Comments for Grey Swan http://greyswan.net A mostly unpredictable weblog Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:22:12 -0400 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8 hourly 1 Comment on The US Forever by SFG http://greyswan.net/2008/05/the-us-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-112 SFG Fri, 31 Jul 2009 01:22:12 +0000 http://www.greyswan.net/2008/05/13/the-us-forever/#comment-112 America did maintain an informal empire in the New World; during the Cold War we overthrew plenty of democratic governments (allende etc.) we didn't like. Global capitalism can also be pretty nasty for third world countries. Sure we weren't the most evil empire in the world...but that's counting really nasty ones like the Mongols and the Nazis. Also, the Brits arguably left behind some good things like English, and ex-British colonies did better than ex-colonies of other nations. We didn't mess around that much in the Old World because we have two oceans protecting us. My argument for maintaining American hegemony as long as possible is simple: we are Americans, and it's good to be to the king. Even a declining America would be safe for a while--it's difficult to launch an overland invasion--but eventually China or Russia might feel safe making an agreement with Mexico. I actually think immigration would be ok if the engines of assimilation were still working, and some selectivity were maintained. That said I'm more worried about restoring our country's economic competitiveness through rebuilding our manufacturing base--it'll give us money in the long run by giving us stuff to sell, and we have to be able to pump out tanks at the drop of a hat should it become necessary. America did maintain an informal empire in the New World; during the Cold War we overthrew plenty of democratic governments (allende etc.) we didn’t like. Global capitalism can also be pretty nasty for third world countries. Sure we weren’t the most evil empire in the world…but that’s counting really nasty ones like the Mongols and the Nazis. Also, the Brits arguably left behind some good things like English, and ex-British colonies did better than ex-colonies of other nations. We didn’t mess around that much in the Old World because we have two oceans protecting us.

My argument for maintaining American hegemony as long as possible is simple: we are Americans, and it’s good to be to the king. Even a declining America would be safe for a while–it’s difficult to launch an overland invasion–but eventually China or Russia might feel safe making an agreement with Mexico.

I actually think immigration would be ok if the engines of assimilation were still working, and some selectivity were maintained. That said I’m more worried about restoring our country’s economic competitiveness through rebuilding our manufacturing base–it’ll give us money in the long run by giving us stuff to sell, and we have to be able to pump out tanks at the drop of a hat should it become necessary.

]]> Comment on Public Sector Unions Must be Banned by Philip http://greyswan.net/2009/01/public-sector-unions-must-be-banned/comment-page-1/#comment-107 Philip Wed, 13 May 2009 03:21:34 +0000 http://greyswan.net/?p=37#comment-107 It's amazing how jealous people get when others are doing well. Unions are more important now than ever for working people, private and public sector. If more company's had DB plans or a combination of DB and DC plans more Baby Boomers would be able to retire and enjoy life instead of watching their retirement savings all but disappear. For years people in the public sector have made less than their counter parts in the private sector and the only thing that made the job attractive and worth the low pay were the benefits that they received (tuition remission, early retirement, etc.). Now that wages have been decreased because of corporate greed and CEO bonuses that are 400% higher than regular employees, people in the private sector want to complain. It's not the fault of unions that businesses go under, it's in large part because of poor business planning by the employer. The big three aren't going under because of unions. A lot of it has to do with NAFTA and other trade agreements as well as auto designs that aren't competitive. Public sector unions have created a space for the middle-class to survive some of the hard times, like what we're in now. In many places they help keep a competive wage scale so that the private sector can't further lower wages. The problem is not unions but the greed that drives capitalism. [GS: It is true we could just give all the baby boomers 1 million dollars and they would be super happy! But what about everyone else who would now be slaves to these peoples benefits? Your arguments sound like communism -- why not give everyone everything? Of course, all that leads to is everyone being poor] It’s amazing how jealous people get when others are doing well. Unions are more important now than ever for working people, private and public sector. If more company’s had DB plans or a combination of DB and DC plans more Baby Boomers would be able to retire and enjoy life instead of watching their retirement savings all but disappear. For years people in the public sector have made less than their counter parts in the private sector and the only thing that made the job attractive and worth the low pay were the benefits that they received (tuition remission, early retirement, etc.). Now that wages have been decreased because of corporate greed and CEO bonuses that are 400% higher than regular employees, people in the private sector want to complain. It’s not the fault of unions that businesses go under, it’s in large part because of poor business planning by the employer. The big three aren’t going under because of unions. A lot of it has to do with NAFTA and other trade agreements as well as auto designs that aren’t competitive. Public sector unions have created a space for the middle-class to survive some of the hard times, like what we’re in now. In many places they help keep a competive wage scale so that the private sector can’t further lower wages. The problem is not unions but the greed that drives capitalism.

