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On Political Ideology or The Theory of Left and Right
by the bishop
The Antiquarian By Ulpiano Checa, 1908 I like Bryan Caplan. He is incredibly smart, thoughtful and engaging person. Another reason why I like, one that I have recently learned of. Perhaps noticed would be better here, I have seen this trait in him plenty before but never quite noticed it. To be clear, I like him is because very often he can be incredibly belligerent.
Like I have just mentioned there are many examples of this. He has done so many of the same immigration open border debates with the same person, Mark Krikorian.
Following up a decade long if not longer “debate” with Scott alexander and as Tyler Cowen points out posting arguments against state capacity libertarianism.
Or his obsession with Alex Epstein work for fossil fuels.
Now it seems that he has a new topic of focus. His recent obsession is the difference between the left and right, with the Lewis brothers’ book The Myth of Left and Right.
While I believe the terms are quite fuzzy, left and right that is, I appreciate Caplan’s belligerence for not letting the argument go if he still believes there’s more in there that can be squeezed and brought out into the open and discussed and clarified.
Out of his last 16 posts, paywalled ama’s excluded, Caplan dedicated 6 posts to the topic, ranging from an interview he did with the Lewis brothers with Robin Hanson as co-interviewer, a lecture about his own left-right theory, and replies by the each brother , a lecture by Dan Klein on the same topic and a reply to Hyrum’s reply.
I think that this discourse teaches us a few things. First of all it shows how poorly described fascism is and that extreme ideologies automatically cause some issues with terms. However I think Caplan is extremely pragmatic in this area as this does not worry him. He’s not trying to describe extreme ideologies, he just wants to talk about the majority of people and the majority of people don’t possess (or aren’t possessed by) extreme ideologies.
So while the Lewis Brothers’ framework allows for more individual labelling it actually misses the point. It seems to make it harder to talk about general issues with a ‘slightly more’ accurate framework that includes rare extremes rather than sacrificing the extremes to make discourse easier and avoiding ‘pre-discourses’ where everything must put all their terms on the table and sort them out before they can have an actual discussion.
Caplan and Hanson basically argue that its not accurate enough to switch to their method of labelling for a few reasons, their argument is slightly flawed as ideologies are neither completely tribal nor ‘essentialist’. But I hasten to add the answer may not be in the middle.
In the essentialist theory, parties can move “leftward” or “rightward” on the spectrum as they change their relationship to the single essential issue,
The Myth of Left and RightSo we must consider that you’re explanatory power should be fairly strong and then your terms should also serve the wider discourse where using your terms is not only more accurate but easier for people to use and get their head around. We might call this a type IV error which seems to be fairly common in psychology and political science especially when it comes to ideology and ideological terms.
We’re arguing about the definition of “mental disorder”, but in some sense this is a pointless fight. I’ve pointed out a useful category (mental conditions which are bad for people and society). Emil has pointed out a useful category (mental conditions which are bad for reproductive fitness). Why not just admit that these are two useful categories? Why not come up with separate names for them – disorder-(Scott) vs. disorder-(Emil), or maybe social-disorder vs. evofitness-disorder – and use the separate names, so everyone’s on the same page? If someone asked whether homosexuality was a mental disorder, we could confidently answer “It’s not a disorder-(Scott), but it is a disorder-(Emil)”.
…
I think Emil should have to make up the new word, because:
- There are a few thousand evolutionary psychologists, and a few hundred million normal people who want to talk about mental disorders for normal reasons (like because they have them).
- Evolutionary psychologists are smart people and can probably coordinate on new terminology and move on, whereas normal people have brought the US to the brink of civil war over pronouns.
- The pressure of normal people using words to discuss their own mental health problems is so strong that whatever term they use will dominate the discourse no matter what. Even if we tried to let evolutionary psychologists keep the word “mental disorder”, and forced the rest of the world to use something like “social disorder”, the concept of social disorders would be so much more salient that we’d have to get into fights over whether homosexuality was a social disorder, and then re-litigate this whole process.
type IV error:
being the mistake of “the incorrect interpretation of a correctly rejected hypothesis”; which, they suggested, was the equivalent of “a physician’s correct diagnosis of an ailment followed by the prescription of a wrong medicine” (1970, p. 398).
WikiI would still like to see terms described a bit more accurately but I think most people get the idea and understand how to use the terms. Albeit perhaps not fascism and communism and other extreme terms which are bandied around rather too often for my liking. The terms quickly lose all meaning and something you don’t like can’t immediately be the worst thing ever.
We should accept that left and right are broadly similar across societies but historical and societal context can certainly mould them to be different depending on the country. It is also important to note that left is probably more stable cross-culturally and internationally whereas right or conservative is more different between countries because each country is conserving something different, as noted by Douglas Murray and Roger Scruton. The conservatives in China are the communists, the conservatives in France are republicans and the conservatives in the UK are royalists. These are all broad brush strokes but I think true enough for our purposes. I’d like to see more research on this and if you know of any that exists, send it my way.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By the bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
The Girl From Ipanema By Stanz Getz and Joao Gilberto Featuring Antonio Carlos Jobim
1 Quote
Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? And who will go for us?”
And I said, “Here am I. Send me!”
Isaiah 6:8 New International Version (NIV)1 Idea
Legality and Morality
What is legal is not necessarily moral and what is illegal isn’t automatically immoral. Some laws are morality laws and some laws come from bureaucratic bloat and some from partisan compromise and the list goes on. One easy example, the kind to which I am not referring to, is jaywalking, the act of crossing the road where there is no official crossing point.
One example is when slavery was legal. I am in no way saying that slavery is or was moral.
Another example is the right to refuse service. Just because you can doesn’t mean it’s moral. Plus the reverse its not moral to force someone to serve someone else.
Don’t let laws guide your morality otherwise you will be dictated to by the winds of the day.
1 Poem
I still recall … By Alexander Pushkin
I still recall the wondrous moment: When you appeared before my sight As though a brief and fleeting omen, Pure phantom in enchanting light. In sorrow, when I felt unwell, Caught in the bustle, in a daze, I fell under your voice’s spell And dreamt the features of your face. Years passed and gales had dispelled My former hopes, and in those days, I lost your voice’s sacred spell, The holy features of your face. Detained in darkness, isolation, My days began to drag in strife. Without faith and inspiration, Without tears, and love and life. My soul attained its waking moment: You re-appeared before my sight, As though a brief and fleeting omen, Pure phantom in enchanting light. And now, my heart, with fascination, Beats rapidly and finds revived Devout faith and inspiration, And tender tears and love and life. Translated by Andrey Kneller
1 Picture
Roman Capriccio: The Colosseum and Other Monuments
Roman Capriccio: The Colosseum and Other Monuments, By Giovanni Paolo Panini, 1735 1 Essay
Riotous Genius
Wallace’s grim fate left me worried that going back to read him for the purposes of this essay would be, at best, a bittersweet experience. It wasn’t. He was such an egghead that the lingering memory of his work can be one of difficult, sometimes opaque brilliance, but the actual experience of reading it is riotous. Even in the shadow of his suicide, Wallace’s voice on the page is so distinctive and so human (if a little Rain Man-y at times) that he seems to remain alive, which I guess is the ultimate test for all writers, eventually. Up until 2 a.m. reading his essays the other night, I only felt a twinge of sadness after I put down the book and went to bed.
Even when he was writing about depression or delusions, Wallace could stick the landing on jokes like nobody else. Take this long sentence from Infinite Jest:
He’d kept noticing mice scurrying around his room, mice as in rodents, vermin, and when he lodged a complaint and demanded the room be fumigated at once and then began running around hunched and pounding with the heel of a hand-held Florsheim at the mice as they continued to ooze through the room’s electrical outlets and scurry repulsively about, eventually a gentle-faced nurse flanked by large men in custodial whites negotiated a trade of shoes for Librium, predicting that the mild sedative would fumigate what really needed to be fumigated.
Oddly, it’s the writing that tends to get lost in discussions of Wallace, whose brains and ambitions often receive focus at the expense of his actual sentences. There was something physical about both him (a lumberjack of a guy with a Mount Rushmore-sized head) and his prose that made people consider him in a way they normally reserve for athletes, not authors.
But it isn’t Wallace the inscrutable colossus who will last, it’s Wallace the careful craftsman. Here are just a very few (criminally few) of the images I rediscovered in the days immediately after his death:
On campaign-trail beverages: “coffee that tastes like hot water with a brown crayon in it.”
On a veteran New York Times reporter: she wore “a perpetual look of concerned puzzlement, as if life were one long request for clarification…”
On a third-party candidate winning the presidency in the imagined future of Infinite Jest: “…the Dems and G.O.P.s stood on either side watching dumbly, like doubles partners who each think the other’s surely got it…”
From The Broom of the System, his first novel: “Through the giant window high over the cubicle a thin spear of the orange-brown light of a Cleveland sunset, saved and bent for a moment by some kindly chemical cloud around the Erieview blackness, fell like a beacon on the soft patch of cream just below Lenore’s right ear, on her throat.”
On the protagonists in John Updike’s fiction: “Though usually family men, they never really love anybody — and, though always heterosexual to the point of satyriasis, they especially don’t love women.”
On South Carolina during the 2000 presidential campaign: “You can tell it must be spooky down here in the summer, all wet moss and bog-steam and dogs with visible ribs and everybody sweating through their hat.”
One more, also about South Carolina: “The central-SC countryside looks blasted, lynched, the skies the color of low-grade steel, the land all dead sod and broomsedge, with scrub oak and pine leaning at angles, and you can almost hear the mosquitoes breathing in their baggy eggs awaiting spring.”
I’ve seen entire horror movies that aren’t as creepy as the last nine words of that sentence, and I’ve read poems that aren’t as lyrical.
John Williams1 Question
How do we handle emotions more generally?
Massimo Pigliucci -
Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By the Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
El Himno de Andalucía (performed*) By Rocío Jurado
1 Quote
These early days of AI are already absurd. Humans, walking and talking bags of water and trace chemicals that we are, have managed to convince well-organized sand to pretend to think like us. We don’t know what will happen next, and what dangers and opportunities the next generations of AI will bring. But we do need to realize that trying to convince ourselves that AI is normal software will not protect us from disruption. Instead, it may make it harder for us to see what is coming.
Ethan Mollick1 Idea
In the same piece from which the quote is taken, Ethan Mollick reiterates the vital point that (generative) AI is still a relatively new tool(?) and we should be experimenting with it and learning how to use as much and as soon as possible.
Don’t get left behind.
h/t Ethan Mollick
1 Poem
Days
What are days for? Days are where we live. They come, they wake us Time and time over. They are to be happy in: Where can we live but days? Ah, solving that question Brings the priest and the doctor In their long coats Running over the fields.
Philip Larkin1 Picture
A Sunny Day
A Sunny Day By Elin Danielson-Gambogi, 1900 1 Essay
In Praise of Shadows: Ancient Japanese Aesthetics and Why Every Technology Is a Technology of Thought
Although Tanizaki is writing at a time when a new wave of polymers was sweeping the industrialized West, he paints a subtler and more important contrast than that between the Western cult of synthetics and the Japanese preference for organic materials. This elegant osmosis of art and shadow, he argues, is to be found not only in what materials are used, but in how they are being used:
Wood finished in glistening black lacquer is the very best; but even unfinished wood, as it darkens and the grain grows more subtle with the years, acquires an inexplicable power to calm and sooth.
This temporal continuity of beauty, a counterpoint to the West’s neophilia, is central to Japanese aesthetics. Rather than fetishizing the new and shiny, the Japanese sensibility embraces the living legacy embedded in objects that have been used and loved for generations, seeing the process of aging as something that amplifies rather than muting the material’s inherent splendor. Luster becomes not an attractive quality but a symbol of shallowness, a vacant lack of history:
We find it hard to be really at home with things that shine and glitter. The Westerner uses silver and steel and nickel tableware, and polishes it to a fine brilliance, but we object to the practice… We begin to enjoy it only when the luster has worn off, when it has begun to take on a dark, smoky patina. Almost every householder has had to scold an insensitive maid who has polished away the tarnish so patiently waited for.
[…]
We do not dislike everything that shines, but we do prefer a pensive luster to a shallow brilliance, a murky light that, whether in a stone or an artifact, bespeaks a sheen of antiquity.
Tanizaki speaks affectionately of “the glow of grime,” which “comes of being touched over and over” — a record of the tactile love an object has acquired through being caressed by human hands again and again.
But nowhere does Tanizaki’s ode to shadows flow more melodically than in his writing about Japanese lacquerware:
Maria PopovaDarkness is an indispensable element of the beauty of lacquerware… [Traditional lacquerware] was finished in black, brown, or red, colors built up of countless layers of darkness, the inevitable product of the darkness in which life was lived.
This is essentially a Zuckerberg-Newport dichotomy rather than East Vs West. Don’t fear technology, leverage it but never lose sight and why you are using it. Furthermore make sure it is you that is using (controlling(?)) the technology not the reverse.
This essay also reminded me of:
Kintsugi is the Japanese art of putting broken pottery pieces back together with gold — built on the idea that in embracing flaws and imperfections, you can create an even stronger, more beautiful piece of art.
There is beauty in use and wear and tear, rather than buying the best brand new thing. To misuse a term it is creative destruction but also rebirth. It is as if they are repairing their tools with the blood of a Phoenix and giving them a second life or more appropriately a new life. It is now a new thing. See the Ship of Theseus.
N.B. Harry Potter has taught us that Unicorn blood is silver, so by inference Phoenix blood is gold.
1 Question
How do we deal with grief?
Massimo PigliucciAI, Ancient Japan, Andalucía, Andalucia, Andalusia, Anthem of Andalucia, beauty, Books, Cal Newport, Calvin Newport, Consideration, Early adaption, East vs West, Elin Danielson-Gambogi, Ethan Mollick, Grief, Harry Potter, Himno de Andalucíá, Hymn of Andalucia, Japan, Japanese aesthetics, Kintsugi, Maria Popova, Mark Zuckerberg, Massimo Pigliucci, Philip Larkin, Philosophy, Phoenix, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Shadows, Technology, Technology of Thought, Unicorn -
On September and The Academy
By The Bishop
Echoes of Madness By Suzanne Roach, 2013 I have returned back to base. Back to where I have grown up, lived my entire life, to what I have always known. It was certainly quite an adventure. I spent a little over a month in Costa Rica living with a family, then a few months later I spent the better half of a year in the South of Spain, then I took a trip to Washington D.C. and then returning to Spain for a short trip.
Something I might touch on more at a different time is that one must not only consider Washington D.C. to be the Capital of the United States of America but also the Capital of the free world but it feels incredibly bureaucratised and securitised. The U.S.A. pays above and beyond its NATO contributions, about 3% of its GDP. The base level contribution is 2% of GDP. Fortunately since 2014 when only 3 countries paid this 2% or more, has since become 10 in 2021. I read that in in 2022 it was 11 countries but I couldn’t find which country. Although I didn’t look very hard. If it really matters to you then you can look up the information and share it with me but it adds nothing to this blog post, it might add something to a dissertation though.
- Greece — 3.82% $8,014
- United States — 3.52% $811,140
- Croatia — 2.79% $1,846
- United Kingdom — 2.29% $72,765
- Estonia — 2.28% $787
- Latvia — 2.27% $851
- Poland — 2.10% $13,369
- Lithuania — 2.03% $1,278
- Romania — 2.02% $5,785
- France — 2.01% $58,729
Germany is notably lacking from the top top list with 1.53% even though nominally (?) it provides $64,785 which is the third highest total amount after the UK and more than France. Why it can’t or won’t(?) pay 0.47% of its GDP is beyond me. If you know the answer please let me know.
Perhaps this is to appease Russia so it keeps sending natural gas to Germany. Those darn incentives. I also understand that NATO has become somewhat unpopular or at the very least a polemic. Some anti-intervention conservatives see it as basically global US security and intervention (i.e. escalating already tense geo-political conflicts, battles and wars). For some reason there has also been some controversy over the use of the word conflict versus war or battle so I have used all three.
Some leftists basically see it as USA empire expansion. Yes I am aware it is a gross simplification of their views and their ideological bent. After reading the exchange between Bryan Caplan and Hyrum and Verlan Lewis, I have becoming increasing suspicious of the dubious left right titles. I am eager to read their book and take a deeper dive into their arguments
Anyway, what most overlook about US fical, monetary (I still dont understand or know if there is a difference) and military support across the world is that it actually helps to protect the sovereignty of a few nations across the globe, namely in Eastern Europe and South East Asia. Unfortunately Latin America has only ever really been at threat from itself. Any soviet intervention was very light and not really a threat. By this I dont mean that the Soviets didnt invest a lot. They were basically the only consumers of Cuban sugar but what they did do over there did not threaten the sovereignty of any Latin American countries nor the security of the USA. Here you might object with the Cuban missile crisis but from my reading and understanding of that event, the Cubans were agitating while the Soviet Union actually helped to avoid and avert the crisis. So the bad reputation the USA still has in Latin America is its own fault but as Unherd, recently noted the collective imagination of those hard days is slowly fading with new generations replacing the old like new fruits replacing the old on the same tree, and this gives the USA a chance of redemption, especially in Guatemala.
What I have been trying to say is that in general the US is a force for good and should be heavily criticised and fought when it is not. The reason why geo-political analysts and bloggers and researchers and news anchors and ambassadors and professional politicians and bureacrats have jobs is because it is not always clear when it is acting as a force for good or evil, good or evil for whom, what does this terms even mean, what are the costs, good or evil compared to what and a myriad of other questions not to mention it is usually grey. Maybe we should move Beyond good and evil.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
by the bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Open Road By Colin James
1 Quote
Any man may be a king in that life in which he is placed if so be he may draw forth the sword of success from out of the iron of circumstance.
Howard Pyle1 Idea
Write your outline or what you plan to write the day before, just before you go to bed.
This allows you to circumvent Hemingway’s “rule” about stopping before you have finished or said all you have to say that day. By writing the outline the night before, you can go to sleep and let all the magical jucies and chemicals bubbling and frothing inside you to ferment overnight and produce some great ideas for your next day of writing.
Furthermore this is a particularly good idea if you are leaving a day or two between writing sessions.
1 Poem
On Passing The New Menin Gate
Who will remember, passing through this Gate, the unheroic dead who fed the guns? Who shall absolve the foulness of their fate,- Those doomed, conscripted, unvictorious ones? Crudely renewed, the Salient holds its own. Paid are its dim defenders by this pomp; Paid, with a pile of peace-complacent stone, The armies who endured that sullen swamp. Here was the world's worst wound. And here with pride 'Their name liveth for ever', the Gateway claims. Was ever an immolation so belied as these intolerably nameless names? Well might the Dead who struggled in the slime Rise and deride this sepulchre of crime.Siegfried Sassoon1 Picture
On the Seashore By Vicente Romero Redondo
On the Seashore By Vicente Romero Redondo, Unknown date 1 Essay
Two ways to read a poem
You can read a poem “from without,” or you can read it “from within,” says R. K. Elliott, in a paper he titled “Aesthetic Theory and the Experience of Art,” and published in 1967, the year of Sgt Pepper and of Are You Experienced?; Elliott was 43. If you read a poem from without, you experience it “as if it were the speech or thought of another person.” That’s how we’re taught to read a poem in high school: the words of the poem are the words of the “speaker,” and the speaker is not you. For some poems, this is the only way to read. Robert Browning’s My Last Duchess for example; few of us are apt to confuse ourselves with the speaker of that poem.
When one reads “from within,” on the other hand, one experiences the poem “as if one were the poet or artist”—or, really, the speaker: “the reader place[s] himself, in imagination, at the point from which the poet is related to the situation given in the poem.”
Well, do we every really read like that?
Brad Skow1 Question
What is the source of a happy life?
Massimo Pigliucci -
Diversity Quotas in 21st-century European Corporations: Women’s economic decision-making
A cartoon man with disproportionately long legs and a disproportionately small head completing a pie chart bY THE BISHOP
This was a paper I wrote last autumn and I wanted to share it hear. As always any and all thoughts, disagreements and criticisms are welcome. As all papers do it started at one point and morphed into something I didn’t expect or plan on writing about. I have tried to look at how different methods have affected the number of women in important job positions. I classify these jobs as those with economic decision making power i.e. board members of public European countries. While there were other standards I could have used I used this benchmark as it came with most widely available statistics and most legislature focused on this cohort of women. I hope you enjoy reading it.
Summary
Women are underrepresented on corporate boards across Europe. One of the biggest tools European governments have utilised to combat this disparity is gender diversity quotas that mandate a proportion of women that must be board members. Some countries have adopted a voluntary approach while others have opted for neither mandatory nor voluntary quotas. This paper looks at existing literature on the effectiveness of diversity quotas and then compares a selection of European countries from the mandatory group, voluntary group and zero quota group. This paper finds that not having any quotas is the least effective method of increasing female representation. The results of mandatory and voluntary quotas are very similar. This paper concludes that a combination of approaches, namely welfare reform and a gender quota is most effective, as well as making sure that you have the support of businesses that will bear the weight of the legislation. This analysis applies to policymakers across Europe who are trying to improve gender equality in economic decision-making positions.
