Of the tendencies that are harmful to sound economics, the most seductive, and in my opinion the most poisonous, is to focus on questions of distribution. In this very minute, a child is being born to an American family and another child, equally valued by God, is being born to a family in India. The resources of all kinds that will be at the disposal of this new American will be on the order of 15 times the resources available to his Indian brother. This seems to us a terrible wrong, justifying direct corrective action, and perhaps some actions of this kind can and should be taken. But of the vast increase in the well-being of hundreds of millions of people that has occurred in the 200-year course of the industrial revolution to date, virtually none of it can be attributed to the direct redistribution of resources from rich to poor. The potential for improving the lives of poor people by finding different ways of distributing current production is nothing compared to the apparently limitless potential of increasing production.
You’re welcome.
Incidentally, somebody might want to send this along to the GOP “frontrunner” and “inevitable” nominee, Mitt Romney, who is now predictably feeling the pain of the protesters — and adopting their language.
Not that it would help. Romney is a pander. Which is why the GOP establishment wants him. Movement conservatives want to change the status quo. And it’s the status quo that is so comforting to the political class. Party affiliations matter not a whit.
****
(quote cribbed from Forbes. h/t Mercatus Center, via Twitter)
Focus on voluntary exchange. It isn’t that difficult.
Four years ago I was making fun of Hillary as “Her Inevitableness.” That was fun. Maybe I should bring it out of mothballs.
wall street romney, pandering squack
Stupid freedom. So overrated.
From the Forbes link: What should puzzle us is that the supply side of the market for political favors is so competitive that favors can be had for such low prices.
This makes me think we’ve been doing it all wrong. Let’s succumb to the inevitable victory of the Beltway insiders, and all start bidding on Congresscritters. Sure, we’ll still be screwed, but at least we can drive the prices up for the guys who currently manage things!
There’s a lot of folks inspired by other folks squatting in their own filth who agree with you charles.
Hello?
He’s a Massatwoshits Republican… Of course he’s as fake as
Here’s a trick. If you want someone to not read your post or comment, start it off with the words, “In which”. It works 100% of the time on me.
What, don’t like Fielding Kevin?
Kevin is consistently kind of a douche, even when I agree with him.
I agree with JD :(.
in which I gently remind you how little that concerns me.
This little:
Here’s a trick. If you want someone to not read your post or comment, start it off with the words, “In which”. It works 100% of the time on me.
in which I gently remind you how little that concerns me.
This little:
And Kevin Consitentlykinduvadouche is out of this Saga
Welcome aboard, A-
10hole!Romney is a pander.
But he’s just so gosh-darned cute, the way he sits there quietly chewing his bamboo stalk and all.
how about sandwich?
[…] In which I gently remind Mr Cantor and the rest of the GOP leadership why it’s profoundly stupid t…Jeff G.Mon, 17 Oct 2011 17:32:40 GMT LD_AddCustomAttr("AdOpt", "1"); LD_AddCustomAttr("Origin", "other"); LD_AddCustomAttr("theme_bg", "ffffff"); LD_AddCustomAttr("theme_text", "333333"); LD_AddCustomAttr("theme_link", "0066cc"); LD_AddCustomAttr("theme_border", "5581C0"); LD_AddCustomAttr("theme_url", "114477"); LD_AddCustomAttr("LangId", "1"); LD_AddSlot("LD_ROS_300-WEB"); LD_GetBids(); Like this:LikeBe the first to like this post. […]
“in which I gently remind you how little that concerns me.
This little:”
I’m glad that it at least concerned you enough to comment on it. At least it fell upon the right ears. The phrasing has been too pretentious for most right wing blogs since 2005. You know, like someone saying ‘We are not amused.’ Or ‘pshaw’.
this blog should be more like Hot Air I keep telling them Kevin but they won’t listen
FWIW, this is the type of people who use the phrase “In which”.
Happyfeet, I believe that you are being facetious, but it went over my head. Apologies for being ignorant. HotAir has it’s own problems. AP used to do that same goofy “In which I” thing too. He’s only stopped in the last 9 months or so. And Ed Morrissey simply cannot commit to making a statement, so all of his headlines are questions, not statements.
