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Samizdata, derived from Samizdat /n. - a system of clandestine publication of banned literature in the USSR [Russ.,= self-publishing house]

Samizata quote of the day

“If anti-state fanatics have been calling the shots for decades, why is the federal government bigger today than it was 40 years ago?”

Oliver Wiseman, writing a review of a book that alleges that most of our problems today were caused by free market think tanks and intellectuals. Wiseman is, rightly, dismissive of the book’s central claim.

10 comments to Samizata quote of the day

  • NickM

    A very good by the very appropriately named Wiseman!

  • Flubber

    Up until Trumps recent EO, the US government was undertaking Critical Race Theory training.

    The idea that the government is a bastion of right wing thinking of any kind is laughably stupid.

  • Lee Moore

    Mr Wiseman is plainly unfamiliar with the concept of “TORY CUTS !!!”

    Which is the savage and barbarous extreme right tactic of increasing government expenditure by 4% when the Blob had pencilled in 6%.

    Colonials may translate Tory as GOP and Blob as Swamp. The principle is the same transatlantically. The right, wherever it rears its reactionary fascist head, is always slashing away vindictively at the caressing arms of the public weal.

  • Paul Marks

    Yes the left are liars – in other news, water is wet.

    Government spending has never been higher in most Western countries – and there have never been more regulations, especially in the financial sector (which liars claim has been “radically deregulated”).

    I noticed this back at the time of the “deregulation” of the “Big Bang” – in the mid 1980s. What actually happened was that private clubs and associations (which no one had to use – as trading “off exchange” was legal) were brought under government control – there was a tidal wave of government regulation called (dementedly) “deregulation”.

    Norman Tebbit (years later – at a large dinner at which I was present) called this government take over of the financial industry – “the biggest mistake we made”.

    It turned what had been independent Stock Brookers and Stock Jobbers (stock sellers for companies) and independent partnership banks – into a handful of VAST CORPORATIONS with little customer choice and a endless (volumes) of detailed government regulations.

    And that leaves the worst thing of all – the Credit Bubble Fiat Monetary system itself.

    When I was young (yes even I was young once) there was still the ghost of a connection with something REAL (physical gold) – but now there is not, not anywhere.

    Switzerland was the last to go – and its currency lost the last connection with a physical commodity in the 1990s.

    Now there is only madness in the monetary and financial system – EVIL madness.

  • Aetius

    A QOTD perhaps from Paul Marks?

    “Yes the left are liars – in other news, water is wet.”

  • Flubber

    Paul M. is approaching BlackPill territory, and to be honest, I dont blame you one iota mate.

  • Paul Marks

    Yes Flubber – for example I now hold (basically) the view of Big Business that I once denounced Dr Gabb for holding.

    In the unlikely event that we ever meet I will have to apologise to him personally.

    It is a bit like hearing absurd rumours that Mr Biden supports the sexualisation of children – dismissing those rumours (as I did dismiss them) and then watching Mr Biden talking about including eight year old children (8 year old children) into the “Trans” agenda – there was no mistake, it was NOT a verbal slip. “ten year old children – or eight year children” is what he said in his “Townhall” and in response to a question planted by his own campaign. He might as well have shouted “Hail Satan!”.

    For years, I DEFENDED Big Business against claims that they were pushing totalitarianism – but now the evidence is overwhelming.

    The choice is accepting personal humiliation (admitting I was wrong all these years) or refusing to accept overwhelming evidence.

    I choose the lesser of two evils – I accept the personal humiliation of admitting that I was wrong (wrong in my efforts to defend Big Business against the charges against them), rather than shut my eyes to horrific reality.

  • Paul Marks

    If a business enterprise really supported free enterprise – it would NOT, at great cost of time and money, send senior managers to national and international conferences (the World Economic Forum being only one of several totalitarian forums) of Big Business, Politicians, Bureaucrats and Experts to Plan Society.

    In a free market ordinary customers decide things – there is no “planning of society” from above. “Sustainable Development”, “Stakeholder Capitalism”, Big Business and Big Government getting together to crush free competition and the freedom of choice of ordinary people, is NOT the free market, it is FASCISM.

  • Mr Wiseman is plainly unfamiliar with the concept of “TORY CUTS !!!” Which is the savage and barbarous extreme right tactic of increasing government expenditure by 4% when the Blob had pencilled in 6%. (Lee Moore, October 27, 2020 at 3:41 pm)

    A witty and accurate comment, Lee, save that it is not Mr Wiseman but Mr Stupidman a.k.a Kurt Andersen (whose book Mr Wiseman reviewed) who is unfamiliar – with a lot of things.

  • lairdb

    Oooh, I know this answer: “What, you mean this sorry stunted excuse for a government? If it hadn’t been for Them, government would be big enough to do its job!”