General

Re: Go evil.

Kenneth — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 11:26:22 GMT

The graph comparing government workers' to productive workers' pay is shown in the documentary 'Meltup'. It's uploaded in youtube if anybody wants to watch it.

Re: Go evil.

LeeO — Thu, 17 Jun 2010 00:24:34 GMT

You can't actually swim around in coins. You would break your neck.

That's what my brother said. Stop trying to dash my dreams with common sense! :)

Re: Go evil.

hkarnoldson — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 21:20:29 GMT

I remember a graph somewhere showing how (if you include all benefits), public workers in the US now receive on average more than double the remuneration of private sector workers.

Here in Sweden at least they get lousy wages and everyone get the same benefits ... private consultants doing jobs for the government though that is a different matter.

Re: Go evil.

cognitivist — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 19:06:40 GMT

Fred Furash:
On top of they they also pay low wages compared to the private sector.

I remember a graph somewhere showing how (if you include all benefits), public workers in the US now receive on average more than double the remuneration of private sector workers.

Ring any bells?

Re: Go evil.

Solredime — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:34:16 GMT

On top of they they also pay low wages compared to the private sector.

I remember a graph somewhere showing how (if you include all benefits), public workers in the US now receive on average more than double the remuneration of private sector workers.

Re: Go evil.

hkarnoldson — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 15:06:00 GMT

It is not all about money. It has also been scientifially proven that goal and purpose is more importaint for preformance of complex tasks as long as you get enough money for it to be comfortable.

Personally I could never work for the government because the knowledge that I am not actually achiving anything but destruction with my life would not be very fulfilling. Also I despise the people in such jobs, the corporate culture of inneffeciency in state owned enterprise and a bunch of other stuff that would make the good protion of my life I would spend at such a job utterly dreadfull. On top of they they also pay low wages compared to the private sector. There are of course exception I would consider working for a government university as long as academic freedom is somewhat guaranteed.

I would much rather have job with co-workers that i enjoy and doing something that seems meaningfull and fun in an effecient enviroment.

Since someone mentioned taking welfare from the government I would agree that it is just stupid to refuse it. Take as much as you can because they will steal from you and the people who voted for it want to give you there money. But who wants to live on welfare? A government job is different cause you are actually contributing to the state and it does effect where and how you have to spend your time.

Short-selling is fine. Buying government bonds and shit not so much though, it is also a bad investment.

Re: Go evil.

Kenneth — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 14:31:04 GMT

Fephisto: I would just like to point out that shorting countries with bubbles is different from investing in rent-seeking corporations in the sense that shorting a bubble is actually good. You are in a sense imputing your knowledge of the bubble into the value of the asset, making economic calculation more efficient.

See Art Carden's 'Short Selling: Explanation and Defense' in misesmedia

Cognitivist: I don't think investing in rent-seeking corporations, staying in rent-controlled apartments, taking food stamps, and sending children to public school (assuming its a net positive, in some cases its not) is violating the NAP. Some bum is gonna do it anyway, so better a libertarian.

Now, if you become a politician and be corrupt in order to donate to mises.org, then that's wrong because you create a vested interest in the state and it implies that everyone should be able to do it. Since everybody can't be part of the mafia, then that clearly doesn't work.

Re: Go evil.

cognitivist — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:14:49 GMT

Kenneth:

Doing the most sensible and rational thing is not evil. In fact, not doing it is the same as a broke and unemployed libertarian not accepting welfare, and a libertarian single-mom not using the public school (assuming its a decent school where the gains outweigh the costs). If you need to suck on the tits of the state then do it, it will quicken the demise of the state. Not doing it means you are subsidizing the state by helping the system to work.

Although you also shouldn't go to the extreme and be a corrupt politician.

How else to actually make an impact, besides planting bombs at buildings and assassinating heads of State? The only time anarchists appear in State approved textbooks is when they're literally destroying Statist establishments.

Violating NAP in order to establish it doesn't necessarily make you non-libertarian anarchist. It just makes you practical.

The world is based on relationships of not only voluntary cooperation, but also on countering force with force.

Re: Go evil.

DannyM — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 13:09:31 GMT

Fephisto:

Instead of being an idealogue, I go take my math degree and work for the NSA or some other plum government job. I might help build the next better bomb, or find the optimal points to place nukes in Iran; but who cares, I'll get paid $100k+.

Someone please let me know how to stop my conscience from nagging me and eating away at my soul. I try to blot it all out with sex, drugs, and overwork.

Re: Go evil.

Kenneth — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:41:09 GMT

Doing the most sensible and rational thing is not evil. In fact, not doing it is the same as a broke and unemployed libertarian not accepting welfare, and a libertarian single-mom not using the public school (assuming its a decent school where the gains outweigh the costs). If you need to suck on the tits of the state then do it, it will quicken the demise of the state. Not doing it means you are subsidizing the state by helping the system to work.

Although you also shouldn't go to the extreme and be a corrupt politician.

Re: Go evil.

Solredime — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:39:16 GMT

You can't actually swim around in coins. You would break your neck.

Oh come on, why did you ruin all the fun :P

Re: Go evil.

Nielsio — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 10:04:28 GMT

You can't actually swim around in coins. You would break your neck.

Re: Go evil.

LeeO — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 04:07:57 GMT

Then to top it all off, I'll do like Scrooge McDuck and make a giant tower filled with gold/silver to swim in and stop caring about the rest of the world.

LOL!!! That show was the best! I always wanted to dive into gold coins with Scrooge, so maybe I'll join you in being evil.

Re: Go evil.

Conza88 — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 03:22:20 GMT

Seems to me you don't understand the nature of short selling...

Re: Go evil.

bloomj31 — Wed, 16 Jun 2010 01:58:00 GMT

"If getting a giant tower filled with gold/silver to swim in is that easy, it would be evil not to do it."

Lol seconded.