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]

Samizdata slogan of the day

There is an old Arab saying I’m hearing more and more from Iraqis, I will side with my brother against my cousin, but with my cousin against the foreigners.
– Paul Wood on BBC Reporters’ Log, 11:51GMT

4 comments to Samizdata slogan of the day

  • max

    Dear friend, I found your weblog, very interesting.
    An big kiss by max

  • Anonymous Coward

    And some of the foreigners would like to side with you to help you stop what your cousin is doing to your brother.

  • Thinking of all this brother and cousin business, it has crossed my mind that a society where polygamy is practised, even by a small minority, might be more genetically uniform than ours – making two average members more inter-related.

    As the evolutionary biologist William Hamilton might have reasoned, we should expect suicide warriors to be commoner in a society where any two individuals share more genes, where therefore death is a lot more like laying down your life for family than for friends.

  • grumunkin

    can i amend that slightly?
    from my extensive dealings with arabs over the years, i think it should be:

    I will SAY that i will side with my brother against my cousin, and with my cousin against the foreigners, THEN MAKE A HUGE NOISE ABOUT IT, BUT NOT ACTUALLY GET OFF MY ARSE FOR ANYONE