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Ian Welsh13 hours ago
How To Relax, Change & Be Free[image: How To Relax, Change & Be Free]
Jiddu Krishnamurti was a lecturer and teacher for almost 50 years. He was
famous, there are a lot of books transcribing his talks, and he maybe got
one person enlightened.
Jiddu was the anti-guru, guru. He didn’t want to give concrete
instructions, because when people follow concrete instructions they aren’t
free: they’ve got a system and they’re just enacting the system.
Reading him is frustrating. I’ve read his lectures multiple times over the
years, and each time understood a bit more of what he was saying.
One main point is that everyone... read more
People pair.
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Ian Welsh2 days ago
A Map Showing The Two Main Geopolitical Blocs[image: A Map Showing The Two Main Geopolitical Blocs]
Yeah, it is mostly this simple:
It really is the imperialist West vs. the entire world
This is how they voted on a UN resolution calling for a new international
economic order based on equity, sovereign equality, and cooperation,
opposing unilateral sanctions and advocating for debt relief for the Global
South https://t.co/veNO3uMdC5 pic.twitter.com/wy6amH7TUm
— Ben Norton (@BenjaminNorton) December 15, 2022
This is pretty much the map for UN resolutions aimed at Russia, too.
As I’ve noted before the bottom line is that if you... read more
Only one world.
Many religions.
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Ian Welsh3 days ago
A New Age Of Vertical Integration[image: A New Age Of Vertical Integration]
There was a time when companies preferred vertical integration: they wanted
to own their supply chain. Then, for a long time, the mantra was to
concentrate on one’s core business and let other specialists take care of
all the non-core parts of your business.
Well…
The reason vertical farming failed is that if you want to do it you also
need to control your power source. In a world where civilization is slowly
collapsing, you need vertical integration.https://t.co/jXtY1GOKg5
— Ian Welsh (@iwelsh) December 25, 2022
This is no longer viable... read more
Vertical farming depends on technical civilization.
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Ian Welsh5 days ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 25, 2022[image: Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 25, 2022]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 25, 2022
by Tony Wikrent
[Twitter, via Naked Capitalism Water Cooler 12-23-2022]
Justin Welby, as Archbishop of Canterbury, was pontificating on Twitter
yesterday. I noted he said he said ‘The Magnificat turns the world upside
down’. I agree, it does. So trust me, this is all about economics, and why
the Church is failing on this key issue. A thread….
— Richard Murphy (@RichardJMurphy) December 23, 2022
The Magnificat turns the world upside down.
A young girl in an unknown ... read more
Trump is a piker.
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Ian Welsh5 days ago
Merry Christmas[image: Merry Christmas]
I hope you’re having a good one, and if you aren’t, consider my thoughts
with you, for they are.
read more
Happy new year.
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Ian Welsh5 days ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Rather delayed today. Used to discuss topics unrelated to recent posts.
read more
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
The Decline Of Facebook (Meta)[image: The Decline Of Facebook (Meta)]
Back in August of this year Cheryl Sandberg stepped down as Chief Operating
Officer of Meta, . I’d been keeping a lazy eye of Facebook and Meta for a
while: the organization felt sick to me, not in terms of ethics, but in
terms of health. Sandberg jumping was a sign: the most important insider
other than the founder and CEO leaving.
Then, this week:
Industry icon John Carmack has announced that he's leaving META.
"We have a ridiculous amount of people and resources, but we constantly
self-sabotage and squander effort." https://t.co/xl1FQkFYu... read more
Facebook was never stable.
8
Ian Welsh1 week ago
Part III Of My Interview: Twitter and Reasons For Hope[image: Part III Of My Interview: Twitter and Reasons For Hope]
Last of three parts.
Here's the final episode of my interview with @iwelsh. In it, we discuss
the mess that Twitter has become, and Ian shares what gives him hope.
Ian Welsh on Twitter Madness (Part 3 of 3), by @costrike
https://t.co/drcygtQ3VC
— costrike (@costrike) December 21, 2022
*(I am fundraising to determine how much I’ll write this year. If you value
my writing and want more of it, please consider donating.)*
read more
They mumble and skip their assumptions.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
It’s Not Just About Climate Change, It’s About Ecological Collapse[image: It’s Not Just About Climate Change, It’s About Ecological Collapse]
Earthworm Edition:
…they estimated a decline in earthworm abundance of between 33% and 41% in
the last quarter of a century, the period for which the best data was
available…
Dr Matt Shardlow, of the charity Buglife, said earthworms were essential to
healthy soils and productive ecosystems and the decline in UK earthworm
populations – at a rate of about 15% per decade since 1960 – was “deeply
alarming”.
“Devastated earthworm populations in arable soils are to be expected due to
the widespread use of toxic... read more
Optimized systems are delicate.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
Consequences Of The End of Zero Covid In China[image: Consequences Of The End of Zero Covid In China]
Back in November I wrote that China’s Zero Covid policy was the right thing
done the wrong way. Briefly after, consequent to some protests against
Zero-Covid, China basically abandoned the policy.
The main problem is the same that exists in almost every country: even the
most competent elites in the world today are, when not graded on a scale,
incompetent buffoons incapable of running anything properly. Zero-Covid
should have been about making necessary infrastructure changes to clean air
so that over time restrictions could b... read more
Optimized systems are delicate.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
Life In The Absence of Coercion[image: Life In The Absence of Coercion]
On Friday I wrote an article which asked two questions: one about what
you’d do if you couldn’t be easily coerced with violence:
Imagine that if you chose no physical object could affect you. Bullets
don’t work, fists don’t work, no one can grab you or put you in handcuffs,
and that’s true of everyone.
