Dive into the archives.
- Defending against the Ignominy of Heathenism since 1857
The motto “In God We Trust” was placed on United States coins largely because of the increased religious sentiment existing during and after the Civil War. Secretary of the Treasury Salmon P. Chase received many appeals from devout persons throughout the country, urging that the United States recognize the Deity on United States coins. [...]
- Economic Determinism v.s. Human Nature
Norman Angell was a British Labour politician who wrote The Great Illusion in 1909. It was eerily prescient. Angell wrote that the then common belief that increased trade would end war was simply not the case. Human will always want to fight wars, either due to the mistaken belief that it will [...]
- Independence Inc.
Not long ago, I discussed the idea of a coming wave of microstates. One of the objections of some to independence for small areas like Kosovo or Abkhazia not to mention huge obstacles, is a lack of qualified people to run a new government. Montenegro, for example, was largely independent from Serbia before declaring official [...]
- Fiscal Responsibility Or Hands Off?
In summer of 1989, Romanian dictator Nicolae CeauÅŸescu repaid Romania’s debt in full, and early. The ostensible reason was to make the country financially independent and free from the “economic imperiaism” of the West. At least part of the real reason was to give him a free hand to do as he wished domestically without [...]
- Speaking of Zimbabwe…
If Bolivia really wants to know what happens when you disposs landowners and chase out foreign investors…
Zimbabwe’s inflation surpasses 1,000 percent
Zimbabwe’s inflation rose above 1,000 percent in April, dramatizing the severity of an economic crisis that analysts say could trigger street protests against President Robert Mugabe’s government.
Zimbabwe, in its eighth year of recession, has the [...]
- Following the Zimbabwe Example
First, some personal news. I just got back to the US after four months in Japan, but I’ll be back to Tokyo in August. Ahh, the intrepid travels of your average 21st century Viceroy.
Next, the first headline I saw on google news upon getting into the country was that President Morales of Bolivia [...]
- February 2006: “Morales has proven to be something of a pragmatist so far”
The Bolivarian Revolution came to Bolivia in January, when I surmised this was “probably the start of a new era in Bolivia with no happy ending.” Most readers were more optimistic. Lirelou and Elambend agreed with the Economist, which suggested that President Morales’ rhetoric was all puff and he was an economic realist [...]
- Eurasian Landbridge? African megacanals?
In a followup to my previous post on peculiar infrastructure projects, I’d like to also bring your attention to these grand schemese for infrastructure development on a truly global scale. The projects can be seen in greater detail at the Schiller Institute, which is apparently associated with Lyndon LaRouche’s gang. The site proposes [...]
- “Graduate students do not learn supply and demand”
“The Ph.D. Glut Revisited” should be cause for sober reflection for all of you pursuing a PhD or planning to enroll in an advanced education program. To summarize:
The Ph.D. glut has existed since the fall of 1969. The number of entry-level full-time professorial positions has remained stagnant. Few new universities have been constructed. Legislatures [...]
- British Egypt and PNM Theory Part III
Part I | Part II
In Part II, we looked at what the British administration in Egypt achieved and promised to compare the aims of British policy in Egypt, their outcomes under occupation and after and analyze it in terms of PNM theory (connectivity and the 5 flows) and attempt to draw lessons from it for [...]
