tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25210566455485384102024-03-29T12:02:34.437+01:00Commentary and OutlookReflections on the modern world from a libertarian point of view. Articles, essays, and reviews in politics, philosophy, international relations, and culture. Contact: finn.andreen@gmail.comFinn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.comBlogger58125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-11395423495302059162024-01-28T21:04:00.003+01:002024-01-28T21:07:07.555+01:00The Western Ruling Elite: Its Development and Its Betrayal<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0kyL647NiJ_RfbeaCaAugLXC3ZxDVgoLdkD_uJF6wtbGI9sCl1jmdaCYcMH5WWWUdYLlYLCXp2ys2ue2K5JjcteibpOVxnwV9Cg9tvONmYKsqpVOgxgxuf4nBH96tjcZD6L83RCv8lvXZ_kYKSSA7ylklkiuugupRGJqqvAvudqbZCDZiCOBYYgrqgc/s1024/DALL%C2%B7E%202024-01-09%2015.58.58%20-%20A%20more%20focused%20depiction%20of%20the%20globalized%20financial%20Western%20oligarchy%20concept,%20making%20the%20subject%20more%20evident.%20Center%20the%20image%20around%20a%20large,%20impo.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1024" data-original-width="1024" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgv0kyL647NiJ_RfbeaCaAugLXC3ZxDVgoLdkD_uJF6wtbGI9sCl1jmdaCYcMH5WWWUdYLlYLCXp2ys2ue2K5JjcteibpOVxnwV9Cg9tvONmYKsqpVOgxgxuf4nBH96tjcZD6L83RCv8lvXZ_kYKSSA7ylklkiuugupRGJqqvAvudqbZCDZiCOBYYgrqgc/w320-h320/DALL%C2%B7E%202024-01-09%2015.58.58%20-%20A%20more%20focused%20depiction%20of%20the%20globalized%20financial%20Western%20oligarchy%20concept,%20making%20the%20subject%20more%20evident.%20Center%20the%20image%20around%20a%20large,%20impo.png" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Western ruling elite has become oligarchic in nature; its political
and economic influence is disproportionate and even harmful to society. It is
necessary, therefore, to review its historical evolution and expose its current
goals.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-theme-font: minor-latin;">First of all, it must be recognized that it is natural and
necessary for society to have an elite. Murray Rothbard <a href="https://mises.org/library/freedom-inequality-primitivism-and-division-labor">wrote
about</a> the ideal of "natural aristocrats", who “live in freedom
and harmony with their fellows, and rise by exercising their individuality and
their highest abilities in the service of their fellows, either in an
organization or by producing efficiently for the consumers.</span>”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2024/01/the-western-ruling-elite-its.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-59950684824872245452023-10-30T21:19:00.005+01:002024-01-28T21:07:36.764+01:00Libertarianism and the Importance of Causality<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjMWIBs0HKfV57vHKtlaORK1PhEBSX02OaQGupC-PF9e8gI8xx70gALf_dkkhA0BvEdGvEyxc1Xe-raYLzRlFgiru80Xb20PfabxXvYlwDT86KwSBYZNW4QZ8KZgUz7E2Hjt5S04GylH-o1sd20KIF68vIZfGgajdRR0nfACY-VqzkSf2fE9tHYQ1jWg/s1280/causality.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="720" data-original-width="1280" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiFjMWIBs0HKfV57vHKtlaORK1PhEBSX02OaQGupC-PF9e8gI8xx70gALf_dkkhA0BvEdGvEyxc1Xe-raYLzRlFgiru80Xb20PfabxXvYlwDT86KwSBYZNW4QZ8KZgUz7E2Hjt5S04GylH-o1sd20KIF68vIZfGgajdRR0nfACY-VqzkSf2fE9tHYQ1jWg/w320-h181/causality.jpg" width="320"></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">Even though support
for the free market has become stronger in the last decades, libertarianism can
still only be considered a fringe movement. Most people still believe that many
social problems are due to “market failure” and therefore require State intervention
to be “solved”. Despite the obvious flaws of </span><a href="https://mises.org/wire/modern-socialism-forced-socialization" style="background-color: white;">modern
socialism</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">, with its unlikely combination of redistributive welfare state
and globalist crony capitalism, and despite libertarianism’s robust </span><a href="https://mises.org/library/man-economy-and-state-power-and-market" style="background-color: white;">philosophical</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
and </span><a href="https://mises.org/library/americas-great-depression" style="background-color: white;">empirical</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
