4/26/2008

full power to the shields

Since we haven't developed these kinds of shields yet, and since these shields have been great for war profiteers but can't actually do anything useful, we're left with this. It's low-tech, and it doesn't involve massive taxpayer support.

It's the Iran peace shield. Cool, huh? Don't get me wrong, I love having Boeing and B-2s in my state.

You're just a total nut job if you think using them against Iran is a good thing to do.

4/25/2008

illicit markets are the coolest

Jodi and I are watching a show on PBS about illicit markets. Aside from the exaggeration of the uniqueness of now (as if black markets haven't always existed) it's pretty cool. I find illegal markets a lot more intellectually stimulating than legal ones. There's just so much going on, so much innovation, you always have to be a step ahead of the people chasing you. The power of people's individual choices to overwhelm the best laid plans of governments and corporations. The reminder that criminal is a label of one's relation to arbitrary laws (and the arbitrary enforcement of those laws), not a statement on one's abilities in sales, marketing, operations, strategy, entrepreneurship, interpersonal relations, or other valuable, marketable, productive skills.

And of course, the overwhelming economic, human, and national security case for ending crime as we know it by decriminalizing much of what we call crime. Consumers get inferior products when pushed into gray and black markets, taxpayers get screwed by the massive bills which don't do anything, and organized crime and terrorist organizations have access to massive revenue and transportation networks.

But hey, it's hard to compromise on good public policy when it comes to issues like this. After all, the GOP is all about big government, and they hate free markets.

4/19/2008

to laugh or to cry

Oh, this is just too much. One of my main hesitations about Senator Obama has been his position that we need to pay more attention to Afghanistan, not less.

But regardless of how you feel about US troops there, this is pretty funny, in a very disturbing way.

Nato forces mistakenly supplied food, water and arms to Taliban forces in southern Afghanistan, officials today admitted.

That NATO has been so unsuccessful in militarily occupying Afghanistan is a very sobering reality. The last thing we need to be doing is helping the Taliban.

4/03/2008

call the season

It's official. Let's just end it now. The Royals are in first place. In fact, they're the only undefeated team in baseball.

That can't last long. Can it?