So how long will it be before the Chinese economy falls apart at the seams?
San Diego has condemmed its citizens to paying too much for groceries by banning all Wal-Mart supercenters.
Wednesday, November 29, 2006
Wednesday, November 15, 2006
Compassionate Warfare
Gaaaagh! I spent 45 minutes writing a post, and it somehow vanished. Stupid internet.
Ok, here's a brief version.
Around DC you hear talk of "compassionate" warfare being the way we need to go in Iraq. Politics and the usual meaning of "compassionate warfare" aside (hint - its proponents aren't in favor of aggressive operations), what would compassionate warfare look like?
Assuming that the goal of warfare - even compassionate warfare - is to win by killing and capturing enough enemies to cause their compatriots to loose heart and cease aggressive actions, all warfare will include killing and holding combatants against their will.
So if the above is true, the only way to make warfare compassionate is to limit the impact/damage to American soldiers, citizens, and yes, even to true non-combatants residing in the nation in which we are conducting military operations.
And, the best way to reduce the collateral damage of warfare is to fight intelligently and aggressively so as to make the conflict as short as possible. Go in, do the job well and truly, and get back out. Less mess, less strain on both nations, and the situation is resolved.
Now, I know that warfare is complicated, and that the Iraqi front of the war on terror is especially complicated, but increasing the length of a conflict - or failing to see a conflict through to a successful finish altogether - is most emphatically NOT compassionate warfare.
Yes, you want to pick your targets with care. But you also want to be aggressive and violent enough to get the matter settled as quickly as possible - for the sake of your own troops, their families, your own home front, and especially for the people of the conflicted land itself.
This is true compassionate warfare.
Ok, here's a brief version.
Around DC you hear talk of "compassionate" warfare being the way we need to go in Iraq. Politics and the usual meaning of "compassionate warfare" aside (hint - its proponents aren't in favor of aggressive operations), what would compassionate warfare look like?
Assuming that the goal of warfare - even compassionate warfare - is to win by killing and capturing enough enemies to cause their compatriots to loose heart and cease aggressive actions, all warfare will include killing and holding combatants against their will.
So if the above is true, the only way to make warfare compassionate is to limit the impact/damage to American soldiers, citizens, and yes, even to true non-combatants residing in the nation in which we are conducting military operations.
And, the best way to reduce the collateral damage of warfare is to fight intelligently and aggressively so as to make the conflict as short as possible. Go in, do the job well and truly, and get back out. Less mess, less strain on both nations, and the situation is resolved.
Now, I know that warfare is complicated, and that the Iraqi front of the war on terror is especially complicated, but increasing the length of a conflict - or failing to see a conflict through to a successful finish altogether - is most emphatically NOT compassionate warfare.
Yes, you want to pick your targets with care. But you also want to be aggressive and violent enough to get the matter settled as quickly as possible - for the sake of your own troops, their families, your own home front, and especially for the people of the conflicted land itself.
This is true compassionate warfare.
Friday, November 10, 2006
Vanishing Seafood and Happy Terrorists
Last week I caught a radio news bulletin breathlessly announcing that, by the year 2042, there will be no more seafood. Oh the panic! Oh the horror!
But let's think about like an economist. Demand for a product is partially determined by price. Price is, in part, determined by supply (relative to demand, but we'll assume people continue to like seafood). Assuming the study is correct, and we are eating seafood faster than it is replenished, seafood will become more and more difficult (and expensive) to catch, and therefore more expensive to eat. As seafood prices rise two things will happen; people will eat less of seafood (just like with any other good), and entrepreneurs will have the incentive to figure out ways to raise seafood.
For these two reasons - decreasing demand due to rising costs and increasing "artificially" grown seafood - I don't think we will ever really "run out" of seafood.
Second Point of business:
So I heard (but haven't confirmed) that an AQ terrorist leader in Iraq has issued a statement saying, among other things, that "America has taken a step in the right direction" with the recent elections. Wow, that should tell you something about how America's enemies view the two parties.
But let's think about like an economist. Demand for a product is partially determined by price. Price is, in part, determined by supply (relative to demand, but we'll assume people continue to like seafood). Assuming the study is correct, and we are eating seafood faster than it is replenished, seafood will become more and more difficult (and expensive) to catch, and therefore more expensive to eat. As seafood prices rise two things will happen; people will eat less of seafood (just like with any other good), and entrepreneurs will have the incentive to figure out ways to raise seafood.
For these two reasons - decreasing demand due to rising costs and increasing "artificially" grown seafood - I don't think we will ever really "run out" of seafood.
Second Point of business:
So I heard (but haven't confirmed) that an AQ terrorist leader in Iraq has issued a statement saying, among other things, that "America has taken a step in the right direction" with the recent elections. Wow, that should tell you something about how America's enemies view the two parties.
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