Back again with another Monday Message Board.
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John Quiggin 
Impeachment from the horses mouths.
Lindsay Graham proving he is now, in his current defence of Trump, lying. Am I correct in calling this new defence position a lie? Or is it mere tribalism, or ” I have changed my priors”?
48.30 seconds…
https://www.c-span.org/video/?468376-1/senate-impeachment-trial-day-4
Side note: I want all videos to have the Points of Interest star…. “Tap the ⭐ to see a complete list of all Points of Interest – click on any moment in the list and the video will play.” Excellent.
“A tiny bit of luck”.
When the hallmark of the age is rejection or objection to reason on the basis of greed pride and denial, as the new paradigm, a person does wonder what they are doing wrong, how simple proposition s based on common sense let alone rational examination, it IS very humbling.
Just one example, the refusal of forward planning as the nation saw a drought consolidate to national parching, into a certain bushfire year, and still all is sacrificed for an over determined “surplus” that could have been delivered by other, fairer and more productive means, except that the surplus is not about a suplus, but functioned as a means to oppression through the defilement of reason.
Finally they are waking up, also to the challenge of climate change. But they doubt much can be done with Trump in power…
“Implementing Grand Strategy Toward China Twenty-Two U.S. Policy Prescriptions Robert D. Blackwill”
https://www.cfr.org/report/implementing-grand-strategy-toward-china?utm_content=012220
Anyway I think that this document is better than I expected. They want to compete with China and reduce the unnecessary tensions. If they really ramp up spending on R&D even for not the best possible reasons, this is exactly what the whole humanity needs.
But wait, where did I find this document? On RIA Novosti.
Another major lender pulls the pin on fossil fuels
https://www.sc.com/en/media/press-release/weve-released-our-climate-change-disclosures-report-and-announced-bold-measures-in-support-of-the-paris-agreement/
pulls the pin on
Wrong metaphor? Hopefully you mean “pours cold water on” rather than “explosively releases”!
To pull the pin on something means to abandon it. There are varying accounts of the origin of the idiom, but some suggest that the pin referred to is some kind of connecting or fastening pin, not a grenade pin.
My understanding is that ‘to pull the pin’ is to disconnect, eg a train carriage
I’m not sure that changes it… unleashing or releasing fossil fuels is not better… only in the unfamiliar to me, literal sense of “unfastening so as to be free from” does it work. I’m used to the “keep them in the ground” statements, not “free the fossil fuels!” style slogans.
Adam K – “Anyway I think that this document is better than I expected. They want to compete with China and reduce the unnecessary tensions.”
Rather they want to compete and have China lulled to sleep – like they were for thirty years, or like immediately post WW2 after China swung the Pacific war their way and the chauvinists ignored Mao’s then friendly approaches (note Blackwill’s omissions and US-China “phasing”). Vain hope.
Good read though, thanks – Implementing Grand Strategy Toward China Twenty-Two U.S. Policy Prescriptions Robert D. Blackwill CFRSpecReportNo85Jan2020
– “If they really ramp up spending on R&D even for not the best possible reasons, this is exactly what the whole humanity needs.”
Such spending would as usual be mostly on MIC. If I may speak for humanity, no, we don’t need that.
– “But wait, where did I find this document? On RIA Novosti.”
RIA Novosti (Rossiya Segodnya)? That figures, who is closest to the heartland?
Kissingerbots, including Blackwill it seems, never will get Brzezinski. They struggle with doing a Tom Hanks movie cut out. There’s the world island and the heartland and there was Brzezinski’s mujahideen spear thrust into the belly of Soviet Russia, felling it. Then there’s the Kissingerbot copy fails in Iran, Iraq-Syria-Isis, Libya, Xinjiang, etc. Now they reckon they can woo Russia/China away from their current game plan for the world island and the heartland to join the US in containing each the other? Hopeless.
Just another instance of the US forever forgetting the past to reinvent it and themselves to wipe away the wrongs and bang others over the head again.
Thanks JQ.
“An Open Letter on Australian Bushfires and Climate: Urgent Need for Deep Cuts in Carbon Emissions
“The tragedy of this summer’s bushfires commands our attention, and after aiding and supporting the victims it is important to learn from the event. The scale and ferocity of the recent fires are unprecedented since European settlement of this country.. ..”
https://laureatebushfiresclimate.wordpress.com/
May I suggest an ability to sign in support by us mere mortals please.
Thanks K2,
The Laureates Open Letter – “An Open Letter on Australian Bushfires and Climate: Urgent Need for Deep Cuts in Carbon Emissions” – is excellent.
