tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post6367923314791296738..comments2024-03-28T10:32:56.949-05:00Comments on Althouse: "FDA falls short on safety checks on disposable wipes makers."Ann Althousehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01630636239933008807noreply@blogger.comBlogger72125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-3346153637571629572011-12-29T08:08:59.735-06:002011-12-29T08:08:59.735-06:00No, I'm saying that if we, the people wish to ...No, I'm saying that if we, the people wish to maintain the power that is rightfully ours, rather than let it be usurped by the big money interests, we must be actively engaged in the political process at all levels from local on up and all the time.<br /><br />As a nation, we are largely disengaged from our political process, and going to the polls every so often to cast votes--those few of us who do--is the <i>least</i> that is required of us if we want to be the governors of our rightful power. In our absence, others rush in to profit by using the power we leave unused.<br /><br />Self-governance--"democracy"--is hard work that never ends. If we want it, we must do the work.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88021852624486649132011-12-28T23:40:17.371-06:002011-12-28T23:40:17.371-06:00No, I don't see how that is a reasonable resta...No, I don't see how that is a reasonable restatement of my argument. What I am saying is that neither democracy not representation actually result in "we, the people" actually controlling the levers of power. You seem to believe in some kind of transubstantiation whereby a *process* becomes a tangible *thing* capable of autonomous power grasping and proper judgment.Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-54783853371601250162011-12-28T22:01:46.751-06:002011-12-28T22:01:46.751-06:00So, Sofa King, I see you don't believe democra...So, Sofa King, I see you don't believe democracy, or representative republicanism, are actually possible.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-9130502700316804252011-12-28T20:46:24.086-06:002011-12-28T20:46:24.086-06:00I would only add to Sofa King's comments, whic...I would only add to Sofa King's comments, which are spot on, that you are trying to ride a tiger and should know that it cannot be done.<br /><br />Powerful enough to consume all of your problems, powerful enough to consume you.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-54243005524443217162011-12-28T20:37:16.155-06:002011-12-28T20:37:16.155-06:00The government will accrue power...as it must, in ...The government will accrue power...as it must, in order to deal with the complex problems and needs of a nation of our size and complexity. It is a tool of power, but it must be we, the people who grasp it. <br /><br />The problem is that "we the people" exists as a *concept* only, not as an actual being capable of grasping. "We, the people" are no more capable of *actually* grasping power than "freedom," "democracy," or "the ideal table" are. They are all intangible concepts.<br /><br />Real power, however, must really be grasped in reality by tangible beings. None of these tangible beings actually are "we, the people." So what you propose is a literal impossibility, forever.Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-18145391972724503132011-12-28T17:27:08.228-06:002011-12-28T17:27:08.228-06:00Sofa King, you're right: I'm not a Wiscons...Sofa King, you're right: I'm not a Wisconsinite and the name Tom Ament is unknown to me.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-22453963586284974052011-12-28T17:17:12.356-06:002011-12-28T17:17:12.356-06:00Rockline founder Ralph Rudolph, father of Randy, w...<i>Rockline founder Ralph Rudolph, father of Randy, was a pilot for the German military during World War II....</i><br /><br />I can't decide if I'm more interested in why they included this or why they phrased it the way they did.Mary Bethhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05754684233296448192noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-6762680216609257812011-12-28T17:02:36.083-06:002011-12-28T17:02:36.083-06:00"Therein lies the argument for limited govern...<i>"Therein lies the argument for limited government."</i><br /><br />No...therein lies the argument for strict limits on business influence on Washington.<br /><br /><i>"The government is not some sweet, benign overseer, it is a tool of power that will be used by whoever can grasp it. Make it a tool of little power and people find their time and resources better spent earning money by providing things people want than they do by using the government to steal."</i><br /><br />The government <i>will</i> accrue power...as it must, in order to deal with the complex problems and needs of a nation of our size and complexity. It <i>is</i> a tool of power, but it must be <i>we, the people</i> who grasp it. <br /><br />It is when business gains undue influence in Washington--as it has long since done--that the people's rightful power is usurped.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-32217623197550392042011-12-28T15:17:43.929-06:002011-12-28T15:17:43.929-06:00Robert Cook,
(Ah, but the bug in the butter is thi...Robert Cook,<br /><i>(Ah, but the bug in the butter is this: it is big business--those job-producers who should never be regulated--who want the internet to be regulated, as the regulations will be crafted to allow them to better and more rapaciously monetize the internet for their profit, at expense of our freedom to access and use this communications medium freely...as we have done for the brief life up to this point of the world wide web.)<br /></i><br />YES!<br /><br />And don't forget the politicians who wish to squelch criticism of their corruption.marinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435598676103731157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-10996690371469436172011-12-28T15:17:03.751-06:002011-12-28T15:17:03.751-06:00And where in this country is recycling mandatory?
