Sunday, May 31, 2009

Blair Swarm

Let’s have a look at what Tim Blair’s far flung family is up to…

1) Shadowlands has a link for those who need to find a gift for that…er…special someone.

2) bingbing at Tizona has links to some fascinating videos on North Korea.

3) TimT discusses the average politician’s favorite holiday.

4) Socialism - the fun is catching. But, as Slatts points out, there really isn’t anything fun (or funny) about it.

5) Mr. Bingley takes note of another insult hurled at Albion by the Obama Administration (this time, by that impertinent young tick, Robert Gibbs).

6) More vibrant prose from that philosophical pedal-pusher, Boy on a Bike.

7) Mythusmage finds one of the best quotes concerning climate change that I’ve ever seen.

Note: There are now so many graduates of Tim Blair’s Comment Academy – I continue to come across new ones, or rather, bloggers who are new to me – that linking everybody at one time is becoming a bit unwieldy. I’ll try to link you all a half-dozen or so at a time, going forward.

14 comments:

Yojimbo said...

Just an update to the "Well, There You Have It" file.

UAW Chief on Fox this morning. I won't put it in quotes but this is an accurate account. He stated that the current economic ills are directly attributable to the lack of an INDUSTRIAL POLICY in this country.

For all you young whipper snappers out there that is just a nice nice phrase for a statist centrally planned economy.

JeffS said...

Of course the UAW wants a centrally planned economy, Yojimbo. Makes it easer for the unions to mismanage their retirement accounts.

Paco -- that climate change quote is now posted in my office. HA!

mythusmage said...

Jeffs,

You have told Gerard this, right?

Paco said...

Yojimbo: You are spot on, my friend. I took a course in graduate school that was concerned primarily with industrial policy, and it if it ain't socialism proper, it's the nearest thing: the state picking winners and losers.

Harry Eagar said...

Of course the US has an industrial policy. Has had since Reagan was elected. It's called, send your industry to China.

How's that working out so far?

Paco said...

As the U.S. has become an increasingly service-oriented economy, it was probably inevitable that we would lose competitive advantage in some of the manufaturing sectors. Plus, China doesn't have to worry about pesky little things like unions and workplace safety and environmental restrictions and child labor prohibitions and basic human rights.

JeffS said...

Yeah, Paco, ain't it funny how industries like to work where costs are low? And they even moved out of the USA when Clinton was the Prez.

Mythusmage -- ummmmmm, no, I didn't. Is that comment copyrighted?

Paco said...

Jeff: One interesting thing is that there was much fuss about various industries (textiles, for example) moving to Mexico; however, wages and benefits improved to such an extent in Mexico that Mexico is now in the same boat as the U.S. - they're losing production to China. China, incidentally, is not a member of the Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development, which means that the country is free of its many rules and regulations which inhibit complete freedom of action for the member countries.

JeffS said...

That's very interesting, Paco. I wasn't aware that Mexico faces the same problem. Given their instability, that's not a good thing.

However, I suspect that China cares not at all. Especially with Hillary running the Department of State.

RebeccaH said...

Plus, China doesn't have to worry about pesky little things like unions and workplace safety and environmental restrictions and child labor prohibitions and basic human rights.Or automation... yet. Woe betide the world when automation begins to put the billion or so Chinese out of work.

Btw, thanks, Paco, for all the Blairite blog swarms. I only found a bunch of them because of your links, and what a rich field it is.

mythusmage said...

JeffS,

Technically speaking, it is. Even if it wasn't it's still a courteous thing to do.

JeffS said...

I attributed it to him, Mythus, by name. It's not like I'm a Democrat. ;-p

Anonymous said...

JeffS, do you know Gerard's blog American Digest? It's worth a visit. Gerard doesn't strike me as the sort to be other than pleased that you liked his quote.

Retread

Vlad the Impala said...

RebeccaH, remember the Beijing Olympics? The opening ceremonies had literally thousands and thousands of performers in a staggering number of different 'scenes'.

I remember one commenter asking why they used so many people, and the other one said something like, why use automation when the entire Beijing population of slave labor is available?