Imagine if we had leaders smart and humane enough to listen to their wise advice. It would be very exciting to live in a society which wanted to change to survive and to help ecosystems survive. Conversely, it is incredibly depressing to live in a society led by the sclerotic, mal-adaptive principles and practices of rich, powerful, selfish, old, conservative men (mostly) who are all but ensuring our collapse and destruction.
The Labor Party – begging for votes.
Every child is taught vilifying and ostracizing someone IS bullying. It is to me telling, that LNP “operate in a cone of silence and do not communicate” which is what a christian conservative would do – shun and isolate then negate.
I prefer to be denigrated to my face, not behind my back, nor use a conscience vote to silently attack my personal position, morals and ethics, to effect damage on a person – “not one of them had the guts to actually speak to me about why I made this decision” Jann said.
Yet Jann Stuckey, announcing in the smh she was vilified, vilified the Labor party. Aware – yes. Awareness overcome by tribalism. Yes.
“”Jann Stuckey lashes LNP for ‘vilifying’ her over her abortion stance as she resigns from politics
“… But she told the Macquarie Radio Network this morning her support for decriminalising abortion led to her being ostracised by fellow party members.
“The vilification was a cone of silence type of vilification,” she said.
“So I had to read about how angry they were in the papers because not one of them had the guts to actually speak to me about why I made this decision.
“It’s this cone of silence and this lack of communication that’s so damaging.
“Labor cannot deny their culture of bullying because they’re masters at it but the LNP operate in a cone of silence and do not communicate.”
https://abc.net.au/news/2020-01-29/jann-stuckey-resignation-accuses-party-of-abortion-vilification/11909214
This may not be big news for many here, yet look where Andrew Liegh turns up – in an advertisment for Queenwood School (130%+ SES funding ) in Mosman at the “Balmoral Lectures” – in between Tony Abbott culture war puff piece in the smh today.
Labor are tone deaf, and scared. The parents of the GIRLS at queenwood are familiar with inequality. They ignore it every day at work. The girls at Queenwood will know, as they are digital natives, Dean Harris’ website, who stood against Abbott & Stegal, is defunct. “Labor don’t really care” will be the cry.
And Tony Abbott’s site is a mishash of propaganda – but it is still available. Advertising ““The Daily Reckoning is a freewheeling Web site for libertarians, gold bugs and doom enthusiasts of every stripe…” — Stephen Metcalf of The New York Times Magazine.” And; “TRUMP, THE VIEW FROM THE OUTSIDE: ADDRESS TO THE HERITAGE FOUNDATION”.
The Queenwood girls will cry ” Tony – he is a dinosaur” but he is still our dinosaur. Especially as this ad appeared on TA’s site:
[Close up of female buttocks in chain mail???]
Andrew Liegh, advertised by a private school, in the middle of a Tony Abbott right to life anti abortion “populate with our kind” dog whistle puff piece.
Media and humans in Australia are sliding down the slippery slope of populism and if Andrew Leigh gets pictured with one line about “markets / coal good ” they are toast in news corpse propaganda rags. And, anything he says at queenwood will be used by news corpse to bolster the LNP and prosecute culture wars.
Should Andrew Liegh give this lecture? If it is what I think he will deliver – no. But if it the one he should deliver imho of course – yes. The Queemwood girl I knew would tear Queenwood to shreds.
Andrew Leigh is delivering this as a lecture at Queenwood Schiol Balmital kectures on the
“Shooting down arguments against tough gun laws
POSTED BY ANDREW LEIGH MP 48SC ON JUNE 25, 2014
“The Australian Financial Review has this morning published my opinion piece that mounts a defence of Australia’s gun buyback scheme.
OPINION PIECE
“SHOOTING DOWN ARGUMENTS AGAINST TOUGH GUN LAWS
“In the decade up to 1996, Australia averaged one mass shooting every year. Places like Hoddle Street, Queen Street, Strathfield, Surry Hills, the Central Coast and Port Arthur all became synonymous with killings in which five or more people died.
“In the decade after the 1997 National Firearms Agreement (NFA), Australia did not have a single mass shooting.
Some argue that it’s just a coincidence that we went from mass shootings being annual to non-existent. Fortunately, statistics can help us work out the odds of that. They are less than 1 in 100.”…
http://www.andrewleigh.com/shooting_down_arguments_against_tough_gun_laws
Balmoral Lecrures for those in sydney…
Hon Dr Andrew Leigh MP, Shadow Assistant Minister for Treasury and Charities
Monday 17 February 2020, 6.30pm
Topic: ‘Guns Don’t Kill People’ and Other Fantasies in the Firearms Debate
***
Michael Fullilove AM, Executive Director, Lowy Institute
Monday 23 March 2020, 6.30pm
Topic: TBC
***
Annabelle Duncan, Chair at New South Wales Physical Sciences Fund
Monday 1 June 2020. 6.30pm
Topic: ‘Black Death and Yellow Rain’
https://www.trybooking.com/book/event?eid=596355
Or soundcloud after event.