Table of Abbreviations
EIGE European Institute for Gender Equality
EU European Union
LLCs Limited liability companies
PLCs Public limited companies
OHCHR Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights
UK United Kingdom
Table of Contents
1 Introduction
2 Overview of Quotas
3 Hard Quotas
3.1 The Norwegian pioneers
3.2 Belgium and Italy
4 Zero quotas
4.1 Czech Republic
4.2 Hungary
4.3 Slovakia
5 Soft Quotas
5.1 Variations of targets
5.2 Results
6 Conclusion
Appendix A
Appendix B
Appendix C
Bibliography
1 Introduction
Diversity is not only a matter of fairness. It also drives growth and innovation. The business case for having more women in leadership is clear – European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.[1]
Women are underrepresented on corporate boards and positions of economic decision-making across Europe with the EU28 average of 32.3%.[2] A prominent strategy that European governments have implemented to address this disparity is a gender quota. Gender quotas are usually implemented for two principal reasons: the business case is that gender diversity improves firms’ performance.[3] The other is the moral case, that it is morally wrong for women to be underrepresented in economic decision-making positions such as members of a board or non-executives.[4] This paper looks at three groups of countries, those with mandatory quotas, ‘soft’ quotas and no quotas. The paper is researching this topic with the backdrop of an “avalanche” of diversity quotas sweeping across Europe and the European Union (EU) directive to mandate 40% of women, as non-executives.[5]
This paper will first have a look at existing literature on diversity quotas and their perceived effectiveness. Then the paper will look at European countries that have implemented mandatory quotas. Then the paper will explore European countries that have soft quotas and then European countries with no quotas. The paper will then conclude if mandatory quotas are the most effective method of increasing female representation in European countries in the 21st century and if any other factors should be considered.
2 Overview of Quotas
The literature on diversity quotas can be divided into two. One reports that ‘hard’ quotas are the most effective method.[6] Some studies found that interventions need to be legally binding to have a significant impact on improving female representation.[7] Others point out that mandatory policies are ineffective at improving female representation because companies try to avoid the legislation, reducing the pool of companies where women can work as board members and non-executives.[8] Some literature suggests that soft quotas can improve female representation but will not be effective if they do not target every firm. In addition, the full support and commitment of the government is required.[9] Alternative strategies like improving welfare and diminishing stereotypes may be effective but these strategies work better when used in conjunction with other strategies such as ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ quotas.[10]
3 Hard Quotas
3.1 The Norwegian pioneers
Norway was the first European Country to introduce gender quotas for Publicly listed company boards. In 2003 pre-quota Norway, public companies had less than 10% women on boards. Then Norway revised the Public Limited Liability Act in 2003 which mandated a 40% gender quota, giving companies two years to meet the target and ensure the legislation wouldn’t be passed.[11] This target was not met by 2005, so companies were then given until 2008 to comply with the quota or face the predetermined sanctions.[12] This legislation seems to have been effective in increasing the number of women on Public Limited Liability Company (PLC) boards. The proportion of women on PLC boards is much higher than for Limited Liability Companies (LLCs). Women have constantly represented 15-16% on boards of LLCs since 2004 whereas women have made up 40% of PLC boards since 2009, increasing linearly since women made up 10% of public boards in 2004, 5% less than LLCs of the same year.[13] The increase can likely be attributed to the implementation of the ‘threat’ legislation in 2005 and the enforcement of sanctions in 2008.[14] The regulation’s ultimate sanction for not complying was the forced dissolution of the company.[15] The rule affected all PLCs from 2008.[16] LLCs were not subject to the mandatory 40% quota of women on boards and the policy did not have any influencing effect on LLCs.[17] Furthermore, the quota led to public Norwegian companies restructuring to avoid the quota or leaving the country.[18] In 2009 there were less than 70% of PLCs in 2001 and a more than 30% increase of LLCs outside of the quota.[19] The remaining companies did not increase representation past the quota.[20] Norwegian LLCs with fewer female board members than PLCs, had a higher proportion of female general managers, both suggesting that the quota has no effect beyond its remit and it fails to improve the representation of women’s economic decision-making in general.[21]
3.2 Belgium and Italy
Other countries with similar legislation are Belgium and Italy. They all requested a “large” increase of women on boards, on PLCs which are easily identifiable, and the scope of the legislation is medium in Belgium and Norway and medium to narrow in Italy.[22] The scope is the number of companies the quota applies to in comparison to the whole economy.[23] Belgium and Italy started their gender quota in 2011.[24] However, they each had different implementation dates. Belgium’s compliance date was 2018 to achieve the 33% quota, while in Italy companies had to achieve 20% by 2012, and 33% by 2015 with the legislation set to expire in 2022.[25] Instead, Italy increased the quota to 40% and made the legislation permanent. [26]
While Italy failed to reach its 20% target in 2012 and 2015 only achieving 10.8% and 28.6% female board members respectively,[27] it did achieve 33.6% female non-executives by 2015.[28] Italy has had above 33% female board members since 2015 and 40% female non-executives since 2017 peaking with 46.2% of female non-executives on large listed companies by 2022.[29] Italy used similar sanctions to Norway, both opting for a stepwise process, first warning non-compliant companies, then taking economic action against them however differing in the final step with Norway, which dissolves a non-compliant company whereas Italy removes board members.[30] Both Norway and Italy have more than 40% of each gender as non-executives on large listed companies whereas Belgium has 39.8% female non-executives in 2022.[31] Belgium threatens the “open seat” or “empty seat” sanction, where any vacant board positions have to be filled with the underrepresented sex in this case women or the seat will remain empty.[32] Belgium also threatens to suspend benefits for directors until the quota has been met.[33] Currently, Belgium has 37.1% female board members, Italy has 39.6% and Norway has 41.1% all above the EU28 average of 32.3%.[34] However, Italy has not met its new target of 40% female board members.
In 2011 Belgium had 10.9% female board members of large, listed companies, in 2018 they had 32% and in 2019 they had 34.4% just meeting the target of 33% which was a large increase from the proportion of female representation before the quota.[35] In 2012 Belgium had 14.1% female non-executives, increasing to 34.9% female non-executives in 2018 and 39.8% in 2022.[36] In 2011 Italy had 5.9% female board members and only 10.2% in 2012, by 2015 they had 28.6% female board members and in 2022 they have 39.6%. In 2012 Italy had 12.7% female non-executives which increased to 33.6% in 2015 and 46.2% in 2022. This suggests that countries, given sufficient time and a target to aim for can comply with legislation. In addition, it is plausible to suggest that the sanctions were strong enough deterrents to ensure high rates of compliance with the legislation.
4 Zero quotas
4.1 Czech Republic
The countries that have not implemented any quotas, ‘soft’ or ‘hard,’ are Central and Eastern European countries like the Czech Republic, Hungary and Slovakia.[37] The Czech Republic has made other commitments for example signing a joint declaration with France and Sweden to prioritise economic empowerment for women.[38] It has also introduced a ‘Gender Equality Strategy’ for 2021-2030. The strategy looks at gender representation and promotes strategies to improve female representation in economic decision-making.[39] The Czech Republic saw a low of 3.5% female board members and non-executives in 2014 with the EU28 average of 20.2% and 22%, although this is anomalous.[40] Throughout the early 2000’s the average of female board members and non-executives was between 10-15% gradually increasing to 15-22% from 2017 to 2022.[41] While the Czech Republic does not come close to the EU28 average, it has only recently introduced strategies to improve female representation in positions of important economic decision-making.
4.2 Hungary
Hungary does not have any gender quotas and it is illegal to use any form of positive discrimination based on the candidate’s sex.[42] The lowest figure of female non-executives was 5.5% in 2012 was well below the EU28 average of 17.2% for the same year.[43] Even its highest figure of 18.1% of female non-executives still falls short of 28.8% for the EU28 average for 2018.[44] In addition, female representation for board members in Hungarian companies reached a low of 5.3% while achieving a high of 17.8% in 2015.[45] From 2011 onwards female board members in Hungary stayed between 10% and 15%. In contrast, the EU28 average moved up to 20% and eventually reached 30% in 2020.[46] Hungary has not had a higher percentage of female board members than the EU28 average since 2010.[47] Hungary’s lack of quota or national strategy to reduce gender stereotypes like the Czech Republic or Slovakia almost guarantees low female representation in these economic decision-making positions.
4.3 Slovakia
Finally, Slovakia, another country that hasn’t implemented any sort of quota. It had, the first document of its kind in Slovakia addressing gender equality a National Strategy for Gender equality (2007-2013)” bolstered by the “National Action Plan for Gender equality (2010-2013)”.[48] However, these were soon replaced by an overarching “National Gender Equality Strategy and Action Plan” for 2014-2019.[49] Most notably Slovakia has reduced the gender pay gap with this strategy and introduced strategies to support working women such as childcare.[50] Slovakia does not currently have a specific law on gender equality despite adopting a strategy to improve equal opportunities in work for men and women from 2021-2027 however this does not satisfy the EU’s directive for gender quotas on corporate boards,[51] they do try to fight gender stereotypes which can be considered to be a barrier to women achieving high-status roles like the ones discussed in this paper such as board members or non-executives, roles with important economic decision-making capabilities. The earliest available data from the European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE) begins in 2012 for Slovakia. Slovakia stays quite close to the EU28 average of female non-executives. For example, from 2012 to 2018 the percentage of female non-executives stays within at least 3% of the EU28 with exceptions of approximately 10% in 2015 and 2016, from 2018 to 2022 female Slovakian non-executives does not fall below 25% and the most recent figure for 2022 is 30.2% while the EU28 average is 35.1% and the EU27 average is 34.1%. This discrepancy could be attributed to the early introduction of national strategies and the reduction of the gender pay gap from 26.7% to 17.8% in the 2005-2015 period.[52] As well as welfare to help employed women, improving childcare and offering flexible work options.[53] The rate of Czech female board members and non-executives is likely to increase after the 2030 National strategy.[54] Given a lack of similar commitments in Hungary, it is unreasonable to expect or even predict a significant increase in female representation as board members or non-executives.
5 Soft Quotas
Some countries have taken the corporate governance route with ‘soft’ quotas sometimes called ‘comply or explain.’ This means that companies must meet a target set by the government or provide an explanation if they have not complied with the target.[55] ‘Soft’ quotas can also be seen as an incentive structure.[56] Countries that have taken this route to gender-equal boards are Spain, the United Kingdom (UK) and Sweden.[57]
5.1 Variations of targets
Spain implemented a soft quota applying to all listed companies with 250 or more employees aiming for 40% by 2015, adopting the law in 2007.[58] The law does not have any sanctions to have a board gender quota while accommodating business and political interest groups.[59] The law proposed incentives for companies that met the target quota percentage, the Spanish government did not reward any compliant companies despite offering an incentive, showing weak commitment to the legislation.[60] The UK and Sweden have implemented voluntary measures by reforming corporate-governance measures with ‘comply or explain’ measures.[61] Since 2014, the UK recommends specific targets on the gender make-up of the board depending on its size,[62] to reach 33% women on UK boards by 2020 on FTSE 100 companies and 33% women on executive board committees.[63] This was intended to remove barriers and potential bias from women being hired on boards. This was after Lord Davies’ successful, voluntary recommendations lead to a doubling of women on boards from 2011 to 26.1% in 2015 surpassing the 25% target.[64] In 2016, Sweden told its companies to “strive for gender balance on boards” in other words 50%.[65]
5.2 Results
In 2015 the UK had 26.1% female board members reaching 34.6% in 2020 with a peak of 39% in 2022.[66] In 2016 Sweden had 36.1% female board members which have stayed fairly consistent between 35% and 38%.[67] In 2007, Spain had 6.2% of female board members and in 2015 had 18.7%, failing to meet the 33% target and has still not met the 40% target.[68]
‘Soft’ quota countries have similar levels of female board members when compared to ‘hard’ quota countries like Belgium, Italy and Norway.[69] In addition, while we can see that the voluntary approach has success it also has various flaws. The UK voluntary quota seems to have been most effective, setting small yet ambitious targets four to five years at a time. In addition, by not introducing sanctions, businesses did not feel as hesitant or resistant to reach the target and did not try to avoid it as some Norwegian companies did.[70] Also suggesting women should hold 33% of the positions on board committees may have helped other women become board members and surpass the 33% with almost 40%.[71] Spain and Sweden saw increases in female board members, but both failed to meet their respective targets. The increases seen may have been due to stable and generous welfare systems.[72] By not rewarding Spanish companies for meeting the target and not including punishments in the quota, companies were disincentivised to meet the target feeling cheated by their government for not living up to a promise.[73] Sweden’s vague corporate governance code alone was not sufficient to meet the target,[74] however, they still saw relatively high levels of female board members, 5.2% above the EU28 average which could be explained by their generous welfare system and the stable job market.[75]
6 Conclusion
In this paper, we have looked at various countries in Europe that have implemented different variations of gender quotas. This paper chose these countries because of all of their similarities. For example, the type of company and amount of companies targeted by the legislation, each with similar targets.
This paper found that the ‘hard’ and ‘soft’ quotas had comparable levels of female representation as board members with women slightly more represented in countries with ‘hard’ quotas. However, ‘soft’ quotas led to more representation in positions other than the ones specified in the quotas. This illustrates the flaw of ‘hard’ quotas failing to increase female representation beyond the quota from general manager roles to CEOs and CFOs. Countries that had no quotas had a much lower level of female representation on PLC boards and lower than the EU average. These results suggest that ‘hard’ quotas are more effective at increasing female representation on corporate boards than no quotas. However, countries may not need to resort to measures such as mandatory quotas given that ‘soft’ quotas generate similar levels of representation aided by a strong welfare system and or the quota aligns with the interests of business and political groups.
Overall, these results indicate that by not introducing hard quotas, female representation on boards fails to reach the targeted levels of 40% set out by countries like Norway. The use of sanctions has a neutral impact. It deters firms from non-compliance but may lead to firms avoiding the legislation.[76] Some zero quota countries increase women’s options to work as well as have a family, diminishing female stereotypes, which increased their representation in these key roles. Although Slovakia improved female non-executives from 12.5% to 30.2% in six years,[77] and board members from 8.4% to 28.9% in 18 years,[78] it may require a ‘hard’ or ‘soft’ quota to surpass this threshold. The best strategy may be to have gender quotas combined with welfare strategies like improving childcare.[79]
Appendix A
Percentage of male (green) and female (yellow) board members in EU28 and EU27 average, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and UK in 2003[80]
Appendix B
Percentage of male (green) and female (yellow) board members in EU28 and EU27 average, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and UK in 2014[81]
Appendix C
Percentage of male (green) and female (yellow) board members in EU28 and EU27 average, Belgium, Czech Republic, Spain, Italy, Hungary, Slovakia, Sweden, Norway and UK in 2022[82]
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[1] Natalie Huet, ‘EU Sets Mandatory 40% Quota for Women on Company Boards’, Euronews, 8 June 2022, sec. next_work, https://www.euronews.com/next/2022/06/08/eu-strikes-deal-to-impose-40-per-cent-quota-for-women-on-boards-of-large-companies-by-2026.
[2] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator: Largest Listed Companies: Presidents, Board Members and Employee Representatives | Gender Statistics Database’, European Institute for Gender Equality, accessed 21 September 2022, https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/indicator/wmidm_bus_bus__wmid_comp_compbm/bar/year:2022-B1/geo:EU28,EU27_2020,IPA,EEA,BE,BG,CZ,DK,DE,EE,IE,EL,ES,FR,HR,IT,CY,LV,LT,LU,HU,MT,NL,AT,PL,PT,RO,SI,SK,FI,SE,IS,NO,UK,ME,MK,RS,TR,BA/EGROUP:COMP/sex:M,W,T/UNIT:PC/POSITION:MEMB_BRD/NACE:TOT.
[3] Mari Teigen, ‘Gender Quotas for Corporate Boards in Norway’, SSRN Scholarly Paper (Rochester, NY, 2015), https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.2617172.
[4] Anja Kirsch, ‘The Gender Composition of Corporate Boards: A Review and Research Agenda’, The Leadership Quarterly 29, no. 2 (1 April 2018): 346–64, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.leaqua.2017.06.001.
[5] ‘Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on Improving the Gender Balance among Non-Executive Directors of Companies Listed on Stock Exchanges and Related Measures’ (2012), https://eur-lex.europa.eu/legal-content/EN/TXT/?uri=CELEX:52012PC0614; Huet, ‘EU Sets Mandatory 40% Quota for Women on Company Boards’; Silke Machold et al., eds., Getting Women on to Corporate Boards: A Snowball Starting in Norway, Getting Women on to Corporate Boards (Cheltenham, UK: Edward Elgar Publishing, 2013), https://www.elgaronline.com/view/edcoll/9781782547921/9781782547921.xml.
[6] Kirsch, ‘The Gender Composition of Corporate Boards’; Mari Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’, in The Making and Circulation of Nordic Models, Ideas and Images (Routledge, 2021), https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/oa-edit/10.4324/9781003156925/making-circulation-nordic-models-ideas-images-haldor-byrkjeflot-klaus-petersen-lars-mj%C3%B8set-mads-mordhorst.
[7] Jo Armstrong and Sylvia Walby, ‘Gender Quotas in Management Boards’, EPRS: European Parliamentary Research Service, 2012, 38; J.M. Piscopo and S. Clark Muntean, ‘Corporate Quotas and Symbolic Politics in Advanced Democracies’, Journal of Women, Politics and Policy 39, no. 3 (2018): 285–309, https://doi.org/10.1080/1554477X.2018.1477396.
[8] R. Øystein Strøm, ‘The Norwegian Gender Balance Law: A Reform That Failed?’, Annals of Corporate Governance 4, no. 1 (23 May 2019): 1-86 (3-9), https://doi.org/10.1561/109.00000014.
[9] Ruth Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work? Evidence from a Natural Experiment’, European Management Journal 37, no. 5 (1 October 2019): 611–24, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.emj.2019.01.004.
[10] Allen and Overy, ‘Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards’ (Allen and Overy), accessed 25 September 2022, https://www.europarl.europa.eu/RegData/etudes/note/join/2012/462429/IPOL-FEMM_NT(2012)462429_EN.pdf; Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work?’
[11] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[12] Teigen.
[13] Teigen.
[14] Teigen.
[15] Teigen.
[16] Teigen.
[17] Cathrine Seierstad et al., ‘A “Quota Silo” or Positive Equality Reach? The Equality Impact of Gender Quotas on Corporate Boards in Norway’, Human Resource Management Journal 31, no. 1 (2021): 165–86, https://doi.org/10.1111/1748-8583.12288; Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[18] Kevin Campbell and Leszek Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe: Experience and Prospects’, in Women on Corporate Boards (Routledge, 2018).
[19] Campbell and Bohdanowicz.
[20] Strøm, ‘The Norwegian Gender Balance Law’.
[21] Strøm.
[22] Anja Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’ (European Parliament, December 2021).
[23] Heike Mensi-Klarbach, ‘Gender Quotas on Corporate Boards: Similarities and Differences in Quota Scenarios.’, European Management Review 17, no. 3 (2020): 615–31.
[24] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[25] Teigen.
[26] Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’.
[27] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator: Largest Listed Companies: Presidents, Board Members and Employee Representatives | Gender Statistics Database’, European Institute for Gender Equality, accessed 21 September 2022, https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/indicator/wmidm_bus_bus__wmid_comp_compbm/bar/year:2022-B1/geo:EU28,EU27_2020,IPA,EEA,BE,BG,CZ,DK,DE,EE,IE,EL,ES,FR,HR,IT,CY,LV,LT,LU,HU,MT,NL,AT,PL,PT,RO,SI,SK,FI,SE,IS,NO,UK,ME,MK,RS,TR,BA/EGROUP:COMP/sex:M,W,T/UNIT:PC/POSITION:MEMB_BRD/NACE:TOT.
[28] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator: Largest Listed Companies: CEOs, Executives and Non-Executives | Gender Statistics Database’, European Institute for Gender Equality, accessed 25 September 2022, https://eige.europa.eu/gender-statistics/dgs/indicator/wmidm_bus_bus__wmid_comp_compex/bar/year:2022-B1/geo:EU28,EU27_2020,IPA,EEA,BE,BG,CZ,DK,DE,EE,IE,EL,ES,FR,HR,IT,CY,LV,LT,LU,HU,MT,NL,AT,PL,PT,RO,SI,SK,FI,SE,IS,NO,UK,ME,MK,RS,TR,BA/EGROUP:COMP/sex:M,W,T/UNIT:PC/POSITION:CEO/NACE:TOT.
[29] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE); European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[30] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[31] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[32] Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’.
[33] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[34] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[35] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE); Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’; Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’.
[36] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[37] Paula Arndt and Katharina Wrohlich, ‘Gender Quotas in a European Comparison: Tough Sanctions Most Effective’, DIW Weekly Report 9, no. 38 (2019): 337–44, https://doi.org/10.18723/diw_dwr:2019-38-1; Allen and Overy, ‘Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards’.
[38] Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Government Offices of Sweden, and Ministère chargé de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de la diversité et de l’égalité des chances, ‘Trio Presidency Declaration on Gender Equality: France the Czech Republic and Sweden 2022-2023’, 31 January 2022, https://www.government.se/490abc/contentassets/86aa35838076469dba3bed21be7d30b4/trio-presidency-declaration-on-gender-equality-france-the-czech-republic-and-sweden-2022-2023.pdf.