foundations, the </span><a href="https://mises.org/library/human-action-0" style="background-color: white;">liberalism of</a><span style="background-color: white; color: #222222;">
Ludwig von Mises is still far from enjoying the majority support that it so
amply deserves.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2023/10/libertarianism-and-importance-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-85830527814451958262023-07-06T19:11:00.005+02:002024-01-28T21:07:46.535+01:00Modern Socialism is a Forced Socialization<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssgIFDmLBEyc4rr6y3lMNnmjfD7I5VeeLfk2hBAVfmh5qtbLOEie7lOBpFp7m9a_Pp0a-JXsrFL4CvrEGUAhpcmrVjW4c66JJaeefsOR3eqwMNtbelE4bqMSvUT_aNS_B0VaooyKFCK-jJfCqNbstvgwxm37bY7cEBGggcdzhj0miFPPg-Yswn3xEN68/s960/paris.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="539" data-original-width="960" height="181" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhssgIFDmLBEyc4rr6y3lMNnmjfD7I5VeeLfk2hBAVfmh5qtbLOEie7lOBpFp7m9a_Pp0a-JXsrFL4CvrEGUAhpcmrVjW4c66JJaeefsOR3eqwMNtbelE4bqMSvUT_aNS_B0VaooyKFCK-jJfCqNbstvgwxm37bY7cEBGggcdzhj0miFPPg-Yswn3xEN68/w320-h181/paris.jpg" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">My article “<a href="https://mises.org/power-market/education-modern-socialist">The Education
of the Modern Socialist</a>” deserves a follow up. That first part showed that a
change has occurred in the definition of "socialism"; a necessary one
in view of the failures of this ideology during the last century. Socialism today
is based on the ideology of "Statism" that is, the conviction that
the State must play a fundamental role in society. This is Ludwig von Mises’
wider definition of Socialism as State intervention; a modern social State that
is involved in most if not all the activities of society, whether commercial or
not.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2023/07/modern-socialism-is-forced-socialization.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-3190748940253360792023-05-28T19:06:00.011+02:002024-01-28T21:08:03.464+01:00The G7 in Hiroshima: the Latest Attempt to Impose a Unipolar World<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXHhInBAK0ch2w4nsl31GvShfaB0gUd8nteQc30zICz3smHyHF4bh72eEPbNlbZpD_Ya3vNVI74RPMXXK_4dNXLWr7AGTa87Ds6oSzwAxGMQV655HaF0LmP-Qb20lJBQ1HKmHR0AuClJNC6a6TzC3P5VFtQm6uwWkgI1oIvIQGsLU8UDBx4L_rCZt/s2560/g7.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1707" data-original-width="2560" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhAXHhInBAK0ch2w4nsl31GvShfaB0gUd8nteQc30zICz3smHyHF4bh72eEPbNlbZpD_Ya3vNVI74RPMXXK_4dNXLWr7AGTa87Ds6oSzwAxGMQV655HaF0LmP-Qb20lJBQ1HKmHR0AuClJNC6a6TzC3P5VFtQm6uwWkgI1oIvIQGsLU8UDBx4L_rCZt/w320-h213/g7.jpg" width="320"></span></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The last</span> <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/49th_G7_summit" style="font-family: verdana;">G7 summit</a><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that took
place from 19</span><sup style="font-family: verdana;">th</sup><span style="font-family: verdana;"> to 21</span><sup style="font-family: verdana;">st</sup><span style="font-family: verdana;"> May 2023 in Hiroshima deserves attention
because it exposes the latest Western attempt to impose its unipolar world view.
But first a bit of background on the G7.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2023/05/the-g7-in-hiroshima-latest-attempt-to.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-11677939447633108472023-01-31T18:55:00.008+01:002024-01-28T20:58:09.563+01:00Covid-19: Will the Political and Health Scandals Erupt into the Public Light?<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sDMPStgah5x038ZBYvdBHMmFRXl591WiKd9b676gz_Kgb3ETVZojBXDsOP7TtrJPU-AWgfmE-lFYrXKw7gtdTgAt-_6CKx5fSRc1_cbAQamrhBtbHseSPciWDYJx5tuXllOWEDNpYEgMD3qpAv2y6t5Ajy1U4QBsIT_rLRVQr8SYziC4fVcgKCsK/s840/image001.png" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="560" data-original-width="840" height="213" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh-sDMPStgah5x038ZBYvdBHMmFRXl591WiKd9b676gz_Kgb3ETVZojBXDsOP7TtrJPU-AWgfmE-lFYrXKw7gtdTgAt-_6CKx5fSRc1_cbAQamrhBtbHseSPciWDYJx5tuXllOWEDNpYEgMD3qpAv2y6t5Ajy1U4QBsIT_rLRVQr8SYziC4fVcgKCsK/w320-h213/image001.png" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The recent revelations surrounding the Covid-19 pandemic in
the West are so shocking that first it is necessary to first summarize them.
