No Wonder Our Taxes Are So High! March 12, 2008
Posted by Resident Egoist in : Cultural Criticism, Law and Government , add a commentThere’s a finally a convincing theory to make sense of that complex question: Why are we lawfully robbed of so much of what we earn? I’m not sure about the people in other states, but in New York, we have an answer — which is that taxation is necessary so that our honorable politicians may be able to afford “a basic human necessity”: $4300 to spend a couple of hours with a whore, every now and then!
Please excuse my language today, I just find this sort of hypocrisy beyond outrageous! I wonder though what would make a man such as the governor, (i.e.: a rich, powerful man who without a doubt has an abundant selection of women at his disposal - freely, not to mention HIS WIFE!) would spend $80,000 a year for sex. Even Julia Roberts only charged $3000/week; Mr. Spitzer routinely shelled out the same amount for one freakin’ HOUR! Either these girls have some out-of-this-world skills, or “The Sheriff of Wall Street” must have some very, very, very sick fantasies! Most New Yorkers don’t even make near $80,000 a year … or even 2! But maybe I’m just falling victim to the Marxist notion of price.
Isn’t it amazing how it’s always the self-righteous ones that tend to be the sleaziest of them all, whether they be Republican or Democrat? I wonder what’s hiding in Obama’s closet(s)? Do you think he could be Muslim? Just kidding. He might be a socialist however.
P.S: On a more serious note, I believe prostitution should be perfectly legal … I just don’t think public officials (or anyone else, for that matter) should be able to enjoy it at my expense.
Francisco D’Anconia, Redux March 11, 2008
Posted by Resident Egoist in : Economics (Theory), Philosophy and Objectivism , add a commentI just stumbled upon a very rare thing, and feeling a little nostalgic about blogging, I thought I’d share this with whomever is still dropping by here.
And what exactly is this: it’s a rational comment from Slashdot:
why do you think you achieve some sort of higher moral ground or purpose by shunning money? all you do is hobble your own ability to properly understand how the world you live in actually functions. i’m not asking you to worship money. and money certainly leads people to do evil things. but again, money is just an abstract expression of human desires. the real evil is aspects of human nature itself, not a piece of green paper with alexander hamilton’s face on it
all i’m asking you to do is grant money the proper respect it deserves for quantifying abstract human interest in such a way that it makes the world we live in a better place. yes, money is a great invention, like the wheel or the semiconductor. it makes your world a better place. bartering chickens for school books gets kind of old after awhile. thus the glorious invention of money. and no, i’m not gordon gecko. i’m just a realist. realism trumps cotton candy idealism any day. and the most sober realistic consideration of money in this world is that it makes your life better
The author was trying to knock some sense into those smug, obliviously self-righteous slashdotters who think WikiPedia shouldn’t consider selling advertisements as a solution to its financial problems. If you’re familiar with Atlas Shrugged, this should remind you of Francisco’s Money Speech — save for the fact that the definition of money here leaves a lot to be desired.
For a quick and excellent starter on money, see What Has Government Done to Our Money, by Murray Rothbard. Though I’m usually wary to recommend this author’s writings, this is by far, the single best introduction to money I know of, bar none. In light of this country’s current monetary tragedy, this should interest you.