[ExI] stossel on optimism

[Jeff Davis]

2012/1/3 spike <spike66 at att.net>

I like this guy.  It reminds me of myself:****
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> http://www.creators.com/opinion/john-stossel/ideas-have-sex-and-we-re-better-for-it.html
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I have never thought much of Stossel.  Here's my reply as posted to the
comments section for his article:

Stossel's a dim bulb preaching to all his fellow dim bulbs out there. I
commend him on his personal success, but based as it is on drinking and
passing around the Fox Kool-aid to his fellow DBs, it's not much of an
accomplishment.

A pleasant article, mostly right, but we could do without the obligatory
slams against "central planning" slash "guvmint" -- a hold-over from the
era of blind screaming anti-communism.

Central planning -- in the form of Communism -- brought backward Czarist
Russia to super-power status in less than 70 years (including a brief pause
to defeat Nazi Germany). Central planning -- in the form of Communism
--brought a billion destitute Chinese peasants to modernity and imminent
economic dominance in 60 years. On the battlefield, central planning by a
country only one-twentieth its size frustrated (defeated, actually) the
world's preeminent military superpower. In a mere 25 years, central
planning -- MITI -- brought Japan from defeat and utter destruction after
WW2 to the top tier of technical sophistication and economic power. And, in
case you hadn't noticed, central planning at the corporate level is the
operational foundation of enterprise capitalism.

Hard to miss, all those successes of central planning.

If Stossel could drop his ideological prejudice, and the stupidity that
naturally results. he might actually be able to write little essays about
the obvious -- innovation by free people with resources at their disposal
can accomplish great things, .....well duh! -- and be taken seriously by
folks with actual intellectual standing, ie folks outside the DB crowd that
shares Stossel's prejudices.


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Stossel reminds me not the least little bit, Spike, of your technical depth
and breadth or your humor-enhanced >H vision.  Stossel's got optimism?
Great.  I'm a big fan of optimism.  Everyone should have a sunny outlook,
whether warranted or not.  Reminds me of the old joke about Jesus on the
cross.  His followers are solemnly passing by and someone notices that
Jesus's lips are moving, so one of them gets up and puts his ear real
close, and hears Jesus softly murmuring:   "I love a parade."


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This Jason Silva guy,... this reminds guy me of you.  A couple of espressos
and your right up there with him.
http://vimeo.com/34182381

Best, Jeff Davis

 "Everything you see I owe to spaghetti."
                  Sophia Loren
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