One-line argument for staying in the EU

 we have to trade with them, and if we leave we'll have even less control over the terms.

The Notorious Socialist Adolf Hitler

Right-wingers are fond of saying that "Hitler was a socialist".

(I heard Norman Tebbit say this on Question Time to gasps of astonishment..or there's this guy:

http://jonjayray.netfirms.com/musso.html )

If he was, he was the kind of socialist that shoots communists. He was of course a collectivist. All politcicians are one way or another.

That's just semantics ?

Is there a cure for Conservatism ?

 I've got nothing against conservatives, mind, but I do think they are objectively disordered. They must have some kind of mild mental disorder that makes them think everything is constantly getting worse, western civilisation is going down the toilet and we're all doomed, doomed I tell ye, DOOMED!

Plus "different" means "wrong".

They can fulfil a useful role in society despite their disability. They are neat and tidy and generally have good spelling and punctuation.

Robber Barons and War Lords

There's something wrong with terms "Robber Baron", "War Lord" and so on.
They suggest there's another kind!
Every variety of Royalty or Aristocracy -- "people with sparkly hats", as I like to think of them -- started off by raising any army, grabbing some land, and settling down to a protection racket.

Time passes. Being known as Basher doesn't suit out friend's new status, so he puts on a sparkly hat and calls himself a Lord or Prince. More time passes. His Lordship, or one of his descendants, realises that giving the peasants a say is cheaper in the long run than crushing their revolts. Eventually we end up with the glory of democratic government.

And it still monopolises force (the Army and Police), and it still extorts (taxes).

So governments are evil robber barrons ? Well, look at the alternative. Just as the only alternative to majority rule is minority rule, the only alternative to the to a "robber baron" ameliorated by democracy and constitutional rights is one that isn't. No-one gets to elect the Capo di Capi.

The wonder of the whole thing is that the sparkly hat works. People become enamoured of the trappings of power, and forget about the origins.

Intuition and Habit

TBD

Rants

Environmentalism and Austerity

 Opponents of environmentalism, usually on the Right, dislike the idea of any asuterity measures, particularly in that they would impact business. They also dislike the idea of any precautionary or premature (as they see it) measures to deal with fuel shortages. But if shortages in fossil fuels are not dealt with in a timely and planned way, as environmentalists urge, they will be dealt with by late and panicky measures, and late and panicky meassures are more likely to lean on austerity. The government cannot cannot convert the economy to renewable energy overnight, but it can impose fuel rationing overnight. Austerity is a means of coping with the scarcity of fossil fuels that exists now, other means require the development of new technologies, which will be easier to afford before the price of oil rises. If we delay enviromental measuree unitl a crisis occurs, as anti-environmentalists wish, we will be able to cope with asuterity measures with the technologies we have in place. International travel is a luxury anyway, and the technologies of broadband and home computers will allow people to work from home. Why aren't they working form home already? Not for technlogical reasons, not for hard ecomonic reasons, but for touchy-feely psychological reasons: employers like to see their employees in the office. The anti-environmentalists do not have the rational high ground here; the environmentalists are not emotive tree-huggers. TBD iq

Scientific Arrogance vs. Sturdy Faith.

TBD iq

IQ, class and diet

On the genetic nature of IQ: TBD

Leaving the EU and leaving the UK

TBD

Higher education -- less and better!

TBD

Bums on Seats and Bombs: the responsibilites of religious leaders

TBD

The vampiric Theory of Homosexuality

TBD

The problem with drugs

TBD

Water, water, everywhere

TBD

Pinochet, Thatcher and Saddam: the strangely Selective Immunity of Heads of State

TBD

Are logical fallacies always fallacious?

TBD

Olaf Petersen and Jane Austen: Male and Female Theories of Personality

Always make friends with a drunk... TBD

Veneers of Snear: Political Correct, Liberal Intellectuals

TBD

The Meritocracy Paradox/h4> Meritocracy is vital for any society, but must be usually be surreptitious. TBD