The right to read what you want on the Tube
I have just come home to my London flat via the Tube. I experienced a small example of what liberal toleration really means, and what the West is really fighting to preserve. As I clambered onto the train at Oxford Circus, I opened my short booklet of Frederic Bastiat’s “The Law”, now available in print thanks to the UK-based Institute of Economic Affairs. The book is a brilliant, succinct, and often witty exposition of classical, natural rights liberalism that once held sway among a large number of French intellectuals in the middle of the 19th Century. Anway, absorbed in my book, I briefly looked to my left. A gentleman dressed in immaculate long flowing robes was sitting next to me, reading the Koran.
Can you even imagine what would have happened to us had the same scene been played in Afghanistan prior to the overthrow of the Taliban?
Comments are off for this postWho did the Sinai hotels?
Well according to the loons in the Egyptian media (or some of them at least), it was…wait for it…Mossad!
Comments are off for this postThe Road to Hell is paved with good intentions?
James Bartholomew. former Saturday Telegraph financial writer, spoke at the ASI last night. In his talk James depressed his audience by explaining to them just how bad the welfare state is at the moment. The trouble is that reform is almost impossible, considering the vested interests, bureaucrats, and weak-willed politicians unwilling to reform the leviathan.
His statistics on the quality of education, healthcare, and helping the poor are most sobering. There were fewer illiterate children in late 19th century than there are now – by a significant extent. From 95%+ literacy the functionally illiterate now have risen to 25% of the population in 2000. 3% of the country were on welfare in 1950; that figured is now up to 24%. The NHS has founded no teaching hospitals in its entire existence. Mass unemployment was not common at the turn of the century, while currently it happens frequently.
He went on to explain that Lloyd-George and Beveridge did not deliberately set out to destroy education, healthcare, and provision for the poor. They meant well despite the fact their policies made things far worse instead of better.
The ”...biggest victim of the welfare state are the poor”, was his stark statement. Of course, this is no surprise to libertarians. James hopes that his new book, The Welfare State We’re In, being serialised in the Daily Mail, will help get his message out to those who don’t necessarily spend their time thinking of such things.
He ended with a fascinating statistic in response to a question. In 1900 the average percentage of income given to charity by the middle classes was 10, that percentage is now down to 1.
I am quite sure every one of the 30 or so people in attendance will buy this book when it is released.
2 commentsCanuck blogger gets threatened with suit
Warren Kinsela is bullying bloggers whom he disagrees with. Paul has all the details on this rather objectionable piece of legal aggression. Me’ ole’ mucker Ghost has posted on the subject as well.
1 commentA big EU moment for the Tories?
Dominic Cummings from The Wave Network writes the following in the today’s email. It makes for very interesting reading, so I have posted it in entirety for your viewing pleasure
A big moment approaches for the Conservative Party on Europe.
Read more Comments are off for this postMore shameless reporting from Reuters and the BBC
Palestinian medics said at least 62 militants and 41 other Palestinians believed to be civilians have been killed by Israeli forces during the northern Gaza operation. Three Israelis and a Thai farm worker have also died.
BBC:
‘Militant’ killed in Gaza strike
[the sneer marks]
Nothing new, still dishonest.
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Q: Dear Ask Mr. Computer Guy,
Will magnetic fields destroy data?
Damned if I know. Try PC World.
For venerable floppies, this statement holds true. We placed a 99-cent magnet on a 3.5-inch floppy for a few seconds. The magnet stuck to the disk and ruined its data.Fortunately, most modern storage devices, such as SD and CompactFlash memory cards, are immune to magnetic fields. “There’s nothing magnetic in flash memory, so [a magnet] won’t do anything,” says Bill Frank, executive director of the CompactFlash Association. “A magnet powerful enough to disturb the electrons in flash would be powerful enough to suck the iron out of your blood cells,” says Frank.
I’m going to be busy for the next few days. Back on Monday.
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