When Goods Cross Borders

If it is committed in the name of God or country, there is no crime so heinous that the public will not forgive it. -Tom Robbins, writer (1936- )


I was thinking about the history of Europe. For centuries Europe has seen nations and tribes slaughtering each other. I wondered what made them stop killing each other and form one union with one currency the EURO. I decided it was free trade. All of the centuries of bloodletting and destruction could have been avoided with free trade.

So many young men killed in the European wars. Lucky for us Edward Jenner was not killed. He discovered the power of vaccinations. What would the minds of those who were killed have discovered had they been allowed a full life?

I remembered a quote somewhere about, "When ideas cross borders, armies do not." I tried Google and came up with the following essay about goods crossing frontiers, which goes along with the reason Europe is no longer killing each other. Europe has its problems, but nothing like the innocent deaths and destruction caused by their past bloodlettings.

Free trade is the best hope for mankind to overcome dogmas and war lovers.

Charles Tolleson
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Michael Shermer, Publisher of Skeptic magazine, monthly columnist for Scientific American; Author, Science Friction

Where goods cross frontiers, armies won't.

Where goods cross frontiers, armies won't. Restated: where economic borders are porous between two nations, political borders become impervious to armies.

Data from the new sciences of evolutionary economics, behavioral economics, and neuroeconomics reveals that when people are free to cooperate and trade (such as in game theory protocols) they establish trust that is reinforced through neural pathways that release such bonding hormones as oxytocin. Thus, modern biology reveals that where people are free to cooperate and trade they are less likely to fight and kill those with whom they are cooperating and trading.

My dangerous idea is a solution to what I call the "really hard problem": how best should we live? My answer: A free society, defined as free-market economics and democratic politics - fiscal conservatism and social liberalism - which leads to the greatest liberty for the greatest number. Since humans are, by nature, tribal, the overall goal is to expand the concept of the tribe to include all members of the species into a global free society. Free trade between all peoples is the surest way to reach this goal.

People have a hard time accepting free market economics for the same reason they have a hard time accepting evolution: it is counterintuitive. Life looks intelligently designed, so our natural inclination is to infer that there must be an intelligent designer - a God. Similarly, the economy looks designed, so our natural inclination is to infer that we need a designer - a Government. In fact, emergence and complexity theory explains how the principles of self-organization and emergence cause complex systems to arise from simple systems without a top-down designer.

Charles Darwin's natural selection is Adam Smith's invisible hand. Darwin showed how complex design and ecological balance were unintended consequences of individual competition among organisms. Smith showed how national wealth and social harmony were unintended consequences of individual competition among people. Nature's economy mirrors society's economy. Thus, integrating evolution and economics - what I call evonomics - reveals that an old economic doctrine is supported by modern biology.

North Korean Missile Test

It looks like North Korea, that small, miserable, poverty stricken country, is threatening the world! One can see the hysteria building up now for more defense spending. It's never too late to buy defense stocks when fear is rampant and a defense subcontractor is located in ever congressional district. The military, industrial, congressional, executive, judicial, and labor complex never sleeps. The warrior class are gathering their swords and shields and ready to fight the villain de jour. I suspect some people want to invade North Korea just because the state is an atheist state.

Kim Jong Il, a demigod, will be placated with food for his starving country, and a large contribution to his 401k, located in another county. Our problem is we have paid too many bribes to many small time dictators.

Kim Jong Il will not attack the United States so, mother hens rest peacful. Your chicks are safe. Besides, the roosters are scratching the dirt to sharpen their talons and they are crowing loudly. Roosters like to crow.

Russia had thousands of long range missiles aimed at the U. S. and never attacked. I doubt if "Little Kim" will attack the United States. He is a mere player on the world stage, ("All the world's a stage, And all the men and women merely players"-Shakespeare). Little Kim likes the attention, and his lifestyle.

People are alarmed that a previous missile test of North Korea went over Japan. What path could North Korea, and many other small countries, use to test a long range missile without flying over some other country? The United States has the luxury of being bordered by two oceans to test missiles without sending them over another country. We might request permission to send a test over another country. Who could deny us? When we test a missile it is to preserve our freedoms. When another country tests a missile it is "provocation".

Japan is calling for North Korea to be nice. Most people in the west, lacking knowledge of history, will think North Korea is the aggressor and Japan an innocent victim. Little do they know of the past invasions of Japan into Korea and the atrocities committed by Japan http://www.kimsoft.com/kr-japan.htm and that Japan annexed the Korean peninsula in 1910 and held it until the end of World War Two when, like other parts of the world, the victors divided the spoils. Now many Koreans want one Korea, like the Vietnamese wanted one country. Both countries have long histories and they do not like to be divided. How would you like it if some country invaded the United States and divided it? We tried dividing our country in 1861 and look at what happened. Yet we somehow pick certain countries and demand they remain divided, despite their ancient histories.

