licentious radio

Friday, May 10, 2002
[3:02:56 PM]

Say "Argentina". Now repeat after me: "It's the economy, stupid."

Argentina is the classic tragedy of the commons. Every huge, corrupt industry stole so much from Argentina, that now there's nothing left. If only one pirate sector had owned exclusive rights to pillage the country, that sector would have had incentive not to overgraze. As it was, the various pirates were in a race to steal every possible bit of wealth. If your sector didn't steal a dollar, some other sector would get it before a formerly middle-class Argentinian could say "Throw the bums out".

Take the Bush mafia (and compatriots). From S&L to HUD to mining rights to star wars to Enron to endless war, and on and on... these guys have stolen trillions of dollars. But they've only overgrazed a few times. We're much better off that there is one gang calling the shots.

Ha, ha. I'm joking.

[2:41:31 PM]
CorpWatch.org: "...another Enron pipeline in Bolivia burst on January 2000, leaking 30,000 barrels of oil into a river in the Andean highlands."

This beautiful, wonderful planet. If it makes them a fast buck, the pirates are willing to pollute/destroy any part of it. It completely breaks my heart. Here's something I don't believe I've ever written or said: "May God have mercy on their souls."

[10:02:30 AM]
So if you search Google for "microsoft ashcroft recuse", the third item you get back is:

Ashcroft: No need to recuse in MS case ... to recuse in MS case. Washington DC -- Attorney General John Ashcroft explained today why he had recused himself from the Enron case, but not the Microsoft case ...

I find it *extremely* amusing that my bits of humor rank so highly at Google. As far as I know, this is all because Dave Winer [scripting.com] linked to one of my CSS tips. It's interesting sociologically, but alas, of little immediate practicality. But thanks, Dave. I need all the amusements I can get.

[9:45:40 AM]
Laura Bush on Vaclav Havel: "He was a playwright, he was an intellectual, he was not someone you would think of as becoming the president." Of course, it's only hilarious because it's Laura Bush saying it.