[cpbell0033944]

I'm not a big fan of people who list "trying to make the world a better place" as one of their primary activities.  I much prefer the honest self-absorption of Prince Philip.

At least Charles tries to make a difference.  I think this may be yet another philosophical are in which we disagree, unfortunately. :-

[Lingster]

The problem with setting out to make the world a better place is that human societies arise organically, not through engineering.  Their level of complexity exceeds what any person is capable of understanding, and attempts to "redesign" them have consistently resulted in failure.  Some of these failures have been very small, i.e. various "Walden Two" experiments, while others have been quite large, i.e. Mao's China.  (The large ones tend to leave staggering bodycounts.)

Setting out to make the world a better place is a staggeringly arrogant thing to do.  It's the equivalent of saying, "I know the good better than all of these other people, so I will try to advance my version of the good over theirs."  When people do this sort of thing on their own through non-coercive means, I have no problem with it.  But once they start trying to get laws passed to impose their vision on other people, I think they ought to be taken out and flogged.

[cpbell0033944]

The problem with setting out to make the world a better place is that human societies arise organically, not through engineering.  Their level of complexity exceeds what any person is capable of understanding, and attempts to "redesign" them have consistently resulted in failure.  Some of these failures have been very small, i.e. various "Walden Two" experiments, while others have been quite large, i.e. Mao's China.  (The large ones tend to leave staggering bodycounts.)

Setting out to make the world a better place is a staggeringly arrogant thing to do.  It's the equivalent of saying, "I know the good better than all of these other people, so I will try to advance my version of the good over theirs."  When people do this sort of thing on their own through non-coercive means, I have no problem with it.  But once they start trying to get laws passed to impose their vision on other people, I think they ought to be taken out and flogged.

I agree, but Charles is not constitutionally able to pass laws without the agreement of Parliament, and probably wouldn't do so even if he could.  There's a big difference between advocating organic farming, wildlife conservation and good architecture (which is what he does) and trying to do a Chairman Mao act.

[ScottG]

Jack that list was absolutely hilarious.  Great post.

[Lingster]

A New BEST THING EVER.

[Michael Pouliot]

A New BEST THING EVER.

Yes, that tops The Snuke.

[cpbell0033944]

A New BEST THING EVER.

I wonder if she has powerful quads in real life?

[Lingster]

I wonder if she has powerful quads in real life?

In real life she uses the power of her mind to crush nuts.

[Lingster]

[html][/html]

Yay!

[cpbell0033944]

<object type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="450" height="370" wmode="transparent" data="http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=abc_1192235644"><param name="movie" value="http://www.liveleak.com/player.swf?autostart=false&token=abc_1192235644"><param name="wmode" value="transparent"><param name="quality" value="high"></object>

Yay!

Here, he'd have been locked-up. ::)

[Author]

Posts