Comments on: Ignorance As Capital Sin

By: Patrice Ayme

Patrice Ayme — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:43:11 +0000

Chris: Well the EU Federal budget is now only 1% of EU GDP. Yes, F E D E R A L. In the USA, it’s about 17% of GDP. Right now most of the EU budget is (ridiculously, and a lot thanks to France) in agriculture. But the EU also finances many pan-European projects (such as Erasmus, or multi-national transportation projects), that would not get otherwise financed. My (French) nephew is studying biology in Scotland, thanks to Erasmus, and no doubt will master the (third) language of Richard Coeur de Lion…

There is no doubt that one should hesitate to augment the EU Federal budget, when defined needs with high returns (such as Erasmus) can be determined. That does not mean the F1 circuit in the Pennopolese, though. An immediate need is to augment the means of the ECB, so that it can, not just build skyscrappers in Frankfurt, but supervise a pan-European bank insurance system (a European FDIC).

Certainly the gov should stay off the Internet, if we want progress. Internet control by gov would be bring back intellectual fascism in force.
PA

By: Chris Snuggs

Chris Snuggs — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 18:41:12 +0000

Great stuff. Democracy must evolve, or it will become discredited. Information technology has changed everything. That’s one reason why I want all governments’ hands off the internet, but they are bastards and will seize every opportunity to control and tax us. I note that Germany wants the EU to “have its own budget.” This will be worse than the pox.

By: Patrice Ayme

Patrice Ayme — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 03:56:39 +0000

Chris: Surfacing here, sorry I am so slow. After another essay written and a Smartphone, purchased (my first). Now I will have an excuse to write 6 words thoughts with bad spelling… I agree 100% with what you say. Switzerland should be imitated. I do not see why France could not work with a Swiss system. Same USA, or whatever. There are fewer differences between Obama and Romney than any two members of the Swiss Federal Council, by a factor of 100. Or more.
PA

By: Chris Snuggs

Chris Snuggs — Mon, 08 Oct 2012 03:29:37 +0000

We need MASS voting on individual issues, as in Switzerland but more. This is now perfectly possible with modern technology.

Mass voting already takes place in many newspapers. This is how I know that most of my views are not off the wall but actually shared by the majority. Of course, politicians would only concede this over their dead bodies because A) They know best and they have to retain power in OUR best interests (does this sound like Sadaam Hussein, Gaddafi and Assad?) and B) their power and above all control of OUR MONEY would be destroyed.

As for A), it is hilarious. It is not the PLEBS who got us into this shambles, but those who “know best”.

By: Patrice Ayme

Patrice Ayme — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:38:34 +0000

Politicians are inferior in a superior way.
The very nature of the present political process attracts unsavory characters, or encourages unsavory methods. It is a major problem in representative democracy. A way out has to be found, not clear which one. Although the Internet, properly done, could/should help.

By: Patrice Ayme

Patrice Ayme — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:38:23 +0000

The higher the monkey climbs, the more it shows its behind. And the more it does it, the more probable it is that the sky will fall on its head.

By: Chris Snuggs

Chris Snuggs — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:34:18 +0000

That makes monkeys superior to politicians then.

By: Andy Outis

Andy Outis — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:33:05 +0000

And in Yosemite.

By: Patrice Ayme

Patrice Ayme — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 20:30:50 +0000

For those whose pain motivate them to think. That monkeys can ponder unfairness, suffer from it, & react to it, has been demonstrated experimentally, years ago. With marmosets.

By: Martin Lack

Martin Lack — Fri, 05 Oct 2012 19:07:11 +0000

” I have lots of time to refine my ideas, and that implies responding to criticism constructively”
We can but hope that one day you will do it!