Politics, The Final Frontier (Politics)

[Mick Harper]

I learned yesterday that North Korea is exporting tens of thousands of its citizens to the Russian Far East to work on various projects. They are paid at the lowest Russian pay scales, work eighteen hours a day and get two days off a year.

Both the North Korean and Russian governments benefit enormously from this arrangement so presumably it will continue indefinitely. So what's new, you ask? Me. For some reason I blew a gasket. North Korea has been going for nigh on eighty years, cheek by jowl with South Korea whose citizens are among the wealthiest (and freest) people in the world, and that has been going on for nigh on eighty years as well.

How dare such a situation exist on this our world.

[Mick Harper]

Assumption One: Millions of kids grow up without undue grief
Assumption Two: A few thousand kids come to grief for unknown reasons
Assumption Three: Something big comes along, million of kids benefit
Assumption Four: The something big caused the kids to come to grief
Assumption Five: The something big will be banned

This is all part of the 'Victim Society'. Everything is judged not by how society benefits but how a small section of society suffers. There is not even a pretence at applying the felicific calculus.

Let me know if you ever hear someone on the telly say, "I accept everything you say, it's all very tragic and the cause is clear enough, but I want it to go ahead anyway." Or even, "I accept everything you say, I'd love to ban it, but it's not technically possible so that's an end to it. Sorry."

[Grant]

Funniest example of this at the moment is the campaign to ban under 16s from using social media. Funny because you know that the campaigners spend hours every day on social media.

"But we must save the kiddies!"

[Mick Harper]

I only found out yesterday that passenger planes have to pay 'overflight fees' when they cross other people's territory. Two surprises here: that they have to and that I didn't know.

[Mick Harper]

As you should know by now I have my 'Latin America model' of third world politics. Basically the right drives things modestly forward, the left redistributes the rewards, the economy crashes, there's a government of nasties, eventually a sensible government replaces them, the cycle starts again, and the country remains a basket case.

Bolivia reminds us that in actual Latin America there is a further complication whenever there is a significant indigenous population. They have a certain legitimate entitlement over and above the usual froth. And can make it stick now they have learnt how to organise.

In Bolivia the orthodox Left and the indigenes united to such effect they ruled the country for twenty years under a typically corrupt but charismatic blowhard named Evo Morales. This was no doubt all very necessary but of course they eventually ran the country into the ground to such effect that in October 2025 his party, the Movement for Socialism, could scarcely attract support from anyone and a coupla moderate rightists fought it out for the dubious privilege of getting their country going again.

As is inevitable this meant having to get rid of the more egregiously extravagant 'help the poor' programmes. As is also inevitable this meant anyone who was benefitting from the programmes -- or was just left wing -- hit the streets. They are currently blockading La Paz whose inhabitants are on starvation rations. The government appears powerless to do much about it without turning nasty.

Or being replaced by someone who will be only too pleased to do the honours. Not excluding Evo Morales holed up among his fellow Amerindians in the sticks but thirsting for a return to power in the capital. So, all you sensible types, now you know the rule:

[Wile E. Coyote]

Wiley reckons that the Whitehouse pool is close to being good, we just need to now add-in, the odd alder, birch and willow, tastefully complement this with ferns grasses reeds and mosses, and then as a final touch introduce in some herons and marsh wren.

Wiley could do this for $12.5 million, easy.

It would be beautiful and timeless.

[Mick Harper]

Skinny dipping, that's what it needs.

[Wile E. Coyote]

5 years and three, seems a bit steep, for Peter Murrell. After all he pled guilty and it was his first offence. Ok it must be admiitted the offending did go on along time, primarily it seems as he managed to get away with it, without anyone noticing.....

Still by way of comaparison John Stonehouse only got 7, for theft, forgery, fraud, and deception, and that also followed a failed attempt to fake his own death. Stonehouse also pleaded not guilty, insisted on defending himself, and proceeeded to make a unsworn six day long staetement, from the dock, to avoid cross examination.

All things considered Wiley feels that Peter would have received a far better hearing and a more lenient sentence, under English justice......