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

“Warren Buffett said that the one thing that really changes your life is the private jet.”

Bob Hersov, entrepreneur and the man behind NetJets. Actually, using a private jet need not be just for the mega rich.

Samizdata quote of the day

“At some point, I think I would like to get out and found a much smaller business. I’d like to start with perhaps two or three billion dollars, and go from there.”

– Michael Jennings’ dinner companion this evening, who was admittedly nice enough to pay the bill at the end of the meal.

Samizdata quote of the day

Make Ken Livingston carbon neutral… stop him breathing

– Overheard at a Samizdata party the other day

Samizdata mystery quote of the day

Who (approximately) said this?:

“Most people have no interest in liberty. The limit of their desires is a tolerable overseer.”

I ask not because I know and wish to show off, but because I do not but am curious. I found it here, and he would like to know too, but has so far had no suggestions.

Samizdata quote of the day

“Hand-feeding is not appropriate to the species and is a grave violation of the animal protection laws,” said Frank Albrecht, an animal rights campaigner. “Legally speaking, the zoo should kill the baby bear. Otherwise it is condemning the bear to a dysfunctional life and that too is a breach of the law.”

– spotted in timesonline by Dizzy

Samizdata quote of the day

None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free

– Johann von Goethe. Truly words that should resonate in this age of the democratic centrist regulatory total state in which the majority actively collaborate with their own repression.

Samizdata quote of the day

Freddie could have drowned out there

An anonymous source at the Rex St Lucian hotel in St Lucia, discussing the fact that England’s cricket vice-captain Andrew Flintoff celebrated England’s stunning first up World Cup loss to New Zealand (in which Flintoff was out first ball) by having an eight hour bender, commandeering and then capisizing a small boat and having to be rescued at sea at 4am.

Regardless of the England heroics the World Cup has turned out to be a fascinating event so far, with Bangladesh possibly announcing their coming of age in international cricket with a stunning victory over India, and Ireland celebrating St Patrick’s Day by knocking former champions Pakistan out of the tournament with a rather mind-boggling win. Personally I think another upset is on the cards today. England are capable of beating Canada.

Samizdata quote of the day

Some libertarians act as if the thing that was wrong with Auschwitz was that it was a state enterprise rather than a public/private partnership

– Antoine Clarke

Samizdata quote of the day

The internet is only doing to politics what it has done to other industries: it disaggregates elements and then enables these free atoms to reaggregate into new molecules; it fragments the old and unifies the new. So in the end, the internet gives us the opportunity to make more nuanced expressions of our political worldview, which makes obsolete old orthodoxies and old definitions of left and right.

– Jeff Jarvis, Why the internet will revolutionise politics

Samizdata quote of the day

They have their rules, and I have mine.

Madsen Pirie

Samizdata quote of the day

Watching cricket is one of the best ways of avoiding working known to man

– Someone from the Centre for Economics and Business Research (CEBR) is worried about the impact the Cricket World Cup will have on the economy.

Samizdata quote of the day

Guns cause violence, like flies cause garbage

– Zink Mitchell