The second was:
What if you didn’t need to eat or drink and you cold and heat didn’t bother
you or harm you and you didn’t get sick? You might still want shelter or a
home or objects like books or computers, and objects like cosmetics would
... read more
Life is not optimized and so is not delicate.
Be pragmatic.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 18, 2022[image: Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 18, 2022]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 18, 2022
by Tony Wikrent
*Strategic Political Economy*
*We need the return of the state *
[Tax Research UK, via Naked Capitalism 12-14-2022]
Neoliberalism is built on lies. For decades the deceit at its core has been
ignored because it appeared to deliver prosperity. It does not any more.
That is why everything is unravelling.
The biggest lie that neoliberalism promotes is that all value is created by
private sector business, which claim is contrasted with a claim that
gov... read more
Government should be pragmatic.
There is no ideal toward which to strive beyond equality.
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Ian Welsh1 week ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Use the comments to discuss topics unrelated to the week’s posts.
*(I am fundraising to determine how much I’ll write this year. If you value
my writing and want more of it, please consider donating. )*
read more
More please.
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
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Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Imagine A World Where Violence Or Need Are Impossible[image: Imagine A World Where Violence Or Need Are Impossible]
There are two main types of coercion in the world.
*The first is violence.* If you don’t do what someone else wants, they will
do something physical to you.
So, imagine if that was impossible. Imagine that if you chose no physical
object could affect you. Bullets don’t work, fists don’t work, no one can
grab you or put you in handcuffs, and that’s true of everyone.
What would change about society if this were true? What would change about
how individuals act?
*The second is need.* What if you didn’t need to eat or drin... read more
I have tried the experiment.
I am neither a beast or a god.
I am one among others.
15
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Interview on Climate Change, the New Cold War and the Rise of China[image: Interview on Climate Change, the New Cold War and the Rise of China]
I did an interview few weeks ago with Chris Oestereich, which he’s putting
up in three parts. I listened to part three today and, while I rarely say
this, I thought it was quite good and if you’re interested in any of these
topics, probably worth your while.
*(I am fundraising to determine how much I’ll write this year. If you value
my writing and want more of it, please consider donating.)*
*Listen to the podcast here.*
read more
Billions will die.
I will do what I can.
Vote.
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Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Long Covid Has Now Disabled Close to 2% Of The US Workforce[image: Long Covid Has Now Disabled Close to 2% Of The US Workforce]
An estimate, but…
2 million to 4 million full-time workers are out of the labor force due to
long Covid. (To be counted in the labor force, an individual must have a
job or be actively looking for work.)
The midpoint of her estimate — 3 million workers — accounts for 1.8% of the
entire U.S. civilian labor force. The figure may “sound unbelievably high”
but is consistent with the impact in other major economies like the United
Kingdom, Bach wrote in an August report. The figures are also likely
conservative, since... read more
Get vaccinated.
Wearing a mask is a good idea.
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Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
2022 Fundraiser[image: 2022 Fundraiser]
It’s been a tough year for the world and a tough year at Chez Ian (cancer,
housing issues, blah.) Personally, I’m just beginning to recover from
cancer treatment, though some of it will be ongoing, and sucking, for
another six to twelve months. China, deciding to the right thing (Zero
Covid) stupid, is now releasing some restrictions and that’s going to go
badly. Russia invaded Ukraine, ground forward and will likely wind up with
less than it’d like and more than the West wanted.
Europe has been the big loser in the Ukraine war, which many of us predicted, ... read more
Charity is a private act.
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Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 11, 2022[image: Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 11, 2022]
Week-end Wrap – Political Economy – December 11, 2022
by Tony Wikrent
*“The People Cheering For Humanity’s End”*
[The Atlantic, via Naked Capitalism Water Cooler 12-8-2022]
“From Silicon Valley boardrooms to rural communes to academic philosophy
departments, a seemingly inconceivable idea is being seriously discussed:
that the end of humanity’s reign on Earth is imminent, and that we should
welcome it. The revolt against humanity is still new enough to appear
outlandish, but it has already spread beyond the fringes ... read more
The Republican party is politically wrong.
19
Ian Welsh2 weeks ago
Open Thread[image: Open Thread]
Use to discuss topics unrelated to this week’s posts.
read more
More please.
Sooner is better. As soon as you can is best.
Happy new year.
20
Ian Welsh3 weeks ago
Understanding Absolute Vs. Comparative Advantage[image: Understanding Absolute Vs. Comparative Advantage]
There are two types of advantages.
A comparative advantage is when you have or can produce more of something
than someone else. (Person, country, whatever.)
An absolute advantage is when you have or can do or produce something
others can’t. This can be threshold matter: in World War II the Allies had
more than enough oil and the Axis didn’t have enough to run their war
machine. While in numbers terms it looked like a comparative advantage, it
was actually an absolute advantage: it strangled Axis production and their
ability... read more
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jared_Diamond#Popular_science_works
A place to start.
https://zeihan.com/
https://zeihan.com/newsletter/
Another view. A patriotic view.
He has a narrow and short sighted view because of his audience.
I wish you joy.
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