We are developing the social individualist meta-context for the future. From the very serious to the extremely frivolous... lets see what is on the mind of the Samizdata people.
Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]
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Samizdata quote of the day “No gentleman goes to a lady’s house if he is affected by alcohol. A gentleman seeing a young man who is not entirely himself in the presence of ladies, quietly induces the youth to depart. An older man addicted to the use of too much alcohol, need not be discussed, since he ceases to be asked to the houses of ladies.”
– From the “Fundamentals of Good Behaviour”, published here, and thanks to Timothy Sandefur for the pointer.
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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There is so much good and sound stuff there Jonathan – I wonder why you picked this particular bit (not that it is any less good or sound):-)
Alisa, it appealed to my slightly whimsical sense of humour.
Yes, there is a lot around at the moment: Cameron’s WW2 knowledge problem, BP, the Dodd-Frank bill horrorshow, but I have raked over these coals before.
Bit low on inspiration at the moment. Forgive me.
I vaguely recall one of the most expensive gaffes in history…
This is late C19th or abouts and there’s an engagement between a potless Brit aristo and a US lady from a very well off family. Anyway the groom-to-be turns up late and extremely drunk to a high-society party in NYC given by the father of the lady in question to celebrate the up-coming nuptials and before the assembled guests proceeded to urinate in the drawing room fireplace.
I forget the details and a brief Google didn’t help. If anyone can find the proper story I’d be chuffed.
The engagement was called off.
Moral of the story: Don’t piss in your future father-in-law’s fireplace. In almost all conceivable circumstance this is highly sound advice.
No no no, Jonathan, sorry, I did not make myself clear: by ‘there’ I meant that particular link.
Nick: some say it wast the grand piano.
I have long thought that there is nothing incompatible, and much compatible, between a libertarian political philosophy and a yearning for the restoration of decorum in personal behaviour.
Blimey, I’m even talking that way now.
Natalie, you are quite right. Libertarians tend to support, or at least approve of, the golden rule, since it implies equality. We support trade between equals, and the people and firms who are most civil will build a reputation that will enhance their prospects in all branches of commercial life, whilst we ignore the people and firms with a bad reputation. This is also why we don’t like legal monopolies- there is no choice involved, so the monopolist can be uncivil without any commercial costs.
Well I suppose that’s fair advice, I’ll remember it next time I observe a lady.
I saw this somewhere:
A gentleman never drinks gin after 7:30 PM.
A gentleman never strikes a lady without first removing his hat.
Ernie, that last one is just hilarious, it would make for an amusing defense for many wife abusing scumbags: “I really don’t know what all the damn fuss is about your honour! I was careful to take off my hat before I bitch slapped her down the stairs”
As for the advice of the post itself, archaic and ridiculous. The whole point of getting drunk in most cases is so that a young man can go out, meet girls, and hopefully get laid… This is coming from a fairly young guy.
Stephan: true, although being a gentleman is not a prerequisite – while having money to spend is. You are aware of the difference, right?:-)
Sound advice although getting her a bit tipsy is all part of the game plan.
And a gentleman who makes love to a lady without first giving her his pedigree, yea, even unto the tenth generation, is a cad and a bounder.
I don’t have a hat! Is that why I have never had success with ladies? Or should I stop eating garlic with every meal, and let the vampires have me?
Yes, that is quite a story, Endivio – although contrary to the impression one might get, there were neither a gentleman nor a lady (especially not the latter) among the leading characters in that farce.