Marginalia - 1/15/2023

Marginalia is a weekly synthesis of the flotsam, jetsam, and whatnot of the news cycle with a few dry, sarcastic one-liners here and there.

They’re both scams, but for all of the sins of get-rich-quick scammers, they’re at least trying to trade on optimism and hope. They’re at least selling that anyone can achieve financial independence and wealth.
Socialism tells you that you simply can’t unless you’re a terrible human being.
You know something is wrong with your ideology when you make scam artists trying to profit off of desperate people look good by comparison.

Socialism: The flipside of get-rich-quick schemes

Think of it as a get-poor-quick scheme

Tilting At WindmillsTom Knighton

As in all arguments emanating from the extreme sides of the political and economic spectrum, there's usually a grain of truth encapsulated in a ton of bullshit.

Tom's right. Pure socialism isn't going to improve anyone's life. Take a look at the USSR a few years before its dissolution and fragmentation.

Neither is pure capitalism. Especially when governments don't rein in and regulate the costs of an essential service like healthcare.

There's a middle ground of policy that neither group of extremists are willing to explore. It's not in their best interests.

But it certainly would be in ours.

The robot is going to lose. Not by much. But when the final score is tallied, flesh and blood is going to beat the damn monster.
– Adam Smith (pseudonym), The Money Game (1967)

Elon seems to be forgetting that humans, especially Americans, have a pesky streak of rebellion in them.

Don’t feed the algorithms the web is already fucked, let’s not make it any worse.
– startafuckingblog.com

Start a Fucking Blog

Go on, do it right fucking now - it’s the best thing on the web you can do.

Start a Fucking Blog

It's solid advice.

Make sure you provide a RSS feed.

You may not reach millions.

But you'll reach the ones that matter.