[39] Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, ‘Gender Equality Strategy for 2021-2030’, February 2021, https://www.vlada.cz/assets/ppov/gcfge/Gender-Equality-Strategy-2021-2030.pdf.
[40] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’; European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[41] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’; European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[42] Allen and Overy, ‘Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards’.
[43] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[44] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[45] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[46] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[47] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[48] Allen and Overy, ‘Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards’.
[49] Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, ‘National Strategy For Gender Equality in the Slovak Republic’, October 2014, https://www.gender.gov.sk/en/files/2015/06/Strategy_EN.pdf.
[50] Allen and Overy, ‘Gender Diversity on Corporate Boards’.
[51] Proposal for a DIRECTIVE OF THE EUROPEAN PARLIAMENT AND OF THE COUNCIL on improving the gender balance among non-executive directors of companies listed on stock exchanges and related measures.
[52] Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic, ‘National Strategy For Gender Equality in the Slovak Republic’.
[53] Ministry of Labour, Social Affairs and Family of the Slovak Republic.
[54] Office of the Government of the Czech Republic, Government Offices of Sweden, and Ministère chargé de l’égalité entre les femmes et les hommes, de la diversité et de l’égalité des chances, ‘Trio Presidency Declaration on Gender Equality: France the Czech Republic and Sweden 2022-2023’.
[55] Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’.
[56] Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work?’
[57] Kirsch, ‘Women on Boards: Policies in Member States and the Effects on Corporate Governance’.
[58] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[59] Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work?’
[60] Mateos de Cabo et al.
[61] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’; Campbell and Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe’.
[62] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[63] Campbell and Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe’.
[64] Campbell and Bohdanowicz.
[65] Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work?’; Campbell and Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe’; Vijaya Bhaskar Marisetty and Salu Prasad, ‘On the Side Effects of Mandatory Gender Diversity Laws in Corporate Boards’, Pacific-Basin Finance Journal 73 (1 June 2022): 101741, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.pacfin.2022.101741.
[66] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[67] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[68] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[69] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[70] Campbell and Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe’.
[71] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[72] Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’.
[73] Mateos de Cabo et al., ‘Do “Soft Law” Board Gender Quotas Work?’
[74] Campbell and Bohdanowicz, ‘Regulation of the Gender Composition of Company Boards in Europe’.
[75] Campbell and Bohdanowicz; Teigen, ‘The Making and Circulation of Corporate Quotas’; European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’; Charlie Karlsson and Philippe Rouchy, ‘Innovation, Regions and Employment Resilience in Sweden’, in Resilience and Regional Dynamics: An International Approach to a New Research Agenda, ed. Hugo Pinto, Teresa Noronha, and Eric Vaz, Advances in Spatial Science (Cham: Springer International Publishing, 2018), 81–103, https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-95135-5_5.
[76] Teigen, ‘Gender Quotas for Corporate Boards in Norway’; Strøm, ‘The Norwegian Gender Balance Law’.
[77] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[78] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[79] Strøm, ‘The Norwegian Gender Balance Law’.
[80] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE), ‘Indicator’.
[81] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
[82] European Institute for Gender Equality (EIGE).
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By the bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Harvest Moon By Neil Young
1 Quote
“Gentlemen, you will permit me to put on my spectacles, for, I have grown not only gray, but almost blind in the service of my country.”
George Washington1 Idea
Schulz’s Razor.:
“Do not attribute to group conspiracy, that which can be explained by cancellation anxiety.” From the outside, it might look like everyone is coordinating to push some ideology or movement.
h/t Chris Williamson
1 Poem
Say not the Struggle nought Availeth
Say not the struggle nought availeth, The labour and the wounds are vain, The enemy faints not, nor faileth, And as things have been they remain. If hopes were dupes, fears may be liars; It may be, in yon smoke concealed, Your comrades chase e'en now the fliers, And, but for you, possess the field. For while the tired waves, vainly breaking Seem here no painful inch to gain, Far back through creeks and inlets making, Comes silent, flooding in, the main. And not by eastern windows only, When daylight comes, comes in the light, In front the sun climbs slow, how slowly, But westward, look, the land is bright.Arthur Hugh Clough1 Picture
The FInding of Moses
The Finding of Moses By Frederick Goodall, 1885 1 Essay
A Conversation About “Intellectual Teachers” with Ben Riley
Ben: See, I knew you were the right teacher to ask about this. And I think you’ve made an important distinction among two types of “teaching intellectualism,” which pose related but somewhat distinct challenges.
The question of “how should I, a teacher, teach Johnny, this particular student” strikes me as essentially an engineering question. I’ve discovered the hard way that teachers hate the metaphor of “learning engineering,” yet it strikes me as apt — when teachers design a lesson or task for their students, they are trying to get them (the students) to think about something they otherwise might not be inclined to think about. Students are puzzles, and while they can never be fully solved, I think there are ways in which we can help teachers get better at “engineering” experiences that will help Johnny and his classmates learn.
You are right that we rarely give teachers formal ideas about what students are like, but this is where cognitive science can be helpful, right? We could make sure that teachers have at least a basic understanding of how our minds work, and then use that as the foundation for exploring questions about what to do with that knowledge in a teaching context. While we can’t just snap our fingers to make that happen, I at least see a roadmap to get there, and indeed, that’s the work we do at the organization I founded.
Which brings me to your second aspect of teaching as an intellectual craft. What I hear you saying is there’s a big gap right now between the largely theoretical knowledge produced by university professors and such, and the sorts of questions that might only be visible to people who actually spend most of their days with children. Unfortunately, as you hint at, there is no obvious path to make that more valued. I feel like periodically the idea of “teacher-researcher” floats around but never goes very far. The incentives just don’t exist. We could mount a policy push to create them, but that seems like a hard slog.
So what to do? Any ideas?
Michael PershanEmphasis (bold) found in the post
1 Question
How do we bear pain?
Massimo Pigliucci -
Barbie
in the [sic] Barbie world …. and the real one too
By the Bishop
Margot Robbie as Barbie in the Barbie World I recently went to watch the new Barbie movie. It was fun and different, new and interesting.
It has also gained lots of criticism from feminists (of a wide variety) who generally like its message and a broad coalition of non-feminists and some feminists who don’t like its message, some who enjoy it for its entertainment purposes and some who see some value in the ideas it brings to the table.
Obviously a big message discussed in this movie is the dynamics between men and women, in daily public and private as well as corporate life and semi-casual semi professional environments like schools. Overall I would say that it has a feminist message, of which variety I could not say as am I not sufficiently well versed on feminist scholarship.
However I argue that while the superficial level of the film wears a feminist coat, beneath the surface it is trying to discuss and show another much more important issue. That issue is how humans negotiate social situations and interact with each other in general. It is the fundamental issue of interpersonal and co-existing tribal negotiations for the best outcomes for all parties simultaneously.
While the film shows both extremes of some sides winning much more than others it never lands on an acceptable resolution nor a realistic one. As much as it would like to show that Barbieland is better than the real world because it is an ideal escape it spectacularly fails. It stills pretends to think this (can films think?) even though (stereotypical) Barbie chooses [SPOILER] the real world in the end.
In fact Barbieland is supposed to represent the opposite of the real world despite being eternally intertwined with it and occasionally affected by actions taken in the real world, just not consistently. While Barbie and Ken’s first adventure into the real world is rather jarring for Barbie and the audience for a number of reasons, it still fails to represent the opposite of Barbieland. It more accurately represents an anti representation, not an opposite just with aspects that the Barbies would prefer to ignore and find distasteful.
In ‘reality’ Barbie doesn’t dislike the real world as much as one might think given that she is stereotypical Barbie and the real world is meant to be the opposite of Barbieland. This is not to say that she didn’t have a unpleasant and unfair experience in the real world. I am merely pointing out that Barbie had a much stronger and more visceral reaction against Kendom or Kenland or Ken’s kenship with the Kens.
Ken is deeply infatuated with Barbie but also with attention. We discover that he would much rather have a more intimate relationship with Barbie than be Supreme Leader of an entire universe. So much for power corrupting. Ken is influenced, although not purely by the real world. What I mean by that is that he superficially looks at the real world and intuits what it says about… well everything without digging deeper. Most people, or media scholars have the idea that marketing reflects society back at us or at least and idealised version or one that we want or its says something about that society’s collective unconscious. At least adverts that have any basic level of notoriety. Ken takes(steals) three books from a library but never actually reads them. Instead he builds his church on a few beer and cowboy hat commercials and loitering around the lobby of a large corporation.
Ken even later admits that he lost interest in his so-called vision of patriarchy when he discovered that it had a lot less to do with horses. Ken clearly imagined some sort of Avatar cowboy paradise given that he called horses “human extenders”. Ken quickly overhauls social dynamics in Barbieland with his new vision of what men can and could be with about 5 90’s based stereotypes and he aims to rewrite the constitution of Barbieland.
Nobody in the film actually expresses genuine desire to dominate anyone except the caricature of the CEO but it would be more accurately described as playing status games than genuine domination. Not even the Barbies genuinely wish to dominate instead preferring to maintain status quo by protecting their constitution. In the end they make some concession to Ken. Only after they realised why they started acting so strangely.
If anything this film should inspire us to open up and expand the dialogic process with others. With our friends, families and partners as well as colleagues. To the audience it was no surprise what Ken desired but unlike the real world Barbie failed to recognise it. Ken also failed to fully express it. Perhaps because he didn’t want to be vulnerable and open himself up to rejection because if stereotypical Barbie rejects you then no other Barbie will accept you. Eventually Ken opens up a dialogue with Barbie and despite still being rejected becomes better for it and allows others in the film to open up dialogues.
The film is full of bland and superficial stereotypes but people don’t become interesting or achieve their goals or desires until they try to see past the stereotypes and acknowledge the other person as an individual with wants and desires of their own. [The film] Barbie encourages us to see past stereotypes and to see individuals and see those individuals and members of the same human race with their own individual situation and psychology but who is still affected by stereotypes, environment, history and other relationships. The only way to navigate all of these turbulent waters is to open a dialogue and begin negotiation with the person themselves. This fails and at least one if not both parties will fail to satisfy their desires and reach their goals if they allow their behaviour to be influenced by clumsy gender stereotypes, societal roles i.e. CEO, mother, daughter, teacher, stranger or feminists theory. (I would include the male version but as I am unaware of this type of scholarship and its name I am excluding it for this lengthy note).
How should humans organise themselves and achieve their aims? Barbie doesn’t have the answer but it shows us how not to do it and that a good starting point is the dialogic process (between individuals?)
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
by the bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Come Together By Tina Turner
1 Quote
Tomorrow is often the busiest day of the week
Unknown1 Idea
Olympic Charter Cities
The charter cities institute defines charter cities as:
A new city granted a special jurisdiction to create a new governance system.
Charter cities can help improve governance in a limited geographic area by giving local officials authority to implement best administrative practices as well as commercial regulations. By improving governance and institutions, charter cities can create a more competitive business environment that attracts investment, creates more jobs, and improves the lives of millions. They are one of the best public policy tools to ensure rapid urbanization jumpstarts long-term economic growth, rather than poverty, in emerging economies.
Alex Tabarrok shared this idea by Maxwell Tabarrok, as a win-win, have a charter city and a place to host the Olympics.
An interesting idea from Max. It’s getting harder to find a city to host the Olympics , a Charter Olympic City might be just the ticket to get a Charter City off the ground and share costs.
A public-private partnership model for building the Olympic village would alleviate some of the budgetary pressure on governments and provide a launchpad for stakeholders to get their special jurisdiction off the ground. The current funding model for Olympic projects is that governments foot the entire upfront bill and pay for private contractors to build the stadiums and a mini-city. In exchange, they don’t share the revenue from the games themselves or the developed area after the games with anyone (except the IOC).
…An Olympic charter city provides an alternative funding model that has the potential to be more profitable for cities and private developers. As in the development of a charter city, a portion of the upfront cost of construction would be paid for by a private developer, rather than entirely from the local government. This cost sharing is mirrored after the games where the local government and a private charter city developer share political autonomy, tax revenues, and the cost of providing public services for the Olympic charter city.
1 Poem
The Second Coming by William Butler Yeats
Turning and turning in the widening gyre The falcon cannot hear the falconer; Things fall apart; the centre cannot hold; Mere anarchy is loosed upon the world, The blood-dimmed tide is loosed, and everywhere The ceremony of innocence is drowned; The best lack all conviction, while the worst Are full of passionate intensity. Surely some revelation is at hand; Surely the Second Coming is at hand. The Second Coming! Hardly are those words out When a vast image out of Spiritus Mundi Troubles my sight: somewhere in sands of the desert A shape with lion body and the head of a man, A gaze blank and pitiless as the sun, Is moving its slow thighs, while all about it Reel shadows of the indignant desert birds. The darkness drops again; but now I know That twenty centuries of stony sleep Were vexed to nightmare by a rocking cradle, And what rough beast, its hour come round at last, Slouches towards Bethlehem to be born?
1 Picture
Moonlight by Eugen Taube, Unknown 1 Essay
The Ketchup Conundrum By Malcolm Gladwell
The world’s leading expert on ketchup’s early years is Andrew F. Smith, a substantial man, well over six feet, with a graying mustache and short wavy black hair. Smith is a scholar, trained as a political scientist, intent on bringing rigor to the world of food. When we met for lunch not long ago at the restaurant Savoy in SoHo (chosen because of the excellence of its hamburger and French fries, and because Savoy makes its own ketchup—a dark, peppery, and viscous variety served in a white porcelain saucer), Smith was in the throes of examining the origins of the croissant for the upcoming “Oxford Encyclopedia of Food and Drink in America,” of which he is the editor-in-chief. Was the croissant invented in 1683, by the Viennese, in celebration of their defeat of the invading Turks? Or in 1686, by the residents of Budapest, to celebrate their defeat of the Turks? Both explanations would explain its distinctive crescent shape—since it would make a certain cultural sense (particularly for the Viennese) to consecrate their battlefield triumphs in the form of pastry. But the only reference Smith could find to either story was in the Larousse Gastronomique of 1938. “It just doesn’t check out,” he said, shaking his head wearily.
Smith’s specialty is the tomato, however, and over the course of many scholarly articles and books—“The History of Home-Made Anglo-American Tomato Ketchup,” for Petits Propos Culinaires, for example, and “The Great Tomato Pill War of the 1830’s,” for _The Connecticut Historical Society Bulletin—_Smith has argued that some critical portion of the history of culinary civilization could be told through this fruit. Cortez brought tomatoes to Europe from the New World, and they inexorably insinuated themselves into the world’s cuisines. The Italians substituted the tomato for eggplant. In northern India, it went into curries and chutneys. “The biggest tomato producer in the world today?” Smith paused, for dramatic effect. “China. You don’t think of tomato being a part of Chinese cuisine, and it wasn’t ten years ago. But it is now.”
Malcolm Gladwell1 Question
What should our attitude be toward death?
Massimo Pigliucci -
Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Don’t Go Breaking My Heart By Elton John
1 Quote
“Real” men are expected to tame nature in order to recreate and bolster the basic kinship units of their society; that is, to reinvent and perpetuate the social order by will, to create something of value from nothing. Manhood is a kind of male procreation; its heroic quality lies in its self-direction and discipline, its absolute self-reliance–in a word, its agential autonomy.”
David Gilmore, Manhood in the Making1 Idea
All great and beautiful things cannot be a common possession: pulchrum est paucorum hominum [what is beautiful belongs to a few[
Friedrich NietzscheWhile in this case he is talking about education, how should we take this. That there is not enough quality education or educators to go around or in order to provide a truly great education on must de-democratise it.
How does this, if it all, apply to other things, architecture for living spaces, cathedrals, offices, hotels, what about artworks.
We have certainly done a lot to democratise as many great things as we can. Has this prevented more great things from being created or shared and experience. Or should we take Nietzsche to mean that these things belong in a deeper sense to the few. The elites are educated, the proletariat is educated but one education truly belongs to its students, they have been able to fully grasp, take in and make their own, what they have learned. Whereas the other group has a mass produced assembly line education that stays with them at least superficially but does not do much to serve them.
1 Poem
Ode to a Nightingale By John Keats
My heart aches, and a drowsy numbness pains My sense, as though of hemlock I had drunk, Or emptied some dull opiate to the drains One minute past, and Lethe-wards had sunk: 'Tis not through envy of thy happy lot, But being too happy in thine happiness,— That thou, light-winged Dryad of the trees In some melodious plot Of beechen green, and shadows numberless, Singest of summer in full-throated ease. O, for a draught of vintage! that hath been Cool'd a long age in the deep-delved earth, Tasting of Flora and the country green, Dance, and Provençal song, and sunburnt mirth! O for a beaker full of the warm South, Full of the true, the blushful Hippocrene, With beaded bubbles winking at the brim, And purple-stained mouth; That I might drink, and leave the world unseen, And with thee fade away into the forest dim: Fade far away, dissolve, and quite forget What thou among the leaves hast never known, The weariness, the fever, and the fret Here, where men sit and hear each other groan; Where palsy shakes a few, sad, last gray hairs, Where youth grows pale, and spectre-thin, and dies; Where but to think is to be full of sorrow And leaden-eyed despairs, Where Beauty cannot keep her lustrous eyes, Or new Love pine at them beyond to-morrow. Away! away! for I will fly to thee, Not charioted by Bacchus and his pards, But on the viewless wings of Poesy, Though the dull brain perplexes and retards: Already with thee! tender is the night, And haply the Queen-Moon is on her throne, Cluster'd around by all her starry Fays; But here there is no light, Save what from heaven is with the breezes blown Through verdurous glooms and winding mossy ways. I cannot see what flowers are at my feet, Nor what soft incense hangs upon the boughs, But, in embalmed darkness, guess each sweet Wherewith the seasonable month endows The grass, the thicket, and the fruit-tree wild; White hawthorn, and the pastoral eglantine; Fast fading violets cover'd up in leaves; And mid-May's eldest child, The coming musk-rose, full of dewy wine, The murmurous haunt of flies on summer eves. Darkling I listen; and, for many a time I have been half in love with easeful Death, Call'd him soft names in many a mused rhyme, To take into the air my quiet breath; Now more than ever seems it rich to die, To cease upon the midnight with no pain, While thou art pouring forth thy soul abroad In such an ecstasy! Still wouldst thou sing, and I have ears in vain— To thy high requiem become a sod. Thou wast not born for death, immortal Bird! No hungry generations tread thee down; The voice I hear this passing night was heard In ancient days by emperor and clown: Perhaps the self-same song that found a path Through the sad heart of Ruth, when, sick for home, She stood in tears amid the alien corn; The same that oft-times hath Charm'd magic casements, opening on the foam Of perilous seas, in faery lands forlorn. Forlorn! the very word is like a bell To toll me back from thee to my sole self! Adieu! the fancy cannot cheat so well As she is fam'd to do, deceiving elf. Adieu! adieu! thy plaintive anthem fades Past the near meadows, over the still stream, Up the hill-side; and now 'tis buried deep In the next valley-glades: Was it a vision, or a waking dream? Fled is that music:—Do I wake or sleep?John Keats1 Picture
Wanderer above the Sea of Fog
Caspar David Friedrich 1 Essay
The Basic Problem of Government
In this essay, Huemer looks at some of the solutions to the basic problems of government and why they’re weak.
The basic problem of government, from my previous post:
- Government officials are selfish.
- Some government actions harm other people but benefit government officials.
- Prediction: There is going to be a lot of net-harmful government behavior.
Here are four solutions, from the same post:
- Meta-Government
- Separation of Powers
- Constitutions
- Democracy
Let’s think about why each of these are weak solutions.
One area that particularly was particularly interesting to me was about the Constitution.
Constitutions don’t have any independent causal powers. They can only make a difference through the motivations of human agents. If human beings don’t want to follow the Constitution, no one else will show up to make them follow it. Some citizens might be upset that the government is violating the Constitution, but they generally can’t do anything about it, since the government, by design, is the most powerful agent in the society.
Btw, sometimes people get confused about what went wrong with the U.S. Constitution. The Supreme Court tends to supply rationalizations for what the rest of the government wants to do, which causes some people to think the problem is that the Court is just misunderstanding the Constitution. Many people even think that the Constitution is actually being by and large followed, which is mind-boggling to anyone who has read it.
What in fact happened, of course, was that the government disagreed with its own constitution, so they decided to ignore it. The President (esp. FDR, but also pretty much everyone since) decided to appoint people to the Supreme Court who would side with him in expanding government power, and the Senate decided to approve those people. The judges then decided to reject the dictates of said Constitution, then make up absurd rationalizations, presumably on the understanding (which proved to be correct) that there is no rationalization for government misbehavior so ridiculous that some people won’t be fooled by it.
And finally:
So democracy isn’t maximally awful. To think about: Is democracy the best we can do?
Michael Huemer1 Question
Who are the individuals you admire most?(h/t Tyler Cowen)
And what is your framework for arriving at your answer(s)?
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‘An Australia-style Brexit deal with the EU means no-deal’. Discuss.
by the bishop
CANZUK Here is a short essay I wrote on the idea that an Australia-style deal constituted the same thing as a no-deal with the EU or not. Hopefully, it’s not too heavy and can be read by a wide audience. I hope you learn something from this essay and if you disagree with anything or find any errors, I would be delighted to hear them, nevertheless onto the essay.
