But you appear to be lost for words. Reread my reply if you’re a gentleman.

Oh, sorry, that’s right, you’re a “natural born killer” that believes everyone deserves to be dead to give you the right to be righteous for your “survival” (I won’t use “caps”. I am being SARCASTIC).

You have created hell-on-Earth for yourselves in the land of dread. Please keep your pollutants and your foul ideals to yourselves and let the decent people live in peace.

Ahem.

It is impossible to get into this subject in any detail here. Exploration of comparative advantage versus absolute advantage and what PCR says on this is a place to start. All I can say here is that most of the Austrians have never held positions of authority; they were always the outsiders. Their knowledge is theoretical. Some have said that ‘free’ trade always provides a net benefit to the consumer, even unfair trade. – People are more than just consumers. If they are outmaneuvered at the negotiating table, they may lose their industry & gainful employment and eventually their sovereignty & freedom. Then they will no longer be citizens, free men, or consumers.

Of course, one must balance the need to deal with trade realistically, strategically -with a determination not to allow domestic cartels to use national trade policy to protect them from competition. This is quite a balancing act. It is the same kind of balance needed in regard to business regulation.

Idealism trumps all other sentiment?

Guns used to kill people kill people. No death under the SELFISH terms you outline counters tyranny. What of those that don’t go along with your “grand plan”. Do you put them up against the wall and shoot them dead with your wonderful guns.

No, I say you have CREATED abject tyranny WITH your guns because your society can only function under terms of control. There’s no conscience. There’s no willingness to sacrifice for good. There’s simply a belief in the power of death for those that sanctimoniously waft the banner inscribed “survival”.

You and your ilk bring American down to the sewer, GregC.

why don’t you just rebut using reasoned argument? why all the name calling?

? a meaningless sentence. voting is an empty ritual to maintain and manipulate the masses. it
does not accomplish anything other than the gullible majority agreeing to support corruption over and over and over. if you want to express conflict use your voice or your feet. voting does not express conflict it expresses obedience.

we need voting no matter how silly the ballot selections look.

?? another meaningless sentence did you actually read your comment before you posted it?
no matter how silly the candidates we need to vote? listen to what you are saying. what does that accomplish? does it not degrade and dumbify the voters? to vote for silliness? to go through the motions allowed us by our depraved ‘rulers’?

if we respected the results of voting we would not have the street riots and death threats we now have.

??? a shockingly mindless statement. too insane, fanatical to reason with.

i find it difficult to comprehend someone’s writing such words.

jesus. i don’t even know what else to say.

Empiricism and liberty go together. Liberty allows us to experience life directly, rather than through someone else’s analysis of it. That’s the whole point of liberty. The converse is true as well, because liberty can only be championed from an empirical basis. Is it better to be free? Why? How do you quantify the value of liberty?

Liberty and conflict go together too, because liberty cannot exist without defense. Let’s all learn to enjoy conflict, rather than “getting on together.” Forced unity creates resentment, and in the end greater conflict than would otherwise happen. Our own war between the states is the most glaring example of this. “The union must be preserved!” Look at the extreme loss of life and wealth, the innumerable ruined lives, all for unity. There is no such thing as voluntary, peaceful unity – it can only be achieved and maintained through force or threats.

Voting is a civilized way to express conflict. We need voting, no matter how silly the ballot selections look. If we respected the results of voting, we would not have the street riots and death threats we now have. People could get on with their lives. In the final analysis, Ozzie, your rather jumbled rhetoric leads to only one political solution, which is tyranny.

One of my hero’s and a long time friend’s mom decided to start a temporary placement service for IT professionals when she was faced with divorce around 20 years ago. She had absolutely zero experience in the business but she was wildly successful. Many people around her tried to discourage her, telling her she couldn’t do it, but she plugged on following the path she imagined for herself.

Reading Jon’s articles about imagination, etc. caused me to reflect and recognize that all the great stuff that has happened in my life came about when I imagined something and followed through. Like opening doors for myself that weren’t there before. And a lot of times it wasn’t because I had the training, or knew so much about a subject, it’s because I imagined it and did it. If I ran into a roadblock I would work it out in my mind like an origami puzzle and plug on. If someone told me I couldn’t do it I just swatted at their static like waving away a gnat.

Anyway, even if industries return to the US, job benefits will never be the same. Large companies are rotting from the top down with their greed. No one will be able to rely on corporations to provide any sort of security (like things were 50 years ago, or even 20). Whether this is grand-scheme intentional or just trending and short sighted sick greed doesn’t matter. It’s happening.

And I’m wondering what to tell my teen that wants to be an astronautical engineer…”My love, you will have to work 60 to 80 hours a week with minimal benefits and no chance of advancement if you choose this field.”?

No. I will encourage him to follow his passion, and I think Jon is right. The answer is to teach our kids and our grand kids and anyone who will listen to employ logic and reason so they can see through all the confusion. And then teach them how to imagine, and keep imagining and creating new doors, new spaces.