Charlatans and Snake-oilers

A Dishonest Man, But Useful Idiot

Karl Marx had a theory that capital exploits workers. His theory was derived from the ramblings of the idealist or rationalistic philosopher, Hegel.  That particular luminary propounded the idea that history moved forward by a mechanism of a "dialectic" (love those big technical terms).  A concept or idea (a thesis) would be opposed by its opposite (an anti-thesis), resulting in conflict and struggle, leading to a temporary resolution (the synthesis), whereupon the whole process started over again.  The synthesis became the new thesis, which would be confronted by its antithesis, and so forth. 

Karl Marx studied in the German universities and became enamoured with Hegel.  He sought to apply Hegel's dialectic to the economic history of mankind.  Actually, he cherry picked a whole cluster of economic facts, figures and data, made up heaps more, then fitted them into Hegel's rationalistic scheme.  In short, Karl Marx was a fraud.

Letter From Argentina (About The Fate of Another Socialist Economy)

Analysis: Argentina policies adrift as inflation spiral looms

Brad Haynes
Yahoo News 

BUENOS AIRES (Reuters) - In the midst of Argentina's biggest currency devaluation in a decade, with the peso's plunge rattling financial markets worldwide, President Cristina Fernandez's first public address in weeks was silent on the matter.  She didn't say a word about the currency, but instead took to national television last week to announce the latest government measure - a new form of high school scholarship.

While the president has avoided mention of currency policy, the increasingly unpredictable messages from her ministers have amplified the risks weighing on the peso.  An announcement last week suggesting long-awaited relief from currency controls for ordinary Argentines in practice meant a trickle of U.S. dollars for an affluent minority.  Officials also promised to cut the tax rate on spending dollars overseas, but revoked the measure just two days later.

The Humanist Millennium

Dashed Hopes and Bitterness

God does not exist.  Evil is not intrinsic to the soul of man.  The cosmos is evolving.  Man can take control of his own evolution and perfect himself.  These were the doctrinal foundations upon which the West built its Tower of Babel at the end of the nineteenth century and on into the twentieth.  These same doctrines remain regnant in the West to this day. 

Back in the day combating evil had two main fronts of engagement.  The first focused upon human conditions.  Improve the external conditions and mankind would be made more perfect.  The second front was an overt attempt to alter human beings themselves by means of psychology, eugenics and education.

The campaign to improve the external living conditions in order to perfect mankind had two main lines of attack.

Siren Songs of Populism and Easy Money

Becoming Serfs in Our Own Country

Economic xenophobes.  Welcome to the wonderful world of New Zealand populist politics.  Actually, it's a bit worse than that.  We are economic racist xenophobes. How cute to see the Green party revealing its anti-Chinese prejudice on the matter.  This from Kiwiblog:

When Bill English is over in Australia talking about how more and more Australian companies want to invest in New Zealand, and no politician says a word. But then you have a Chinese leader visit and promote investment from China, and the Greens rush out a press release. It is absolutely playing to xenophobia. Not all opposition is xenophobic, but much of it is – and politicians play to it.

But, there is an argument on the other side to be made.  The Prime Minister, John Key has said that he does not want a New Zealand where citizens are serfs in their own country.  That is a powerfully visceral line.  It raises a spectre that is not unrealistic at all.

A National Fail

Destructive At Every Point

There are several principles which eviscerate socialism as an ideology.  One is its institutionalising of theft and covetousness.  Another is the slavery that comes from its inevitable national indebtedness (more on that tomorrow). A third is the impact it has upon human beings, stifling their God-given instinct for risk-taking, hard work, and entrepreneurship.

The following is currently making the e-rounds.  It aptly highlights socialism's negative social and psychological impact upon human beings as they make their way in the world.  These factors are not imaginary, but real.