A trade deal is an agreement between two or more countries to trade with one another. An agreement between two nations is called a bilateral agreement and it is called a multilateral agreement when there are more than two parties. China-European Union (EU) is a bilateral agreement. North American Free Trade Agreement (NAFTA) is a multilateral agreement. These agreements help overcome barriers to trade, tariffs, and non-tariff barriers. Reciprocity is a key foundation in all trade agreements. Both parties should aim to maximise the benefits they receive but not forget the other must also benefit otherwise they may not agree to the arrangement. Trade deals offer many benefits such as receiving goods or services they need or have them provided at a cheaper price.
No-deal is synonymous with World Trade Organisation (WTO) terms. Therefore, no-deal means no free trade deal. A Free Trade Agreement (FTA) is not necessary to trade with another nation, but it can ease the process. Trade without an FTA uses WTO terms. No-deal often has negative connotations; this may be because WTO terms do not satisfy some states. The unsatisfied state will then begin free trade negotiations to escape WTO terms. The WTO website states “it is sometimes described as a free trade organisation” [WTO] (2002). However, this is inaccurate as it allows tariffs and other protectionist measures. This suggests that FTA are preferable and necessary to reduce trade barriers and to be considered a deal. This means that WTO terms are equivalent to the phrase no-deal. However, there can be deals in policies other than the economy such as energy or research and innovation.
Australia does not currently have an FTA with the EU. They did begin negotiations for one in 2018. This does not mean Australia does not trade with the EU, but most of it is subject to WTO terms. Australia does have agreements with the EU which handle trade but not an FTA. The EU and Australia also have agreements that cover many other policies. The relationships current foundation is the partnership framework 2008. It was further developed in 2017 but has not been ratified. It is referred to as the EU-Australia Framework agreement. Other important agreements to note are the wine agreement, the mutual recognition agreement (MRA) and the passenger name records.
Australia has been in conversation with the EU since the ’60s, in large part because of the United Kingdom (UK). At the beginning of the EU and Australia’s relationship, the UK was heavily involved, as it was one of Australia’s main allies during the second world war and the commonwealth. However, Australia principally had little interest in the EU due to the influence of a long-standing relationship with the UK and the UK’s Euroscepticism (Murray, 2015). Australia was part of the British empire and enjoyed a stable and prosperous period with the 1932 Ottawa agreement (Puig, G. 2018). Therefore, it did not need to interact with the EU, but the UK was the principal reason that Australia embarked on a relationship with other countries across the world and eventually the EU. The UK joined the EEC in 1973, and preferential trade with Australia ended, which Australia viewed as a betrayal (Puig, G. 2018). Australia’s main objection to the EEC, at that time, was their CAP or common agricultural policy and relates to rules around agriculture. There were many well-founded reasons for this including agriculture being idealised in Australia and because Australia was a large food and agricultural exporter. “40% of its export earnings derived from agriculture” (Murray, 2015). Australia went on to develop strict rules for agriculture and manufacturing. These still create friction in their trade talks today.
The Australian government introduced more flexible trade policy positions in the 1980s which made its relationship with EEC more practical and productive. Furthermore, both parties signed the Kerin Andriessen agreement which stopped EEC beef subsidies to Australia’s primary markets like Asia. Australia also set up the Cairns Group of Fair Trading Nations to improve market access for agriculture exports. Europe’s attitude had also changed which saw free trade principles promoted. In the following years, we saw the success of the Uruguay round of trade talks which later became the WTO. The Cairns-group later led negotiations with the EU for an agriculture WTO agreement. The Cairns-group strategy even led to several diplomatic bilateral agreements established after the Uruguay round. These include the wine agreement and the MRA. However, the key agreement to emerge was the framework agreement which officially recognises the relationship among other things. Australia signed many FTA, and the EU reformed its commercial policy in the treaty of Lisbon to achieve the same thing (Puig, G. 2018). This created a path for both parties to negotiate an FTA today.
Some politicians have used the term to discuss using Australia’s immigration policy. They use a points-based system in Australia. The UK government may try to copy this system with an Australia style. A (UK) government spokesperson was quoted saying “An Australia style deal would give us full control over our laws, our rules and our fishing waters, as well as the freedom to strike free trade agreements with other countries around the world.” (Kaye, 2020). This suggests the government views Australia style as more than its trade with the EU. It may pursue full control of its borders, fisheries, and legal system. The government will also negotiate trade policy, however, has been vague on the details. The UK may pursue an agreement for a specific good or service like the Australia wine agreement, or it could pursue an FTA while negotiating other policies. However, one thing is clear, the rhetoric of the UK government and its politicians place national sovereignty over an FTA with the EU.
The government seems to be the only entity claiming an Australia style is a deal. Boris Johnson said, “arrangements more like Australia’s based on simple principles of global free trade” Guardian News (2018). He only mentions trade but leaves out the agreements that cover a wide range of policies Australia have with the EU. Also, when he refers to ‘principles of global free trade’ it sounds like a synonym for WTO terms. However, WTO terms are not free trade and WTO is not a free trade organisation. Boris Johnson seems to be stating that an Australian style deal is just trading on WTO terms with the EU. If this is an Australian style it is easier to copy than an FTA that another country does not have. It would also be difficult to replicate given Australia’s trade with the EU differs from UK-EU in the amount of trade and the types of goods and services traded. EU accounts for 11% of Australia’s good and 19% of its services trade. UK-EU trade is about six times larger. Australia’s primary exports are raw materials, whereas UK exports are more varied like cars, food products, and pharmaceuticals, which are much more regulated and face tariffs in a no-deal but would also be subject to non-tariff barriers (Bevington, 2020).
An Australia style deal is unlikely to bear any resemblance to Australia’s current deal with the EU. This is due to geographical differences, trade, and history. The UK has a much longer history with the EU and its members, given that it was a member for 40 years and has always been a European country. It has strong historical and cultural ties with the other European countries. Its economies are much more interconnected and have established a strong diplomatic relationship. The amount of trade they do will be very different to Australia, as UK exports to the EU account for 43% of all UK exports and UK imports from the EU account for 52% of all UK imports (Ward, 2020). This means that they will still trade with each other, but this says nothing about reducing any trade barriers. Neither side will want that but at what cost. The UK may sacrifice its original plan for fisheries to avoid any trade barriers. An Australia style deal may also be different in practice due to geographical distances of the UK and Australia. The UK is a next-door neighbour to the EU whereas Australia is much further away. This will affect a lot of the trade and types of goods traded especially since the UK and Australia have such different economies. The UK may also sacrifice some of its fisheries to access smaller arrangements, similar to Australia’s and the EUs, like scientific projects or aviation. The EU may also want to sign some smaller deals such as security and safe nuclear power use to ensure the UK remains as an ally given their shared history and close locations. Whatever the result, the Australia style has always been a secondary option to the Canada style. Consequently, this means that it is difficult to predict what an Australian style deal will look like in practice.
Overall, it is hard to claim that Australia style does not mean no-deal given the evidence. This is because no-deal often only refers to whether an FTA is signed or not. It gives little thought to any other policy agreements or deals. Also, the UK government never mentioned trying to sign similar agreements. It only discussed trade, fisheries, borders, and the legal system. The EU does not have any control over Australia’s fisheries, borders or legal system and has no agreements about them. Therefore, this reinforces the idea that Australia style means no-deal as the EU and Australia trade on WTO terms except for wine. WTO terms are synonymous with no-deal. Also, Australia and the EU are still negotiating an FTA but have not signed one.
Bibliography
Barnard, C., & Leinarte, E. (2020). What would ‘trading on WTO terms’ mean for the UK? / UK in a changing Europe, 4-5.Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/wp-content/uploads/2018/12/What-would-trading-on-WTO-terms-mean-Long-Guide.pdf
Bevington, M. (2020). What is an ‘Australian-style’ deal? | UK in a changing Europe. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/explainers/what-is-an-australian-style-deal/.
Department of foreign affairs and trade. (2017). Australia’s goods trade with the European Union. Retrieved from https://www.dfat.gov.au/sites/default/files/australias-goods-trade-with-the-eu.pdf
Department of foreign affairs and trade. (2018). Australia-European Union free trade agreement. Retrieved from https://www.dfat.gov.au/trade/agreements/negotiations/aeufta/Pages/default
European Commission. (2020). Australia. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/trade/policy/countries-and-regions/countries/australia/
European Commission. (2020). Transfer of air passenger name record data and terrorist finance tracking programme. Retrieved from https://ec.europa.eu/info/law/law-topic/data-protection/international-dimension-data-protection/transfer-air-passenger-name-record-data-and-terrorist-finance-tracking-programme_en
European Union external action service. (2018). Australia and the EU. Retrieved from https://eeas.europa.eu/headquarters/headquarters-homepage/610/australia-and-eu_en
Guardian News. (2020 October 16). Boris Johnson tells UK to expect Australia-style trade deal with EU. Retrieved from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nq2_yp-qDs8
Introduction: Australia, the European Union and the New Trade Agenda. (2017). In Elijah A., Kenyon D., Hussey K., & Van der Eng P. (Eds.), Australia, the European Union and the New Trade Agenda (pp. 1-16). Australia: ANU Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctt1sq5ttx.6
Kaye, B., & Pandey, S. (2020). Britain open to Aussie-style EU trade deal but Australia wants more. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/britain-eu-australia/britain-open-to-aussie-style-eu-trade-deal-but-australia-wants-more-idINL8N2GT1F1.
Le Coq, C. (2011). EU lawmakers agree to hand air passenger data to Australia. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://www.reuters.com/article/eu-data-aviation/eu-lawmakers-agree-to-hand-air-passenger-data-to-australia-idUKL5E7LL2VI20111027.
Matera, M., & Murray, P. (2018). Australia’s relationship with the European Union: from conflict to cooperation. Australian Journal Of International Affairs, 72(3), 179-193. https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2018.1453475
Matera, M., & Murray, P. (2020). ‘Australia-style’: a model for relations with Europe? | UK in a changing Europe. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://ukandeu.ac.uk/australia-style-a-model-for-relations-with-europe/.
McKenzie, L. (2018). Overcoming legacies of foreign policy (dis)interests in the negotiation of the European Union–Australia free trade agreement. Australian Journal Of International Affairs, 72(3), 255-271. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/10357718.2018.1453480
Murray, P. (2015). EU–Australia relations: a strategic partnership in all but name?. Cambridge Review Of International Affairs, 29(1), 171-191. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/09557571.2015.1015487
Puig, G. (2018). Australia and the European Union: A Brief Commercial History. In Drake-Brockman J. & Messerlin P. (Eds.), Potential Benefits of an Australia-EU Free Trade Agreement: Key Issues and Options (pp. 3-8). South Australia: University of Adelaide Press. Retrieved from http://www.jstor.org/stable/j.ctv9hj94m.8
The House of Commons Library. (2020). Statistics on UK-EU trade (No. 7851). London, United Kingdom. Retrieved from https://commonslibrary.parliament.uk/research-briefings/cbp-7851/
Ward, S. (2020). Brexit, Australian style: will leaving the EU breathe new life into an old friendship?. Retrieved 17 February 2021, from https://theconversation.com/brexit-australian-style-will-leaving-the-eu-breathe-new-life-into-an-old-friendship-142323.
World Trade Organization. (2020). Principles of the trading system. Retrieved from https://www.wto.org/english/thewto_e/whatis_e/tif_e/fact2_e.htm#:~:text=The%20WTO%20is%20sometimes%20described,open%2C%20fair%20and%20undistorted%20competition.
Yencken, E. (2018). From the Common Agricultural Policy to the Eurozone Crisis: Bilateral Disputes in the Australia–EU Relationship. The Round Table, 107(5), 585-600. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1080/00358533.2018.1527519
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Dissertation Season
By The Bishop
Sword of Damocles By Richard Westall, 1812 Welcome back to The Next Crusade. It is a pleasure to be back and I hope that you join me in that pleasure. I write to you today that all is unwell. Once there was sunshine and rainbows, but now the slow large grey dooming cloud approaches. It begins to cast its shadow on everything even the little pockets where light could not penetrate. It is the large menacing angry gray cloud of a looming dissertation (Trabajo Fin de Grado).
But we must not fear, albeit we should have more courage than fear for courage is not a virtue unless fear is a vice. Furthermore courage is not the removal of fear but its overcoming.
I want to discuss procrastination as it seems to be a vice that continually plagues me. I don’t intend nor do I expect to solve procrastination for everything and everyone. What I would like to do is explore some strategies that may help me overcome procrastination in this very particular area.
Tim Urban: Tribalism, Marxism, Liberalism, Social Justice, and Politics
Here we turn to Lex Fridman’s interview with Tim Urban. For our purposes, we turn to the end of the podcast with Liv Boeree. One should note however that Tim Urban is always a good source when discussing procrastination. He literally did a Ted Talk on it.
The trio discussed a number of techniques. A seemingly obvious yet hard to avoid strategy is staying away from writing a grand theory of everything. As tempting as it is to believe that as young vibrant citizens, we have the knowledge and the passion to cure the world of its wills and woe, worry not, for I will avoid this when I come to wonder of my topic of choice.
Another particular strategy of note is the carrot and the stick, the axe and the honey, heaven and hell. Liv calls this strategy a negative bet. Most people focus on the carrot but instead we should create a much bigger stick. A sword of Damocles if you will. Liv’s strategy for Tim was to set a deadline by which if he did not meet, he would have to donate a sizable lump sum to a cause which he no way supported. One which he disliked so much that it would hurt to give money to it. To sweeten the pot Liv also offered to match Tim’s payment if the agreed upon deadline was not met.
This requires (potentially) an accountability partner. I hope to explore whether an accountability partner could be the same as a writing partner, Tim Urban’s Panic Monster and various methods of writing consistently. Stay tuned for more.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Hasta Siempre (Cuba) By Carlos Puebla Y Sus Tradicionales
1 Quote
“We are only interesting to the extent that we are interested.”
Jeff Goldblum1 Idea
Kinsley Gaffe
A Kinsley gaffe is when a political actor makes a statement accidentally revealing the truth they had not wished to reveal.
This concept is named after Michael Kinsley, who called attention to this event.
- 2013, Max Fisher, The Washington Post, 9 October: They said it had been only a trial run, posted in error, showing hypothetical results from one small electoral district. You might call this a sort of Kinsley gaffe on a national scale.
Azerbaajan released its election results, before voting had begun.
2018, David A. Graham, The Atlantic, “Trump Can Never Go Too Far for Republicans”:Give Thune credit for candor, or at least for a Kinsley gaffe: Intentionally or not, he made clear that the game was getting the best available walk-back and moving on.
Trump had made an appropriate comment with Putin in Finland and his walkback of this comment was rather weak. Thune a ‘supporter’ of Trump stated that he was looking for the smallest possible reason to be able to excuse Trump.
Here is a whole list of gaffes during the Obama-Romney election battle.
1 Poem
The Darkling Thrush By Thomas Hardy
I leant upon a coppice gate When Frost was spectre-grey, And Winter's dregs made desolate The weakening eye of day. The tangled bine-stems scored the sky Like strings of broken lyres, And all mankind that haunted nigh Had sought their household fires. The land's sharp features seemed to be The Century's corpse outleant, His crypt the cloudy canopy, The wind his death-lament. The ancient pulse of germ and birth Was shrunken hard and dry, And every spirit upon earth Seemed fervourless as I. At once a voice arose among The bleak twigs overhead In a full-hearted evensong Of joy illimited; An aged thrush, frail, gaunt, and small, In blast-beruffled plume, Had chosen thus to fling his soul Upon the growing gloom. So little cause for carolings Of such ecstatic sound Was written on terrestrial things Afar or nigh around, That I could think there trembled through His happy good-night air Some blessed Hope, whereof he knew And I was unaware.Thomas Hardy1 Picture
Soir Bleu (Blue Night)
Soir Bleu By Edward Hopper, 1914 1 Essay
Why University Students Need to Listen to Douglas Murray
When you hear a sweeping generalisation do you cry out: “Woe is me, woe is us” or instead do you strive to distinguish yourself, be better and rise above the rest? Read into what is being criticised and morph yourself into the person that can adapt to what is needed.
As Murray points out what is needed is a bit of opposition to positions that have seemingly gone unchallenged. This is not a call to a certain ideology however it is a call to tell you that you won’t get what you want sitting on the sideline with tight lips.
Students at Queen’s University in Kingston had the privilege of listening to him speak one year later about the rising tide of compelled speech in Canada. Only a small group protested after demanding that the lecture be cancelled, but fast forward two years later and the same ideas which Peterson, Murray, Lindsay and others have warned against have been embraced by many at Queen’s, Cambridge, McGill and numerous other universities. Wokism is not being treated appropriately by students, faculty or alumni; the only appropriate response is outrage, and Douglas Murray leads by example because he is willing to say what others believe but are too afraid to say – or, for that matter, too afraid to hear.
Unfortunately, the outrage we hear most often is that of woke university students. Their ire has become frequent enough that it should have lost any of the meaning it may initially have had; outrage should be reserved for those moments which are truly outrageous, and not adopted as a default position to society itself (unless one happens to live in a tyrannical society, which we do not). Murray’s response to woke sophistry is powerful because it is sorely lacking. It is difficult to know whether this is a result of fear, cowardice or indifference. Whatever the case may be, students should not read Murray’s latest condemnation of their age cohort as an insult but rather as a challenge. If my generation continues to embrace childish ideas (or continues to humour those who believe them to be sophisticated) we should expect to be talked down to like children. If we have any self-respect we will do what can to distinguish ourselves.
Calum Anderson1 Question
Why is it fine for genes to explain differences between individuals but not fine for them to explain differences between group means?
When I wrote this question I didn’t note a source. However, given the context I suspect it was sourced (or inspired?) from either Emil O. W. Kirkegaard or Noah Carl.
Barak Obama, Calum Anderson, Carlos Puebla, Che Guevara, Donald Trump, Douglas Murray, Edward Hopper, Emil Kierkegaard, Emil O. W. Kirkegaard, Genes, Group differences, Individual differences, Jeff Goldblum, Michael Kinsley, Mitt Romney, New Discourse, Noah Carl, Philosophy, Poem, Poems, Poet, Poetry, Poets, Soir Bleu, Thomas Hardy -
The Stoic Exercise Project
On Writing and Control
Part I
By the bishop
The View from the Temple of Athena on the Acropolis, By Martinus Rørbye, 1844 I like writing. Writing is fun and challenging yet rewarding. I do it in my spare time with no apparent cause, purpose or reward (material that is). There are plently of reasons why I write, however I won’t get into them all right now.
Writing has been a fairly new addition to my personal identity. Maybe thats a good thing maybe its a bad thing or its a fact and I should desist clumsily clothing identities with poorly formed interpretations.
Writing is hard. To write everyday takes discipline, to generate the ideas and and write the words on the petrifying blank page! This is not to say that other daily tasks do not require discipline. I should at this point clarify that writing is a task, with few exceptions that is superfluous and is not necessarily what moves the world forward.
As Douglas Murray once said:
If everyone became a writer the world would stand still
Writing still has value. Writing, when applied correctly with enough skill can produce incredible results and provide excellent opportunities.
However I am a not a good writer. I contemplate this often. Bari weiss, during an interview with Jordan Peterson said
you can learn to be an excellent … like I’m not a great writer I’m a very good writer but there are people who are like just cirque du Soleil writers yeah okay and but being a very good writer and being able to communicate plainly and compellingly and convincingly that’s more than most people can hope for. I guess I’m saying that like I think a lot of young writers imagine that like they can do something that no one’s ever done before and it’s like why don’t we strive for being able to communicate really clearly and plainly without jargon to someone with only a high school degree so that they can understand a complicated topic.
Bari WeissAnd
“Ever since the days when such formidable mediocrities as Galsworthy, Dreiser, Tagore, Maxim Gorky, Romain Rolland and Thomas Mann were being accepted as geniuses, I have been perplexed and amused by fabricated notions about so-called “great books.” That, for instance, Mann’s asinine “Death in Venice,” or Pasternak’s melodramatic, vilely written “Dr. Zhivago,” or Faulkner’s corn-cobby chronicles can be considered “masterpieces” or at least what journalists term “great books,” is to me the sort of absurd delusion as when a hypnotized person makes love to a chair. My greatest masterpieces of twentieth-century prose are, in this order: Joyce’s “Ulysses”; Kafka’s “Transformation”; Bely’s “St. Petersburg,” and the first half of Proust’s fairy tale, “In Search of Lost Time.”
Vladmir Nabokov, Strong OpinionsI say this and I state it confidently. Not to complain and not to earn pity points but to accept it and align my actions.
While also being a superficial aim to be good/great for its own purpose, I am currently interested in the benefits it offers me as well as the countless opportunities. I may discuss this further in the future.
I’d rather die drunk, broke at 34 and have people at a dinner table talk about me than live to be rich and sober at 90 and nobody remembered who I was.
Andrew Neiman, whiplashWriting is torture. Often writing is torturous and it’s worse because it is yourself putting you through it, not an easily villainised 2nd or 3rd party like a teacher or exam board. Only occasionally if lucky is it fun and even then that is after or perhaps just thinking about it or even when you get on a roll. How often does one get on a roll?
