UngainlyTitan

Recent Actions

• Commented on The permanent revolution
  While I can imagine a path to Oligarchy in the US and Europe, places like Brazil has recently moved rom Oligarchy to democracy. Oligarchy to be stable would require some claim to legitimacy. The old monarchs claimed to be put...
• Commented on Thinking the unthinkable
  There is no circumstances where I could see Ireland leaving the EU sort of the complete collapse of the EU, which I think is unlikely. In the EU we have a vote and an opportunity to speak our piece and...
• Commented on Thinking the unthinkable
  The Irish would have no interest in such an arrangement. We are too peripheral, even to the UK to have much influence in such an arrangement. Within the EU we can make common cause with other powers to get our...
• Commented on Thinking the unthinkable
  The tariff barriers will not e as bad as 1948 or even 1972 but will be the default EU external tariff wall. The big issue going forward will be the EU regulatory regime, which is as big a barrier to...
• Commented on Political failure modes and the beige dictatorship
  Well from that analysis it does reflect the electorate in a lowest common denominator type a way. At least in so far that a TV dinner reflect a real dinner. I think that we are looking at a convergence of...
• Commented on What are the big issues of 2013 going to be?
  Well Greg, I noticed from US media outlets. In my opinion what the GOP are doing regarding the Fiscal Cliff is sabotage of the functioning of government. I really don't think there is an entire nation dumber than me so...
• Commented on What are the big issues of 2013 going to be?
  I think that the US media will be mainly pre-occupied by the increasing bitter efforts of the GOP to sabotage the working of the US government. The EU/Euroland crisis will rumble on in the background but noting much will happen....
• Commented on What are the big issues of 2013 going to be?
  Infanticide has been around forever but not caused the dramatic skewing seen in recent times in various part of India and other places in East Asia. It is the combo of easily available abortion and cheap ultra sound scanners that...
• Commented on Big Guns[1]
  Dunno, not sure how standard cartridge sizes are, I used to know this stuff (old wargammer not very active nowadays) but if one is allowed a firearm it is reasonable to assume one is allowed buy ammo. The thing is...
• Commented on Big Guns[1]
  True: I used to think that a sufficient ruthless dictator surrounded by equally ruthless henchmen willing to kill enough people could not be taken down by internal opposition. Syria is giving me reason to rethink that position. Still the notion...
• Commented on Big Guns[1]
  I think the situation in the US has gone beyond what any conceivable control measures could make a difference to, there are simply too many weapons in the wild, at this point. I think there are cultural factors involved, There...
• Commented on 2512
  Farming could well disappear, all food could be cultured. There might be some farming specialised to providing rare product to the elite but in general it could by then be all grown in cultures and artificially flavoured. I expect nanotech...