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]

A rear-ender from Brussels

My considerable thanks to Iain Murray for bringing to our attention this crass bit of wealth-destroying codswallop courtesy of our enemies, the Eurocrats.

Ever more wedded to discredited enviro-mental ideology, the EU has now passed laws forcing all EU motor vehicle manufacturers to pick up the tab for the recovery and recycling of old vehicles and has drafted a raft of pettyfogging regulations that they have to comply with in the process.

Thus they have not only delivered a legislative hammer-blow to the fruitful and wholly organic (in the best sense of the word) car-recycling industry but heaped a wholly unnecessary cost burden onto industry and, therefore, European consumers. Oh, and we ain’t seen nothing yet.

“Where will it end? Not content with cars and fridges, the EU has now moved on to the Waste Electrical and Electronic Equipment Directive, covering televisions, toasters and the like. The concept of ownership is thus undermined, property rights are violated, industry is put at a competitive disadvantage and – to top it all – illegal dumping is encouraged”

Do these people have the first inkling of how an economy actually works? Are they cretinous or malevolent or both? Do we have to rely on a kindly asteroid for salvation?

A possible explaination for the “America snubs Britain” stories

As I noted in a previous blog article, the British media have finally turned seriously nasty with the Labour government. Why? Search me. Could it be that they (a) now believe that “New Labour” is running seriously out of steam and that, (b) knowing new Conservative Opposition Leader Ian Duncan Smith better than the rest of us yet do, they believe he’s got something going for him? (a) and (b) feeding off each other, of course. After all, if Labour’s now mountainous majority is seriously reduced at the next general election, then the Labour government that follows will be a lame duck, in the manner of the John Major regime. And if the next Labour government is going to be a lame duck, their threats and promises of advancement already, now, count for less than they used to, and Ian Duncan Smith’s threats and promises now count for somewhat more. In politics, perceptions of the future are facts in their own right. Therefore, the media are now switching their loyalties.

I think this may make sense of this bizarre America snubs Britain stuff that Our Great Leader (the Owl Man I mean, not Tony Blair) has been complaining about. He’s right. I don’t feel snubbed either, and I don’t know anyone who does.

But, there could be a subtext, as they say in the theatre. Isn’t one of the implied messages of this America-snubs-Britain spiel that all Tony Blair’s recent World Statesman performances count for very little if he and his mates can’t get so much as a pair of handcuffs and a blindfold removed from one Al Qaedist in US custody, and that the Bush White House doesn’t give a damn what Tony and his Cronies think about this, that or anything else. Ergo Blair’s a twat. I’m not saying Blair’s a twat myself. I’m saying that the Daily Mail and the rest of them are saying it, in a slightly roundabout way.

Could that be part of what’s going on?

Samizdata’s photo frenzy spreads across the blogosphere

Manly philosopher Will Wilkinson over on The Fly Bottle has posted a picture of himself getting in touch with his, um, feminine side.

More mug shots

Three of Samizdata’s intermittent guest contributors are revealed (but not reviled)


The sinister Andrew Dodge of Dodgeblog infamy.


The mysterious Lagwolf


The ubiquitous Mommabear

Samizdata slogan of the day

Great Moments in Capitalist History: on this day in 1924 the first ice cream cone rolling machine was patented by Carl Taylor of Cleveland Ohio.

Bombs away

Over on the excellent blog Flit, Bruce has done a good ‘back of the envelop’ bombing survey that highlights some interesting facets of ‘smart’ bombing vs. ‘dumb’ bombing vs. ‘real indiscriminate’ bombing (i.e Al Qaeda). The article pointing to Bruce’s survey “U.S. Aerial bombing: a statistical summary” provides a simple interpretation of what the numbers mean.

This sort of short but thoughtful factually based commentary really does the blogosphere credit and is an excellent example of high quality original content blogging.

Carla declares for Massachusetts Gubernatorial race

Carla Howell is not a woman to rest on her laurels. After running the most successful Libertarian Senatorial campaign in history she followed it up by successfully placing an initiative to end the Massachusetts income tax on the ballot for this fall.

Today she declared for the Governorship of Massachusetts.

There is little I could say that Carla can’t say better, so with no further ado, here is her full statement of candidacy:

Massachusetts government spending has more than doubled in the last 10 years.

