformed voters, and I think the vast majority of those who vote are in fact uninformed. I also think ‘informed’ in scope of voting makes for a very difficult criteria to quantifiably judge.
There are some near monolithic voting blocs who are also entirely uninformed on anything they vote for, and they just fill out the box their buddy’s buddy’s buddy told them to fill out. I do wish for a more informed voter populace, but I don’t know how one would objectively determine who can and cannot vote without it immediately turning to suppression of voters. That power is too much for a “democratic” government to have IMO.
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The author of the book seems to believe it’s only the great unwashed who wants handouts. Wars have been fought on behalf of corporations. This Dalio guy sees cycles. I wonder if it’s just coincidence that people wanting more from the government happens as the government’s power over our lives grows along with the influence banks and large corporations have over politicians.
And if it’s such a burden, how are they managing to still be in the top 1%? These people also have greater influence over politicians and policies than the average voter. How much money did they make during the pandemic? How much real estate have they bought from landlords who couldn’t collect rent and pay their mortgages?
Regardless, this Dalio chap knows nothing about history. Comparing an empire run by a monarchy in which people are subjects rather than citizens to a nation with democracy is nonsensical.
I didn’t say it’s a burden. I said they fund most of the services less productive people have the privilege of receiving. I pay 20x in taxes what my younger self paid for the same gov’t services. Is it a burden? I’d rather pay less, but no. Does my younger self have the right to complain that his older self doesn’t “pay his fair share”? Absolutely not.
As for Dalio, he translates historical patterns into predictive models for a living and is quite good at it.
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What does this mean? Is the person working on the factory floor making something less productive than the CEO? The reality is, those who have the most have more to lose if the nation fails.
I would argue he “finds” patterns that suit his beliefs. I would rather read Machiavelli, Vico or Mosca.
Fair is subjective.
I probably should’ve given a little more context. Dalio runs Bridgewater, the largest hedge fund in the world. He studies history to make money.
As far as productivity is concerned, I’m talking about economic productivity. I appreciate the factory worker, but he can be replaced more easily than someone capable of running a company. The value the CEO of a large company can deliver is exponentially greater than the value of the most productive factory worker in the world.
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Maybe they should pay CEOs more than the factory worker.
Ah Americans talking about Balkanization. Jugoslavia is a USSR making helped by France as well. See for a long time after 1850 Russia wanted influence in the Balkans for export and growth reasons. They went into War with the Ottomans to get the influence “liberating” few countries and splitting them to the smallest countries possible. These few countries realised their new liberators are occupators. There were Balkan wars and Wolrd War to set up the new order in the Balkans independent or dependend from Russia and France. Then after the fascist and communist uprisings and the second World War communists lead by USSR got into power in the Balkans. It took great events to lead to 1989 and break away from communist influence officially, however KGB officers with local national security agencies helped keep the pro Russian control in these countries. Still to this day there is a Russian control in the politics of all countries.
So Balkanization is not about bad neihbours. It is about who is the favorit Russian child on the Balkans.
Now on the topic should you Balkanize, the answere is no. There is one loud neighbour and the rest of people in the neihbourhood are pretty much the same no matter who they vote for. You should deal with the loud neighbour.
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No, I havent been. I am aware of USA and the shit iconic places like LA and NY has turned. I am aware of politics.
Related.
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I mean, id be okay with seeing a higher turnover rate among politicians…
They never get the fuck out of the game. I hadn’t heard the name John Kerry since all of his old unit buddies said his purple heart was bullshit back during the 2004 election season - then somehow he resurfaces as a ‘Climate Czar’ when Brandon got elected?
Watching the blatant nepotism that these old fucks have allowed to run rampant in our politics makes my skin itch. Would like to see heads rolling like the guillotine days of the French Revolution, but would settle for term limits and familial limitations on office.
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It was far from all. And he was awarded a total of three purple hearts and still has shrapnel in his leg. This is in addition to a bronze and silver star.
Do you have a John Kerry poster hanging up in your bedroom?
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Classy. Real classy.
TBH, I am shocked that there isn’t a lot more assassination attempts on politicians or judges. Not in support of it. Just saying, that in a few cases assassinations could really change the direction of the country. I am surprised that we don’t have crazies out there trying it.
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No. I’m simply not gullible. The facts are out there if you are willing to know them. I also respect those who served and find the chickenhawks, like most of GWB’s team, who disparage veterans reprehensible.
I’ll agree to this.
Still, John Kerry was MIA for 15 years and returns with a phat promotion as ‘climate czar’ when he should have been in a retirement home.
Politicians are never ‘out’ of politics. That’s what bothers me.
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Related.
It’s surprising to see such content on a libertarian website.
From the article:
Inevitably that would produce some kind of social panic — and at exactly the same time that gasoline and diesel fuel grow unaffordable or scarce, every conceivable product vanishes from the store shelves, the financial markets crater, and the Party of Chaos sends its shock troops into the streets to riot, loot, and burn.
Even under those dire circumstances realize this: there will still be a lot of people left in this country who are not vaccinated, not sick, and not insane — millions — and they are the ones who are going to keep the project of civilization alive here, including bringing judgment upon those who set into motion all the aforementioned calamities and wickedness.
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This may be subscription-only. But I found it to be an interesting discussion on the topic of American unity (and the lack thereof).
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