Curt Doolittle

Theme: Crisis

  • ( Dear god. Thank you for helping me get through this winter, which was one of t

    ( Dear god. Thank you for helping me get through this winter, which was one of the worst experiences of my life. It’s bad enough that my own government became a life threatening enemy, and tried to ruin me out of bureaucratic laziness and incompetence. It’s worse that in our civilization being a white protestant male is a crime, wealth is to be punished. And worst of all, that as a father you are essentially of the same legal status as a felon. Follow that up with revolution and threat of invasion while trying to launch a new company. And it was just not a good time to be alive. So thank you for getting me through it. )

    Source date (UTC): 2014-04-02 08:43:00 UTC

  • UPDATE: (a) RUSSIA WILL INVADE (b) AND REASONS WHY (one of the better articles)

    http://www.kyivpost.com/content/ukraine/james-sherr-it-is-time-we-stopped-praising-ukraine-for-exercising-restraint-340991.htmlUKRAINE UPDATE: (a) RUSSIA WILL INVADE (b) AND REASONS WHY

    (one of the better articles)

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-27 07:58:00 UTC

  • “By using the case of Finland the way he does, Rothbard is trying to use an exam

    –“By using the case of Finland the way he does, Rothbard is trying to use an example of successful military resistance to Soviet expansionism to argue that there was no such thing as Soviet expansionism by military means.”–

    Typical Rothbardian logic: nonsense.

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-25 19:56:00 UTC

  • I think you understand the Putin strategy, although you do not seem to have adde

    http://buchanan.org/blog/putin-irrational-one-6292Pat,

    I think you understand the Putin strategy, although you do not seem to have added the obvious problem that Russia has enormous borders and a thin population – which has historically been accosted from all sides. Their only defense is a strong offense.

    Second, if Putin is in fact, an ethno-nationalist, (I agree that he is) then he should just say so. Because a lot of the west would support him in that position for, as you mentioned, the same reasons we support the jews. Conservative support would be overwhelming.

    Third, but the problem he has in convincingly making that argument, is that his government is profoundly corrupt, extractive and predatory on its own people. By contrast, it’s very obvious that membership in the EU is life-alteringly superior for eastern Europe – at high cost to western europeans.

    Fourth, Russia has nothing to offer the world or its orbit other than oil and gas. Russian occupation is a net negative for any economy that it influences. (See the Economists’ report.)

    Fifth, all he had to do was offer all Russian-Crimeans dual citizenship, and then ask for a referendum – one which everyone would support. It was completely unnecessary to use military occupation with a foregone conclusion.

    Russia must reform it’s systemic and pervasive corruption. It is too heavy a burden on the people for the people to compete on the world market. Without reforming corruption, Russia is just a rogue and predatory militaristic state with nothing to offer the world.

    An ethno-nationalist Russia that suppresses corruption offers something wonderful to the world. 🙂

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-19 11:24:00 UTC

  • Having fun this morning watching the pundits around the world reposition themsel

    Having fun this morning watching the pundits around the world reposition themselves on all sorts of things. The most interesting is that given European energy dependency upon Russia, the eastern turn of Russia to the Chinese model,

    In 2008 and 2009 it was very interesting to watch all the economists change their point of view on the trajectory of the economy. Right now it’s pretty interesting to see them change their view on the trajectory of social democracy.

    I might have been blinded by being emotionally so involved in the passions in Ukraine. But, as long as Ukrainians remain free of Russian occupation, the net result here might be the end of the “end of history” and the illusion of a unified world.

    I want to put a bullet in the European Union, the American Federal Government, and “Universalism”.

    And this actually helps. And an emboldened china helps even more.

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-16 22:50:00 UTC

  • MESSAGE GOES MAINSTREAM: RUSSIA A ROGUE STATE –“Russia is rapidly emerging as a

    MESSAGE GOES MAINSTREAM: RUSSIA A ROGUE STATE

    –“Russia is rapidly emerging as a rogue state from which even its traditional allies are turning away.”– Financial Times

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-16 22:14:00 UTC

  • I guess that I should be happy that Russia just helped put a bullet in the mytho

    I guess that I should be happy that Russia just helped put a bullet in the mythos of democracy. Not that it needed a bullet. It’s pretty much been an unmitigated disaster everywhere.

    Although, the data in the west at least, suggests that it’s women and non-nuclear family immigration that made the marginally destructive difference.

    WEAK AND THE STRONG

    1) Democracy is weak – Monarchy is superior.

    2) The Absolute nuclear family is weak – the Extended and Inbred Families are superior.

    3) Secularism is weak – Religion is stronger.

    4) Credit is weak – Force is stronger.

    The west had one thing going for it: a homogenous (behaviorally intolerant, absolute nuclear family) protestant society under monarchy where there is no access to political power, forces all groups to compete only in the market.

    When groups compete in the market they innovate. Innovation OVER TIME allows for the rapid development of technology that allows a free minority to remain free.

    When groups compete in politics they’re not innovating, just transferring between each other. While it may be true that groups can invest together to attempt to obtain dividends on their investments, and that state sponsored investments generally can concentrate greater capital than private investments,

    The least costly military is a fully participatory militia capable of denying any forces access to territory without perpetual losses, and nuclear weapons to prevent military and nuclear threats.

    The least costly bureaucracy is private monarchy, voluntary representation or direct democracy, and privatized delivery of services.

    There are some areas where division of labor is destructive, and that’s war, and the maintenance of the normative commons.

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-16 21:48:00 UTC

  • “Russia is still “the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. in

    —“Russia is still “the only country in the world capable of turning the U.S.A. into radioactive dust.”– Russian head of propaganda. 😉

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-16 21:22:00 UTC

  • RT @CGGiske: The Crimea referendum sounds like a classical communist farce. Like

    RT @CGGiske: The Crimea referendum sounds like a classical communist farce. Like a percentage worthy of Stalin. Just leave Ukraine alone. #…

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-16 20:22:49 UTC

    Original post: https://twitter.com/i/web/status/445294133234917376

  • END OF RUSSIAN CHANCE AT BECOMING A MODERN CIVILIZED COUNTRY –” the chances of

    END OF RUSSIAN CHANCE AT BECOMING A MODERN CIVILIZED COUNTRY

    –” the chances of Russia’s becoming a modern, civilised country, open to the world and respectful of its citizens, are diminishing with every outburst of war hysteria on Russian television.”– The Economist

    I don’t know what “open to the world” means. And I probably disagree with whatever the author intends. But the fact is that it’s a profoundly corrupt government and its people live in relative poverty because of it.

    I want ‘my tribe’ free. And Russians are part of my tribe. An insular Russia grossly protective of its citizens is a good thing for my tribe. An insular Russia that suppresses corruption is a good thing for my tribe. An insular non-democratyc, non-corrupt, economically prosperous Russia is good for the world.

    But an expansionist, corrupt, economically cancerous Russia defeats every purpose.

    Yes. I’m angry. I would love to live in Moscow to watch that country evolve. Now, with one absolutely absurd move, the opportunity is lost for all.

    It was trivially easy to trade the renting of Crimea for discounted petroleum prices for Ukraine, with the extension of dual citizenship to all Crimeans who desired it, and dual citizenship for all Russian Ukrainians who desire it.

    And the guy would have been a freaking hero.

    Idiot.

    Source date (UTC): 2014-03-15 08:48:00 UTC