Rushed. 0 Glasses + squint in sun. I will review in future.
I control say $7Tn, or a boutique ” investors only ” vehicle or … I am about to decide on my investment returns and divestmmetns, disbursments and tax strategy, and I read this. How does this colour my decision? What message will this send?
“Last year’s event cost WA taxpayers $5.9 million to stage but generated only $9.3 million — representing $1.60 for every $1 we spent,” he explained.”…
https://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2020-01-30/bringing-rally-australia-back-to-perth-wa-should-be-a-no-brainer/11911316
Thinking…. 600 basis points and I canned it. Need better returns. Who cares if 85m other people see it and 250 international press cover it.
What is an acceptable roi for tourism? Or anything the government does?
Rallying is here one week gone the next. Minimal environmental impact. Minor yet broad global appeal.
Does this now produce a race to the bottom “nsw only requires 500 basi points, but Tassie said we’ll do it on 250″
Or ” anything over 800 basis points and we will look at letting you in”.
Maybe the roi criteria is rare earth and iron ore returns!
“… then, Keynes wrote, “I think with dread of the readjustment of the habits and instincts of the ordinary man, bred into him for countless generations, which he may be asked to discard within a few decades. . . must we not expect a general ‘nervous breakdown’?” Ever the ad man, Bowles in Tomorrow Without Fear translated this “economic problem” into the difficulty of “learning to live better.” We know we can produce, he wrote. But what we don’t yet know is if we can learn to “use our productive capacity to raise our standards of living, to lighten the burden of toil for all of our people.” This learning curve would require a maturation of sorts, and “if we can’t grow up with it . . . the very achievements of our science and technology will be our undoing. And what could be more ridiculous!”. ..
https://evonomics.com/job-creators-middle-class-keynesianism/
Taxing time …
Anthony C. Infanti (Pittsburgh),
Our Selfish Tax Laws: Toward Tax Reform That Mirrors Our Better Selves (MIT Press 2018):
https://taxprof.typepad.com/taxprof_blog/2018/10/infanti-our-selfish-tax-laws.html
Great concept…
“Or what if we could harness time by turning it into an exchangeable commodity, truly using time as money? In fact, there is no need to open a novel or to watch a movie to witness time move in multiple directions or be used as a medium of exchange. To do these things we need look no further than our tax laws. “…
Anthony Infanti
Christopher C. Walthour, Sr. Professor of Law
Affiliate Faculty, Gender, Sexuality & Women’s Studies Program
Biography
Professor Infanti’s scholarly work focuses on two ostensibly quite different, but, in reality, quite related areas: (i) the intersection of tax and comparative legal theory and (ii) critical tax theory (i.e., the impact of the tax system on traditionally subordinated groups). Professor Infanti has published numerous articles and book chapters in these areas. He is also the author of Everyday Law for Gays and Lesbians (And Those Who Care About Them) (Paradigm Publishers), coeditor ofCritical Tax Theory: An Introduction(Cambridge University Press), and editor ofControversies in Tax Law: A Matter of Perspective (Ashgate Publishing).
Professor Infanti is currently working on a book that is tentatively titled Tax Time: The (In)justice of Unleashed Legal Imagination(NYU Press). In our daily lives and in our tax laws, we take time for granted as something present in our lives but beyond our control. We assume that time moves endlessly and relentlessly forward—it is ever present but always slipping away as we move along time’s arrow from the past to the future through the present. But what if life were more like science fiction? What if we could, at will, move through time in any direction? Or what if we could harness time by turning it into an exchangeable commodity, truly using time as money? In fact, there is no need to open a novel or to watch a movie to witness time move in multiple directions or be used as a medium of exchange. To do these things we need look no further than our tax laws. Like time, our tax laws are ever present as they touch so many different aspects of our lives. And like good fiction, our tax laws manage to simultaneously reflect, leave behind, and call into question conventional wisdom about our relationship to time.
Tax Time will show how our tax laws resemble more the creative product of an author’s imagination than the rote dictates of economics. In this way, Tax Time will complicate and overturn prevailing views of how time operates in and through tax law. But it will do more than just that.
https://www.law.pitt.edu/people/anthony-infanti