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 quote of the day

Even for The Guardian managing two logical fallacies in the one editorial is pretty good going. But that’s what they achieve in this one on funding the NHS. They manage both to get the Keynesian – and by extension, modern monetary theory – idea of deficit financing wrong and also the implications of the National Health Service being the efficient manner of organising health care. Actually, this is such a misunderstanding that I suspect it’s been written by Aditya Chakrabortty

Tim Worstall

8 comments to Samizdata quote of the day

  • Gavin Longmuir

    From the editorial: “Yet politicians are obsessed with avoiding an increase in the deficit …”

    That makes it three errors in one editorial. We should be so lucky as to have politicians who give the proverbial rat’s rear end about the deficit.

  • Thailover

    I would be shocked if any politician on Capitol Hill could describe the difference between the national debt at the national deficit.

  • jim jones

    If we increase the NHS budget we all know they will be back for more next year

  • george weinberg

    I’ve never heard of an argument being called “scrotal” before. Is that a common expression in the UK?

  • Is that a common expression in the UK?

    I have also been known to use the term as an alternative to “what a complete and utter load of balls”

  • Pst314

    Never mind the bollocks, we’re the blog commenters.

  • Tim Worstall

    “I’ve never heard of an argument being called “scrotal” before. Is that a common expression in the UK?”

    No, it’s not, not yet at least. A derivation, “scrotes” is common.

    I’ve had people shout at me for calling something “bollocks” so am testing out variations which mean roughly the same thing but aren’t considered rude. Yet.

  • Paul Marks

    Sadly there is no evidence that the Guardian is out of line with standard opinion – either on monetary or fiscal matters.

    The standard opinion is that if there is a recession the Bank of England should create more Credit Money, and the standard view is that the National Health Service must have more money spent upon it. And the United States appears to be much the same as ourselves – after all (contrary to what is normally reported) most health spending in the United States is (one way or another) “government money” and the so called private sector of health in America is so saturated with regulations that it is incredibly expensive. My own view is that this partly DELIBERATE – the Progressive movement in the United States has wanted the government to take over health care since the early 1900s (“Teddy” Roosevelt and all that) and they have imposed some of the regulations KNOWING they were vastly inflate costs and for the PURPOSE of vastly inflating costs – in order to make the case for a government takeover. As the American Progressives dominate both the education system (the schools and the universities) and the media (including the entertainment media) I do not see any plausible way they can be successfully opposed. Certainly such Republican politicians as the Bush family turn out, on inspection, to be just “Progressive Lite” not altering the fundamental DIRECTION of policy – this being for government to always grow (never shrink) and for it to take over (destroy) the basic functions of Civil Society.

    In short the United States of America is doomed, and the rest of the West (including the United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland) will die with it. There is no hope. At least, if there is hope, I do not see it.