Reply To: General thought on old coal mines.

[Brian H]

Aeronaut wrote: “And finally, “altruism” is also a form of self-interest, in which the self now identifies with the whole. Not for everyone. Takes a certain type of person to pull that off. “

And be profitable and above reproach from accusatory laws that haven’t been thunk of yet. For instance, just last year we (the general public) learned from Dopenhagen that burning fossil fuels was a crime of the very worst kind and degree. :bug:

Yes, Brian, you’re absolutely right about the small size of the sample of the population that 1) Sees opportunities that he or she is looking at, 2) Leads the herd in mobilizing resources such as capital, training, regulation, manufacturing, sales, service, regulation, and publicity (for a warmup- the list is far, far more extensive) 3) Sees the need for and begins mobilizing overwhelming political support, thus joining the ruling class.

Rezwan has a very solid point about seeing if the other guy’s been wronged in the name of expediency. He probably has, and it won’t be resolved fast enough for my liking without the risk of using arms- unless I can show all sides more profit in not fighting.

Nothing is without cost, and the attempt to prohibit all harm rapidly stultifies and blocks initiative and progress. Tread lightly there, lest the Law of Unintended Consequences sentences you to obsolescence and extinction.

Here’s a short but pointed posting about the current Salvation Mandate:
http://noconsensus.wordpress.com/2010/07/22/environmentalism-as-religion-are-environmentalists-the-secular-successors-of-the-judeo-christian-tradition/

The payoff for self-righteousness is apparently irresistible.
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Speaking of which, your condescending “cold war rant” insult is duly noted, but is truly foolish. Note today’s little set-to with NK about mil exercises with SK, and Hillary’s conciliatory “we’d love to co-operate” nonsense. Kim has faced down, lied to, and sucked support and money from every State rep it has dealt with since Bolton. It knows there is no one ready to go as far as it is, so will win every single game of bluff.

It is not deprivation that drives him; he lives in the maximum luxury the human race can provide at the moment. He gives a rat’s about his subjects or the rest of the world, other than trying for status, which suckups like the Clintons and Obama are eager to provide.

The crimes against humanity he has personally authorized and committed actually arouse mild expressions of disapproval from the leftist elite in America. I assume you approve of such murmurs, however unco-operative they might be?

The illusion that yapping co-operatively with tyrants does more than build them up is not harmless, however.