Secondly, it is important to try to understand why these political and health scandals
are unlikely to have the political consequences hoped for by those who wish to
see truth and justice triumph.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2023/01/covid-19-will-political-and-health.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-58552259416622448802023-01-26T22:08:00.003+01:002024-01-28T20:58:20.055+01:00Why Libertarians Should Support the Multipolar World<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj895gMrB6_roZenZZYl62fLP7jN_MIDSmqtYox9JoEhiTleFeM-AwIQGtjedqVqB2yQjpMJexyO3bJ9Fj1D9d0xe6krsrHeonHFisT92uitGrNF8pKKPV6SPcB6K-5bGNgPhk0apnXu1FhFj0r7AyymmxMRwLDiek_-R6as1s9lMp4VhKRNqies660/s1024/ndc_148_image_site_shutterstock_1146679565.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="512" data-original-width="1024" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj895gMrB6_roZenZZYl62fLP7jN_MIDSmqtYox9JoEhiTleFeM-AwIQGtjedqVqB2yQjpMJexyO3bJ9Fj1D9d0xe6krsrHeonHFisT92uitGrNF8pKKPV6SPcB6K-5bGNgPhk0apnXu1FhFj0r7AyymmxMRwLDiek_-R6as1s9lMp4VhKRNqies660/w320-h160/ndc_148_image_site_shutterstock_1146679565.jpg" width="320"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The current international tensions have intensified a debate that
has existed for at least a decade, between two radically different views of the
world and of international relations: the unipolar world and the multipolar
world. When libertarians disagree on foreign policy, that difference of world view
is often the underlying cause. The purpose of this article is to show that the
concept of the unipolar world is contrary to the principles of libertarianism and
that the multipolar world is an important step in the direction of liberty internationally.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2023/01/why-libertarians-should-support.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-46185378553831183612022-10-16T22:07:00.002+02:002024-01-28T20:58:32.460+01:00Clausewitz, the UN Charter, and the Libertarian View on War <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span lang="EN-GB"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CQcOWOsZRAGuFW3BhfJgKduDBin-5fcX0_0b2C7ql9_VQOx16paoUZZKI5t5ex5r8Q8q07sRC_ySkrq8nFo7mr1PzjjEP-qBjPUWLZRR9pQlX_f-4m1ocNOmNvGak9p7hFwf5PT0HNsFC16xHiGj_5oowCd2fHVGDihkqpw8j_4e-c0YehiY0VvV/s400/on%20war.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="400" data-original-width="267" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3CQcOWOsZRAGuFW3BhfJgKduDBin-5fcX0_0b2C7ql9_VQOx16paoUZZKI5t5ex5r8Q8q07sRC_ySkrq8nFo7mr1PzjjEP-qBjPUWLZRR9pQlX_f-4m1ocNOmNvGak9p7hFwf5PT0HNsFC16xHiGj_5oowCd2fHVGDihkqpw8j_4e-c0YehiY0VvV/w214-h320/on%20war.jpg" width="214"></a><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span><span style="font-family: verdana;">The ongoing war in Ukraine has given many Western analysts a
reality check. Indeed, the realism of Carl von Clausewitz’s classic “On War” has
come back in force. The Prussian military theorist famously </span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://thediplomat.com/2014/11/everything-you-know-about-clausewitz-is-wrong/"><span lang="EN-US">wrote</span></a></span><span style="font-family: verdana;"> that : “</span><i style="font-family: verdana;">War
is nothing but a continuation of politics with the admixture of other means</i><span style="font-family: verdana;">”.
