Posted on February 14, 2009 by Bill
A truly awful post over at Queercents a few weeks ago deserves a proper analysis, and tonight I find myself with the time to do so. Ashley writes about the challenges of being transgendered:
It seems to me that we Transgendered, as a group, are not overly prosperous. Oh, I know that some of us are, but they seem to be the exceptions.
She goes on to relate some stories about the economic hardships of various transgendered people she has known – hardships that come about because certain people shun the transgendered. In the stories, their employers fire them or refuse to promote them. Then she states that society “uses money as a weapon against the transgendered”:
Think about it. Money is the perfect weapon. You can’t exist in this world of ours without it. And to get it you have to work. Deny access to work, you deny access to money.
At first I assumed she was speaking figuratively. I soon discovered she wasn’t. First she cites Marx and then attempts to use historical references to support her thesis:
If Marx is right (and I think he is) those in control of the society would, of necessity, use money to control the others.
Let’s look at history.
In ancient Rome the Patrician class used money to control the Plebian class (which was vastly larger and potentially dangerous). Keep them poor. Give them the bare means for subsistence (bread) and distraction to keep them occupied (circuses).
Here, her confusion becomes apparent. Read more »
Filed under: Economics, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged: capitalism, freedom, gay, money, power, transgendered, tyranny | Leave a Comment »
Posted on January 26, 2009 by Bill
I began reading Ayn Rand in my early 20s. I wasn’t a very happy person at the time. But, I had always enjoyed reading, and at some point I started reading philosophy books that I picked at random from whatever they had at the bookstore. One day, the random book I picked was “For the New Intellectual”. I still vividly remember sitting in a car outside Bookstop laughing out loud with elation as I read those first few wonderful pages.
Several books later, I had explicitly accepted the basic principles of Objectivism, and this forced me to act. I quit my recreational drug use, ended some unhealthy friendships, quit my crappy job, went through a training program, and got a new job that paid much better and that I actually enjoyed doing. Once I accepted that my highest moral purpose was my own long-term happiness, I had no choice but to turn my life around. It was a direct result of adopting the correct philosophical principles. Read more »
Filed under: Philosophy | Tagged: Ayn Rand, ethics, gay, homosexuality, morality, Objectivism | 4 Comments »
Posted on January 23, 2009 by Bill
The stock market’s dramatic dive over the past year has some people questioning the usefulness of 401(k) plans. A recent article on msn.com reports:
“This is the biggest test that the 401(k) plan has seen to date, and it has failed,” says Robyn Credico, the head of defined-contribution consulting at Watson Wyatt Worldwide, noting that many baby boomers are ready to retire. “We’ve put people close to retirement in a very challenging position.”
The most obvious pitfall is that 401(k) plans shift all retirement-planning risks — not saving enough, making poor investment choices, outliving savings — to untrained individuals, who often don’t have the time, inclination or know-how to manage them.
I want to focus on the usefulness of 401(k) plans, but first I must digress for a moment and comment on this last statement. Claiming that you don’t have the “time” or “inclination” to manage your retirement savings is a ridiculous cop out. If you don’t have the time or inclination to acquire food and shelter, you rightly starve or die of exposure. Similarly, if you don’t have the time or inclination to plan for your retirement, you should rightly be denied that retirement. To claim otherwise is to claim that the responsibility for oneself should fall on someone else. The article doesn’t quote anyone who actually claims this; it seems to be an assertion on the part of the writer. In any case, it is a careless and stupid statement.
But let’s get back on topic. Read more »
Filed under: Economics, News, Personal Finance, Politics | Tagged: 401(k) plans, retirement, social security | 3 Comments »
Posted on January 13, 2009 by Bill
The news is full of stories about auto dealerships closing and filing for bankruptcy, such as this one on Bloomberg:
General Motors Corp. said it may lose as many as 500 dealers in its home market this year, an increase from 350 last year, as the largest U.S. automaker works toward a goal of cutting 1,700 by 2012.
I am quietly smiling to myself reading these stories. Why? I have a long memory.
Almost a decade ago, the dealerships mounted a unified effort to screw consumers by preventing auto manufacturers from selling direct to consumers via the Internet. Reports such as this one document how, in the late ‘90s, dealerships convinced state legislatures to tighten regulations that prevented direct-to-consumer sales. These laws have kept the sales of new cars in the dark ages, insuring that consumers will continue having to pay the high cost of the middlemen in order to get a new car. Meanwhile, used car sales over the Internet have exploded.
I still remember being disgusted by the actions of the dealerships as it was all happening. So, as I think of all the money wasted on pointless middlemen who propped up their business model through lobbyists and legislation, I only hope that every car dealership that took part in these lobbying efforts goes under. Once they do, maybe we can get these ridiculous laws repealed and let car buying enter the 21st Century.
