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]
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They say that the western liberal cosmopolitan establishment is itself a fanatical, depraved belief system. I like it when they say this because it makes me feel as if I have a belief system.
– Jon Ronson, in his preface to THEM: Adventures with extremists (2000)
For those of us whose beliefs are defined negatively, by our skepticism, by what we do not think institutions are entitled to do to people, then it might sometimes be a comfort to be told this amounts to a system. I think I have a system of procedure, rather than fixed substantive beliefs, however. So I know what Ronson means (and I am developing a comradeship for liberal cosmopolitans of all sorts), I recognise the feeling of affirmation in being marked out as a fanatic by the enemies of civilisation – but I do not like it. The idea that I might have a ‘belief system’ categorically equivalent to that of the conspiracy theorists and theocrats makes me feel queasy.
It was deplorable that the woman hostage should be shown smoking. This sends completely the wrong message to our young people.
– Patricia Hewitt denounces Iranian treatment of a member of the fifteen captured British navy personnel. Is there a more perfect illustration of the misplaced priorities of Blair’s Britain?
(Via Tim Blair, who notes “as always with such a blindingly stupid quote, be alert to the possibility it’s too stupid to be true.” Perhaps regular Hewitt-watchers would not see the need for such caution.)
Civitas – otherwise the most authoritative and radical of modern policy institutes… has published the longest petition of intellectual bankruptcy I have read in years. I do most strongly urge David Green to withdraw this book at once and remove it from the Civitas catalogue.
– Sean Gabb, reviewing Danny Krueger’s new book On Fraternity: Politics beyond Liberty and Equality
“Beware of people who read poetry in public. They may have other nasty habits.”
– R.A. Heinlein, from the Notes of Lazarus Long.
“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.
“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.
Make Ken Livingston carbon neutral… stop him breathing
– Overheard at a Samizdata party the other 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.
“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
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.
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.
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
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Who Are We? The Samizdata people are a bunch of sinister and heavily armed globalist illuminati who seek to infect the entire world with the values of personal liberty and several property. Amongst our many crimes is a sense of humour and the intermittent use of British spelling.
We are also a varied group made up of social individualists, classical liberals, whigs, libertarians, extropians, futurists, ‘Porcupines’, Karl Popper fetishists, recovering neo-conservatives, crazed Ayn Rand worshipers, over-caffeinated Virginia Postrel devotees, witty Frédéric Bastiat wannabes, cypherpunks, minarchists, kritarchists and wild-eyed anarcho-capitalists from Britain, North America, Australia and Europe.
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