...<i>And where in this country is recycling mandatory?</i><br /><br />Have you been to San Francisco?<br /><br />My grandfather once found part of a flattened mouse in a can of Pringles.Known Unknownhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15029003649395214104noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-88213167008321737322011-12-28T14:35:57.286-06:002011-12-28T14:35:57.286-06:00I also install two shower heads in each shower and...<i>I also install two shower heads in each shower and often flush twice.</i><br /><br />Apparently bagoh20's toilet is set to stun, not kill.Scott Mhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02459388007426664813noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-52913922591863780262011-12-28T14:31:06.725-06:002011-12-28T14:31:06.725-06:00bagoh20,
I also install two shower heads in each s...bagoh20,<br /><i>I also install two shower heads in each shower and often flush twice. I buy TSP and add it to my laundry detergent, and hose down my driveway in the dark. <br /></i><br />Maybe you should change your username to severalbagsoh20.<br /><br />Just sayin' ;)marinerhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03435598676103731157noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-29925809340300609072011-12-28T13:21:56.423-06:002011-12-28T13:21:56.423-06:00One reason that government oversight fails is that...One reason that government oversight fails is that the relevant government agency is eventually captured by those evil corporate special interests who promote regulations to disadvantage competition. With private organizations, there is always a chance of failure (as in going out of business), with governmental organizations, not so much. This lack of a control loop allows ever increasing scope.<br /><br /><i>Isn't it often the case that the thing you're using to try to get cleaner is only making you dirtier? And I mean that question in the broadest possible way.</i><br /><br />Compensatory discrimination. Bigots against bigotry.rafhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03234144949583399000noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-76199628278479820902011-12-28T13:06:51.970-06:002011-12-28T13:06:51.970-06:00"...mold and foreign objects in the wipes, su..."...mold and foreign objects in the wipes, such as a dead cockroach and razor blade."<br /><br />Oh please! BS! This smacks of a competitor's mischief making. Or urban legend. Or nuisance settlement bait.<br /><br />Everyone always finds cockroaches and razor blades in stuff-- when it pays off.PatCAhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08920623662477828662noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-8493814945220062912011-12-28T12:19:57.535-06:002011-12-28T12:19:57.535-06:00You know, Robert, I think I may have confused you ...You know, Robert, I think I may have confused you with Roesch-Voltaire. If you aren't a Wisconsinite, I forgive you for never having heard of Tom Ament. But it is still on point, IMO.Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-8020961625579787402011-12-28T12:13:33.121-06:002011-12-28T12:13:33.121-06:00Who are these "some government workers...gett...<i>Who are these "some government workers...getting very rich through pension schemes and such?" How "rich" is "very rich." What is this "such" that they're getting rich from? And by "pension schemes" do you mean--their pensions--or do you suppose they're involved in schemes to defraud their employers?<br /></i><br /><br />For someone who hates Scott Walker as much as you do, the name "Tom Ament" ought to ring a few bells...Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-53625756197103173102011-12-28T11:46:48.806-06:002011-12-28T11:46:48.806-06:00(Ah, but the bug in the butter is this: it is big ...<i>(Ah, but the bug in the butter is this: it is big business--those job-producers who should never be regulated--who want the internet to be regulated, as the regulations will be crafted to allow them to better and more rapaciously monetize the internet for their profit, at expense of our freedom to access and use this communications medium freely...as we have done for the brief life up to this point of the world wide web.)</i><br /><br />Bingo!<br /><br />Therein lies the argument for limited government.<br /><br />The government is not some sweet, benign overseer, it is a tool of power that will be used by whoever can grasp it. Make it a tool of little power and people find their time and resources better spent earning money by providing things people want than they do by using the government to steal it.Freeman Hunthttps://www.blogger.com/profile/16202310075717963694noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-33995804357519769602011-12-28T11:34:48.486-06:002011-12-28T11:34:48.486-06:00"Some government workers are getting very ric...<i>"Some government workers are getting very rich through pension schemes and such. Government workers are considerably better compensated than the average worker - whether that makes them "rich" or not is a matter of perspective, I would suppose."</i><br /><br />Who are these <i>"some government workers...getting very rich through pension schemes and such?"</i> <i>How</i> "rich" is <i>"very rich."</i> What is this <i>"such"</i> that they're getting rich from? And by <i>"pension schemes"</i> do you mean--their <i>pensions</i>--or do you suppose they're involved in <i>schemes to defraud</i> their employers?<br /><br />What <i>"average workers"</i> do you refer to, and which government workers are you comparing them to who are <i>"considerably better compensated"</i> than they? <br /><br />As in any other sector of paid endeavor, I'm sure one will find in government employment an array of jobs and corresponding pay scales that range from low to high, as well as a variety of factors (such as cost of living variances) that influence the going rates of pay.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-31230315113304464202011-12-28T11:33:43.731-06:002011-12-28T11:33:43.731-06:00Freder Frederson said...
