Wednesday, November 24, 2004

German's wise men or why philosophy is necessary

I have just received the new "Spiegel", from whom I have discussed reports before. This time they have an interview with Weder di Mauro, one of the youngest economically wise-men, as they are called, here.

http://www.spiegel.de/spiegel/0,1518,328841,00.html

The worst remark of the 39-year old economy advisor is that she criticises the ideologic layout of the parties. This is in my eyes, a terrible miscalculation, because only strict reforms (strict to their ideologic and philosophic basis) can improve anything. Everything else is a half-baked try that has lost its meaning, because the inner-logic of the reform will be lost due to contradictionary influences.
The good thing is that she stresses the need of more investment by the people, who need not to be afraid and she also attacks the myth of massive out-sourcing. This fear, however, is not made by the politicians only, but also by the Euro itself (as I have discussed below).

However, her lack of understanding basic ideologic, politic and philosophic premises and evading the issue by ignoring any ideology, is deeply dissatisfying and in a way an expression of the new social order. Premises are not to be judged and/or followed!

This is what Ayn Rand has written in her famous book "Atlas Shrugged", where the new-age college boys have not gasped the complex problem of economy and political influence in it.
They can only use the politics for their own needs, but they don't really understand the ideologic agenda they follow, obviously, because they won't take part in any logic ideology.

Therefore, my stand that philosophy is a pre-requisite for economics, as is ethics, should be honored. Academia should give those topics a little more thought in the future.
But meh, that won't happen anywhere nowadays....

Commentary: smg.max@gmx.net

Tuesday, November 23, 2004

Germans prepare for state-control

I have said it innumberable times in the past, Germany is drifting towards socialism, even if it is a soft kind of socialism. But this kind just substitutes the metal gun with the velvet gun. In the end, they are very similar in words and in action.
Of course, nobody wants to see it and nobody takes me seriously. They think it to be a bad habit that there is so much beaurocracy, but they are unwilling to change anything (politicians even less than everyday men and women, because they'd diminish their own position of power).

A good example has been brought up by "Der Spiegel", a famous German newsmag. Germans are security fanatics, even if it is not necessary, or it would drive many companies out of business. The newest gadget of the law-abiding politicians of the authoritarian-side is the life-boat rule. Inland-boat traffic on the river rhine was always a very safe thing, until the government decided otherwise.
Now, it is dangerous, and we have to protect against the new huge 20 cm waves and the long distance to reach help or the shore (20 m?!). To protect the poor citizens, who could die on the river rhine, the government invented a new law that made it necessary for the boat captains to buy expensive life-boats. Those life-boats are usually seen on high sea ships, where they are necessary for your survival. On those small tourist boats on the rhine, however, those boats are unnecessary. The life-boats are so expensive that the quantity needed for your boat and the care-taking could easily wipe the economic balance of those small tourist companies, who undertake rhine-tours by boat.

So, you tell me that the state does not interfere with business? That we have a truly free-market or even a social market? What is social in killing business out of fear of the improbable?

Damn you, Authoritarians!

Commentary: smg.max@gmx.net

Thursday, November 11, 2004

Since my time online is going to be limited, because I have too much to do on campus, I will make post nothing new for the next weeks. This is also partly caused by my petty attempts to move out of my current domus :P

Let's see when I will find time again, perhaps I will post a short story the next few days :)

Commentary: smg.max@gmx.net