Comments for The Emptiness

Comment on Taxes are the price we pay to avoid ass-rape by Jeremy TheWicked

Jeremy TheWicked — Fri, 20 Apr 2012 07:26:16 +0000

we are not saying don’t prevent violence, as any logical person would agree this is a negation of a voluntary association……..what we are suggesting it there is no reason to force participation in your activities.

Comment on Taxes are the price we pay to avoid ass-rape by RayTheMixer

RayTheMixer — Wed, 18 Apr 2012 18:38:28 +0000

Ad hominem much? How about arguing something relevant to the article. I shall chalk you up as an asshat, regardless of your politics!

Comment on The constitution is empty by Joe

Joe — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 05:39:52 +0000

Uhm yes they would. Ever heard of European royalty? People forget how they got their power. Every thing that the Mafia is know for and even more. Remember who writes the history books.

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by Blah

Blah — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:41:12 +0000

Check out TNG episode Symbiosis.

There’s robust trade between a rich planet that produces an addictive drug–and claims its relief for a plague that no longer exists–and a poor planet full of drug addicts who produce everything else to get the drugs.

Eventually, it all falls apart because the drug addicts forget how to maintain and repair their ships, and the drug dealers don’t know how to do anything useful.

But the idea of market oriented healthcare providers becoming rich by selling unnecessary healthcare to poor workers? And infrastructure crumbling from neglect?

Totally unrealistic and Sci Fi, unless you’ve spent anytime looking at U.S. economic data.

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by Blah

Blah — Tue, 17 Apr 2012 04:18:03 +0000

Actually, socialist societies are more technologically advanced and more socially liberal. Just compare France, the Netherlands, or the Scandinavian countries–the closest thing in the world to socialist societies–to the socially backward U.S., with its massive military spending, 1% of the population in prison, high infant mortality and low life expectancy, crumbling infrastructure, environmental destruction and waste, terrible science and math performance on international exams, rampant religious fundamentalism, and dependence on European and Asian scientific and engineering expertise.

The writers of Star Trek understand the real world better than the average libertarian ideologue.

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by EDITORIAL | Why Space Is So Important — Prometheus Unbound

EDITORIAL | Why Space Is So Important — Prometheus Unbound — Mon, 02 Apr 2012 15:32:43 +0000

[...] to guarantee freedom and brotherhood for all mankind. Shall we have a Soylent Green future? Or a Star Trek future? The answer depends on whether we colonize space, starting with Mars.I love Entering Space [...]

Comment on Of course the state can make you buy stuff by George DeMarse

George DeMarse — Thu, 29 Mar 2012 01:07:07 +0000

The writer of this article seems to be saying “yes, the Federal government can make you buy health insurance,” but in the end condemns the practice because government is supposedly “coersive” in forcing people to buy services “from them” ["them" being people in government, I guess]. I don’t get the point of this argument. The government here is not “forcing” anybody to buy “health insurance from it.” It wants people to be covered by insurance from insurance carriers, not the government itself. So I fail to see how purchasing insurance from insurance companies benefits the government and “them” (those so-called government people). Major mainline economists have made reliable estimates that the overall cost of health care in the U.S. will be less under the AHCA than without it through shared risk and cost. Are you saying the government can’t do anything about the cost of healthcare? Why not?
The only other argument I have heard against the healthcare mandate with any legs is the one which points out that government can’t make you “buy anything,” which the individual mandate requires in the AHCA. The counterargument to that is government makes you buy “car insurance” to drive public roads to avoid risks to public safety (other drivers). The counterargument to that is the government can do this only because it “protects others,” not the policy holder himself. Besides, you could walk or take a bus. Healthcare coverage is an “individual mandate,” and does not protect others.
I don’t think that is true. Currently, those who have health insurance are paying for those who don’t have it because treatment is required by hospitals regardless of insurance c0verage. So the American public “does have” an interest in the noninsured being covered because they are already paying for the risk by the non policy holders. So there is an element of “public interest” in the cost and coverage of healthcare for all who use it. Further, the option to “walk or take a bus” both involve public investment and interest in infrastructure, namely public sidewalks, roads and transportation. All publicly shared cost infrastructure.

George DeMarse
The Sage of Wake Forest

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by Luke Avedon

Luke Avedon — Thu, 23 Feb 2012 02:10:18 +0000

Brilliant.

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by Shane Fortune

Shane Fortune — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 19:41:28 +0000

Mike P.,

This is a wonderful and well-thought out article. As a Star Trek fan fitcion author, “Star Trek: Maxwell’s Misfits,” and a former businessman, I took a great interest in what you had to say. I am currently a public school teacher, and I have found that the difference in behavior between the public and private sector is astounding. I never heard any of my fellow salesmen/women complain about their pay to their customers. Pay is important, of course, but the customer doesn’t want to waste his or her time on our personal problems. But I know teachers who routinely complain to their students about their lack of pay, because they feel like venting and there is nothing that the students can do about it, even though their parents pay the taxes that support the teachers’ salaries.
Some people claim that in 400 years, mankind will be very different. Why should it be? We really haven’t changed our natures that much in the past 4,000 years.
One thing that I have noticed about Socialists Utopian Societies, whether it is the local school district, a state run university, or the Soviet Union–the guys at the top are paid tremendously well and have great benefits despite all the talk about equality. Apparently, equality is for the little people. The people at the top of Utopian Societies live like kings.

Comment on Socialism: A love story – Star Trek by Darkjoker7

Darkjoker7 — Tue, 21 Feb 2012 17:34:09 +0000

You’re missing the point if anyone is Mike. Everyone does whatever they want for “the benefit and advancement of mankind” A doctor keeps people healthy so that the mechanics can keep the facilities that grow his food operational. So that the mechanics and him can eat. So that etc. It’s a system of sustaining yourself by sustaining others. In this system you hurt when others hurt. They decide who does what based on who wants to do it. There will always be people who want to be doctors. I wouldn’t want a doctor working on me that didn’t want to be in any system of economics.

A system like this requires no money, because the currency is your abilities. So long as you do your job you’ll never want. That’s more then any Capitalistic (scarcity and inequality based) system can say.