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Veil of opulence

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I recall you said once said something about how libertarians imagine they would be the robber barons captains of industry in the 19th century. Now we have a name for this fallacy: Veil of opulence.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)21:47, 17 September 2012

Ooh nice read. Libertarians, conservatives, people who read too much into the age of Chivalry...

ТyBother me23:04, 17 September 2012

And no one is ever Dennis the Constitutional Peasant when it comes to past-life regression.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)23:06, 17 September 2012

I had to rewatch Gone With the Wind the other day with the grandmother. Out comes the genology book. Fucking "good old days"

ТyBother me23:11, 17 September 2012

Ask to read this "genealogy book" next time. I'm sure it'll be a fun experience.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)00:58, 18 September 2012

More entertaining than reading about sugar plantations.

ТyBother me01:03, 18 September 2012

Depends on which sugar plantations we're talking about here.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)01:04, 18 September 2012

Not those, though that's always a fun day in history class :D

ТyBother me01:06, 18 September 2012
 
 
 

Also, at least it's not The Decline of the West. Hundreds and hundreds of pages about the good old days in that one.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)01:10, 18 September 2012

Looks like a good book to foist on irritating relatives or for use as a cure for insomnia. Sadly, once they've finished it they're likely to become even more annoying.

ТyBother me01:14, 18 September 2012
 

Actually, one of the things that bugged me about TRO was his belief that global warming/Africa will get better because.... things get better.

ТyBother me01:17, 18 September 2012

Say, did you ever finish reviewing that? Spontaneous order, therefore global warming is a commie hoax!

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)01:29, 18 September 2012

Damn. Yes, I'll do a few chapter summaries the next day I have opulent amounts of spare time, i.e. Saturday.

ТyBother me01:32, 18 September 2012

Seen John Gray's scathing review of it?

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)01:42, 18 September 2012

It turned out nice ;)

ТyBother me02:01, 18 September 2012

Speaking of opulence and veils, TRO is a prime example. Things are getting better -- we've eliminated slavery...right? Whoops. But don't worry, as Steven Pinker reminds us, the absolute number of slaves may have increased, but the proportion of people in slavery has decreased! Isn't that wonderful? Rich white dude -- nice work if you can get it!

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)02:28, 18 September 2012

... wow, just wow.

ТyBother me02:39, 18 September 2012

I call it "pulling a Lomborg." ProgressTM marches ever forward!

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)02:56, 18 September 2012

On the opposite end, the Good Ole Day's people and "run for the hills and raise goats". it get's really funny when someone manages to combine pulling a Lomborg and Good Ole Days in the same conversation.

ТyBother me03:09, 18 September 2012

A Malcopian? How do they handle the cognitive dissonance?

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)03:13, 18 September 2012

By being selective in what has gone to hell in a handbasket/is getting better all the time. For example: Crime is worse, the goverment intrudes into our lives, Obama's going to take our guns, the traditional family is breaking down, but the market can solve all these enviormental problems (provided they weren't made up to begin with), people are lving longer, healthcare is better, and isn't modern technology funktastic!

ТyBother me03:22, 18 September 2012

Sounds suspiciously like Newt Gingrich.

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)03:30, 18 September 2012

Heh. Down here The GOP is often depicted as a pro-science party because the left is built up as a hard green new age flake vegan strawman who wants to go commune with the gators and will prmptly become a snack. Or as banning new techology to protect mosquito spawning areas. Didn't hear much Newt stuff where I'm at, except carping about his personal life.

ТyBother me03:35, 18 September 2012

Indeed, Rachel Carson killed more people than Hitler, didn'tcha know?

Nebuchadnezzar (talk)03:40, 18 September 2012

Pretty much. Global Warming, Ozone hole, Endangered species act, etc. are all just there to stop business from growing and allow the goverment to have more power. "People in Africa are dying because the greens won't let them have electrcity" and all that rubbish.

ТyBother me14:00, 18 September 2012