gags

In Thursday's Wall Street Journal, there was an interesting interview with the Italian Leftist journalist Oriana Fallaci. http://www.opinionjournal.com/columnists/t...n/?id=110006858 In the interview, Ms. Fallaci makes some valid points and quotes an essay by Pope Benedict XVI entitled "If Europe Hates Itself". In the essay, the Pope said: "The West reveals . . . a hatred of itself, which is strange and can only be considered pathological; the West . . . no longer loves itself; in its own history, it now sees only what is deplorable and destructive, while it is no longer able to perceive what is great and pure." When a Leftist Atheist such as Ms. Fallaci echoes the words of Pope Benedict, there is something notable afoot. I can’t help but think that America is afflicted with the same pernicious disease. It seems so many in this country have become obsessed with self-doubt that we no longer have the will to fight for our own survival. According to recent public opinion polls, some 59% of the American people now oppose the war in Iraq and 46% are in favor of an immediate withdrawal of US troops from that country. If we are unable to stem the tide of Islamic fundamentalism, the future of free men is indeed very dim. As mentioned in the WSJ article, the historian Arnold Toynbee wrote that "Civilizations die from suicide, not by murder". I’m afraid that America and Europe are both drinking from the same jug of poison Kool-Aid. Sorry to be so pessimistic, but do any of you see positive signs of hope for the West?

http://forum.ObjectivismOnline.com/index.php?showtopic=2479 This thread does a good job of answering that question.

To answer your question about "big" versus "small" business: From the US House of Representatives Small Business Committee: Small businesses play an important part in the United States economy. There are about 22.4 million non-farm firms in the U.S, according to 2001 data. Small businesses represent more than 99 percent of all employers. They also employ 51 percent of private-sector workers, 51 percent of workers on public assistance, and 38 percent of workers in high-tech jobs. Small businesses account for nearly all of the self-employed, which comprise of 7 percent of the work force. In addition, small businesses produce two-thirds to three-quarters of all the net new jobs. They also produce 51 percent of private sector output as well as represent 96 percent of all exporters of goods. Also: Small Business Share In GDP The private non-farm sector share of the GDP (Gross Domestic Product) fell slightly to 50 percent from 51 percent from 1992 to 1997. This is not unusual though, because it has been fairly stable over the past two decades while only fluctuating slightly. Also, preliminary data shows an increase of that 50 percent share to 52 percent in 1998 and 1999. This is only a preliminary estimate however, as not all data has been compiled in the latest available reports.

Believe me, the moment you buy your first house, this lesson is driven home loud and clear. As a kid, I thought my parents "owned" our family home. Hardly. If you don't pay your rent to the state in the form of property taxes, they'll take it away in a heartbeat. I feel sick every six months when I write a very substantial check to the state of MI for the privilege of living in a house I only thought I owned. Adding insult to injury; if you improve your property, they increase the assessment and you have to pay more rent.

It sounds like several state legislatures are already considering just that.

I have to agree with you Oakes. This is purely an idiotic law being created for political purposes. However, there are so many more important battles to be fought and won. The campaign finance reform legislation that was pushed through by John McCain and Russ Feingold is far more damaging to political free speech than taking away the right of fools to burn the American flag.

The IRS defined the term "Fair Market Value" in Revenue Ruling 59/60 as follows: "a net amount which a willing purchaser, whether an individual or a corporation, would pay for the interest to a willing seller, neither being under any compulsion to buy or sell and both having reasonable knowledge of relevant facts." This is the accepted definition used by the courts in these matters. The problem is that the government ignores the " neither being under any compulsion" part of the definition and assumes a "hypothetical" willing buyer and willing seller. So in other words, both parties are assumed to be willing to come to a deal. That being the case, real estate is appraised for these types of condemnation actions using three approaches. They are: the Income Approach (based on the value of the cash income that a property can be expected to generate) the Market Approach (based on actual sales of similar or comparable properties), and the Cost Approach (based on the cost to reproduce the item being appraised). Even though each piece of real estate is by definition a unique piece of property, it is assumed that a substitute of equal value can be found for the property being appraised. When such a substitute cannot be found, positive adjustments are made to the value of a similar or comparable property in order to take into consideration the characteristics that make the appraised property unique.

In my opinion, the Poletown condemnation was a disaster for the City of Hamtramck, MI. It was really the final nail in the coffin of a city that was already in deep trouble. Since that time, Hamtramck continued to decline and has either been financially insolvent or flirting with insolvency for several years. The government's and GM's promises of prosperity ring pretty hollow, in my opinion. I'm proud to say that I have a connection with the litigation that surrounded the taking of private property in the Poletown matter. My former boss (who is an Objectivist) acted as an appraiser in connection with the condemnation of a business known at the time as the Hospital Drug Co. This business was essentially a drug store in Hamtramck with a unique location that allowed it to earn very nice profits for its owners. When the Poletown project moved forward and the owner of the Hospital Drug Co. was told that his property would be taken, he sued for just compensation. Up until the time of this case, in a government condemnation action a business owner in Michigan could only receive moving expenses along with the appraised value of the tangible assets of the business that could not be moved. By tangible assets, I mean those physical assets that you can actually see and touch that cannot be moved. This was usually the value of the building occupied by the business. However in many cases, the building was leased, so very little money was paid to business owners in these matters. In the Hospital Drug litigation, my former boss argued that the owner was also entitled to the intangible or Goodwill value of his business, which was substantially more than just the value of its tangible assets. His appraised value of the Hospital Drug Co. was accepted by the court and this case opened the door for other business owners in Michigan to receive full compensation for the value of their businesses when the government takes the land on which the business is located. It also lead to Michigan business owners receiving compensation for lost profits, business interrruption and other damages related to the taking of private property by the government. The Hospital Drug litigation was a real blow for freedom and something of a landmark case in these matters in Michigan.

