| Friday, January
18, 2008
Bobby Fischer, RIP. See
mail for link to announcement.
See also
here.
The notion that Fischer was a criminal for playing chess
in defiance of the US government has always struck me as one of the most
bizarre happenings in our history. He wasn't the personable kind of hero who
might have aroused the American people in protest of what was, clearly, an
unconstitutional act intended to reduce citizens to subjects: the beginning
of the process that the TSA exists to continue.
He may have been the greatest chess player of all time.
Certainly he was the equal of anyone living in his time. The imbecility of
the US government petulantly deciding that he was a criminal because he
played a chess match in defiance of the US government's policies of
intervention in the territorial disputes of Europe continues to amaze me.
An anti-Semitic Jew, arrogant, violently individualistic
-- and the greatest chess player of his time. He wasn't the sort of person
who would win any great sympathy from the masses, or even from his admirers.
He wasn't likable, and thus many who might have protested against the
arrogance of the government thought it all served him right. After his
government made him a criminal for playing in a chess match, his hatred of
the United States made him even more odious to all. And yet, his loss of
liberty is our loss.
== = = = = = = ==
Mike Flynn calls attention to this article
http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=12587
on national conventions. While I can easily get enough of
Tyrell's contemptuous hatred of the Clintons, his observations on the value
of party conventions, and in particular that they are preferable to the
hideous requirements for more and more money in the current era of
primaries, are very much on target. If I were Emperor I would abolish the
primary elections and require states to go back to state conventions that
select delegates for the national convention. Actually, if it were possible
I'd go back to a time when some states had primaries thus requiring the
candidates to do media campaigns, but most had conventions, thus sparing the
candidates from having to do media campaigns; but that, alas, is probably
not possible. Of course neither is a decree abolishing the silly primary
elections.
So we now select the candidates for President
on their ability to raise lots of money. That has become the sine qua non of
American public office. If that reminds you of the last days of the Roman
Republic, it should be no surprise. The Triumvirate consisted of a soldier,
a soldier-politician heir to the Marian party leadership, and -- the
wealthiest man in Rome. Astonishing!
=================
Having encouraged this housing boom-bust by
running the printing presses and making Democrats look thrifty, the
Administration now wants to send six-pack money to American families in an
attempt to stimulate the economy.
Better would be a moratorium on regulations.
Economic freedom. But that won't happen.
It used to be that the Republicans were the
Party of Depression, and Democrats were the Party of War. We need new quips,
now; Bush has managed to bring us both Depression and War. The Democrats are
out there shouting Me Too! Only More of it! It wasn't the Republicans who
decided we needed to be involved in Yugoslavia where we had no interests
whatever, thereby convincing the Russians that we hate Slavs and will never
be friends to Russia, bombing a Chinese news building, and wrecking the
economy of the Upper Danube for a decade. Of course it wasn't the Democrats
who marched us into Iraq, then sent in Bremer.
A few
notes on the stimulus package are over in mail.
==========
And if you are looking for yet another cool
web site try
Jerry:
Have you seen this page?
http://www.poodwaddle.com/clocks2.htm
There are a number of other clocks available there. I don't know how
accurate but the list of sources is listed.
--Jim
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