This whole essay is a stoic exercise. While I recognise I am not very good, this should motivate and (result in a change of action/behaviour) It is not right that I allow my lack of ability to prevent me from obtaining the opportunities on offer.
I am reminded of how Ben Franklin had a similar realisation and took action to change it. Make hay while the sun shines.
It is like the analogy of of old medieval flat earthers. They thought Columbus and others would sail off the edge of the world. Well if there is no more land to see then surely thats not a completely unreasonable thing to think. While all the opportunities seem to be here I cannot perceive any, at least at the same level/benefit-to-cost ratio or any full stop in the long term future. However I must have faith that like my years there will be more to come even if I cannot yet seem them. The comnnundrum is I achieve these opportunities through writing. But if my writing is not of a high enough quality to win me these opportunities what am I to do. I could try to improve but would it improve in time to fully exploit what lounges out in front of me calling, yearning to plucked like Roses in the middle of February.
This causes ceasless anxiety to the benefit of no one, I should trust that there will be more opportunities in the future and that it is a skill worth developing for multiple reasons. This reminds me of Thomas Sowell’s essay on writing which lacks the perfect schedule and rhetorical techniques to learn, it offers many interesting insights.
From time to time, I get a letter from some aspiring young writer, asking about how to write or how to get published. My usual response is that the only way I know to become a good writer is to be a bad writer and keep on improving. However, even after you reach the point where you are writing well—and that can take many years—the battle is not over. There are still publishers to contend with. Then there are editors and, worst of all, copy-editors.
Finally, the last hurdle are the book reviewers, only some of whom actually review the book. These people are all part of the gauntlet that the writer has to run, in order to reach the person for whom his writing was intended from the outset—the reader. All too often, you never know if your book has reached the reader in any sense other than the fact that it was bought. It could be gathering dust on a table or a shelf. In some cases, however, heartfelt letters come in, telling you that your book has reached readers in the sense in which you wanted it to reach them. That makes all the struggle seem worthwhile.
WRITING
People who want to be complimentary sometimes tell me that I have a “gift” for writing. But it is hard for me to regard as a gift something that I worked at for more than a decade—unsuccessfully—before finally breaking into print. Nor was this a case of unrecognized talent. It was a case of quickly recognized incompetence.
In the early years, my manuscripts came back to me by return mail, which was a lot faster in those days. To drop a manuscript in the mail on the way to work Monday morning and find it waiting when you returned home from work Tuesday night really told you something—or should have.
Some young would-be writers may lament their misfortune in living out in the boondocks, instead of being at the heart of the publishing industry in New York. When I first started writing, in my teens, I lived in New York City and worked in downtown Manhattan. That is how I got my rejection slips back so fast. If I had lived out in Podunk, I could have dreamed on, in a fool’s Paradise, from Monday morning until Thursday or Friday evening, before the brutal truth caught up with me.
Learning to write by trial and error not only calls for patience on the writer’s part, it also taxes the patience of wives, landlords, and creditors. Whenever someone, especially a young person, tells me of an ambition to become a writer, my heart goes out to him or her immediately—and my spirits sink. There is seldom a pot of gold at the end of the rainbow, even for those who become established writers eventually—and a lot can happen between now and eventually, like broken marriages, eviction for non-payment of rent, and the like.
Even the mechanics or logistics of writing can be a challenge to figure out. Some of the most productive writers have followed the disciplined practice of sitting down at fixed times each day and turning out the words. Anthony Trollope followed this regimen in the nineteenth century and Paul Johnson with equal (or greater) success in the twentieth century. Alas, however, human beings differ and some of us are never going to be Anthony Trollope or Paul Johnson, in this respect or any other.
Instead of trying to be someone that you are not, be the best at what you are. My own writing practices are the direct opposite of that followed by these prolific and renowned writers. I write only when I have something to say. The big disadvantage of this is that it can mean a lot of down time. There are manuscripts of mine that sat around gathering dust for years without a word being added to them. How then have I managed to write more than 20 books within the Biblical threescore and ten years?
Thomas SowellSowell kept writing, kept improving and eventually got paid for it and soon got paid enough where it fully sustained him.
This system may not work for everybody. It may not even work for as many people as the more demanding system used by Anthony Trollope or Paul Johnson. But it is one possibility. My way certainly will not work for an assistant professor on a three-year contract, who needs to publish before he perishes. It is also unlikely to work for the writer whose bills are piling up while threatening letters are arriving in the mail from creditors. But, if it works for you, that is all that you need to be concerned about.
Even when a writer is successful, it is seldom overnight success, and it may be success at getting into print more so than success in getting rich. Even writers who have gone on to win prizes and make the best-seller lists often spent years collecting rejection slips. My own experience may not be unusual. I first tried to sell something that I had written when I was 17 years old. I first succeeded when I was 30. I first made any serious money from writing—enough to buy an automobile—when I was 40. I first made enough money from writing in a year to live on for a year when I was 52. Fortunately, I had other jobs, usually in academia, to keep a roof over my head and food on the table during all those years.
Thomas SowellComplaining and whining and worrying offer no assistance, no comfort blanket, no sympathy worth a man of “sterner stuff” (Julius Caesar, Shakespeare). As I have perceived it as a problem I will search for the solution, the look to implement it. This will be the cradle to rock me to sleep. There may still be bumps in the night but ultimately one will always be able to touch base with I’m doing something about it. How great and empowering is that? You have been offered the opportunity to change something for the better.
What I want to highlight is that while anxiety may rear its ugly head your strongest weapon against fear, resentment and anxiety is appropriate action. It may be helpful to remind yourself and actually compare (to who you were yesterday) and say:
Hey haven’t I improved a lot, look at all the positive things that have happened as a result and guess what it was all because of my actions.
You may laugh at the boogeyman of anxiety. Quite right too what a small and insignificant thing, well perhaps but at the very least it is not pleasant. It is the knife that cuts 10,000 times that does the real damage. There are more reasons to take on this strategy if this is not one we cannot discuss the others.
Not everyone can change their circumstance this is where acceptance comes in but that will be for a future essay.
Amor Fati?
Renaissance Magic Amor Fati, Andrew Neiman, Anthony Trollope, Bari Weiss, Classics, Douglas Murray, Jordan Peterson, Julius Caesar, Martinus Rørbye, Part I, Paul Johnson, Philosophy, Renaissance Magic, Stoic, Stoicism, The Stoic Exercise Project, The View from the Temple of Athena on the Acropolis, Thomas Sowell, Vladimir Nabokov, Whiplash, William Shakespeare -
Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Mammas Don’t Let Your Babies Grow up to Be Cowboys By Waylon Jennings
1 Quote
I LOVE power. But I love it as an artist. I love it as a musician loves his violin, to draw out its sounds and chords and harmonies.
Napoleon1 Idea
Thought-terminating cliché
Rational Wiki defines it as:
A thought-terminating cliché is a saying, often a tautology, that is repeated in order to relieve the stress of cognitive dissonance by avoiding all further consideration of a matter.
For example:
- The Lord works in mysterious ways. – Stop thinking about facts or events that directly contradict your theology.
- All’s well that ends well. – Don’t think about the lessons learned and mistakes made.
- You never know until you try. – Please ignore that there might be compelling evidence that trying this would be a tremendous waste or present a dangerous risk.
- You never succeed for not trying. – It doesn’t matter that you are fallible or that things might go wrong.
- Do, or do not; there is no try. – Conversely, don’t bother to consider your own fallibility or that things might go wrong
- Make of it what you will, but… – This evidence might lead to other conclusions, but only listen to mine.
See also a previous discussion on this topic.
1 Poem
Trees By Joyce Kilmer
I think that I shall never see A poem lovely as a tree. A tree whose hungry mouth is prest Against the earth’s sweet flowing breast; A tree that looks at God all day, And lifts her leafy arms to pray; A tree that may in Summer wear A nest of robins in her hair; Upon whose bosom snow has lain; Who intimately lives with rain. Poems are made by fools like me, But only God can make a tree.
Joyce Kilmer1 Picture
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte
A Sunday Afternoon on the Island of La Grande Jatte By Georges Seurat, 1884-1886 1 Essay
How Slave Morality Won
This essay gives a brief description of master and slave morality. It goes on to show how slave morality is similar to the Ouroboros and the only thing that seems able to usurp slave morality is more slave morality.
While it suggests the two moralities can oscillate depending on certain societal conditions it doesn’t seem to accept that master morality has an easy path back.
As a result, what we perceive as morally just is likely whatever optimizes for one of those aims. We deny this, of course, often because we are oblivious to it ourselves. Morality often conceals self-interested motivations, even to ourselves.
Nietszche held that people’s moral claims are often reflections of their own unconscious drives. Someone might promote Master Morality when they’re the strong one, and Slave Morality when they’re the weaker one.
In other words, people tend to adopt Master Morality when it suits them and Slave Morality when it suits them. Societies do the same thing.
The book, The Sovereign Individual, talks about the logic of technology determining the logic of violence: “When individual protection is hard, we rely on others to protect us—governments for example protect us externally with the military and internally with the police. When technology makes protection easier, we rely less on the government to serve that existential role, which leaves governments with less power as a result. “
This same thinking applies to Master Morality and Slave Morality too.
Indeed. Master morality is appealing to leaders — that’s why powerful people tend to be more right wing or Master Morality oriented — because of course people at the top of the hierarchy are going to believe in hierarchy.
Conversely, slave morality appeals to everyone else. Slave morality says hierarchy is bad and we should be more egalitarian. In fact the lower on the totem pole you are, the more pure you are. That’s of course going to appeal to people who are lower in the hierarchy.
So, what changed? Why did slave morality win? Two reasons: the evolution of warfare and governance.
Erik Torenberg1 Question
Is pro-abortion the only consistent way to be pro-life?
h/t Yaron Brook
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On Limiting Beliefs
By The Bishop
Jacob Wrestling with the Angel By Gustave Doré, 1855 As I sit and write this blog post, I am on a balcony looking at the sea. The sky is an ambiguous shade of grey. I assure you probably between 51-100. There is a gentle breeze blowing through the air visualising its presence by gently rocking leaves and branches back and forth like a soporific hammock. I can only see two boats in the entire sea unsure if they can even see me from the sea or through the tree.
It is not a view that inspires great spirits or ambition let alone greatness. Often what inspires these sentiments are night skies, dazzling with a copious amount of stars assorted in shapes just peculiarly enough to invite interpretation and speculation. This is especially common with new sporadically released James Webb photographs as well as Hubble pictures.
The night sky is a foundational element of many mythologies from ancient Greek and Roman mythologies to Disney and more. It invites interest from the more religious amongst us who see it as a sign of an intelligent creator and the more rational, scientific-minded folks see it as future research and exploration learning opportunities with many far-reaching implications.
That being said I read somewhere that we know more about outer space than we do about the deep sea. Most of which is poorly mapped even by our
overlordsinternet monopoly Google. This person then used this to suggest that there are more interesting discoveries to be made in the ocean than in outer space, at least at the minute. Especially when you consider that many of the newly discovered underwater species are much closer to extra-terrestrial life as our collective unconscious might/has conceived of such a thing more so than the zero evidence of life found off-planet. There is almost certainly much more life or at the very least unexplored space underwater than above land. Mount Everest when tipped upside down barely scratches the surface. Almost certainly an underrated choice
Limiting beliefs are defined as:
A limiting belief is a state of mind or belief about yourself that restricts you in some way. These beliefs are often false accusations you make about yourself that can cause a number of negative results.
AsanaOverall, the effects are negative but often they are neutral. It is not until time becomes a sunk cost putting a foot on the scale. However, sometimes limiting beliefs can cause negative behaviours.
Limiting beliefs do what they say on the tin. It’s like an aptronym, they limit you. Most limiting beliefs are silly and should be discarded quickly. Limiting beliefs can often start rather small and innocuous and have a snowball effect where they lead you into a workaround path where you inevitably find (or create?) another limiting belief. This cycle can repeat itself indefinitely. I am sure there are many reasons why they exist, and I want to hear what you think about it. One reason why I think they exist is when your aim and your values are not aligned. Your brain then throws up obstacles to point you in the direction that your values logically terminate in. Since values are harder to shed or change than aims, the aims are sacrificed first using the most evolutionarily efficient method of limiting beliefs. They require amazingly lilliputian effort with the desired effect of avoiding a gargantuan effort to achieve goals that may not be properly aligned with your soul/values.
One way we may try and break this Sisyphus-ian cycle is by blunt force. Doing the action regardless and bearing the brunt of discomfort. Only through experience may we learn which are our limiting beliefs and which are our limits. For example, let’s take the sea that I am looking out at. I may only believe that I can swim a certain length but with enough discipline and determination and (motivation/purpose?) I may make it much further. However, there is a limit which I will eventually hit causing me to drown or die of exhaustion. Limiting beliefs may show themselves in different forms depending on the context i.e., a race or a game. Furthermore, they may present themselves differently depending on where the cost is loaded. If it is front-loaded where you are forced into the middle of the ocean or a desert island you are much more likely to break through limiting beliefs at the start and struggle with the bigger ones when desperation begins to set in. This is where the danger is front-loaded. On the other hand, when the danger is 40 years in the future say with your career capital limiting beliefs are much more effective agents of preventing you from developing the necessary career capital to advance up the job market ladder in either learning ability or pay.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
El Andariego By La Santa Cecilia
1 Quote
Little things comfort us because little things distress us.
Blaise Pascal1 Idea
Men tend to overestimate how much a woman likes them.
On the other hand women tend to underestimate how much a man likes them.
This creates two distinct realities where neither party sees the objective world nor what the other party perceives.
h/t Chris Williamson
As Tyler Cowen says, solve for the equilibrium.
1 Poem
On an Hour-Glass By John Hall
MY life is measur’d by this glass, this glass By all those little sands that thorough pass. See how they press, see how they strive, which shall With greatest speed and greatest quickness fall. See how they raise a little mount, and then With their own weight do level it again. But when th’ have all got thorough, they give o’er Their nimble sliding down, and move no more. Just such is man, whose hours still forward run, Being almost finish’d ere they are begun; So perfect nothings, such light blasts are we, That ere we’re aught at all, we cease to be. Do what we will, our hasty minutes fly, And while we sleep, what do we else but die? How transient are our joys, how short their day! They creep on towards us, but fly away. How stinging are our sorrows! where they gain But the least footing, there they will remain. How groundless are our hopes, how they deceive Our childish thoughts, and only sorrow leave! How real are our fears! they blast us still, Still rend us, still with gnawing passions fill; How senseless are our wishes, yet how great! With what toil we pursue them, with what sweat! Yet most times for our hurts, so small we see, Like children crying for some Mercury. This gapes for marriage, yet his fickle head Knows not what cares wait on a marriage bed: This vows virginity, yet knows not what Loneness, grief, discontent, attends that state. Desires of wealth another’s wishes hold, And yet how many have been chok’d with gold? This only hunts for honour, yet who shall Ascend the higher, shall more wretched fall. This thirsts for knowledge, yet how is it bought? With many a sleepless night, and racking thought. This needs will travel, yet how dangers lay Most secret ambuscados in the way? These triumph in their beauty, though it shall Like a pluck’d rose or fading lily fall. Another boasts strong arms: ’las! giants have By silly dwarfs been dragg’d unto their grave. These ruffle in rich silk: though ne’er so gay, A well-plum’d peacock is more gay than they. Poor man! what art? A tennis-ball of error, A ship of glass toss’d in a sea of terror; Issuing in blood and sorrow from the womb, Crawling in tears and mourning to the tomb: How slippery are thy paths! How sure thy fall! How art thou nothing, when th’ art most all!
John Hall1 Picture
The Dwarf
The Dwarf By Bruce Davidson, 1958 (photograph) 1 Essay
Hitman hires hitman who hires hitman who hires hitman who hires hitman who tells police
Chinese businessman Tan Youhui was looking for a hitman to take out a competitor, Wei Mou, and was willing to pay 2 million yuan (£218,000) to get the job done.
The hitman that Mr Youhui hired decided to offer the job to another hitman for half the original price.
The second hitman then subcontracted to another hitman, who then subcontracted to a fourth, who gave the job to a fifth.
However, hitman number five was so incensed at how much the value of the contract had fallen, that he told the target to fake his own death, which eventually led to the police finding out about the plot, Beijing News reported.
The businessman and the hapless assassins were all convicted of attempted murder by the court in Nanning, Guangxi, following a trial that lasted three years.
Basit Mahmood1 Question
Which media outlets and periodicals are at most danger of “being GPT-ed”? Your nominations? Or how about which particular features of those outlets?
H/t Tyler Cowen
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On the Influence of Jonathan Haidt
By The Bishop
The Tower of Babel by Pieter Bruegel the Elder, 1563 Jonathan Haidt is a social and moral psychologist. A professor for NYU Stern business school and runs many projects like the Heterdox Academy. He has written several books and has recently started a substack . No doubt he is doing countless other things that I have failed to mention here.
His current research focus for the last 10 to 20 years has been the interesection between mental health, young people, social media, political affiliation and the traits that come with that and what affect these are all having on democracy and society as a whole. This is obviously a very broad brush stroke of what he is doing but I hope I have conveyed the idea. He isn’t working with rats and giving them various drugs nor is he writing interpretations of Finnegans Wake or critiquing recent monetary policy.
That being said his most recent work is gaining a lot of traction and critique, from the laymen to academics in completely disparate fields. After the FT’s lunch with him, it claimed that his work had influenced both Barack Obama and Jeff Bezos. All of this is to say that Haidt is a tour de force of intellectual energy and production, with wider societal influence.
So then what should we make of his new work on teen mental health and social media. It has caused quite a stir and like I mentioned before has garnered many critiques. I am trying to be wary of the fact that I have not studied this topic in any appropriate depth to offer a valuable opinion on the topic. Any opinion I could offer will just be borrowed and re-purposed from another thinker (who may or may not have borrowed it from somebody else).
What I am trying to explore today is an idea that has been ruminating in me for a while now. This is: whether Haidt is right or wrong his work is valuable because even if incorrect it encourages others to correct him or at the very least point out his errors and mistakes. Interestingly the very reason his work is valuable is the very reason his work is dangerous.
Like I just said, most people don’t actually think for themselves or check the evidence. Whether they have the time to do this is a different issue. The negative side of this is immediately apparent when we consider the fact that some people wouldn’t give their child a vaccine because they thought it caused autism. Whether Haidt’s work will have or even has the potential to lead to negative physical consequences when his solutions are followed is yet to be seen. We should be wary of attributing any mal-intent however.
The fact that Haidt is publishing his work and citing studies and willing to debate and respond to criticism is positive sign and should be welcomed. We should take this a positive sign. Haidt is incredibly influential and highly respected researcher with many decades of experience but this does not mean a free pass. In fact it actually merits extended discussion and evaluation. For even when people are wrong their contributions can still be valuable.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Rock The Bells By LL Cool J
1 Quote
Men’s actions are the best guides to their thoughts.
John Locke1 Idea
Rick Rubin will help the artist record 20-25 songs for their album. They might have an idea that they want the album to be 10 songs. Most people will cut down to 10 immediately. What Rubin suggests is to whittle it down to the 5-6 songs that you simply can’t live without, and then you look at which songs you could which would best complement these foundational songs.
You are in a place to add rather than take away. Ever had salty soup?
Extrapolate for personal use case.
Creativity, holidays, decision-making. (speech?)
1 Poem
[O were my love yon Lilac fair] By Robert Burns
O were my love yon Lilac fair, Wi' purple blossoms to the Spring, And I, a bird to shelter there, When wearied on my little wing! How I wad mourn when it was torn By Autumn wild, and Winter rude! But I wad sing on wanton wing, When youthfu' May its bloom renew'd. O gin my love were yon red rose, That grows upon the castle wa'; And I myself a drap o' dew, Into her bonie breast to fa'! O there, beyond expression blest, I'd feast on beauty a' the night; Seal'd on her silk-saft faulds to rest, Till fley'd awa by Phoebus' light!
Robert Burns1 Picture
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon
Joshua Commanding the Sun to Stand Still upon Gibeon By John Martin, 1816 1 Essay
Life Under Communism Was No Liberation For Women
Speaking of hunger and infancy, here are some completely gratuitous eyewitness accounts of parents eating their own children during the man-made famine in Ukraine in the 1930s. Communism may have influenced science fiction writers, but real life in the USSR was no picnic.
“Where did all bread disappear, I do not really know, maybe they have taken it all abroad. The authorities have confiscated it, removed from the villages, loaded grain into the railway coaches and took it away someplace. They have searched the houses, taken away everything to the smallest thing. All the vegetable gardens, all the cellars were raked out and everything was taken away. Wealthy peasants were exiled into Siberia even before Holodomor during the ‘collectivization.’ Communists came, collected everything….People were laying everywhere as dead flies. The stench was awful. Many of our neighbors and acquaintances from our street died….Some were eating their own children. I would have never been able to eat my child. One of our neighbors came home when her husband, suffering from severe starvation, ate their own baby daughter. This woman went crazy.”