It’s nice to see a tiny bit of justice in the midst of the bailout craze.
Filed under: Economics, News, Politics | Tagged: auto dealerships, car sales, economy | Leave a Comment »
Posted on October 29, 2008 by Bill
Lately, the Republicans have been claiming that Obama’s policy proposals are socialist. CNN quotes from McCain’s speech on Saturday:
“You see, [Obama] believes in redistributing wealth, not in policies that help us all make more of it. Joe, in his plainspoken way, said this sounded a lot like socialism,” McCain said Saturday.
McCain also said in his radio address, “At least in Europe, the socialist leaders who so admire my opponent are up front about their objectives. They use real numbers and honest language. And we should demand equal candor from Sen. Obama. Raising taxes on some in order to give checks to others is not a tax cut; it’s just another government giveaway.”
This is all true. But it’s also - and I apologize for the cliche - the pot calling the kettle black. Read more »
Filed under: Economics, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged: capitalism, corporate welfare, democrat, farm subsidies, financial bailout, libertarian, McCain, medicare, Obama, Politics, redistribution of wealth, republican, social security, socialism | 1 Comment »
Posted on August 25, 2008 by Bill
Today was the first day of school for kids in Dallas. I only know this because I’ve become partially financially responsible for a 9-year-old and 13-year-old girl in the last few months… it’s a long story I won’t get into. In any case, we enrolled them in the public schools near our home, and today was their first day.
I had misgivings about putting them in public school, of course. As any reader of this blog knows, I am politically libertarian, which means I don’t think the public school system should exist at all. Even so, I don’t have any problem taking advantage of it – my tax money helps pay for it, after all. My problem with public schools is that they are full of kids that don’t want to be there with parents who have no real investment (financial or otherwise) in the education of their children. This doesn’t apply to all children and parents, of course, but as long as a sizable fraction of the school population is made up of these people, I think it brings down the quality of education. That’s my opinion based on my own experience in the public school system, anyway. I want something better for my kids.
Read more »
Filed under: Economics, Personal Finance, Philosophy, Politics | Tagged: libertarian, private schools, public schools, school choice, school supplies, socialism | 10 Comments »
Posted on June 23, 2008 by Bill
It has been harder than usual for me to blog this year. Election years are hard to stomach. It’s easier to be optimistic earlier in the process, when one can imagine that we’ll actually get a new kind of president. Maybe an economist or a political scientist with a Ph.D. – someone with an extensive education in what sorts of policies work. Then the choices are narrowed, and I come to realize that it’s going to be another lawyer or war hero – another four years of business as usual. Everyone is all fired up, saying we must elect this candidate or that candidate, and I can only sit back in disbelief that these are our options. These are the leaders that excite you? I just don’t get it. Read more »
Filed under: News, Politics | Tagged: Bob Barr, George Carlin, libertarian, presidential election, voting | Leave a Comment »
Posted on February 6, 2008 by Bill
Supporters of the war in Iraq have repeatedly argued that in order to “support our troops” we must send more of them to Iraq and keep them there indefinitely. This idea is reflected in articles like this one from Senator Joseph Lieberman, but there is certainly no shortage of such articles. Take your pick.
However, the Center for Responsive Politics has found some interesting data from presidential campaign donation records: Read more »
Filed under: Politics | 1 Comment »
Posted on February 5, 2008 by Bill
Today on Queercents, I describe my rather cynical view of Washington, D.C.:
“The other day on Sirius satellite radio, Howard Stern was complaining about the fact that the merger between XM and Sirius has not yet been approved by US government regulators. The National Association of Broadcasters, which is made up of companies such as Clear Channel who compete against satellite radio, has been lobbying against the merger. Stern was indignant that his competitors would blatantly use the government to harm their competition. It’s hard for me to believe that this was a new revelation for a man over the age of 50, especially one who has been the focus of so much government scrutiny. Maybe he was feigning surprise for his show.”
Read the rest here.
Filed under: Politics | Leave a Comment »
Posted on January 29, 2008 by Bill
Today on Queercents, I question the benefit of the stimulus package currently working its way through Congress:
“The US government has been moving fairly quickly to pass some form of stimulus package to try to head off a recession. The stimulus package would basically amount to mailing $150 billion out to everyone, with the point being for them to spend it to keep the economy going. Not everyone agrees that an actual recession (two consecutive quarters of negative GDP growth) is in the cards, but I guess no one in Washington, D.C., wants to deal with a recession in the middle of a presidential election, so they’re trying to do something just in case. I have a rather negative view of the federal government’s ability to do anything useful with the money we send their way, and I am usually happy to keep more of my money, so how could I possibly object to the government sending me a few hundred dollars to spend?”
Read the rest here.
Filed under: Economics, Politics | Tagged: recession, stimulus | Leave a Comment »