Democrat Governor Michael Dukakis’ last bloated budget was $10 Billion.

Republican Governor Jane Swift’s first budget is $23.5 Billion. Republican Governor Jane Swift increased last year’s budget by $1 Billion.

Massachusetts government is Big Government. Bi-Partisan Big Government.

Massachusetts Big Government is bossy, nosy, clumsy, abusive, and intrusive. And outrageously expensive.

Massachusetts Democrat and Republican politicians are laboring day and night to:

make our state government bigger,
increase state government spending,
expand state government power and authority, and
seize the few remaining remnants of our gun freedom.

Do you believe Massachusetts government is too Big?

Do you believe Massachusetts Taxes are too High?

I do.

That’s why I’m running for Governor of Massachusetts.

I’m running because … small government is beautiful*.

I’m Carla Howell, Libertarian candidate for Governor.

I’m the only candidate for Governor who has signed the small government pledge:

“I vote small government. Every issue. Every time. No exceptions. No excuses.”

Small government is beautiful* … and it leaves our families alone.

Small government is beautiful* … and it leaves our income alone.

Small government is beautiful* … and it leaves our guns alone.

I am the only candidate for Governor who will boldly advance our cause of personal responsibility, individual liberty, and small, constitutional government.

I represent the forgotten taxpayer. The forgotten worker. The forgotten gun owner. The forgotten voter.

I represent responsible individuals. People who work for a living, pay their bills, and support their families. People who are good neighbors, and caring members of their communities.

The Big Government Candidates for Governor

Every Democrat and Republican Candidate for Governor is a Big Government Politician.

Every one of them supports today’s $23 Billion or more in state government spending.

Every one of them proposes more state government programs, more state government spending.

If you like today’s Big Government spending in Massachusetts, pick your favorite flavor.

The Republican: Governor Jane Swift.

The Democrats: State Senate President Thomas Birmingham. State Senator Warren Tolman. Democrat Party Fundraiser Steven Grossman. State Treasurer Shannon O’Brien. Secretary of State William Galvin. Former Secretary of Labor Robert Reich.

Here’s what each one of them offers: More laws. More government programs. More taxes. More government.

If you want Ever-Growing Greedy Government, if you want Big Government, take your pick.

Because there’s not a dime’s worth of difference between them.

Why They Fail the ‘White Out’ Test

What’s the ‘White-Out’ Test?

Get an issue of the Boston Globe, the Herald News, or another Massachusetts daily newspaper. Find an article about each of the Republican or Democrat candidates for Governor. Find a proposal or program advocated by each candidate. Clip them out.

Take a bottle of ‘White-Out’ and blot out each candidate’s name. And ‘white-out’ the word “Democrat” or “Republican” — if it’s even mentioned.

Take these political proposals or programs and put them in front of 10 people chosen at random. Ask each person to correctly match the candidate for Governor with his or her proposal or program.

They won’t be able to do it.

Why do these candidates fail the ‘White-Out’ Test?

Because their positions, proposals, and programs blur and blend into the same Big Government mush.

That is why the Big Government Democrat and Republican candidates for Governor must spend millions and millions of dollars to publicize and advertise their campaigns.

Voters can’t remember who they are. Voters can’t remember why they’re running. So they subject voters to endless mind-numbing rote repetition advertising.

Carla Howell: The Only Small Government Candidate

I score A+ on the ‘White-Out’ Test. My proposals for making government small are dramatically different. I stand in stark contrast against the Big Government candidates.

If you want small government, if you want to End the Income Tax in Massachusetts, there’s only one choice: Carla Howell, Libertarian for Governor.

And only one issue: small government. A vote for Carla Howell is a vote for small government. Every issue. Every time. No exceptions. No excuses.

A vote for Carla Howell is a vote to make Massachusetts government so small it doesn’t need an Income Tax.

A vote for Carla Howell is a vote to give back $3,000 each year to 3,000,000 working people in Massachusetts by Ending the Income Tax. On November 5th, when voters go to the polls to End the Income Tax, they can vote for Carla Howell, Libertarian for Governor.

A vote for Carla Howell and small government is a vote for 100% Gun Freedom. I am the only candidate for Governor who will shred every Anti-Gun Freedom Law on the books in Massachusetts. Immediately repeal Chapter 180. Immediately repeal and remove every Anti-Gun law, restriction and regulation on the books. More guns means safe communities.