One has to wait until “Why Women Had Better Sex Under Socialism,” to meet an actual Eastern European. “Consider Ana Durcheva from Bulgaria,” the author writes, “who was 65 when I first met her in 2011. Having lived her first 43 years under Communism, she often complained that the new free market hindered Bulgarians’ ability to develop healthy amorous relationships. ‘Sure, some things were bad during that time, but my life was full of romance.’” Durcheva’s daughter, in contrast, works too much, “and when she comes home at night she is too tired to be with her husband.”
What are we to make of this? Are we merely to deduce that the life of a young and, apparently, attractive woman behind the Iron Curtain was not completely devoid of pleasure? No. The article is explicit in stating that “communist women enjoyed a degree of self-sufficiency that few Western women could have imagined.”
This is unadulterated rubbish. I grew up under communism, and here is what I recall.
First, all communist countries were run by men; female leaders, like Margaret Thatcher and Golda Meir, would have been unthinkable. Women who rose to prominence, like Raisa Gorbachev and Elena Ceausescu, did so purely as appendages of their powerful husbands.
Second, the author concedes that “gender wage disparities and labor segregation persisted, and…the communists never fully reformed domestic patriarchy.” I would say so. In a typical Eastern European family, the woman, in addition to having a day job at a factory, was expected to clean the apartment, shop for food, cook dinner, and raise the children. The Western sexual revolution passed the communist bloc by, and ex-communist countries remain much more patriarchal than their Western counterparts to this day.
Marian L. TupyBonus points: Primary sources
1 Question
Should education be mandatory?
If so to what education level or age?
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Reflecting on 1 Month of Poetry
By The Bishop
Girl reading a book in a bath So a whole month of poetry. In some ways it’s nice to have an effort culminate in a final piece of work as well as a portfolio of work. I feel as if I am just getting started and yet it must end. This post will be a review of the month with my thoughts and reflections. Above all else enjoy, no one else can enjoy it for you.
Here you can read week 1 poems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Here you can read week 2 poems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Here you can read week 3 poems: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Here you can read week 4 poems: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
Here you can read the final few instalments: 29, 30 and 31.
First of all it was a good challenge. In the sense that when one has consumed enough YouTube productivity guru’s and out of date goal setting advice, this challenge seemed to meet all of the requirements. I had to complete one poem everyday for 31 days. I also knew that I wanted to branch out my style and range. I also had some sources of inspiration to fall back on when needed.
As we know more begets more, (up to a point) but I would have been better served trying to reach that point rather than avoid it. Now I must avoid pyschoanlysing what it says about me whether starting with the negative or the positive, or is it positive then the negative. I’m not sure maybe I’ll write a poem on it.
One of the things that I learned from this challenge is the immediacy problem. This sort of goes for essays and most other projects. When an idea first rears its head at you, your instincts may be to coldly and robotically tag, organise and store it. Ok, hold your horses we’re not leaving in Zamyatin’s ‘We’ just yet. This may be a necessity for you whether you have a lot of stuff in life or not. One of the characteristics of ideas is that they usually pop up when youre not thinking about them actively. This usually happens during something mundane like; a walk in the park, cleaning the plates, cooking or tidying.
While it is almost always better to write and get a skeleton down or even a zero draft, you may just have to get a title or just the prompt and hope you can either remember the prompt later or get a chance to detail the prompt before you forget to do that. This means having a pocket notebook and notes folder on your mobile device are must-haves.
A few poems sprouted from unexpected sources while most were fairly predictable. There are one or two that are a bit odd, to say the least, but they have some grounded explanation to them. I also will say albeit with some doubt that at least one of them is so strange that not even I, master of my universe, could decipher its meaning or origin. During mundane tasks or activities is always a good idea generation activity because it forces you to be passive and break the paradox. “Ever tried to relax?” Other trustworthy sources of inspiration include some of my favourite poems and poets, a novel littered with poems and also strange objects of history or even philosophical theories and concepts.
The novel littered with small poems is The Tale of Genji, a wonderful romance, adventure novel. Genji is meant to represent the ideal Heian Prince, a renaissance man of the arts and authority. I would be lying if I told you I didn’t want to become more like him. Imitation is certainly much healthier than envy. One point that may seem silly but I struggled to get over, was the difficulty in producing the Waka’s. For a novice, they were fairly technical.
I began an unfair comparison between myself and Genji as well as the author, Lady Murasaki Shikibu and the translator. Firstly Genji seemed to be constructing these on the fly with no apparent memorisation. The Waka’s perfectly described the often zany and uncanny situations in which he found himself. Furthermore, any mention of memorised poems was often committed perhaps for fear of inaccuracy. Then I began to make the comparison between the author and me because she was 1000 years removed, with no internet, thesaurus, rhyme website or GPT. I later learnt that she was more or less considered a generational talent, so much so that the Empress bankrolled her and her name and work have survived over a thousand years. Finally, I made a comparison with the translator. Apparently, he started the translation during his year abroad from Japan to Cambridge. So what it’s his natural tongue? Well not so. Not only is translation incredibly hard, let alone good translation, let alone poetry, let alone poetry with strict rules that works in both languages and is certainly very beautiful in the translation. What is impressive is that Shikibu’s Japanese is so old that modern Japanese speakers cannot read it (in the original). So not only did the translator do all of this but he was also the first person to even write a translation for the work, in the 19th century! I consoled myself to focus on the poetry for the month then I could make unfair and useless comparisons between a translator and me.
Another source of inspiration was Edward Lear’s nonsense poems. Mostly his limericks, of which I am the most familiar. They were great fun to compose and read back over but again failed to live up to his heights. What was most rewarding was the act of creation and perhaps surpassing some of his weaker limericks. While Lear wrote these limericks vociferously he was also Victorian. Lear suffered from dark depression, seemingly similar to Churchill who described it as the “black dog.” Reading and composing these limericks, one can see why some might tend to that style more than others given circumstances.
One thing I was not very happy about was my total range. There were no poems with an iambic range or medieval French poetry patterns, and no vignettes or sonnets. This is what I set out to achieve but I failed in that regard. Looking back I think I over-relied on Waka’s and Limericks to get the job done or even a quick free verse. That being said the free verse, for me, was an untapped success. If I had the topic I would just let myself go. At first, it is like draining a pipe, with lots of horrible unpleasantness at the start then clean(-ish) flow towards the end. What I didn’t often do enough was to let it flow and let it flow to its natural conclusion without a forced and abrupt end.
I greatly enjoyed the month. I feel like I learned a great deal and expanded my vocabulary and appreciation for art which I suppose you could view as a goal or unintended consequence. I would almost certainly do the challenge or some variation of it in the future. However I didn’t like the fact that I felt compelled to write a poem. That was a challenge I didn’t anticipate, not feeling like it, although in hindsight I should not have been surprised at all. I have not composed any poems since completion although I wish I had. This is a case of lowering my targets to a poem every 2-3 days or even taken advantage of the momentum that I had built up and slowly continued it or ran it on maintenance mode. I would certainly recommend that you give this month again.
The poems shall return.
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
1 Quote
without fear, … there is no bravery
Dustin Poirier1 Idea
Carry a notebook and pen with you everywhere you go. Write down anything and everything. Ideas, tasks, new words, thoughts, plans, dreams, details and poems.
1 Poem
Are Ye Truly Free? By James Russell Lowell
Are Ye Truly Free? Men! whose boast it is that ye Come of fathers brave and free; If there breathe on earth a slave, Are ye truly free and brave? Are ye not base slaves indeed, Men unworthy to be freed, If ye do not feel the chain, When it works a brother's pain? Women! who shall one day bear Sons to breathe God's bounteous air, If ye hear without a blush, Deeds to make the roused blood rush Like red lava through your veins, For your sisters now in chains; Answer! are ye fit to be Mothers of the brave and free? Is true freedom but to break Fetters for our own dear sake, And, with leathern hearts forget That we owe mankind a debt? No! true freedom is to share All the chains our brothers wear, And with hand and heart to be Earnest to make others free. They are slaves who fear to speak For the fallen and the weak; They are slaves, who will not choose Hatred, scoffing, and abuse, Rather than, in silence, shrink From the truth they needs must think; They are slaves, who dare not be In the right with two or three.
James Russell Lowell1 Picture
A girl with a pot of roses By Vasily Tropinin, 1850
Девушка с горшком роз (A girl with a pot of roses), Vasily Tropinin, 1850 1 Essay
Research Papers Used to Have Style. What Happened? By Roger’s Bacon
This essay looks at the decline of ‘style’ in academic papers through its origins and history while providing some evidence. The author ultimately concludes why this may have happened and why its important we curb this trend sooner rather than later.
It’s not hard to find scientists who think proper scientific writing should be devoid of style (I was a teacher for 6 years, and IMRAD remains the de facto style taught in schools). But there has been an undercurrent of dissenting voices dating back to the very origins of scientific publications. In 1661, four years before the first issue of the Philosophical Transactions of the Royal Society, Robert Boyle wrote:
“And yet I approve not that dull and insipid way of writing, which is practiced by many…for though a philosopher need not be solicitous that his style should delight his reader with his floridness, yet I think he may very well be allowed to take a care that it disgust not his reader by its flatness…”
In the last hundred years, these debates shifted in focus, and scientists debated how best to balance standardization and free expression. This is the conflict that played out in the American Psychological Association (APA) in the 1920s and 1930s:
“In the case of psychology, it was only in the late 1920s, a time when the APA was experiencing the “growing pains” of professionalization that a formal document pertaining to publication standards was drafted. This period saw a dramatic increase in membership and an ever-widening definition of the topics and methods that pertained to one calling oneself a psychologist … This led journal editors who previously only had to manage a handful of submissions from individuals they often knew first-hand to flail under the sheer quantity (and variable quality) of manuscripts on topics that the editors might not have been familiar with, and it was finally decided by the editors as a collective that something needed to be done to address these burdens…” (Sigal and Petit, 2012)
Journal editors, under the auspices of the National Research Council (NRC), gathered in 1928 to discuss the problem. They decided to send out surveys to psychologists and editors to figure out what should be done.
[…]
This is a grave problem. The way that we write is inseparable from the way that we think, and restrictions in one necessarily lead to restrictions in the other.
The greatest thinkers in science (and business) are often prolific authors. They write books, blogs, and copious emails to sharpen ideas. Richard Lewontin, E.O. Wilson, and Paul Graham are but three examples. Dorothy Hodgkin’s scientific correspondence and papers, stacked together, extend 25.85 meters in length. Great thinkers, in other words, write all the time.
Unfortunately, the bureaucracies of modern science have created an environment in which all research must be justified in purely instrumental terms — “importance” or “impact” relative to expenditure. Researchers are evaluated by simple measures of productivity or influence — number of papers published, citation count, and grant dollars. In such an environment, it has become exceedingly difficult for scientists to take stylistic risks in their academic writing or to devote significant amounts of time to other forms of creative writing.
1 Question
What defines your identity?
A girl with a pot of roses, Academic style, Academic writing, Are Ye Truly Free?, Dustin Poirier, Девушка с горшком роз, Freedom, Identity, Identity definition, James Russell Lowell, Notebook, Pen and Paper, Research papers, Roger's Bacon, Style, Style decline, Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, Willie Nelson, Writing style -
¿Fueron las acciones de la CIA, entre 1970 y 1973, decisivas para provocar el golpe militar de 1973 en Chile?
By The Bishop
Nixon and Kissinger on a porch, NSA archive This is an essay I did last year. I have been thinking about it a lot recently for a number of factors, both related and seemingly unrelated to the topic at hand. For those of you who don’t read Spanish, I suggest google translate, Reverso Contexto or DeepL (Linguee). However I shall provide a little bit of context so as not to bring darkness in the daytime, so you do not grope at noon as if it were night.
I explore a roughly three year period between 1970 and 1973, the tenure of Salvador Allende premiership. I look at various techniques employed by the CIA during this time and explain their efficacity. I ultimately conclude that while CIA interference is undeniable and extensive, though perhaps less than other countries it had little to no effect as either the catalyst for the coup d’etat or affecting its outcome. I attribute this to overestimates of the CIA’s effectiveness. It may be noteworthy to say that while I only explored the period between 1970 and 1973, the CIA had interfered in Chile well before that period.
During the essay there were many side channels that were worth exploring and a potential unexplored conspiracy theory but unfortunately (fortunately for you?) I stayed focused on the task. I hope you enjoy, and if you have any thoughts, comments, criticisms or praise do not hesitate to share.
“I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.” Henry Kissinger en Chile en una reunión de la Comisión 40, 27 de junio de 1970 (Blum, 2003, p. 210; Lewis, 1975)
“We will not let Chile go down the drain” Henry Kissinger a Richard Helms, 12 de septiembre de 1970 (Kornbluh, 2013)
“We can get a coup” Warren Nutter, el consejero económico de Henry Kissinger a Henry Kissinger, 9 de octubre de 1970 (Kuehn, 2019)
En el presente informe vamos a abordar las acciones de la Agencia Central de Inteligencia (CIA) para determinar si fueran decisivas para provocar el golpe militar de 1973 en Chile. El golpe militar ocurrió en 11 de septiembre de 1973. El ejército dirigida por General Pinochet reemplazó el gobierno de Salvador Allende. Para entender plenamente esa situación debemos empezar en 1970. El ensayo discutirá las que acciones hizo la CIA y si fueran eficaces y por qué las hizo para los dos razones. La primera es porque recibió órdenes del poder ejecutivo del gobierno de los Estados Unidos (EE.UU.) y la segunda solo puede ser entendido en un contexto geopolítico más amplio con la guerra fría, específicamente con Cuba y la Unión de Repúblicas Socialistas Soviéticas (URSS) (Morley & Smith, 1977).
Los EE.UU. tenían miedo que si Chile, un país influyente en Latinoamérica, se hiciera un país socialista, otros países latinoamericanos se harían socialistas y enemigos de los EE.UU. (Transnational institute, 2015). Henry Kissinger pensaba que iba a generar un gran problema por inspirar un gran aumento en la estrategia de la guerrilla y la reforma en América Latina durante, similar a lo que inspiraron Castro y Che Guevara en los años sesenta y setenta (Lockhart, 2019a, p. 27-31). Conviene también precisar que este era durante la guerra fría y después la invasión de Bahía de Cochinos fallida de 1961 y la crisis de los misiles cubanos de 1962 (Morley & Smith, 1977). Los EE.UU no querían Chile hacerse un estado satélite de la URSS (Sigmund, 1974). Como dijo John F. Kennedy “[it would be] “a major setback for us if the Communists were to win an election in a democratic country when we have said that communism can remain in power only by building a wall.” (Qureshi, 2009, p. 30). Este amenazaría las inversiones estadounidenses en Chile. Las inversiones estadounidenses en Chile, incluyendo los mineros del cobre valían 700 millón dólares (Qureshi, 2009, p. 30). Además el gobierno chileno tomó control de ‘CHITELCO’ una compañía telefónica que ITT, una compañía estadounidense, había poseído 70% de participación hasta 1930 (Select Committee 1975b). Durante la presidencia de Allende, ITT subió varias propuestas a la CIA de destituirlo o al menos que hacer la presidencia más incómoda (Select Committee 1975b). En 1971 el presidente Allende anunció que “beneficios extraordinarios sería deducido de la compensación para las compañías privadas en la industria de la minería del cobre (Select Committee 1975b) pero al final no pagó ninguna compensación (Esty, 2013).
Salvador Allende era un político chileno. Cuando casi ganó la presidencia chilena de 1958, los EE.UU decidieron que debían intervenir en la próxima elección de 1964 (Blum, 2003, p. 207). La intervención fue exitosa pero se hizo el presidente en 1970 (Blum, 2003, p. 210). Según un Estimado de Inteligencia Nacional de 1970, dijo que Chile movería rápidamente hacia un estado marxista-leninista y se olvidaría de la democracia en dentro de dos o tres años (Select Committee 1975b). Claramente los EE.UU creían que sin intervención, Allende superaría los retos como los otros partidos políticos, las esfuerzas de seguridad, el congreso y la iglesia católica y crearía un estado marxista-socialista (Select Committee 1975b). No obstante no intervenir no era aceptable, ya dijo Kissinger que “I don’t see why we need to stand by and watch a country go Communist due to the irresponsibility of its own people.” Henry Kissinger (Blum, 2003, p. 210; Lewis, 1975). La CIA intervino en varios países para destituir los dos líderes de la derecha y de la izquierda, por ejemplo el asesinato de Trujillo en la República dominicana (Blum, 2003, p. 172) y la invasión de la bahía de cochinos (Blum, 2003, p. 185) la cual hace suponer que no tenía un problema en intervenir en un país (Falcoff, 1991).
Sería preciso matizar que después varios gobiernos reformistas aparte de un gobierno de la junta, Chile era visto como un país latinoamericano relativamente democrático (Peeler, 1995). Hay que reconocer que Chile tenía influencia en Latinoamérica y si se hiciera socialista por los medios no revolucionarios, los cual evitar la mala reputación de las revoluciones cubana, francesa y rusa (Harmer, 2011) más países latinoamericanos se harían socialistas. Una razón que la CIA tenía dificultades era porque del ejército muy constitucional (Select Committee, 1975a). General Schneider rechazó la propuesta de la CIA para un golpe militar (Select Committee, 1975a). Un grupo desconocido lo mató. (Select Committee, 1975a) Además el intento de golpe militar desorganizado era abortado después el asesinato de General Schneider (Select Committee, 1975a; Select Committee, 1975b). General Prats reemplazó a General Schneider (Select Committee, 1975b) en beneficio de Salvador Allende porque el ejército era aún menos probable ayudar la CIA con un golpe (Lockhart, 2019a).
Después ganó Salvador Allende el voto plural y antes lo confirmó el congreso hacerse el presidente, la CIA llevó a cabo dos planes para prevenir el ascenso de Allende a la presidencia. Estuvieron llamado “Track I” y “Track II” (Select Committee, 1975b). “Track I” implicó convencer a Eduardo Frei, el presidente anterior y Alessandri un candidato política durante esa época desempeñar un papel en votar por Alessandri (Select Committee 1975b). Entonces Alessandri dejaría el cargo y permitiría Frei hacerse el presidente otra vez (Select Committee 1975b). “Track I” implicó también una campaña de propaganda que usó los periodistas en los periódicos nacionales como El Mercurio y sus propios recursos de la CIA como anuncios políticos, mítines y programas en el radio (Select Committee, 1975b). Los dos “Track I” y “Track II” no cambió el resultado esperado en el voto del congreso ni causar un golpe militar para detener Allende de hacerse el presidente (Lockhart, 2019; Select Committee, 1975b).
En Chile desde 1970 el intento fallado fue como un resultado de un orden de Richard Nixon que preguntó directamente al director de la CIA, Richard Helms, fomentar un golpe militar en Chile, en 15 de septiembre de 1970 (Kornbluh, 2016). Estaba conocido como “Track 2”. Nixon preguntó a Helms sin el conocimiento de la Comisión 40 que supervisaba acción clandestina (Transnational institute, 2015). Además fue seguido rápidamente por varios intentos de secuestro y el posterior asesinato de General René Schneider (Select Committee, 1975a) quien era una figura clave porque rechazó las solicitudes de la CIA para ayudarla fomentar un golpe militar porque era constitucional (Select Committee, 1975a) Algunos académicos piensan que la CIA lo mató (Lockhart, 2019a; Morley & Smith, 1977) pero no hay ninguna evidencia (Select Committee, 1975a; Select Committee, 1975b). Aun si era el objetivo de la CIA no ayudó la causa porque el reemplazo de General Schneider era General Prats quien ya está conocido como lo más grande defensor de Allende (Lockhart, 2019b). En octubre 1970, la CIA contactó a dos grupos de conspiradores en el ejército chileno (Basso Prieto, 2013). La CIA proveyó a uno de los dos grupos; granadas de gas lacrimógeno y tres subfusiles y al mismo tiempo intentó detener el plan de General Viaux jubilado y últimamente decidió que no iba a trabajar con General Viaux (Basso Prieto, 2013). Según a Lockhart, (2019b) Nixon era, como sus predecesores, no conoció de las limitaciones, costes y cargas con operaciones de inteligencia como la acción clandestina que hizo la CIA posteriormente en Chile desde 1970 hasta 1973. Esta acción incluye propaganda, apoyo para los medios oposición y presiones económicas y lo más obvio proveer de armas a los grupos que opusieron el gobierno de Allende (Lockhart, 2019b).
Nos ocupamos seguidamente de las acciones clandestinas durante la presidencia de Allende desde 1970 hasta 1973. En 24 de octubre de 1970, Salvador Allende fue confirmado como el presidente nuevo de Chile (Select Committee, 1975b). Durante esa época se puede ver tres tipos de acción clandestina, apoyar a los partidos políticos de la oposición, propaganda y apoyar a los medios de la oposición y finalmente apoyar a las organizaciones del sector privado (Select Committee, 1975b). Centrémonos primero en el apoyo de los partidos políticos de la oposición. La CIA apoyaban dos partidos políticos en Chile como El Partido Demócrata Cristiano (PDC), un partido reformista y los partidos políticos en el extremo derecho como el Partido Nacional (PN) también (Transnational institute, 2015). La CIA hizo eso por varios razones aunque la CIA y los EE.UU. deseaban que el PDC fuera el partido político tener el puesto importante en Chile (Blum, 2003, p.210), el PDC aparecería como el único partido político viable y moderado especialmente si fuera criticado por los partidos políticos en los dos lados extremos del espectro político (Qureshi, 2009). Además la CIA quería mejorar la probabilidad del éxito. Del punto de vista de la CIA la prioridad era asegurar que los marxistas-socialistas perdían votos pero también porque era ilegal apoyar sólo un partido político (Transnational institute, 2015). No era muy eficaz porque mientras los partidos políticos de la oposición produjeron propaganda contra Allende ya trabajaban con él y estaban de acuerdo en las políticas principales (Select Committee, 1975b). Lo que impactó en el resultado electoral eran las tácticas de los partidos políticos no era su propaganda (Lockhart, 2019b).
