I recently finished Hayek's Road to Serfdom. This book was complied from essays and thoughts that Hayek had encountered during the Second World War As such it can be a bit dry since he spends time refuting some popular thinkers of his day, who now have been forgotten in our day and age. Generally though Hayek wrote in response to the dangerous Ideas emanating from Germany that he felt had embedded themselves into Western thought and by extension English and American thought.

I fear I have little constructive thoughts to add to a book that is so well known, however, since when has that ever stopper a blogger? I think the most interesting facet of the book involves Hayek talking of the "Great theory horrible implementation" argument in regard to Socialism/Communism. He takes the Sacred Planner who will order everything equitable in the socialist society and shows how this takes the freedom to from the common man. Sure the common man no longer has to deal with the perceived randomness of the Market forces or the perfidies of corporate interest, but instead must deal with capricious bureaucrats who decide from on high how he or she will live.

In general you could say it is the non-fiction version of George Orwell's 1984 in that it was a reaction to the totalitarian tendencies in post world war II socialism. Whereas Orwell created and imaginary dystopia, Hayek wrote a much more conventional critique, write down to having footnotes and citations. Like Orwell, this Hayek is troubled by the similar results of the self proclaimed antitheses of Fascism and Communism, but Hayek reminds us that both these horrid systems germinated from western Utopian strains of Western civilization. Some people claim that the political spectrum is not a line but instead a circle, but with Fascism and Communism right next to each other. I suppose this is a nice to keep the traditional right left dichotomy, but it seems unduly complicated. I much prefer the Multi-Axis Model as it seems offer a more accurate view of modern ideologies than a model based up where people sat in the French Legislative Assembly of 1791.

The Good

A nice overview of the failings of a fully planned society and how it destroy individual choice and freedom. Likewise it raises the point the totalitarian tendencies found in fascism were quite popular in the Democratic West in the time around the second world war.

The Bad

the book can be quite dry, especially the last quarter when Hayek goes into detail regarding socialist thinkers, that were popular during his time, but have thankfully been consigned to the dust bin of history.

I came across a nice essay Three Centuries of American Declinism on Real clear Politics while surfing the net at work. Sadly it was too long for me to finish during business hours and had to wait until the evening, but I highly recommend that you take the time to read the whole thing. Basically it helps to put the doomsayers into perspective, and in particular digs up some of the problems of the "Greatest Generation" left after they're "mission accomplished" moment, which quickly grew into the many horrors of the so called "Cold War".

The essay mentions a litany of failure's from the cold war from Red Chine to the absolute disaster of the Korean War, barely touches on Vietnam (probably because it's well embedded in the International psyche although one wonders what anyone actually knows about it in this day an age?). Touches on America's allies' desertions, (not entirely blamelessly, can anyone say Suez crisis?) as well as the oil shock and the USSR's technological lead in the space race. It all adds up to grim(or joyful if you dream of American decline) and I think these things are lost upon people who take our current troubles out of perspective and idolize the past as a golden age of just war fought by the book(or convention).

Obviously the article doesn't go much into our current troubles, or even our current commitments. But then again the little isolationists don't really go into how to go from riding the tiger to a happy world where everyone listens to the wise UN. They assume it will happen because it must or that it simply a matter of making a proclamation and all will be right in the world. Sadly it's not so easy because there is not magic wand which will undo the last 80 years and bring back our splendid isolation. It is our fate to deal with a globalized world turned upside down. America government has made more than it's share of mistakes in the last three hundres years, however it's still hear and many of it's contemporaries are not and I suppose that is one the themes in the linked article.

Due to excellent weather I finally hiked the 300 yards or so to take a few pictures of the Carved Indian monument on Market Street in Akron.

 

Rotayna (cheif)

Trail of the Whispering Giants
This statue honors all Native Americans of Ohio. Dedicated to chief Tecumseh of the Shawnee and chief Little Turtle of the Miami

I must admit that I had to look up Little Turtle, since I was unfamiliar with him. Not surprising, since people like Tecumseh tend to steel the limelight due to his Indian confederation. Who wants to read about someone who matured and became an advocate of peace?

It has come to my attention that since it's Cinco de Mayo, that I ought to be drinking Margaritas. It seems a bit odd in this day of anti-war protests, to be intoxicated because the French lost the battle of Puebla in 1862. While the French have lost (and for that matter won) many battles in their long history this rather straight forward victory of the underdog against imperialist invaders would be something to celebrate if one were one of those evil people who delights in the death of their fellow man. 

 That is Until you notice that the French went on to seize Mexico City and installed Maximilian Hapsburg as Emperor soon afterwards. There the French Stayed until American pressure forced them to leave in 1867. You'd think they'd want to celebrate the defeat and execution of Emperor Maximilian in 1867. (but then they might have to mention the aid the received form the Hated Gr*ng* bastards.)

According to Cathlicgauze this holiday was invented in the 60's by a holy alliance of Latino activists and Beer companies, which I suppose explains a lot. I mean as long as you can drink and expound upon the wonders of Latino culture (whether Mexican related or not) who cares if the history is lame. I mean Irish have St. Patrick's day and Italians have Columbus day, African-Americans ( Is that the proper term now? One never knows these days.) receive an entire month, I guess the Latinos didn't want to be left out.

Further info: French Intervention Wiki

I know this has been all over the internets all-ready, but I found this to be an decent count to the Global Warming Religion. I love how it's always something along the lines of "we're only ten years from disaster! Repent Now!!!". But of course the actions they call for would wreck our society and have no affect on Global warming even it were to be as dire as they claim. Enough of my rants, watch the video.

 

Saturday was the unofficial anime meetup get-together (as opposed the official monthly meetup) and since this was a Cleveland month we went off to the Great Lakes Science Center.  This was probably my fourth time to the science center, but the first time that I went to the Imax Theater (and only the second Imax film I've seen).  Anyway, enough expostion, on with the review. 

The movie started in Santorini and gave and spent a lot time talking about the ancient people who lived there.  Many Beautiful  shots of this Mediterranean Island were show and it very much made one wish to visit the agean.  They showed the archologist putting old frescos together like puzzles and gave a description of the eruption that destroyed the city.  Finally towards the end of the movie they moved to Athens to talk about classical Greece a bit and to show a computer reconstruction of the Parthenon.

 

The Good:

Beautiful shots of Santorini and the Parthenon and the sea.  Also it was nifty to see all the buildings of the town on Santorini built on top of one another.  It seamed to get around in the town you did as much up and down as right and left.

The Bad:

The movie was little light on Infomation and they seemed to conflate the people of Santorini with the classical Greeks even though they were from different time peroids (700 year difference) and areas. I suppose it all depends on the meaning of Greek. Later during thier discussion of Classical Greece, they claimed that Athens wars ruined by war, which is not unreasonable in and of itself, but they don't say how?  (Such as the failed Syracuse expedition, or the Great plague that Ravaged Athens)

In conclusion: the Movie was a nice visually and it was nice to actually see the leftovers of what most likely inspired the Atlantis myth, but don't expect too learn much from a historical point.  And in the movie's defense, it needs be interesting for a general audience including children who most likely would not be interested in more detail.