Though this observation may seem strange or even shocking to modern Western
ears, it is the role war has mostly had throughout history.</span></div><p></p><p><span></span></p><p class="Standard"><span style="font-family: verdana;">Clausewitz served in
the Russian army during the Napoleonic war of 1812 and his influence in Russia
is felt to this day. Indeed, Russia’s approach to the war in Ukraine has the <span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://smallwarsjournal.com/jrnl/art/putin-clausewitz-and-ukraine"><span lang="EN-US">imprint of Clausewitz</span></a></span> in the sense that it sees military action <span lang="EN-GB"><a href="https://oll.libertyfund.org/page/clausewitz-war-as-politics-by-other-means"><span lang="EN-US">as a political instrument</span></a></span>, along with other such instruments, such as diplomatic
and economic ones.</span></p><p class="Standard"><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2022/10/clausewitz-un-charter-and-libertarian.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-66926067293949548252022-09-01T21:56:00.012+02:002022-10-16T22:09:28.023+02:00The Inflation Reduction Act : Another Unfair and Unjustified State Intervention<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"></span></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZovLtvl5Ij7lB5ms_xO4RIxbK_Gey9Asax2-4VmlmHrrkum7bocx8QkIXJZPXQrobAzP_zJDwxpo3MrNXSbu84arWJBJJKID6S0j-SfO8iVVgWwx-y98BN3PrGM0gwRMg5Vp_DN6Uw8T9eBBXZMML6gUSGSpW2gyjKBycHSt7lDQqc7oOTL35m-Nv/s1200/2022_pay_increases_e4jtv0.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="676" data-original-width="1200" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZovLtvl5Ij7lB5ms_xO4RIxbK_Gey9Asax2-4VmlmHrrkum7bocx8QkIXJZPXQrobAzP_zJDwxpo3MrNXSbu84arWJBJJKID6S0j-SfO8iVVgWwx-y98BN3PrGM0gwRMg5Vp_DN6Uw8T9eBBXZMML6gUSGSpW2gyjKBycHSt7lDQqc7oOTL35m-Nv/w200-h113/2022_pay_increases_e4jtv0.webp" width="200"></a></span></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">Taking advantage of their current majorities in Congress which
likely won’t last beyond the midterms, and after 18 months of marathon </span><span style="background: white;">negotiations</span><span style="background: white; color: #222222;">, the
Democrats finally passed yet another plan to artificially and unfairly dope the
U.S. economy. The $430 billion plan was signed into law by President Joe Biden
soon after.</span></span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2022/09/the-inflation-reduction-act-another.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-4784755907608298392022-08-16T23:48:00.004+02:002022-10-16T22:11:02.413+02:00Antiwar Criticism and the Formation of Collective Opinion<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrHjmw8BcOV69crnMEahHVrnk2PrhyHCH5q_zoVTQkwvT-4cYprggV7gRbODDv8O5sIyrxImvq1jar1h3W2oelhCICcVS9rW7BX19Hrhu7kM4TM9f6I848PL1zBidgjmUkHGoUpANmMheS_yQv36FoFLp5tRZNSkAMvm8rbGnqREGez5S82xelv7e/s480/antiwar-wire.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="330" data-original-width="480" height="138" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiVrHjmw8BcOV69crnMEahHVrnk2PrhyHCH5q_zoVTQkwvT-4cYprggV7gRbODDv8O5sIyrxImvq1jar1h3W2oelhCICcVS9rW7BX19Hrhu7kM4TM9f6I848PL1zBidgjmUkHGoUpANmMheS_yQv36FoFLp5tRZNSkAMvm8rbGnqREGez5S82xelv7e/w200-h138/antiwar-wire.jpg" width="200"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">There are themes in the West that are difficult to question without running
the risk of receiving sharp criticism. For the following themes, for example,
there is a position considered "correct" by Western collective opinion:
"Welfare State", "climate policy", "multicultural
society", or "Covid-19 vaccination". It is implied that the “acceptable”
position to each one of these themes can and should be adopted without any
prior critical analysis at the individual level.</span><p></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2022/08/the-antiwar-criticism-and-formation-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-65046727852075329502022-05-20T13:59:00.048+02:002022-08-16T23:52:15.715+02:00Finland and Sweden in NATO: Disregarding the Benefits of Neutrality<p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnNuowYu2PKDmBQd6plfOBhneQyFN9Aj0jko19R0w2p0Ff4XXwhgTje5QKMDOgu3JESG5pfwc0a6ZqtaHHFg3fYorSdQjBAcPz-sMVdj7y9OQfuWVs3cCAmPExRAbdVop2xzB7K8JVTaIbEJlgH0aBsdI5zjEkiWxxWu6-ZvICRVO8Cwxg3AG8KUT/s832/finland%20sweden%20nato.webp" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="468" data-original-width="832" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEipnNuowYu2PKDmBQd6plfOBhneQyFN9Aj0jko19R0w2p0Ff4XXwhgTje5QKMDOgu3JESG5pfwc0a6ZqtaHHFg3fYorSdQjBAcPz-sMVdj7y9OQfuWVs3cCAmPExRAbdVop2xzB7K8JVTaIbEJlgH0aBsdI5zjEkiWxxWu6-ZvICRVO8Cwxg3AG8KUT/w200-h113/finland%20sweden%20nato.webp" width="200"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Finland's and Sweden’s recent
decisions to apply for NATO membership is a major win for the military alliance, but
a far more dubious one for these two countries. NATO badly needs a success at
this moment, since neither the economic war on Russia nor the conflict in
Ukraine seem to be going the West’s way. Whether officially adding two more
Nordic countries would have a real military advantage for NATO remains to be
