Apple’s MagSafe Power Adapter adapter is really a wonderful invention which saves laptops and power cords by safely disconnecting them when one trips over or pulls the power cord. It’s therefore no surprise that the design of the power adapter is heavily patented and protected by Apple. Whatever you think about patents, it at least makes sense that Apple would want to prevent competitors from imitating their design.
Warren Buffett’s partner at Berkshire Hathaway Inc. Charlie Munger told students at the University of Michigan “You should thank God” for the bank bailouts. Without George W., Obama and Bernanke, civilization as we know it would have gone down the drain, making a comparison to Weimar Germany.
He published books on inventions with information that the guilds tried to suppress. He declined patents on his own inventions. He loved “pirated” editions of books. His Almanac was essentially the Google of its time. He opposed every attempt to close off information flows. Full treatment here.
The word “politician” usually comes with a negative connotation. It often brings to mind thieving, lying, corruption, and malfeasance. Nonetheless, most people seem to look to politicians to manage their world for them, to protect them, and to make their lives better. In every instance of local or national elections, citizens are deeply focused on choosing the politician they think will do the best for their community or nation.
Before the civil war, there were some grounds for saying that, at least in theory, our government was a free one — that it rested on consent.
[Excerpted from chapter 9 of Theory and History.]
In their eagerness to eliminate from history any reference to individuals and individual events, collectivist authors resorted to a chimerical construction, the group mind or social mind.
From the press coverage after the election, I would never have known the Christine O’Donnell seems to generally sensible on economic issues. In this interview from July, she explains the need to reduce regulations and lower taxes. She also understands why: business needs to accumulate private capital in order to hire and expand. From the interview, you would think that she is libertarian on economic issues, which is to say that she is sensible.