Después la inauguración de Allende, la CIA gastó más que siete millones dólares apoyar grupos de la oposición en Chile y una campaña de propaganda contra Allende extensiva y otras acciones clandestinas también (Select Committee 1975b). Más que la mitad de los fondos que eran ratificado por la Comisión 40 apoyaban a los partidos políticos de la oposición: el PDC, el PN, y varios grupos pequeños (Select Committee 1975b). 500.000 dólares fueron proveídos a grupos escindidos durante la presidencia de Allende (Transnational institute, 2015). Al principio de 1971 los fondos de la CIA permitían el PDC y pequeños grupos extremos comprar emisoras de radio y periódicos (Blum, 2003). Todos de los partidos políticos de la oposición recibieron dinero antes de todos elecciones entre 1971 y 1973 (Select Committee 1975b). Los fondos fueron proveídos para fortificar los partidos políticos de la oposición y disolver la Unidad Popular (UP) (Transnational institute, 2015). El dinero que fue proporcionado a los partidos políticos apoyó a los candidatos políticos de la oposición en unas elecciones y ayudó mantener una campaña contra gobierno (Basso Prieto, 2013). Estas campañas urgieron a los ciudadanos demonstrar su oposición a Allende y el gobierno de muchas maneras (Qureshi, 2009). Sería preciso matizar que los dos principales partidos políticos de la oposición, el PDC y el PN apoyaron las políticas principales de la UP, el partido de Allende (Select Committee, 1975b). Las apoyaron y a cambio Allende prometió no reformar la constitución (Select Committee, 1975b). Claramente la CIA no tuvo un gran impacto en la relación entre los partidos políticos. Las creencias políticas de los votantes chilenos se han quedado igual a pesar de las acciones clandestinas y propaganda (Lockhart, 2019b). Además la posición y las tácticas de los partidos políticos tenía un impacto más grande en el resultado de las elecciones (Lockhart, 2019b). Porque los fondos de la CIA no garantizaron la cooperación de los partidos políticos, disminuyó el impacto de los fondos (Lockhart, 2019b).
La Comisión 40 aprobó mucho dinero para sostener los medios de la oposición y mantener una campaña de propaganda (Lockhart, 2019b). La CIA gastó 1,5 millón dólares apoyar El Mercurio (Select Committee 1975b). Era el conducto más importante de propaganda contra Allende (Qureshi, 2009). El gobierno chileno intentó fastidiar y dañar financieramente a los medios de la oposición, especialmente El Mercurio (Select Committee 1975b). Por eso la libertad de la prensa era el tema más importante durante la campaña de propaganda contra Allende (Select Committee 1975b). El proyecto de propaganda mayor de la CIA produjo unas revistas, unos libros, unas investigaciones y unos programas de radio (Select Committee 1975b). Los partidos políticos de la oposición y las organizaciones del sector privado recibieron materiales económicos y especializados constantemente (Transnational institute, 2015). Además según Blum, (2003) y Kornbluh, (2003), El Mercurio se concentró los periódicos en el ejército. En algunos documentos de la CIA, hay evidencia que estos esfuerzos preparó el camino para el golpe militar de 11 de septiembre de 1973 (Kornbluh, 2013). Sin embargo el ejército era una institución constitucional entonces esa propaganda no tuvo un gran impacto (Peeler, 1995). Probablemente únicamente cambió la mente de una minoridad (Transnational institute, 2015). Allende perdió el control del ejército cuando Allende empezó negociar con La URSS para armas y apoyo financiero a pesar del hecho que prometió que no negociaría (Harmer, 2011). General Prats lo dijo que estos negocios significaron era perdiendo apoyo del gobierno en el ejército pero Allende ignoró el consejo (Harmer, 2011). Eventualmente General Prats fue obligado a retirarse porque de estas acciones (Blum, 2003, p. 216).
Las organizaciones del sector privado las cual recibieron los fondos únicamente recibieron una pequeña cantidad, por ejemplo 24 mil dólares para apoyo de emergencia (Select Committee 1975b). Otras actividades que la CIA financió al sector privado incluyen el deseo apoyar una campaña electoral de la oposición, una campaña animar los ciudadanos votar o registrarse votar (Select Committee 1975b). Después la victoria electoral de Allende, en las elecciones de marzo de 1973, la CIA exploró la posibilidad que aumentaran la agitación entonces el ejército estaría obligado intervenir en el gobierno de Allende para restaurar el orden (Blum, 2003). Tres semanas antes del golpe militar la Comisión 40 aprobó un millón de dólares pero el embajador no estuvo de acuerdo por eso los partidos políticos de la oposición ni las organizaciones del sector privado recibieron estos fundos antes el golpe militar (Transnational institute, 2015).
La CIA era clara que no financiaría las organizaciones del sector privado si fueran asociado con las huelgas contra gobierno o los grupos estaban intentando fomentar un golpe militar (Basso Prieto, 2013). De ahí que la Comisión 40 no aprobó la propuesta de la CIA financiar a los huelguistas con 25 mil dólares (Select Committee 1975b). Había muchos interconexiones entre los gremios, los grupos paramilitares que tenían tendencia al terrorismo y violencia y los partidos políticos preferidos por la CIA (Qureshi, 2009). La CIA era consciente de los vínculos entre eses grupos y los partidos políticos y entendió que eso hacía difíciles distinciones claras (Select Committee, 1975b). La CIA proveyó a Patria y Libertad, una milicia de derecha, con 38 mil dólares por un tercero durante “Track II” para crear tensión suficiente para una intervención por el ejército chileno (Select Committee, 1975b). Durante la presidencia de Allende, Patria y libertad era la voz más alta en contra de todos los esfuerzos de compromiso del PDC, estaba exigiendo que todas políticas del gobierno debían ser opuesto y llamaba para una insurrección del ejército (Blum, 2003, p. 213).
Otro dato para tener en cuenta es la huelga de los camioneros que causó mucha perturbación y contribuyó a la agitación social (Select Committee 1975b). La Comisión 40 no aprobó ningún fondos para los huelguistas a pesar del hecho que las dos huelgas largas no podían haberse mantenido únicamente con los fondos del sindicato (Morley & Smith, 1977; Select Committee 1975b). Es posible que unos fundos de la CIA, que se dieron a los partidos políticos de la oposición, desviaran hacia las huelgas pero hemos de admitir que hay poca evidencia (Devine, 2014; Falcoff, 1991). No obstante no hay duda de que los huelguistas contra gobierno recibían apoyo financiero de una organización del sector privado que la CIA apoyó (Blum, 2003). En 1972 una de las organizaciones del sector privado desvió casi tres mil dólares directamente a los huelguistas, en contra de las reglas de la CIA. La CIA riñó el grupo pero ya lo financió el próximo mes (Select Committee 1975b).
De todo lo que antecede se deduce que el gobierno de los EE.UU. y la CIA intentaban influir Chile y algunos de los eventos políticos que ocurrieron entre 1970 y 1973 por los acciones y decisiones de la Comisión 40 que supervisa acción clandestina y el presidente Richard Nixon y consejero de Seguridad Nacional Henry Kissinger (Kornbluh, 2016; Lockhart, 2019a). Porque la CIA admitió públicamente tuvo conocimiento de golpista por el ejército (Devine, 2014) y tenía relaciones con algo de los conspiradores y el intento anterior empezar un golpe militar en 1970, entonces aparecía consentir al golpe militar (Kornbluh, 2016). No se puede negar que la CIA se metió en las políticas chilenas activamente para detener el ascenso de Allende, reemplazar a Allende y luego fomentar un golpe militar pero sería injusto únicamente culpar a la CIA.
Kornbluh, (2016) sirve de ejemplo qué fácil sobrestimar la eficacia de la CIA. Sólo hay que ver el fracaso de la invasión de la bahía de cochinos y los diez años de buscar para Osama Bin Laden para concluir que la CIA no es muy eficaz (Kornbluh, 2013; Lockhart, 2019a). En realidad las acciones de la CIA no era el factor decisivo de fomentar el golpe militar. Hubo bastante más factores importantes que las acciones clandestinas de la CIA (Lockhart, 2019a; Lockhart 2019b). Por ejemplo la insatisfacción en el ejército chileno causó por los negocios entre Allende y la URSS y la renuncia de General Prats quien era reemplazó por General Pinochet (Blum, 2003; Harmer, 2011; Nogee & Sloan, 1979). Además el ejército chileno organizó el golpe militar con bastante ayuda de Brasil y sin asistencia de los EE.UU. (Harmer, 2011). Sin embargo el entrenamiento del ejército chileno de los EE.UU. continuó y aún aumentó durante la presidencia Allende (Transnational institute, 2015). Las huelgas contribuyeron al debilitamiento del orden social y satisfacción con el gobierno de Allende . Esas huelgas fueron el resultado de sanciones económicos y una falta de ayuda y política económica inepta (Esty, 2013). No fueron el resultado de la CIA porque no las financió y algo del dinero que recibieron era una pequeña cantidad. La CIA específicamente declinaba financiar los grupos asociados con violencia y terrorismo o grupos que quisieron un golpe militar (Select Committee, 1975b).
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Kedar, C. (2015). Salvador Allende and the International Monetary Fund, 1970-1973: The Depoliticisation and Technocratisation of Cold War Relations. Journal of Latin American Studies, 47(4), 717–747. http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/S0022216X15000413
Kornbluh, P. (1999, March 14). Kissinger minimiza el papel de la CIA en el derrocamiento de Allende y en el apoyo a Pinochet. Proceso. https://go.gale.com/ps/i.do?p=STND&u=chesterc&id=GALE%7CA55332848&v=2.1&it=r&sid=summon&backToSource=true&backToSource=true&backToSource=true&inPS=true
Kornbluh, P. (2003). The El Mercurio file: Secret documents shine new light on how the CIA used a newspaper to foment a coup. Columbia Journalism Review, 42(3), 14–20.
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1970, 1973, Authoritarianism, Capitalism, Chile, CIA, Coup d'Etat, Cuba, Fabian, Fascism, Foreign Policy, General Augusto Pinochet Ugarte, Henry Kissinger, Interference, James Schlesinger, Job 5:14, Marxist-Socialist, National Policy, National Security Archive, Peter Kornbluh, Pinochet, Politics, Richard Helms, Richard Nixon, Salvador Allende, Socialism, USA, USRR, Warren Nutter -
Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
1 Quote
A little nonsense now and then is relished by even the wisest of men.
Roald Dahl1 Idea
Introduce your friend with their best achievements
H/t Chris WilliamsonNot only will this force you to start thinking about the best in others but also others the best in you.
1 Poem
London Snow By Robert Bridges
When men were all asleep the snow came flying, In large white flakes falling on the city brown, Stealthily and perpetually settling and loosely lying, Hushing the latest traffic of the drowsy town; Deadening, muffling, stifling its murmurs failing; Lazily and incessantly floating down and down: Silently sifting and veiling road, roof and railing; Hiding difference, making unevenness even, Into angles and crevices softly drifting and sailing. All night it fell, and when full inches seven It lay in the depth of its uncompacted lightness, The clouds blew off from a high and frosty heaven; And all woke earlier for the unaccustomed brightness Of the winter dawning, the strange unheavenly glare: The eye marvelled—marvelled at the dazzling whiteness; The ear hearkened to the stillness of the solemn air; No sound of wheel rumbling nor of foot falling, And the busy morning cries came thin and spare. Then boys I heard, as they went to school, calling, They gathered up the crystal manna to freeze Their tongues with tasting, their hands with snowballing; Or rioted in a drift, plunging up to the knees; Or peering up from under the white-mossed wonder, ‘O look at the trees!’ they cried, ‘O look at the trees!’ With lessened load a few carts creak and blunder, Following along the white deserted way, A country company long dispersed asunder: When now already the sun, in pale display Standing by Paul’s high dome, spread forth below His sparkling beams, and awoke the stir of the day. For now doors open, and war is waged with the snow; And trains of sombre men, past tale of number, Tread long brown paths, as toward their toil they go: But even for them awhile no cares encumber Their minds diverted; the daily word is unspoken, The daily thoughts of labour and sorrow slumber At the sight of the beauty that greets them, for the charm they have broken.Robert Bridges1 Picture
The Monarch of the Glen By Edwin Landseer
The Monarch of the Glen By Edwin Landseer, 1851 1 Essay
Wild TMNT Theory Reveals The Secret Meaning Of The Turtles’ Weapons By Spencer Bollettieri
Sometimes described as “cool but rude” by the ’80s cartoon adaptation, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles‘ Raphael has a temperamental nature that often sees him trying to solve his problems with his green fists as much as his aggressive words. Raphael’s short-tempered outbursts, his competition with his brother Leonardo, and general cynicism had often put him at odds with the other turtles. However, despite how volatile Raphel can be, his weapons, twin sai, don’t exactly match his personality
[…]
Known for his catchphrase of “cowabunga,” Michelangelo is the most optimistic and easy-going of the group. Lighthearted and easily distracted, he has many hobbies ranging from art and cooking to video games, skateboarding, and collecting superhero comic books. Michelangelo in many ways remains true to his name and a Renaissance man at heart, but his immaturity and laidback attitude also reflect his shortcomings as a warrior. It is initially surprising, then, that the youngest and most scatterbrained turtle wields nunchaku.
[…]
As the turtle who values intelligence, Donatello tends to gear his acumen toward science and technology. Across multiple Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle series, “Donnie” is shown to be the brains of the four brothers and responsible for many of their incredible contraptions, including gadgets, tools, and vehicles. However, Donatello’s curiosity, reliance on technology, and love of science can sometimes dangerously complicate things. For a turtle who can predict, calculate, and understand some of the most advanced concepts in their universe, it’s odd that a simple bō is the weapon he’s shown wielding.
[…]
Designated as the leader in Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles, Leonardo is usually the most level-headed and mature out of his brothers. Taking his role seriously, he’s also shown at times to be the most moral and responsible. However, despite his reputation and portrayal, Leonardo was trained to use perhaps the most lethal weapons given to the four brothers by Splinter, the two katanas he carries on his shell.
1 Question
Why do statues never smile?
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Sunshine of Your Love By Cream
1 Quote
Each thing is defined by its end. Therefore it is for a noble end that the brave man endures and acts as courage directs.
Aristotle1 Idea
People who do more, do more.
I hope you savour this rather subtle piece of antanaclasis.
1 Poem
Ode to the West Wind By Percy Bysshe Shelley
I O wild West Wind, thou breath of Autumn's being, Thou, from whose unseen presence the leaves dead Are driven, like ghosts from an enchanter fleeing, Yellow, and black, and pale, and hectic red, Pestilence-stricken multitudes: O thou, Who chariotest to their dark wintry bed The winged seeds, where they lie cold and low, Each like a corpse within its grave, until Thine azure sister of the Spring shall blow Her clarion o'er the dreaming earth, and fill (Driving sweet buds like flocks to feed in air) With living hues and odours plain and hill: Wild Spirit, which art moving everywhere; Destroyer and preserver; hear, oh hear! II Thou on whose stream, mid the steep sky's commotion, Loose clouds like earth's decaying leaves are shed, Shook from the tangled boughs of Heaven and Ocean, Angels of rain and lightning: there are spread On the blue surface of thine aëry surge, Like the bright hair uplifted from the head Of some fierce Maenad, even from the dim verge Of the horizon to the zenith's height, The locks of the approaching storm. Thou dirge Of the dying year, to which this closing night Will be the dome of a vast sepulchre, Vaulted with all thy congregated might Of vapours, from whose solid atmosphere Black rain, and fire, and hail will burst: oh hear! III Thou who didst waken from his summer dreams The blue Mediterranean, where he lay, Lull'd by the coil of his crystalline streams, Beside a pumice isle in Baiae's bay, And saw in sleep old palaces and towers Quivering within the wave's intenser day, All overgrown with azure moss and flowers So sweet, the sense faints picturing them! Thou For whose path the Atlantic's level powers Cleave themselves into chasms, while far below The sea-blooms and the oozy woods which wear The sapless foliage of the ocean, know Thy voice, and suddenly grow gray with fear, And tremble and despoil themselves: oh hear! IV If I were a dead leaf thou mightest bear; If I were a swift cloud to fly with thee; A wave to pant beneath thy power, and share The impulse of thy strength, only less free Than thou, O uncontrollable! If even I were as in my boyhood, and could be The comrade of thy wanderings over Heaven, As then, when to outstrip thy skiey speed Scarce seem'd a vision; I would ne'er have striven As thus with thee in prayer in my sore need. Oh, lift me as a wave, a leaf, a cloud! I fall upon the thorns of life! I bleed! A heavy weight of hours has chain'd and bow'd One too like thee: tameless, and swift, and proud. V Make me thy lyre, even as the forest is: What if my leaves are falling like its own! The tumult of thy mighty harmonies Will take from both a deep, autumnal tone, Sweet though in sadness. Be thou, Spirit fierce, My spirit! Be thou me, impetuous one! Drive my dead thoughts over the universe Like wither'd leaves to quicken a new birth! And, by the incantation of this verse, Scatter, as from an unextinguish'd hearth Ashes and sparks, my words among mankind! Be through my lips to unawaken'd earth The trumpet of a prophecy! O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?
1 Picture
Fray Jerónimo Pérez By Francisco de Zurbarán, 1628
Fray Jerónimo Pérez (Friar Jerónimo Pérez) By Francisco de Zurbarán, 1628 1 Essay
How John Stuart Mill Got Over His Existential Crisis, and You Can Too! By Brett and Kate Mckay
What began as a general sense of listlessness turned into a full-blown existential crisis when Mill found himself thinking through a penetrating question:
Suppose that all your objects in life were realized; that all the changes in institutions and opinions which you are looking forward to, could be completely effected at this very instant: would this be a great joy and happiness to you?’ And an irrepressible self-consciousness distinctly answered, ‘No!’ At this my heart sank within me: the whole foundation on which my life was constructed fell down. All my happiness was to have been found in the continual pursuit of this end. The end had ceased to charm, and how could there ever again be any interest in the means? I seemed to have nothing left to live for.
Mill had supposed that if he accomplished his goals of advancing the social issues he believed in, he would find happiness. But he realized that even if he attained all his aims, he still wouldn’t be happy.
He was bumping up against one of life’s great paradoxes: the more you make happiness your primary goal, the less likely you are to achieve happiness.
This led to a fundamental and lasting change in Mill’s thinking:
I now thought that this end [happiness] was only to be attained by not making it the direct end. Those only are happy (I thought) who have their minds fixed on some object other than their own happiness . . . Aiming thus at something else, they find happiness by the way.
Once Mill realized making happiness his primary goal in life wouldn’t make him happy and could actually just be making him miserable, he found the key to unlocking his existential crisis.
Telic vs Atelic Goals
So what specifically got John Stuart Mill out of his funk?
Reading the poetry of William Wordsworth.
But here’s the thing: Mill didn’t pick up Wordsworth thinking, “If I read this guy, it will make me feel better.” There was no specific aim or intention behind it. He was reading based on what Emerson called Whim with a capital W. As Mill wrote:
I took up the collection of his poems from curiosity, with no expectation of mental relief from it, though I had before resorted to poetry with that hope. . . . I had looked into The Excursion two or three years before, and found little in it; and I should probably have found as little, had I read it at this time. But the miscellaneous poems . . . proved to be the precise thing for my mental wants at that particular juncture.
For the first time in John Stuart Mill’s young life, he was doing something not for the sake of the bigger goal of being happy.
And he discovered that made him happy.
[….]
That’s what John Stuart Mill realized when he fell into his deep funk and asked himself if he’d be happy if he achieved all of his reform goals; their completion might have made him happy for a moment . . . but then what?
Focusing exclusively on telic activities gets you stuck on an endless, existentially empty wheel.
Atelic activities are the opposite of telic activities. They don’t have an end in mind. They don’t have a finish line. You can never exhaust them. You can do them as much as you want, and you’re never done with them.
Walking (for the heck of it), socializing (simply for enjoyment), and reading (for pleasure alone) are examples of atelic activities. You don’t do them as a means towards getting something else; they’re done for their own sake.
For John Stuart Mill, reading the poetry of Wordsworth was his atelic activity. He noted that Wordsworth wasn’t considered one of the great poets, but it didn’t matter. Mill’s goal wasn’t to read what the critics thought were the great poets. He just enjoyed reading Wordsworth. Wordsworth spoke to him:
What made Wordsworth’s poems a medicine for my state of mind, was that they expressed, not mere outward beauty, but states of feeling, and of thought coloured by feeling, under the excitement of beauty. They seemed to be the very culture of the feelings, which I was in quest of. In them I seemed to draw from a source of inward joy, of sympathetic and imaginative pleasure, which could be shared in by all human beings; which had no connection with struggle or imperfection, but would be made richer by every improvement in the physical or social condition of mankind. From them I seemed to learn what would be the perennial sources of happiness, when all the greater evils of life shall have been removed. And I felt myself at once better and happier as I came under their influence. The result was that I gradually, but completely, emerged from my habitual depression.