"What moral hazard ...Freder Frederson said...<br /><br /><i>"What moral hazard is that? The one that says consumers should be entitled to purchase products that make them sick?"</i><br /><br />That's called being a adult free citizen. Seriously.<br /><br />If individuals are incapable of deciding what are and are not acceptable personal risks, given the perceived benefits of a potential action, then they are <i>children</i>, properly speaking. Your attitude presumes that they need the supervision of their betters, and that the whole 200-year American experiment in liberty is a failure.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br />Robert Cook said...<br /><br /><i>"Or, if there is this much failure with an oversight system in place, how much worse would it be if there were no oversight function by the government?"</i><br /><br />This precise view is how the regulatory code got to be 100,000 pages long. There is no room in the 'progressive' paradigm for the idea that any system can suffer from over-management. Whenever any anomaly or failure occurs, whatever the cause, it is deemed necessary to react by adding more bureaucratic oversight.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-2702232714212746402011-12-28T11:02:34.594-06:002011-12-28T11:02:34.594-06:00Wha---hahahahaha! Who says government workers are ...<i>Wha---hahahahaha! Who says government workers are getting rich?!<br /></i><br /><br />Some government workers are getting very rich through pension schemes and such. Government workers are considerably better compensated than the average worker - whether that makes them "rich" or not is a matter of perspective, I would suppose.Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-61349171410819240072011-12-28T10:59:48.904-06:002011-12-28T10:59:48.904-06:00Q: Or, if there is this much failure with an overs...Q: <i>Or, if there is this much failure with an oversight system in place, how much worse would it be if there were no oversight function by the government?<br /></i><br /><br />A: That's actually a really interesting counterfactual; I will posit that the answer is not as obvious as you seem to think. Consider that in the status quo, independent oversight is almost completely undercut by government monopoly.Sofa Kinghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07659133819240484346noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-32844458791637966102011-12-28T10:57:54.426-06:002011-12-28T10:57:54.426-06:00"Government workers get rich...."
Wha--...<i>"Government workers get rich...."</i><br /><br />Wha---hahahahaha! Who says government workers are getting rich?!<br /><br />Unless by "government workers" you mean the Congresspersons who take bribes--er, campaign contributions--from big business lobbyists to insure government does the bidding of big businesses rather than that of we, the people.Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-35305942753282507222011-12-28T10:53:31.719-06:002011-12-28T10:53:31.719-06:00Dadvocate, it may be those failures of government ...Dadvocate, it may be those failures of government oversight--aside from the statistical percentage of failures one would expect in any case, as there can never be assurance that even the most stringent oversight efforts will prevent or catch all instances of unsafe products reaching the public--are a result of the lessening of funding for the oversight agencies and/or the weakening of laws that give them enforcement authority.<br /><br />Or, if there is this much failure with an oversight system in place, <i>how much worse</i> would it be if there were <i>no</i> oversight function by the government?<br /><br />bagoh20: No one is saying the government should regulate <i>everything.</i> The oversight agencies we have are a result of public outcry over unsafe or fraudulent goods and services that have been sold in the past, and if we still have any sort of representational republic--a big if, admittedly--the public still has sway over what is regulated and how. <br /><br />Those who believe the internet should be free of regulation can and should write to their senators and congresspersons and otherwise participate in activities to let our lawmakers know we object to such regulation.<br /><br />(Ah, but the bug in the butter is this: it is <i>big business</i>--those job-producers who should never be regulated--who want the internet to be regulated, as the regulations will be crafted to allow them to better and more rapaciously monetize the internet for their profit, at expense of our freedom to access and use this communications medium freely...as we have done for the brief life up to this point of the world wide web.)Robert Cookhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06951286299515983901noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-79133777094361668582011-12-28T10:42:17.635-06:002011-12-28T10:42:17.635-06:00Paying for independent testing.
The industry find...Paying for independent testing.<br /><br />The industry finds it profitable to set up testing and certification to keep out cheap competitors, if they're cheap by being careless.<br /><br />The testers are selling their service the same way. <br /><br />Private sector workers get rich only by making somebody else rich. Government workers get rich by screwing the population. Take your choice.rhhardinhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06901742898653890646noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6329595.post-71595248410507066862011-12-28T10:30:59.555-06:002011-12-28T10:30:59.555-06:00Imagine the government regulating what we are doin...Imagine the government regulating what we are doing right now. Would that be better? For some I'm sure it would be, and after a decade of it, people would say: "It's crazy to have internet without regulation." And they would list all the terrible things that would go wrong, that somehow we currently live with. Any doubt?bagoh20https://www.blogger.com/profile/10915174575358413637noreply@blogger.com