seen, but at least it would be a clear Public Relations win.</span><div><span></span></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2022/05/finland-and-sweden-disregarding.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-23057437197729726192022-04-20T22:01:00.007+02:002022-04-20T22:17:33.351+02:00 Why the Sanctions Against Russia Must Be Opposed<p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRtWMjPD9D9S27RHVDIzzU8He5lxx4_jyia-Qrs2wmhiUhDKRMvfiMXbmxLnU_pkAT03USBuPt5zFesTYiWqd7LHp4uhlfmn7VP37bbz5XMZDXrSpr1WGgPQo_E5Zqy07SrInqCswSexvMLqlHxez29T5O_D3AGAQLz3ifVsh-E5D8BVx5WcjK5yG/s543/Sanctions-Over-Russia_News-543x413.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="413" data-original-width="543" height="152" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgNRtWMjPD9D9S27RHVDIzzU8He5lxx4_jyia-Qrs2wmhiUhDKRMvfiMXbmxLnU_pkAT03USBuPt5zFesTYiWqd7LHp4uhlfmn7VP37bbz5XMZDXrSpr1WGgPQo_E5Zqy07SrInqCswSexvMLqlHxez29T5O_D3AGAQLz3ifVsh-E5D8BVx5WcjK5yG/w200-h152/Sanctions-Over-Russia_News-543x413.jpg" width="200"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">The Western <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/International_sanctions_during_the_Russo-Ukrainian_War">sanctions</a>
against Russia seem to shock very few Westerns. Yet, for several reasons, these
sanctions should at least be the subject of lively debate in Western societies.</span><p></p><p><span style="font-family: verdana;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p><span style="font-family: verdana;">Firstly, these sanctions are illegal from the standpoint of international
law (only the Security Council can approve economic sanctions, according to
Article 41 of the Charter of the United Nations). They could legitimately be
considered an act of war by Russia, with all the terrifying consequences that
such an interpretation could have. Thus, regardless whether Russia’s invasion
of Ukraine is considered a violation of international law, such an economic war
waged by the West in Russia cannot be justified on the part of nations that do
not have defense agreements with Ukraine and which are not at war with Russia<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">. </i>Two wrongs don't make a right.<o:p></o:p></span></p><p><span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2022/04/why-sanctions-against-russia-must-be.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-31829713073717069062021-06-24T20:56:00.016+02:002022-04-20T22:23:07.580+02:00The Health Crisis Exposes the Nature of Political Power<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRCGQN99ISzVUajwLo2xL-i9ILmo-75mOE5aOgL3S8QT-2hvRF-aWI_tpJINt6EhF0qK10Ge29sVzk5e-HFiJrb8acD6eecrEn80GgqbjdKBMSiLHFE68oyhQSCXUMxpot6zonq70IZ5Vut8-EnNvDCi8qADYI3wBBnOKREbbpFNU1xamj66gD2MQ/s1200/social_gomezfelipe.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="630" data-original-width="1200" height="105" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEilRCGQN99ISzVUajwLo2xL-i9ILmo-75mOE5aOgL3S8QT-2hvRF-aWI_tpJINt6EhF0qK10Ge29sVzk5e-HFiJrb8acD6eecrEn80GgqbjdKBMSiLHFE68oyhQSCXUMxpot6zonq70IZ5Vut8-EnNvDCi8qADYI3wBBnOKREbbpFNU1xamj66gD2MQ/w200-h105/social_gomezfelipe.jpg" width="200"></a></div>During the pandemic, governments have gained in power at the expense of society. The many laws voted and decrees announced have severely limited individual freedoms in many countries, despite the fact that from the beginning many doubts existed regarding the effectiveness, the relevance and the legitimacy of these draconian measures used to fight the pandemic. The successive lockdowns, the obligation of wearing masks outdoors, the closing of schools and colleges, are just a few glaring examples.<br></span><span></span><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2021/06/the-health-crisis-exposes-nature-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-16491465658126351342021-05-17T17:53:00.007+02:002022-04-20T22:18:52.701+02:00 The Case of Joe Rogan: Vaccine Policy and Freedom of Speech <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99nxW5yBRTzKe3a8mErAIINjJJ70tMPRvfOZ6FyjnCiWir2kY1gPV5CGA7fft0-GWsLJn5bg7l4s-eKDg_a5_lq2SrV8P8kd-8Kg-a0e2lyxpn1Z0obWiBwpm6yHKfhoC06FcxFDVx_mC4DwthPk5kZG9xY51iPQ61AbmK87nHuvwjZqDgw7PyrtU/s1000/Joe-Rogan.webp" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="563" data-original-width="1000" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi99nxW5yBRTzKe3a8mErAIINjJJ70tMPRvfOZ6FyjnCiWir2kY1gPV5CGA7fft0-GWsLJn5bg7l4s-eKDg_a5_lq2SrV8P8kd-8Kg-a0e2lyxpn1Z0obWiBwpm6yHKfhoC06FcxFDVx_mC4DwthPk5kZG9xY51iPQ61AbmK87nHuvwjZqDgw7PyrtU/w200-h113/Joe-Rogan.webp" width="200"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Joe Rogan, one of the largest podcast hosts in the United
States (10.6 million YouTube subscribers), expressed the following <a href="https://www.sportbible.com/ufc/news-reactions-ufc-legend-joe-rogan-slammed-by-the-white-house-and-dr-anthony-fauci-20210429">opinion</a> about the vaccination of young adults:</span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">“<i>If you are 21 and ask me if you should get the vaccine, I would say
'no'. If you are a healthy person and exercise all the time, and are young and