It is not necessary that the Japanese atrocities are true, it is only necessary the North Koreans believe they happened. Little Kim, like most organization leaders, exploits human emotions. I imagine the North Koreans want revenge, a deadly sin. -Wrath (anger) inappropriate (unrighteous) feelings of hatred, revenge or even denial, as well as punitive desires outside of justice (Dante's description was "love of justice perverted to revenge and spite")- Most of the whole human race always wants revenge, which is why we should heed George Washington's advice in his farewell address;

-"Observe good faith and justice towards all nations; cultivate peace and harmony with all. Religion and morality enjoin this conduct; and can it be, that good policy does not equally enjoin it? It will be worthy of a free, enlightened, and at no distant period, a great nation, to give to mankind the magnanimous and too novel example of a people always guided by an exalted justice and benevolence. Who can doubt that, in the course of time and things, the fruits of such a plan would richly repay any temporary advantages which might be lost by a steady adherence to it ? Can it be that Providence has not connected the permanent felicity of a nation with its virtue ? The experiment, at least, is recommended by every sentiment which ennobles human nature. Alas! Is it rendered impossible by its vices?"-

Notice the last line of that paragraph. Washington was afraid our vices would prevent us from following his counsel. If the world was of one race, happy and free from war, I believe the state would tell us space invaders are just a few light years away and we should start spending trillions in defense of our future generations. Instead of fighting Muslims, Koreans, and other phantoms, we should be fighting what makes us fight.

Bilbo Baggins

Barbara Ann's Birthday

Happy Birthday to Barbara Ann T., b 1950, D July 11, 2002.

Barbara Ann was bright, witty, and optimistic. I never saw her drink more than a glass of wine. She did not smoke, use drugs, speak ill of others, or use profanity. She did not worship any celebrities or idols. Her mood was always the same; optimistic, happy and joi-de-vire.

She loved people, animals, plants and flowers. She was a devoted daughter. She took her parents on global journeys.

She had advanced degrees in psychology and loved to study human behavior. She was generous with her affections and time.

C. S. Lewis said there are four stages of love. Lust, affection, friendship, and attachment. When Barbara became ill with that horrible disease, cancer, I developed a fifth stage of love for her, spiritual.

During the many years of our relationship Barbara never yelled at me in anger. She never demeaned or ridiculed me, instead she praised me. She always had patience with my vocal outbursts and a calming effect on my life. I wish she was still here.

This thought of Lucretius:
“Without thee, darkness reigns instead of light,
And nothing lovely is, and nothing ever bright.”

Bilbo Baggins

Bounty Hunters

June 9, 2006,

Jason Grimsley, baseball player, (former) has been accused of using human growth hormone. Thirteen agents raided his home. I wonder why it takes so many government employees to do such an unimportant job. Maybe Grimsley has a big house! Still, I suspect if the raid had been done by a private security firm like "Dog the Bounty Hunter" it could have been accomplished with two or three people. Grimsley is not a threat to me so why do I have to pay all these government employees to do work that is unnecessary. These government employees could do some valuable work if they were patrolling our borders and keeping out terrorists.

I have no data on the following numbers. They are just casual observations. Whenever a dangerous felon is apprehended by government law enforcement they usually have 10-1 (estimated) or more advantage. When private bounty hunters go after a dangerous felon to collect the reward they only have a 3-1 (estimate) advantage. This is another example of how efficient the free market works.

Men, if you could use an illegal drug that would give you an edge in your profession; a stock analyst, writer, or consultant, and would help you earn a million dollars per year income, would you use the drug? I suspect most of you would because you are competitive, like the alpha males in a troop of baboons and a rooster in a hen yard.

Your competitiveness has created the telescope, beautiful art, and music. You have found the cure for diseases. You discovered the steam engine which allowed man time to read instead of working himself into an early grave. You discovered electricity, the electric starter, air conditioning and the printing press. You created the internet that allows us to share unfathomable amounts of data. Your competitiveness, the curse mother nature put on you, would not allow you to pass up an opportunity to win a million dollars per year? I bet you would take the drug.

Bilbo Baggins

< http://www.azcentral.com/news/articles/0608grimsley0608.html
In April, 13 agents, 10 from the Internal Revenue Service, two from the FBI and one from the Food and Drug Administration, moved in after the package of HGH was delivered.>

Vietnam Soon To Be Admitted Into WTO

The World Trade Organization announced that Vietnam may be admitted into the World Trade Organization by November 2006.

When the Vietnam war started it was because many Americans feared the North Vietnamese Communists would take over the region and invade America and take away the freedoms Americans enjoy.

During the war 58,000 American men and 8 American women were killed. Thousands of American men were severely wounded and maimed for life. Over a million Vietnamese were killed and another million maimed and wounded.

What was all the carnage for? Nothing! After all, the North Vietnamese just wanted to reunite the north and south from which it had been divided by the west. The fears America had was for naught. Vietnamese love Americans. They love to trade with us. Vietnam will not invade the United States and take away our freedoms. Instead, we will give them away, meekly and slowly, one election at a time.

Bilbo Baggins