Excellent article. Thank you for the link.

Well, whoever said "you can't buy good taste" was certainly correct. http://www.dailybulletin.com/Stories/0,141...2930043,00.html

I know something about private arbitration and it can be a useful alternative to actually going to court in some situations. On the other hand, it has certain drawbacks as well. The rulings of private arbitrators are enforceable by the government because the parties agree (through contract) to abide by the arbitrator's opinion before entering the process. In the current system, the state enforces the arbitrator's ruling.

It's one of those things that people can tell you about, but you definitely have to live it in order to understand the full implications. I didn't get a decent night of sleep for almost 7 months after my son was born.

Kids are certainly a life changing experience.

Would you mind explaining/defining what you mean by "Social Contract" here? Thanks.

The gyrations they will go through to salvage such a bad system are amazing.

Here's some info from the The Associated Press in the Havana Journal regarding Cuban salaries and the costs of various products. The monthly salaries don't seem to work out if the minimum wage is $1 or $2 per day. I can't give an explanation for the discrepancy. Average salaries, per month: Teacher: $9.60 Business administrator: $11.35 Engineer: $14.40 Doctor, general practitioner: $27 Doctor, specialist: $31 Taxi Driver: $6, plus tips Cost of products: Rice, per pound: 14 cents Beans, per pound: 35 cents Bread, per pound: 39 cents Sugar, per pound: 47 cents Pork, per pound: 96 cents Can of soda: 42 cents Bottle of rum: $2.30 Package of 20 cigarettes: 27 cents Roll of toilet paper: 19 cents Milk, per gallon: $4.55 (available at much lower prices for children under 7) Cheese, per pound: $4-$5 (can be found for half this price on black market) Cooking oil, per quart: $2.15 Box of cereal: $4-$10 (depending on brand) Canned soup (Campbell's Cream of Mushroom): $2.50 Transportation: Buses or fixed-route taxis for Cubans: 1 cent Taxis for tourists: 96 cents per mile Entertainment: Movie theater: 4 cents Sporting event: 4 cents Concert: 4 cents to $25 A night at the Tropicana cabaret: $65-$85 Utilities, per month (based on consumption): Water: 15-20 cents Gas for stoves: 8-38 cents Electricity: 38 cents to $11.50 Telephone: 38 cents to $11.50

Doubling of the minimum wage from $1/day to $2.....well I guess that's socialist progress. I had a funny thought. I wish I'd been a bug on the wall during the negotiations between Cuba and China for the big rice steamer purchase. Do you think the Cubans asked for a unit price discount because they were buying in bulk? I wonder if the Chinese had to compete based on quality, price, on-time delivery and customer service in order to get the contract? Even the parasites become capitalists when their own interests are at stake. And I thought they preach that selfishness is a bad thing.

You want to feel old and really have time fly past? Wait until you have kids. My daughter is going to walk across the stage tonight in a cap and gown as she graduates from high school. This Fall she's off to dance and go to school in NYC. It just seems like yesterday when she was a little crumb-crunching monster running around the house....

Hello to you too Mail. Also, thanks Jennifer. I must say I've been impressed with your knowledge of Objectivism and your logic.

I can't give you any real insight into the man, but this quote pretty much sums up his view of the world: "I love to hit people. I love to. Most celebrities are afraid someone's going to attack them. I want someone to attack me. No weapons. Just me and him. I like to beat men and beat them bad." He seems to be a sociopath, starting his criminal behavior at a very early age. I know he was arrested at 12 for purse snatching. Also, I think he really began to spiral out of control when his trainer Cus D'Amato died in the mid 1980s. Yes, suicide is a likely possibility.

I must say, I'm impressed with the site. I just wish there were more time available for me to spend reading the threads. By way of background, I was introduced to Objectivism more than 20 years ago while at the University of Michigan. Rand certainly changed my view of the world, even though I was living in Ann Arbor, MI - one of the epicenters of collectivism. Despite the world around me, I read many of her works and eventually became active in The George Washington University Objectivist Club while in graduate school. Since that time, a lot of life has happened and I haven't kept up with my reading. I never forgot or abandoned, the principals of O'ism, I just didn't spend time studying it. Having a family places more than a few demands on your time. Anyhow, I'm currrently reading OPAR and loving it. This stuff is even better the second time around. Having lived a little bit doesn't hurt either. Cheers, Phil Gaglio

If you're anything like me, I hiked 10 miles up hill on the way there and 10 miles up hill on the way back! Let me tell you, that's not easy. I'm an old guy. 40 something.....

Cuba is on a roll. In fact, Castro is passing out rice steamers to every deserving socialist female. Play your cards right and you might even get a pressure cooker. "Those of you who would like rice steamers, raise your hand," said the 78-year-old president in front of an audience of hundreds of women, sounding a bit like Monty Hall. All the women left with one, and 3 million more are on their way to households across the island. Preliminary distribution of pressure cookers, which, like the rice steamers, come from China, has also begun. http://search.csmonitor.com/2005/0610/p06s01-woam.htm Now that's prosperity for you!

Nate, were you thinking about a Land Value Tax (LVT) when you asked this question? http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Land_Value_Tax It's an idea that's gaining popularity in some cities. The tax would be assessed on the unimproved value of the land.

I met Lowenstein a little while ago and read "Genius". It's quite a good book and he's an interesting guy. Oh and yes, Corzine is an odd bird.....not very admirable.