eat well, I don't think you have to worry about this.</i>"<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-bidi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><span></span></span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2021/05/the-case-of-joe-rogan-vaccine-policy.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-30881411772596298922021-03-26T12:24:00.005+01:002022-04-20T22:20:07.448+02:00What if the Market for Vaccines Were Free? <p><span style="font-family: verdana;"></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><span style="font-family: verdana;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3STW07740ap9rGoU0E-dsX3sXWmYi6K1QZ_PCX4CB94m-Rind9TUy0i3SdIOamjbE6V95-cXZrM7ror6Bq6mowlno5kTSiI0bPQfgNN-X8dsldUb6fEQfV5aCd4BZ2AlIh80JhptSeKidW01r-N476Nb95em2XI7qBDkVXmn7WlX6206slNiNyKlO/s864/thumbs_b_c_9e99c382646e91ed6fd6e2a7a38dab4b.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="486" data-original-width="864" height="113" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi3STW07740ap9rGoU0E-dsX3sXWmYi6K1QZ_PCX4CB94m-Rind9TUy0i3SdIOamjbE6V95-cXZrM7ror6Bq6mowlno5kTSiI0bPQfgNN-X8dsldUb6fEQfV5aCd4BZ2AlIh80JhptSeKidW01r-N476Nb95em2XI7qBDkVXmn7WlX6206slNiNyKlO/w200-h113/thumbs_b_c_9e99c382646e91ed6fd6e2a7a38dab4b.jpg" width="200"></a></span></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">What are
the benefits of a free market for vaccines? While such a market is unrealistic
in the current political environment, it is important to understand how the
free market could improve the development, production, sale and distribution of
vaccines.</span><p></p><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-family: verdana;">The libertarian
cannot describe accurately the particular consequences in the long term of a
market liberalization. The nature of the free market - its plurality, its
decentralization - makes it difficult to make that kind of prediction. However,
it is possible to make more general observations concerning a particular
market, based on the principles of Austrian School of Economics.<span></span></span></span></p><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2021/03/what-if-market-for-vaccines-were-free.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-2757697566585249242021-03-09T22:08:00.007+01:002021-03-22T16:25:28.333+01:00 Why We Must Oppose a Covid Health Pass<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX5k9kcUxy7qk0lhgGlFV2HX4sFwvTXzKYikYUU3ldtG4e3yfjLClJ22TAk9VkLqlTtitoloWyeJk7wpPZ79qppRftP6guOMbqCtUnNibxxi7QUXYNAdZ976vqnbte1OJ1Pti1jt-A2w/s1200/newFile-2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="901" data-original-width="1200" height="150" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhNX5k9kcUxy7qk0lhgGlFV2HX4sFwvTXzKYikYUU3ldtG4e3yfjLClJ22TAk9VkLqlTtitoloWyeJk7wpPZ79qppRftP6guOMbqCtUnNibxxi7QUXYNAdZ976vqnbte1OJ1Pti1jt-A2w/w200-h150/newFile-2.jpg" width="200"></a></div>The rumors surrounding the introduction of a Covid-19 health pass are getting more or more concrete. There are signs that it likely will happen; <a href="https://www.thelocal.fr/20210304/qr-codes-and-health-pass-how-france-plans-to-reopen-its-bars-and-restaurants/">France</a> and <a href="https://www.thetimes.co.uk/article/covid-vaccine-passports-to-go-to-the-shops-could-happen-says-dominic-raab-33f7vmh9s">UK</a> are already considering it. <br><br>Though the details are still sketchy, it would be a kind of laissez-passer, which would allow only those in possession of it to visit places like cafes, restaurants, museums, exhibitions, etc. In order words, anyone without such a pass would still be denied access to all those establishments that were closed during the numerous lockdowns.<span></span></span><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2021/03/why-we-must-oppose-covid-health-pass.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-18790658165510679512020-11-25T15:33:00.032+01:002021-01-19T21:05:43.787+01:00The Education of the Modern Socialist<span style="font-family: verdana;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG1-jBfyIcGXxfJ0EjHJCuELLmwBoCK7OWLNw2_EqdR92ngG84O7_qKsW2JKYNtFDHb-rPNXnakRDKOvfNxXu_V43EbvHcw0bO6DJ0kN5Bseo0gjdjepG5wt_DfQvvV4cbl_TjNBoVbc/s900/education2.jpg" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="593" data-original-width="900" height="132" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgIG1-jBfyIcGXxfJ0EjHJCuELLmwBoCK7OWLNw2_EqdR92ngG84O7_qKsW2JKYNtFDHb-rPNXnakRDKOvfNxXu_V43EbvHcw0bO6DJ0kN5Bseo0gjdjepG5wt_DfQvvV4cbl_TjNBoVbc/w200-h132/education2.jpg" width="200"></a></div>Libertarians often wonder why socialism continues to be so popular, even though it has proved to be such a failure as a political ideology and as an economic system. Though a public education system and a biased mainstream media are key <a href="https://mises.org/power-market/3-reasons-left-keeps-winning " target="_blank">reasons</a> for this, the stubborn resiliency of socialism is also somewhat fictitious since socialism has evolved: the socialist of yesteryear is not the socialist of today. This distinction is important to remember when setting the themes for a libertarian education. </span><div><span></span></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/11/the-education-of-modern-socialist.