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]

Remember, remember, the fifth of November

It is often said that Guy Fawkes was the only man to ever enter Parliament with honest intentions

samizdata_over_parliament_noborder.jpg

Remembering Theo van Gogh

There has been some interesting discussion on Peaktalk in the subject of freedom of expression, marking the second anniversary of the murder of Theo van Gogh. As there are several relevant articles, I have not linked to any in particular.

Most scary halloween costume ever

Pure genius.

Samizdata quote of the day

The accumulation of all powers, legislative, executive, and judiciary, in the same hands, whether of one, a few, or many, and whether hereditary, self-appointed, or elective, may justly be pronounced the very definition of tyranny.

– James Madison, Federalist Paper No. 47

Samizdata quote of the day

If religion were true, its followers would not try to bludgeon their young into an artificial conformity; but would merely insist on their unbending quest for truth, irrespective of artificial backgrounds or practical consequences.

– H. P. Lovecraft

For me this quote can really be applied to almost any set of beliefs.

Samizdata quote of the day

The hardest part about ‘libertarian’ is learning how to roll your eyes

Ze Frank

Samizdata quote of the day

If it is to survive, democracy must recognise that it is not the fountainhead of justice and that it needs to acknowledge a conception of justice which does not necessarily manifest itself in the popular view on every particular issue

– Friedrich Hayek, The Constitution of Liberty

Comment system playing up again

Some odd things have happened with a few recent comments (some garbling and different people’s comment running into each other). Most comments seem to be posting okay however. We are looking into the problem.

Samizdata quote of the day

The constitution and laws of a State are rarely attacked from the front; it is against secret and gradual attacks that a Nation must chiefly guard. Sudden resolutions strike men’s imagination; their history is written, and their secret sources made known; but changes are overlooked when they come about insensibly by a series of steps which are scarcely noted. One would do great service to Nations by showing from history how many States have thus changed their whole nature and lost their original constitution.

– Emmerich de Vattel, The Laws of Nations or Principles of Natural Law, 1758

Nukes for the Glorious Leader

I was going try and summon up the enthusiasm to write something about the North Korean nuclear test, but how could I improve upon this?

If I had the chance to put a few questions to the Idiotarians of the world, they would be… if the most repressive regime in the world having nuclear weapons does not bother you, what does? 1

Secondly, if one month ago the US had taken military action to demolish the nuclear research facilities of the North Korean state, you would have accepted (a) that preventing people like the leader of North Korea from getting nukes was a reasonable justification to use force (b) that North Korea even had a nuclear weapons programme?

Just curious. icon_emc2_white.gif

1 = and of course the answer is CAPITALISM… and Jews… and BushMcHitler. What is a huge open air prison camp like North Korea compared to that?

Samizdata likes Firefox at last

Firefox users rejoice… at least those who use it via Windows XP… the push button formatting now works in the comment entry forms, but you will probably have to clear your browser cache first to notice any difference.

Samizdata quote of the day

I am an atheist, and if an atheist and a pope think the same things, there must be something true. There must be some human truth that is beyond religion.

– Oriana Fallaci