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Gongol.com Archives: September 2004



Socialism Doesn't Work: Never Has, Never Will (9.28.2004)
Pay Rates and Employee Quality Are Linked
Whether you think judges and members of the Canadian Parliament deserve a pay raise or not, here's a patently ridiculous comment:
"There's no shortage of highly qualified candidates at the present time, and if a candidate is looking for big money, then a judicial position might not be the right place for him or her," said Jacob Ziegel, with the University of Toronto.
While the case can be made that public service shouldn't be a path to riches, it's absurd to suggest that rational people wouldn't take compensation under consideration when evaluating whether to enter public service.

Computers and the Internet (9.28.2004)
Little Blue Pills Sold Online Often Fake
Don't buy Viagra or other medicines from people who send you junk e-mail: Half of what's sent is probably fake (and could be harmful), and it only encourages them to send more junk to fill everyone else's inboxes

Threats to Western Civilization (9.28.2004)
FBI 123,000 Hours Behind on Listening to Spy Tapes
Some tapes are being deleted before being checked. If you can speak anything from Albanian to Vietnamese, they're offering up to $38 an hour (that's $76,000 a year) to listen in.

Threats to Western Civilization (9.28.2004)
Deliberation is One Thing. This is Ridiculous.
Present law in Japan requires the Prime Minister to convene a cabinet meeting before ordering the armed forces to shoot down an incoming missile. Considering a ballistic missile from North Korea could be there in 10 minutes, that doesn't seem particularly sensible. Especially when those missiles could be nuclear. South Korea, meanwhile, says that a shipment of sodium cyanide it sent to China was re-shipped to North Korea last year.

Weather and Natural Disasters (9.28.2004)
USGS "Furiously" Setting Up Detectors at Mount St. Helens
Earthquake frequency has gone through the roof

The American Way (9.28.2004)
Tony Blair: Left? Right? Who Knows?
He's going for an unprecedented third term for his party. Blair's foreign-policy record and demeanor lean rightward, while his proposed agenda for a third term pushes for larger public service programs. Interestingly, while Blair has been a strong ally to President Bush, the Conservative Party is keen on him too.

Socialism Doesn't Work: Never Has, Never Will (9.28.2004)
Tyranny of Good Intentions on the Internet
Sure, accessibility for everyone would be nice. But requiring it under the Americans with Disabilities Act would be a clear violation of free speech.

Socialism Doesn't Work: Never Has, Never Will (9.28.2004)
Sen. Clinton's Health-Care Plan Might Have Killed Bill
Waiting times for health services under socialized single-payer programs average much longer than the time the former President had to spare. Ironic, no?

The American Way (9.28.2004)
How to Control Big Business
Whether it's a worthwhile policy goal or not, people will try to do it. There are some market-friendly ways available.




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