[GS: It is true we could just give all the baby boomers 1 million dollars and they would be super happy! But what about everyone else who would now be slaves to these peoples benefits? Your arguments sound like communism -- why not give everyone everything? Of course, all that leads to is everyone being poor]

]]> Comment on The Problem with Free College Tuition (College Wars Part I) by This is it http://greyswan.net/2007/06/the-problem-with-free-college-tuition-college-wars-part-i/comment-page-1/#comment-99 This is it Thu, 11 Dec 2008 06:45:46 +0000 http://www.greyswan.net/2007/06/09/the-problem-with-free-college-tuition-college-wars-part-i/#comment-99 You can at least partly blame the Supreme Court and Congress for the college “arms race.” Federal law greatly restricts the ability of employers to give IQ-style aptitude tests to job applicants. Many employers therefore hire only people with college degrees, even for jobs with no real need for degrees, because they figure that having a degree means that an applicant (probably) is not a complete babbling idiot. No. IQ test answers would be judged similarly to certificate credentials. People can still cheat at IQ tests, still study the types of questions to familiarize themselves with answers, and still fake their way to the top. People would feel more certain that one was better than the other, numbers would show it, but there is a lot of chance in those numbers. If anything IQ tests would be worse because they measure book learning and pattern seeking instead of critical thinking and communication skills. I believe that because of the different range of jobs and skills needed for those jobs the best way is to have a good manager who has the skills the job needs and to have them intuitively pick out the best person. Of course people are idiots who like pretty and high status people so picking a manager itself would be an art. You can at least partly blame the Supreme Court and Congress for the college “arms race.” Federal law greatly restricts the ability of employers to give IQ-style aptitude tests to job applicants. Many employers therefore hire only people with college degrees, even for jobs with no real need for degrees, because they figure that having a degree means that an applicant (probably) is not a complete babbling idiot.

No. IQ test answers would be judged similarly to certificate credentials. People can still cheat at IQ tests, still study the types of questions to familiarize themselves with answers, and still fake their way to the top. People would feel more certain that one was better than the other, numbers would show it, but there is a lot of chance in those numbers. If anything IQ tests would be worse because they measure book learning and pattern seeking instead of critical thinking and communication skills. I believe that because of the different range of jobs and skills needed for those jobs the best way is to have a good manager who has the skills the job needs and to have them intuitively pick out the best person. Of course people are idiots who like pretty and high status people so picking a manager itself would be an art.

]]> Comment on The US Forever by xbox360 games http://greyswan.net/2008/05/the-us-forever/comment-page-1/#comment-96 xbox360 games Sun, 12 Oct 2008 17:17:34 +0000 http://www.greyswan.net/2008/05/13/the-us-forever/#comment-96 I bookmarked your blog, thanks for sharing this very interesting post I bookmarked your blog, thanks for sharing this very interesting post

]]> Comment on How H-1B Visas Are Hurting America (and how to fix it) by sudhir http://greyswan.net/2007/06/how-h-1b-visas-are-hurting-america-and-how-to-fix-it/comment-page-1/#comment-94 sudhir Wed, 20 Aug 2008 18:14:24 +0000 http://www.greyswan.net/2007/06/07/how-h-1b-visas-are-hurting-america-and-how-to-fix-it/#comment-94 I came to US for my masters in Robotics and here is my take on this subject. My county invested (Tax money) in my education and health till my undergrad expecting I will pay tax when I become productive but I took Job in US. I was charged 95K tuition for my master at one of the best universities. If you do the math you can see that US has gained and it has not lost anything. First US has not spent any money to make me productive and I am paying all kind of Tax for Americans. Only best and educated qualify for H1b and that was the intend. I want to point that America is business and money and if you can contribute to America economy/society then your a admitted otherwise doors are closed. I came to US for my masters in Robotics and here is my take on this subject.

My county invested (Tax money) in my education and health till my undergrad expecting I will pay tax when I become productive but I took Job in US. I was charged 95K tuition for my master at one of the best universities. If you do the math you can see that US has gained and it has not lost anything. First US has not spent any money to make me productive and I am paying all kind of Tax for Americans.

Only best and educated qualify for H1b and that was the intend.

I want to point that America is business and money and if you can contribute to America economy/society then your a admitted otherwise doors are closed.

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