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Tag Archives: Tyranny
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene: the nice need not apply
The 48 Laws of Power by Robert Greene My rating: 4 of 5 stars A comprehensive manual on how to gain worldly power. Not for the just, the kind, the ethical, or the fainthearted—but is that a surprise? I acquired … Continue reading
Posted in book reviews
Tagged Abraham Lincoln, Alastair Smith, Beelzebub, Bobby Fischer, Bruce Bueno de Mesquita, Carl Jung, Il Principe, John Bunyan, Joseph Stalin, landmark books, Machiavelli, mastery, politics, power, reading, Robert Greene, the 48 laws of power, the dictator's handbook, The Pilgrim's Progress, The Prince, the world situation, Thomas Hobbes, Tyranny, Vanity Fair
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the panopticon state
The panopticon was a type of building designed by the 18th-century British philosopher and social theorist Jeremy Bentham, famous as the leading thinker on utilitarianism. Designed with prisons in mind, the panopticon was a cylindrical building whose chambers all faced … Continue reading
what have we got to hide? I’ll tell you
While I can’t say that I’m surprised at the recent revelation of the handing over of millions of telephone-call records to the U.S. government by Verizon (and no doubt other operators), for some reason it has stirred fresh anger in … Continue reading
One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest: for the mental patient in all of us
Last night on Paul’s History of Cinema Festival Kimmie and I watched One Flew over the Cuckoo’s Nest, released in November 1975 and winner of the 1976 Academy Award for Best Picture, among other honors. Directed by Milos Forman, the … Continue reading
what scares me
In my post on what I unlearned from 9/ll there was a further point I wanted to address, but I didn’t get to it. It concerned the issue of terrorism. Since 9/11 the words terrorism and terrorist have shown up … Continue reading
Posted in thoughts
Tagged 9/11, communism, Government, Paul's life, politics, terrorism, Tyranny
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will you join the Party when it’s time?
The study of history makes a man wise and judicious. So says Ludwig von Mises on page 30 of Human Action. If he’s right, that would make a powerful reason for anyone to study history—and I think he is right. … Continue reading
Posted in thoughts
Tagged Adam Fergusson, fascism, gold, Government, History, inflation, Justice, Ludwig von Mises, Timothy Green, Tyranny, Wealth
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sick it is, then
I’m pleased to announce that Technology Review magazine has published my letter to the editor. In edited form, under the title “Leaking Secrets”, it appears thus on page 7 of their August 2011 issue: I found your editorial and review … Continue reading
Posted in thoughts
Tagged Government, nonfiction, Technology Review, Tyranny, WikiLeaks
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