“Is murderous islam bad?” “Should killing and eating babies be against the law?” Sheesh. He’s MUCH more annoying than Jeff’s occasional ‘In which’. Although saying ‘In which’ IS pretty annoying.
I don’t get it Mr. Kevin I don’t mind “in which” it reminds me of those chapters in Dickens which I read so many of that they almost all run together except for Tale of Two Cities which is the only one what actually made me cry for reals
it is a far far better thing I do than I have ever done
Bam cue the waterworks.
Fielding is far preferable to Dickens hf. Don’t you think?
I neglected to ever read him. My whole life.
I’ve also never seen Animal House.
the lacunae they are many
Treat yourself.
Truthful comedy is just better than dissembling melodrama.
I will endeavour to make this Mr. Fielding’s acquaintance Mr. sdferr
Then I shall hope he rewards you for it.
Happyfeet, maybe we’re just different. For me, hearing “In which I” is too similar to hearing the Red Queen say, “Off with his head!” I don’t approve.
In case ‘face’ is important, I would like to note that Jeff Goldstein was 100% correct the last time we had a dustup. I thought the problem between Jeff and Patterico was 50% Jeff and 50% Patterico. Jeff made the effort to successfully explain that the problem was 100% Patterico.
There. You win! You’re very awesome. Now, can you stop using the phrase ‘In which? Even the guys from WizBang have grown up and stopped using it.
Kevin, cut it out. That is, I mean, stop being a moron. You can do it.
No. Because I use it self-referentially and with the kind of irony that apparently some people just plain miss.
In which I second sdferr’s comment…
I have this many turtles
Only if it’s used pretentiously. In this case, I had no illusions that Mr Cantor would be confronted in any way with my blog post, nor that he would care what I think.
I should add that this blog has poked fun at blog pretentiousness since its earliest days. Context.
I missed this today
Here ends the disquisition on the ironical us of the “in which” construction.
And thus it was that peace was restored to the community.
All Praise Be to God Most High.
Amen
“Because I use it self-referentially and with the kind of irony that apparently some people just plain miss.”
Jeff, let’s not converse until tomorrow. I suspect alcohol is in the mix. We’ll probably agree in the morning. We’re on the same side, though I’m not as classically liberal as you.
Hah Ernst Schreiber!”ironical us”! Pretty funny, German guy.
Either you’ve been drinking or you haven’t. No real room for “suspect”ing.
eagerly I wish the morrow vainly we have sought to borrow from comments – surcease of sorrow – sorrow for Mr. Jeff’s choice of idiom
‘Tis bittersweet to bid adieu for the nonce. Yet all the bitterest for the absence of absinthe.
In which a Slight is (in)advertently made.
The wicked which of the left.
from sdferr’s link:
Really interesting articles. I enjoyed reading it.
Supra Skylow
Heartbeats by Lady Gaga Black Chrome
happyfeet posted on 10/17 @ 8:32 pm
I’ve also never seen Animal House.
You should. Really.
For many years I thought it was the biography of my college experience in which other participants filled in the huge gaps in my memory of those stoned and heady days of which I don’t remember much.
happyfeet posted on 10/17 @ 8:56 pm
I have this many turtles
Turtles don’t have diaphragms with which to help them breathe. I learned that on neatorama.
sdferr posted on 10/17 @ 8:28 pm
Fielding is far preferable to Dickens hf. Don’t you think?
Yes. Dickens is tediously repetitive and pretty soon all his charachters run together except Pip whos neck you just want to ring before you’re halfway through the story.
I’ll try to see it maybe over the holidays – I heard it was funny! … the only thing I know about turtle breathing is they tend to exhale sharply when you pluck them out of the water … Mr. Pip had very poor life skills bless his heart but remember this all happened before Dave Ramsey
In which all spammers are politely requested to die in a fire.
A style scold? Please.
Our free ice creams is too pretentious! We does not like it!
“Jeff, let’s not converse until tomorrow. I suspect alcohol is in the mix.”
Yep, I knew it. Now that the wine has worn off, I’m not the least bit interested in this conversation :).
But still, don’t use headlines that start with ‘In which’. It’s lame. I’m still quite firm on that position.
I apologize for being an ass. It’s probably society’s fault. Or my parent’s. It’s difficult to say.
I’m sure Jeff will give your #51 all the attention it deserves.
*fingers crossed*