Governor Carla Howell will do everything in her power to repeal, remove, erase, and dismantle destructive and expensive Massachusetts

Governor Carla Howell’s most powerful weapons: the Veto and a Shredder. The Veto to stop new laws, stop new taxes, and stop new government spending. The Shredder to remove every vestige of Big Government in Massachusetts. To make government small.

The News Media knows. When I ran against Ted Kennedy for U.S. Senate in the last election, here was a typical comment:

“If Hollywood needed to invent a challenger to Democratic Sen. Edward Kennedy, they couldn’t have created anyone whose views differ more than Libertarian Carla Howell.”
— Front Page, Sunday Edition, MetroWest Daily News, November 7, 1999

I champion small government. Every issue. Every time. No exceptions. No excuses.

Gun Owners know. Ask any gun store owner in Massachusetts what Carla Howell stands for. Ask any gun club. Ask any gun owner.

During my campaign against Ted Kennedy, I handed out over 10,627 fliers that explained why “small government is beautiful* … And it leaves our guns alone!

Taxpayers know. My Committee for Small Government filed 75,629 petition signatures for our Ballot Initiative to End the Income Tax in Massachusetts. The Secretary of State has certified our petition signatures — and we’re headed for the ballot.

Our Ballot Initiative is entitled “The Small Government Act.” It’s designed to reduce our state budget from $23 Billion to $14 Billion. And give $9 Billion back to taxpayers.

Ending the Income Tax in Massachusetts will give back $3,000 each to 3,000,000 working people in Massachusetts. Every year. To People like you. Your neighbors. Co-workers. Family and friends.

Carla Howell For Governor

Small government is beautiful*. I’m running for Governor to make Massachusetts government small.

Ending the Income Tax in Massachusetts will help make government small.

Repealing every Anti-Gun Freedom Law on the books in Massachusetts will help make government small.

Exposing the fatally-flawed, wasteful, and destructive Big Government Programs in Massachusetts will help make government small.

A vote for Carla Howell, Libertarian for Governor, is a vote for small government, individual liberty, and personal responsibility.

A vote that says, “small government is beautiful*.”

Carla immediately needs canvassers to collect 25,000 signatures. She also needs a war chest to get things off to a fast start. Donations of up to $500 per person are allowed under Massachusetts bureaucracy.

It goes without saying that I endorse Carla’s candidacy without reservation.

Doing Robert Nozick a bit more justice

There is a much better obituary for Robert Nozick in the Telegraph that the rather pallid official Harvard one I linked to before.

Media arrogance and stupidity

The Daily Mail, a newspaper that if I ever do link to it will be filed under the “Havens of fluorescent idiocy” section, had as its front page headline on monday:

TERROR SNUB FOR BRITAIN

America poured scorn last night on British concerns over the treatment of Al Qaeda suspects in Cuba

So in spite of the fact no less than five polls in Britain show support of about 90% for US actions in Cuba, somehow “Britain” is being snubbed. Not “the British Government” or “elements of the British media” but “Britain” is being snubbed.

So presumably the 90% of people in Britain who appear to support the US are, well, not Britain. The 10% that supports the anti-American media elite and establishment and who were presumably ‘snubbed’…that must therefore be “Britain” according to the Daily Mail. Interesting.

And so then just who the hell are the 90% of people in Britain that don’t feel in the slightest bit snubbed by USA?

You want a picture…of Johnny?

The owl man has requested that I post the most recent picture of myself. I think the photo shop goofed and gave me the negative instead!

There is something very creepy about John Ashcroft

There is a story on ABC Online that claims US Attorney General John Ashcroft has ordered a rather cool art deco statue of a semi-nude ‘spirit of justice’ covered up. What is it about any hint of overt sexuality that sends otherwise moderately rational conservatives into such bizarre mental wobbles?

And for a slightly more up to date picture

This is me conferring with my political advisor. I have often been accused of being a libertarian hawk, but perhaps an owl might be more accurate (which presumably means I am wise… or then again perhaps it means I hunt at night and eat mice)

Update: In response to all the e-mails, yes, of course I went to Hogwarts.