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-68018735662472908032020-09-13T19:26:00.007+02:002020-09-14T21:32:17.858+02:00Julian Assange and the Struggle for Political Freedom <div class="separator"><a href="https://www.blogger.com/blog/post/edit/2521056645548538410/6801873566247290803#" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjIojM5GhxqVOXBblaJTYiFZzh1Jeh128wIFVbljyHhaIhm9o2tFyyqNmVRxethGnqfKxmmaFb6G7FvjlMyYhi7rsEgWUwFSMrSSdrDg8wpeK9t4GCf4MAOcsJvziDKM1EIPVL2lb7DzbA/w200-h151/Why-Julian-Assange-is-Not-a-Criminal.jpg"></a></div><span style="font-family: verdana;">Julian Assange's heroic but tragic life is coming to a head in the next weeks. A British court shall soon rule whether Assange, ostensibly a publisher and journalist, shall be extradited to the United States to be <a href="https://www.reuters.com/article/us-wikileaks-assange-usa/u-s-charges-wikileaks-founder-julian-assange-with-espionage-idUSKCN1ST2L4" target="_blank">charged</a> with espionage. Though many people around the world have followed Assange's hardships on and off during the last decade, it is really now, during this <a href="https://independentaustralia.net/politics/politics-display/john-pilger-julian-assanges-stalinist-trial-mocks-democracy,14287" target="_blank">sham</a> trial in London, that the importance of the struggle for political freedom should become clear to all.</span><div><span></span></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/03/julian-assange-and-struggle-for.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-53609395277066697942020-04-06T22:11:00.004+02:002020-05-13T12:39:48.967+02:00The Lockdown in the West Also Comes From China <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: verdana, sans-serif;">The Western reaction to the Coronavirus pandemic has been nothing short of hysterical. Most of the populations in the West have been confined to their homes and whole countries have been locked down, at an economic cost that goes beyond belief. It is difficult to find historical examples of such draconian measures being adopted by Western nations anywhere and anytime, even during war.</span><br>
</div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/04/the-lockdown-in-west-also-comes-from.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-29694775363564104792020-03-24T19:40:00.001+01:002020-04-29T19:33:56.930+02:00Why are Western Politicians Destroying the Economy? <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">An economic cataclysm has been unleashed upon the world by Western politicians and bureaucrats. Unbelievably, economic activity in the West has slowed to a creep</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">, as entire populations have been confined to their homes for weeks, if not months. A</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">s a result, m</span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">illions have had their lives turned upside down. </span><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Most entrepreneurs and self-employed have had their livelihoods jeopardized. </span><br>
</div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/03/why-are-western-politicians-destroying.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-48657856666762669772020-02-27T12:03:00.001+01:002020-03-04T19:03:05.035+01:00The Disastrous Healthcare Plans of Sanders and Warren <div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span lang="EN-US">The ideas for healthcare reform of the statist and left-wing politicians in the USA are so </span>disastrous and so foolhardy, that they should be severely and frequently criticized. In particular, the healthcare plans of Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren reflect quite well what a lot of economically and politically uneducated progressives in the USA think should be done about healthcare. They want change the current system in order to lower the costs of healthcare and provide "free" or almost "free" healthcare. It is true that the healthcare system in the US must be dramatically transformed and that its costs to end-users (patients) should go down significantly, but not at all in the interventionist way these people think. The way to go, as usual, is to <a href="http://www.ronpaullibertyreport.com/archives/america-once-had-the-finest-free-market-healthcare-in-the-world-then-the-government-invaded-ruined-it" target="_blank">expand the free market</a>.</span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-disastrous-healthcare-plan-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-76468256973087579842020-02-21T21:41:00.000+01:002020-02-28T17:47:25.136+01:00The SAS Commercial : An Outrageous Definition of Scandinavian Culture<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDJYEiiDws3P46jLJwB4V3jTngh_JrplOhJxWkXVwB1TNvpoAp5U9kadegoiXlVXado8q9nEZY2J1DmEE8fh1TbBfU5r9rAroLIKReA6rqgjKySXE3pzfbcasW4itVaM2w_VkAEzFnUg/s1600/meatballs.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><img border="0" data-original-height="633" data-original-width="780" height="160" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgYDJYEiiDws3P46jLJwB4V3jTngh_JrplOhJxWkXVwB1TNvpoAp5U9kadegoiXlVXado8q9nEZY2J1DmEE8fh1TbBfU5r9rAroLIKReA6rqgjKySXE3pzfbcasW4itVaM2w_VkAEzFnUg/s200/meatballs.jpg" width="200"></span></a></div>
