It has been a long time. I have not been well. I have not had the energy or the disposition to do much beyond what takes a minimum effort. For example, even though I know that the Montréal Canadiens, aka the Habs, are out of the National Hockey LeagueStanley Cup finals for this year, I do not have the energy to whinge about that. I also know that Major League Baseball has started up again, and that the Bronx Bombers' Aaron Judge (#AllRise) recently made a spectacular catch, but I have not had the energy to stay up and watch a whole game. Formula 1 has started again, yet I cannot get it together enough to force myself out of bed for that, although I am happy to hear that McLaren have started off the season relatively well.
I am not entirely out of it, however,. I know the Famous took on the Bheasts last Saturday. Every Saturday, we follow, We cheer the Boys in Blue...
All of which is to say that, if I drag my New York-bred misanthropic ass in front of the 'puter for any length, it is because I really REALLYwant to get something off of my chest.
I have said repeatedly that, in terms of economics, I am far closer to Alexander Hamilton and Otto Graf von Bismarck than I am to Ayn Rand and Libertarians per se. Recent events show why.
Hamilton, Graf von Bismarck and Rand all agree that having a private sector is preferable to North Korea/Nicolas Maduro-style economics. From there, they diverge. Rand says that the less government, the better. She does NOTadvocate NOgovernment, she just wants the government meddling in people's lives as little as possible.
A strong Federal system of government limiting the power of individual jurisdictions, even though such jurisdictions have elected leaders, can be viewed as the government meddling in people's lives. Recent events have shown that such meddling is necessary. This may be hard to understand for Americans and Germans, who, thanks to Hamilton and Bismarck, have a strong Federal system of government. Allow me to explain from the perspective of recent events in Canada.
If that was not enough, recently, because the NDP (socialist) Premier of British Columbia refused to allow a pipeline transporting Alberta oil through his Province to the coast, the NDP (socialist, as in a fellow party member of the Premier of British Columbia) Premier of Alberta banned the possession in Alberta of wine made in British Columbia.
Alexander Hamilton and Otto Graf von Bismarck were wise and learned students of humanity. They knew that man can and will pursue his self-interest to the detriment of others, and that nature, and even what Gore Vidal called "the Honourable Society of the Invisible Hand", will not be enough to stop man on such a rampage. That is why Alexander Hamilton called for a strong Federal system, and why Otto Graf von Bismarck strongly supported the transfer of the pre-existing Zollverein (customs union) of the pre-1871 constellation of German-speaking statelets into the newborn German nation of 1871.
Let me put it this way. Say you live in New York or Florida and you took a trip across Lake Champlain to Vermont or to Georgia respectively. How would you like it if your own State Police/Highway Patrol arrested you on the spot on your return because, safe and unopened in the boot of your car, you had beer or Bucky's purchased someplace other than at the State monopoly? Enter the term "Wyoming Stock Growers' Association" into the search function of this blog, and you will see that I am very well aware that Alexander Hamilton did not succeed in making America 100% monopoly-proof. The difference is that the WSGA of the 19th Century acted outside the law, hiring a gunman and a murderer, Frank Canton, to kill off smaller ranchers. In Canada, it is not hired gunmen who nick you for violating Provincial quasi-sharia laws on alcohol, but rather duly sworn officers of the law.
Thatis why I prefer Alexander Hamilton and Otto Graf von Bismarck to Ayn Rand.
And, now, I want to end with a couple of plugs.
I first heard of this group on TSN 690. They are called Hockey Helps The Homeless, and they raise money for homeless people by hosting hockey tournaments featuring National Hockey League players and ordinary civilians.
McLaren alumni Sergio "Checo" Perez is collecting money for the victims of the recent earthquakes in Mexico through his foundation.
Puerto Rico has been devastated by Hurricane Maria. New York Governor Andrew Cuomo has set up The Empire State Relief And Recovery Effort For Puerto Rico.
On the subject of Puerto Rico, Los Angeles Chef José Andrés has set up an organisation, called World Central Kitchen, to help feed the hungry, not only in Puerto Rico, but in other bad-off places in the world. Please donate or help if you can.
I also want to plug the Patreons of a couple of superb folks. First, there is Jordan Owen, superb musician and content creator. Then, there is Sunny Megatron, Sex Educator and Podcaster. And there is also director extraordinaire and podcaster Holly Randall. They are, all three, highly entertaining to watch. They have the charm and magnetic charisma of The Kylie Ireland Show podcast of a decade ago, starring the legendary, one and only Kylie Ireland and Eli Cross.