Posts by Ignorance is bliss

Julian Assange said to have racked up $5m security bill for Ecuador

This story originates with yet another 'anonymous source' coupled with the usual diligent investigative journalism of the Guardian?

Give me a break!

Three non-obvious reasons to Vote Leave on the 23rd

Re: Did UK make ever something positive to make EU stronger?

Well, if U.K. exported items made mostly from indigenous materials (sourced within U.K.), then export would indeed become cheaper as the currency devalued. But, that is NOT the case. The U.K. imports most of the raw ingredients it adds value to (e.g., manufacturing), so those prices will rise, and therefore would have to be passed on for the enterprise to make money. This isn't theory, it's extremely likely, based on the data gleaned from previous sterling devaluations. Exports generally slowed down (permanently) each time there was a devaluation because export prices ROSE, not fell, because the prices of imported inputs rose.

This is part of the reason the U.K. came to be so dependent on financializing 'everything'. Manufacturing became hollowed out. But the financializing of 'everything' is just a huge con, a criminal enterprise really, a grand scheme of looting, so we have to relearn how to make things that other people really want and NEED. During this process (decades, at least), the U.K. will have to make do with less—a.k.a. a reduced standard of living. The only question is, will we share the pain equitably? Brexit merely brings the day of reckoning closer; staying in the E.U. just delays the inevitable—IMHO.

NSA mass spying reform KILLED by US Senators

Re: Do I care enough to comment???

Well, we 'mericuns have overthrown any government we don't like, installed and supported dictators in tens of countries, bombed anyone who gets in the way, and interfered in ways big and small with people all over the planet for the last 70 years. Resulting in the messes all over the planet that we have now. How's that working out?

I guess you think that the big brains, the neocons of all stripes, the 'mericun exceptionalists (D and R and folks like you alike), the big 'thinkers' in the big Think Tanks, somehow have a better handle on the situation than the regular Joe Averages? I don't think so, they are just as much prisoners of their own group-think as members of any other tribe or sub-tribe, and probably more—because their bloated salaries depend on it.

The agencies that are called upon to 'protect' us have shown that they are incompetent, and not only incompetent, but ruinously expensive. The 'Defense' department hasn't won a war since WWII. The 16-and-counting competing internal and external spy agencies can find out NOTHING of any importance in time to be useful, and the results are politicized anyway. The FBI is reduced to truly pathetic sting operations to justify themselves, and on and on.

All our politicians' so-called 'solutions' are short-term and increasingly reliant on brute force.

The rest of the planet can only hope that the U.S. runs out of money (that is, the US dollar collapses) sooner rather than later.

Has Switzerland cracked the net neutrality riddle?

'Natural' monopolies may only be temporary

You are right if one looks at the present and assume that all your examples came along at the same time. But, looking back in history, one sees that decades or centuries separate the introduction of roads, train tracks and telephone cables. When someone invents fiberoptic cables, which are a huge (and disruptive) improvement on the telephone cables, then the telephone cable is no longer a 'natural monopoly', is it? And then it does make sense to replace the telephone cable. In fact, it is for the common good to replace the copper. So, maybe the question is, how does one regulate the speed at which disruptive technologies are introduced? There has to be enough incentive and time for investments in infrastructure to be repaid, yet allow the new technology to replace it at that moment.

Assange's fate to be revealed at high noon

Ecuador could go through the procedures of making Assange an accredited diplomat. Then he would be protected, according to international law. But, the U.K. could choose to disregard international law (see, invasion of Iraq, illegal actions in Libya, etc. for more recent examples) . . .

AntiLeaks group claim responsibility for WikiLeaks attacks

Re: Nice idea but...

Your ignorance and pre-judice is showing. Julian Assange has never been charged with anything, let alone rape. The Swedish authorities, after initially saying there was no case to answer, changed their minds and demanded that he turn himself in for questioning, in person. He resisted that because he felt they could perfectly well ask him any questions they wanted by e-mail or video conference. He was deeply suspicious that they did not take him up on their offer. The Swedish prime minister being a very close friend of Karl Rove deepened that suspicion. The grand jury in Virginia trying to cook up some charges against him deepened that suspicion.

Certainly in terms of your education, Google can be your friend. Try it.