<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Recently, a controversial <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ShfsBPrNcTI" target="_blank">commercial from SAS</a>, the Scandinavian airline company, was published on social media. It attempts to portray Scandinavian culture as basically non-existing. The message is that because all typical Scandinavian cultural traits and imagery can supposedly be traced to external sources, Scandinavia has "nothing", as the commercial repeats, in many languages. SAS obviously is trying to be politically correct in these globalist times, in which the Nation is looked down upon. At the same time it wants to encourage Scandinavians to use SAS to fly to faraway lands to bring back more valuable things (such as meatballs?), so these too may in the future be transformed and become part of what represents Scandinavia. </span><br>
</div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/02/what-sas-says-about-scandinavian.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-5044480802417575672020-02-20T22:30:00.000+01:002020-03-28T16:15:10.797+01:00Review of “Sapiens : A Brief History of Mankind”<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">Though the book “Sapiens”, by Yuval Noah Harari, came out a few years ago, it became such a bestseller that it could be worth reviewing it briefly.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">First of all, it must be mentioned that "Sapiens" is a popular book, and therefore necessarily simplifies and omits. Such a book cannot therefore go into details and explanations that academic books could. Many people tend to forget this fact just because the author is an academic. This shall not therefore be the gist of the critique of this work.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;">The author set himself out to tell the whole story of the human race in a single book, however thick. </span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/02/review-of-sapiens-brief-history-of.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-88713145681301623272020-02-12T12:06:00.000+01:002020-02-28T16:13:11.838+01:00The Backside to Mr. Pelham's Iran Story<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span lang="EN-US"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">The journalist Nicolas Pelham, who writes for The Economist, has published an interesting, quite entertaining and well written article in 1843, the sister magazine of the Economist, called "Trapped in Iran" about his recent visit to Iran. He details his difficulties getting out of the country, being interrogated by Iran’s Revolutionary Guard, having his papers seized, and being forced to remain for several months in Iran before finally obtaining an exit visa. However, the backside to this story has been completely omitted, probably on purpose. In the comments below, it is the political aspect of the story that are considered, not the different cultural, social and religious descriptions that also form a part of Mr. Pelham's essay. </span></span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/02/the-backside-to-mr-pelhams-iran-story.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-69791827197841627282020-02-11T21:28:00.005+01:002020-02-28T16:12:11.148+01:00What Macron Can Learn From Putin<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif;">In France, the strike over a pension reform project is over, but it had gone on far too long. Millions of people have been affected by the refusal to work of a few thousand civil servants, but Macron remained invisible and silent for several weeks in December 2019. This public transport strike was the longest since 1986. Many French people were struggling to get from their home to their workplace, but Macron did not really address the subject until his year-end wishes – a strange occasion for such a topic - more than three weeks after the start of the strike. </span><br>
</div></div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2020/02/what-macron-can-learn-from-putin.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2521056645548538410.post-60785141369477638772015-05-01T17:06:00.001+02:002020-02-28T16:12:35.742+01:00Processes and People<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: "verdana" , sans-serif;"><span style="font-family: Verdana, sans-serif; font-size: small;">It is easily forgotten that a firm is far more than just the sum of
its employees. Indeed, the
success of a company is the result of the
contributions of <i>all</i> of its assets. These assets, tangible and
intangible, consist of e.g. its existing stored information and experience, the efficiency of its organisation, its
connections with government and the local community, its established
processes, its IT systems, its intellectual property (including the brand),
its material resources (including inventory), its land and real estate,
and, of course, its human capital. </span></span><br>
</div><a href="https://commentandoutlook.blogspot.com/2015/05/people-and-processes.html#more">Read more »</a>Finn Andreenhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01455875412803708173noreply@blogger.com0