1 Question
What is the right motive for becoming a bishop or the pope?
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
Nuestro Juramento By Julio Jaramillo
1 Quote
Every man is a divinity in disguise, a god playing the fool. It seems as if heaven had sent its insane angels into our world as to an asylum. And here they will break out into their native music, and utter at intervals the words they have heard in heaven; then the mad fit returns, and they mope and wallow like dogs!
Ralph Waldo Emerson1 Idea
In stressful situations, people generally have a poor theory of mind. Usually it is strangers that know what you need better than your close companions do. One reason for this is that one does not communicate as clearly as one could when in a stressful situation, leading to misunderstandings. Strangers are a level removed and can view your situation with a level of objectivity.
How can you bring that level of objectivity to yourself and companions in those less than tranquil events.
audentis fortuna iuvat
Virgil1 Poem
A Slash of Blue By Emily Dickinson
A slash of Blue— A sweep of Gray— Some scarlet patches on the way, Compose an Evening Sky— A little purple—slipped between— Some Ruby Trousers hurried on— A Wave of Gold— A Bank of Day— This just makes out the Morning Sky.
Emily Dickinson1 Picture
Mujeres en la Ventana By Bartolomé Esteban Murillo
(Dos) mujeres en la ventana/ (Two) women at the window By Bartolomé Esteban Murillo, 1665-75 1 Essay
The Allure of Narcissistic Spirituality By Rabbi Alan Lurie
While complaining about others and shaming a rule-breaker at an event intended to teach equanimity is — like the story in the beginning of this blog — ironic, it teaches an important warning: The desire to control others in order to create a “perfect” environment that nurtures our sensitivities is a calling card of spiritual narcissism. It is not a spiritual feat to feel equanimity only when everything is going exactly as one would like. True spirituality takes place in the holy messiness of the world, in open-hearted relationship with others, and in a kind smile to one who accidentally stepped on your foot. In that moment of connection, one can clearly see that the annoyances and upsets are actually wake up calls pulling us out of our self-involvement and in to relationship.
Rabbi Alan Lurie1 Question
Why do you read books?
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
“Drum Bun” – Romanian March of Independence
1 Quote
Capital goods are intermediary steps on the way toward a definite goal. If in the course of the period of production the goal is changed, it is not always possible to use the intermediary products already available for the pursuit of the new goal.
Ludwig von Mises1 Idea
Spend your formative years spending everything you have on courses, mentors and learning. It is the best time to do it.
h/t Leila Hormozi
1 Poem
The Minstrel-Boy
The Minstrel-boy to the war is gone, In the ranks of death you’ll find him; His father’s sword he has girded on, And his wild harp slung behind him— “Land of song!” said the warrior-bard, “Though all the world betrays thee, One sword, at least, thy rights shall guard, One faithful harp shall praise thee!” The Minstrel fell!—but the foeman’s chain Could not bring his proud soul under; The harp he loved ne’er spoke again, For he tore its cords asunder; And said, “No chains shall gully thee, Thou soul of love and bravery! Thy songs were made for the brave and free, They shall never sound in slavery!”
Thomas Moore1 Picture
This is Radio Moscow …By Viktor Pivovarov, 1992-6 Russian text translation emanating from unseen radio reads:
‘This is Radio Moscow. The time in Moscow is 19 hours 30 minutes. The next show is “Theatre at the Microphone”…’
1 Essay
Immigration economics for economist dummies By Emil O. W. Kirkegaard
This a written format a video Emil has done on the title, so if you prefer video watch that and if you prefer reading, well I must direct you to the link beneath this excerpt.
Now the government doesn’t know all the things you buy (yet) but it knows how much money you made (via tax records) and it thus has a very good idea on how much money you spent as well. One can add estimates for sales tax stuff on top. Anything one cannot point to a specific person is assumed to be the same for each person. Going back to the main report, we get this figure, to which I’ve added translations:
These are the same numbers that The Economist recently based their coverage on.
The Danish state does not literally ask people who are Muslim and who are not, but the origin countries can be grouped after Islamic %, and this group is the one they have come up with MENAPT, i.e., MENA with Pakistan and Turkey but not Bangladesh. This also excludes southeast Asian Muslims, mainly Indonesia and Malaysia, but it’s not much of a problem since these people are rare and low crime in Denmark anyway.
Anyway, the figure shows the net contribution of some person for a given age based on their modeling (DREAM model). We see that age has a massive effect. Everybody is a net negative person until above mid 25s. This is due to people not working much before this age, but consuming a lot of resources via education and health. In the big middle age, people then repay their ‘social debt’ by being net positive. This lasts until about age 70, where it is again increasingly net negative until death. People don’t work much in retirement, and while they do consume based on their pensions, this is not enough to make up for their very large health costs in old age. Since now everybody survives to every age, one cannot just take a normal integral (area under curve) to get a given person’s or group’s net value, one has to multiply by survival probabilities.
The differences between the colored lines are obvious and large. The blue line is of course interest as this is the main problem group, and the largest. It’s always net negative. There is no age at which this group contributes more to society than it receives. Obviously, this group cannot be a benefit economically to society at any point then, not even if you imported only 30 year olds, and kicked them out at age 60. All the other groups do worse than the natives, which is not surprising because ethnic Danes do well in other countries too. This is just a standard tale of good human capital for this ethnic group. Still, the other groups are at least net positive at some points in their lives, but just not enough.
OK, what about the life time net contributions by country? These values are not age and sex standardized, thus they show how the current economic situation is for each country. Countries that send working age people are better here than they will be long-term. Long term, the initial age and sex composition differences will be about 0. We will return to that shortly.
OK, so we need some rather big differences, but none that surprise readers of this blog. I have already published research on how these relate to national IQs back in 2017 using the then current values:
Syria is very low there because these are the ones who just arrived. Syria is no longer the lowest group (now second lowest!) because these people had some time to assimilate and get jobs.
1 Question
Simple question for absolute death penalty opponents: Do you think the Israeli state was wrong to execute Adolf Eichmann?
h/t Peter Hitchens
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Newsletter – Thursday Thoughts
By The Bishop
Victorian Newspaper Seller Offering, by Mary Evans, 2018 1 Song
1 Quote
[I]t is better to rule over – be like a king in hell than to serve somebody as a slave in heaven.
Satan, Book II Paradise Lost By John Milton1 Idea
Whether real or not, one way of exerting control or exerting effort for the perception of control, is to change how you speak. For example I get to do this is better than I have to do this.
Another example is saying This wasn’t a priority for me instead of saying I didnt have time.
Finally saying I chose/choose to do this rather than I had to do this.
1
PoemSonnetSonnet 130: My mistress’ eyes are nothing like the sun
My mistress' eyes are nothing like the sun; Coral is far more red than her lips' red; If snow be white, why then her breasts are dun; If hairs be wires, black wires grow on her head. I have seen roses damasked, red and white, But no such roses see I in her cheeks; And in some perfumes is there more delight Than in the breath that from my mistress reeks. I love to hear her speak, yet well I know That music hath a far more pleasing sound; I grant I never saw a goddess go; My mistress, when she walks, treads on the ground. And yet, by heaven, I think my love as rare As any she belied with false compare.
William Shakespeare1 Picture
La maja desnuda (The pretty naked one) By Francisco de Goya, 1800 1 Essay
“In the shadow of Dante (the poetry of Eugenio Montale)”
The spiritual odyssey is not so, and even it — only vehicle. The metaphysical realist with an obvious passion for extremely condensed imagery, Montale was able to create his own poetic language through the imposition of, what he called “Avlico” — court, — on “prozaicheskiy”; language, which could also be defined as amaro stile nuovo (in contrast Dante formula, prevailed in the Italian poetry for more than six centuries). The most remarkable achievements of Montale, that he was able to get ahead, Despite the pressures dolce stile nuovo. In fact, not even trying to loosen the grip of, Montale constantly paraphrases the great Florentine, or refers to its imagery and vocabulary. The multiplicity of its allusions partly explains the accusations of ambiguity, that critics occasionally leveled against him. But references and paraphrases are a natural part of any civilized speech (free, or “freed” them it — only gestures), especially in the Italian cultural tradition. Michelangelo and Raphael, resulting in only these two examples, Both were avid interpreters “The divine Comedy”. One of the purposes of art — create debtors; paradox is, what, The more debt the artist, the richer.
[…]
Although useful, repetitive nature of rhyme scheme (as, however, any scheme) It creates the danger of exaggeration, not to mention the removal of the last of the reader. To prevent this, Montale often interleaves rhyme in a poem unrhymed. His opposition to the stylistic redundancy is of course as ethical, and aesthetic, proving, that the poem is a form of the closest possible interaction between ethics and aesthetics.
[…]
I went down, gave you a hand, at least one million
Joseph Brodsky
stairways,
and now, when you’re not here, at each step –
emptiness.
Nevertheless, our long journey was too short.
My still lasts, although I no longer needed
transplant, armor, traps,
repentance of those, who believe,
that really only visible to us.
I went down a million stairs, gave you a hand,
not because, four eyes, can, see better.
I went through it with you, because he knew, that the two of us
The only true pupils, although clouded,
were you.Read it all here.
1 Question
What are your three worst habits?
h/t The Knight
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A Flash Flash Fiction Attempt
By The Bishop
Ernest Hemingway Stepping gently into six word stories. Six six word stories, here we go …
Pilot ejector fails during training exercise.
As they pray, the coffin rumbles.
Breaking news: All elves on strike!
Mum I love you, Mum, Muuuuuuumm!.
“A.I. will never take over”, ChatGPT.
“I’m going to Bateman’s for drinks”
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Poem Day #31
By The Bishop
The Two Fridas By Frida Kahlo, 1939 So a whole month of poetry. In some ways it’s nice to have an effort culminate in a final piece of work as well as a portfolio of work. I feel as if I am just getting started and yet it must end. Expect a review of this month with my thoughts and reflections. Above all else enjoy, no one else can enjoy it for you.
Here you can read week 1 poems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Here you can read week 2 poems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Here you can read week 3 poems: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Here you can read week 4 poems: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
Here you can read the final few instalments: 29, 30 and today!
If I should die, Think only this of me, That I was there when no one else was, That I made you laugh when no one else could, That I embraced you when others didn't, I should think the best of you. But can I say that I think the same of you? Ostentibly not, for you are not meek, you run not hot nor cold, you shall not inherit the earth, you shall not enter the kingdom of heaven. For I acknowledge you, and I forgive you, I turn the other cheek, I offer you all that I own, the clothes off my back, the food on my plate, the roof over my hearth. If i should die, know this, that I loved you, love from heart, when you could not love yourself, I fought for you, when you would not take up arms, I defended you when you would not shield yourself, I tempered you when you overindulged, I talked to you when you hated yourself. If I should die, remember only this, That I have not entered paradiso because I helped, a lost soul, I have not wandered in inferno because I stopped, a hedonic man, I became not stuck in purgatorio because I befriended, a mean spirit, Nay, I have reached the empyrean, I have reached Heaven by helping, when no one could, when no one would, when no one should, but I did it for you my friend, not for paradiso for the divinity in you! -
Poem Day #30
By The Bishop
The lace-maker (Кружевница) By Vasily Andreevich Tropinin, 1823 Hello lace-maker, what a joy it is to acquaint with you, do be so kind and sweet, for this ode is for you.
Hello sweet girl, what troubles you? what interest you? you sew the dress, you ne'er read the press. Кружевница smile at me, don't blush, for that I suffer equally, toy with your curls, sweet girl, with hair as fine as that lace, Lace-maker, lace-maker, make me some lace, lace-maker, lace-maker, don't make me brace, with eyes like marbles of the sky, with depths of Nietzschean abyss', with darkness of the night sky, with beauty beyond the cosmos. Was this intelligent design? Nay, this is courage, to live so coy, so gentle, bring such joy to me, this is the work of master, to make a beauty, that makes such beauty with her lace. Twiddle your hair, twiddle your fingers, work and toil, work ne'er to spoil, come see me, and rest those weary elbows.
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Poem Day #29
By The Bishop
A katana made from metals found in a 4 billion-year-old meteorite. It’s called the “The Sword of Heaven”. Four week in, 28 poems in, I hope you’re enjoying it, I certainly am. It builds and builds but we must all fall to entropy as we look to close up this wonderful cultural experience and developmental challenge.
Here you can read week 1 poems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Here you can read week 2 poems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Here you can read week 3 poems: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Here you can read week 4 poems: 22, 23, 24, 25, 26, 27, and 28.
Here we have the Katana, Swift it cuts through his armour, Cause and create much drama, A 4 billion year old mourner.
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Poem Day #28
By The Bishop
A pigtailed man eating bread and butter By Edward Lear Clearly an alumn of Epicurus, indulging his indulgency, ne’er a stoic was found with this lack of temperance
There was a fat Boy from Cork, Who ate nothing but pork, They asked "do you like figs?" He replied "nay! only pigs" That indulgent boy from Cork
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Poem Day #27
By The Bishop
Something to cheer you up, me up, us up, who knows? but do you know me or am I disguised in thine own eyes?
There was an old woman of Corsica, That wed a penguin from Antarctica, It barked in the fog, So she asked "are you a dog?" That pretentious old woman of Corsica.
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Poem Day #26
By The Bishop
The Starry Night By Vincent van Gogh, 1889 I love when I can see stars in the sky.
We see the stars bright above, Shine they do through the darkness, Guide us from detest to love, Remove us from this starkness.
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Poem Day #25
By The Bishop
Apollo Here we have a more jolly poem to contrast our Dionysus poetic odyssey with poem #24.
There was a God called Apollo, Whose shin bone was rather hollow, When they shot at it quick, He flew off in a click, That incredulous God called Apollo.
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Poem Day #24
By The Bishop
Bacchus By Caravaggio, 1596-97 Dionysus or Apollo? That is the question, today we look to Dionysus.
Dionysus, Dionysus, What say you now? Drink wine, dance round the fire, gorge yourself on bore and beast, Play the flute, flirt with fire, Hunt with your brother, kill the beast. Dionysus, Dionysus, What have you for us? Pleasure, fun and hedonism Screw the sun, We praise the moon, We have fun, Ne'er wake till noon, Dionysus, Dionysus, Who are you? Show yourself, join us, give us the pleasure of pleasure, Drink the wine of wines, Play music of all melodies, So that we may know you, Live as you do, With pleasure in your trees.
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Poem Day #23
By The Bishop
The Anger of Achilles By Jacques-Louis David, 1819 Poor Achilles, always strong but not strong enough, I hope his ego isn’t his greatness weakness.
There was a strong man called Achilles, Who when shot with an arrow fell on some lilies, His heel was terribly sore, His attitude a great bore, That arrogant man called Achilles
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Poem Day #22
By The Bishop
LZ 129 Hindenburg Three week in, 21 poems in, I hope you’re enjoying it, I certainly am. The range is increasing the quality improving, hear now, our poems, my son.
Here you can read week 1 poems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Here you can read week 2 poems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Here you can read week 3 poems: 15, 16, 17, 18, 19, 20, and 21.
Fly by, glide through Hindenburg, Gather in this crowd to gawk, Stare and eat your battenburg, Care you don't hit the grand Hawk.
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Poem Day #21
By The Bishop
Starship takes beings of earth to Mars h/t Elon Musk Here we go to outer space for our limerick, I hope you join us on the journey.
There was an old man on Mars, Who looked up and saw nothing but stars, He asked "Is it always this bright?" They replied "Well, not at night" That perspicacious old man on Mars.
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Poem Day # 20
By The Bishop
Ladybug, Unsplash Back again, I hope you enjoy this lilliputian verse.
Ladybug, Ladybug breathe, Fly on your merry way now, Land back home, here now don't seethe, Do a little dance, then bow.
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Poem Day #19
By The Bishop
Casa de Pilatos, Sevilla, Andalusía When you look at greatness, don’t cower, ask yourself what is it calling you to?
Humbly I walk through the great halls, Bow down, I do to Greatness, Hear and heed we must its calls, Build in this world, not be less.
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Poem Day #18
By The Bishop
Dove (La Colombe) By Pablo Picasso, 1949 The next challenge is a call and response, this post may have been better saved for day #21 but nevertheless I present it with love in my heart.
Here are beautiful Angels, But lack they do, any free will, Capable not of evils, Here to worship, n'er to kill. See not those sinning Demons, But hear you may in your soul, Many sins lacking reasons, Forget them, fulfil thy role. What role have I in this world? Deus Lo Vult, must be love, Not an emotion hurled, But graciously, like the Dove.
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Poem Day #17
By The Bishop
A Wanderer above a sea of fog By Caspar David Friedrich, 1818 A Nietzschean prophet in the truest sense, How do you feel about Zarathustra? However you find your current sentiment don’t allow it to become a Sisyphean obstacle to your enjoyment and appreciation of this terse ode.
Thus spoke Zarathustra, What did he say? On which day? From which mountain did he come? Matter not, him we should welcome. Show him our xenia, For he is our senior, In wisdom, in knowledge, in age Bow and praise this great sage.
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Poem Day #16
By The Bishop
The Damsel of the Sanct Grael By Dante Gabriel Rossetti, 1874 Poor little Parisian girl, indulging her indulgence in that Parisian city of Paris.
There was a young girl of Paris That drunk wildy from her chalice, She swayed to and fro, Until she she walked past her show, That drunken young girl of Paris
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Poem Day #15
By The Bishop
London Two week in, 14 poems in, I hope you’re enjoying it, I certainly am. Progress must progress so stagnancy can become stagnant. Onwards!
Here you can read week 1 poems: 1, 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, and 7.
Here you can read week 2 poems: 8, 9, 10, 11, 12, 13 and 14.
Here I provide a Waka with a 7-7-7-7 ABAB, I hope you know the rest of the alphabet because I forgot, probably why it’s so short.
Walk onwards to the garden, Pick up some roses and gaze, Wait no more till they harden, Praise them in this weary haze.
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Poem Day #14
By The Bishop
A Vanitas Still Life with a Skull, a book and Roses By Jan Davidsz de Heem, C. 1630 The wakas are works in progress. Working within the rules of the game produces more creative results than one might in a world with no rules.
What falls on the rose? But blood and snow as it falls, So the sky must close, As the devil, me he calls,
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Poem Day #13
By The Bishop
The Blue Boy By Thomas Gainsborough, C. 1770 A rather sombre limerick for you today. Who doesn’t like a bit of dark humour?
There was a young boy from Israel That was terribly full of vitriol, that he forgot to tip his hat, then was suddenly hit by a bat, That vitriolic boy from Israel.
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Poem Day #12
By The Bishop
Here we are again, I’m sure you can guess what the prompt was today, not quite The Jumblies yet here I am in the arena, anon my fellow fellows.
As I stumble slowly the sand sifting through me toes the sun gleaming into my eyes As I stumble slowly The sand is blue and the crabs are red And they dance like stars in the sky and they dance like stars in the sky, they do they do, they do and they dance like stars in the sky. There gets thrown a frisbee Here gets chucked a rock and as that rock is chucked the red crabs scuttle across vying, vying, scuttling, scuttling across that bluest of blue sands, for the homliest of rocks. The sand is blue and the crabs are red And they dance like stars in the sky and they dance like stars in the sky, they do they do, they do and they dance like stars in the sky. As the boat bobs timidly past, those quizzical looks, shoot to the shore Shouting, shouting "The sand is blue, and the crabs are red and they dance like stars in the sky and they dance like stars in the sky" And as they do, dance like stars in the sky they do, The crabs mingle while the stars twinkle on that beach of shingle there with an abundance of blue sand to sprinkle, On that beautious beach the sand is blue and the crabs are red And they dance like stars in the sky and they dance like stars in the sky, they do they do, they do and they dance like stars in the sky.
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Poem Day #11
By The Bishop
Quasimodo By Antoine Wiertz, 1849 For whom do the bells toll? If it’s a question you’ve ever pondered, I in no way answer that question, but the answer is at least in part poetic, parsing out some free verse with a high-brow haiku or if you prefer, a wonderful waka.
For whom do the bells toll? For - whom, do - those bells - toll For - whom do - those bells - toll For - whom do - those bells - toll. They ding They dong They clash and They bang What do they show? What do they shout? The time is upon us The bread is now blood The mass has ended The masses disperse The time is upon us The time is upon us For whom do the bells toll? For - whom, do - those bells - toll For - whom do - those bells - toll For - whom do - those bells - toll. They ding They dong They clash and They bang always here always there here to tell that way to hell Move now to virtue, Stop this degeneracy, Here now to renew, This love miraculously.
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Randian protagonists
By the bishop
Has anyone ever thought about the fact that two characters in two of Ayn Rand’s most famous novels have the same initials.
Howard Roark in The fountainhead and Henry Rearden in Atlas Shrugged.
Are there any more examples of this from Rand specifically?
What does it mean that Rand has done this?
Was it a conscious choice or did she do it with some purpose in mind?
Did she do this with any other characters?
If other authors have done this, does it mean something different coming from Rand?
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The Next Crusade 