Free Republic

In my last blog post, I wrote about how critical specialization is to progressive ideology, and the weaknesses that get bred in because of that. I also wanted to point something out, and I don't think very many people will like it. Culturally, I am quite certain that progressivism would be hard pressed to justify its own existence without specialization, and gun control is one of those topics that is probably the easiest to dissect. One of the main stated goals of gun control is to get guns out of the hands of pretty much everybody, but the only people...

The cultural role of specialization in progressive ideology has become more apparent to me over the years, especially as I learn more about them at the same time I am learning about the Founders. It should be overlooked any longer. The progressives, they really enjoy specialization. Man #1, he is a professional organizer. Always has been, always will be. Man #2 is a professional Human Resources coordinator. Man 3# is a professional journalist. Man #4 is a professional teacher. Man #5 is a CEO. Man #6, he is a professional politician. Wait a second. Professional politician? Go with me here...

One of the big stories of the past couple of weeks has been the emergence of the swine flu / H1N1 / American flu. Of course, this story has not emerged on its own: in fact, the reactions of individuals, governments, government agencies, non-governmental organizations, businesses, the press, and the blogosphere have all made compelling watching as well. Considering the flu, and its societal effects on all of these entities, will provide some interesting fodder for thought. Let's look first at the flu itself, and then consider, as physicists of old looking at a bubble chamber, what we can learn...

Economists are Making a Grave Mistake The economic concept of "comparative advantage" is the holy dogma of "free trade", economic globalization, and offshore outsourcing of jobs. Although comparative advantage is generally true for what economists traditionally measure, economists have ignored some important counter-factors. It indeed does optimize economic output under ideal conditions. However, there are important factors which make the situation less than ideal: Disruption of distribution or communications paths Restrained flow of labor The theory mostly addressed output (goods and services), ignoring job availability, stability, and other important factors. Past trends may not be indicative of future trends. Distribution...

The following is a miniplay which emphasizes the central conflicts in today's aesthetics, and academia, focusing on the realm of music to carry its message: Characters: DR. PATRICK SILK, 51, professor and director of musical composition at Princeharvnell University. ATHENA MILTON, 19, student and amateur composer at Princeharvnell University. Setting: An early April evening in 2005, within the hundred-year-old office of PROFESSOR SILK, lined with wall panels and furniture of a finely carved but faded dark wood. An equally antique grand piano, having been turned into a condition of ideal sound, stands in the center of the room, alongside a...

SEARS is selling its credit card division, almost certainly to a specialized financial business. To let customers charge their purchases, retailers no longer have to run their own credit operations. Dell Computer doesn't make its own hardware. It assembles circuit boards and disk drives from specialized manufacturers. From payroll management to movie special effects, vertical integration is out. Specialization is in. Does your company need a new product? You can hire an industrial design firm like IDEO to create it. Want to set up shop online? Buy the services and software from Amazon. Are you selling electronic systems? Get Solectron...