March's Books of the Month

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:h24lynt5sd4J:www.jelks.nu/misc/articles/bs.html+%22on+bullshit%22&hl=en&client=firefox-a

Full text still cached by google

http://216.239.59.104/search?q=cache:h24lynt5sd4J:www.jelks.nu/misc/articles/bs.html+%22on+bullshit%22&hl=en&client=firefox-a

I thought the online article was expanded somewhat to make the book.

Well, the full text is not online anymore.

But Dan, why printouts? Weren't you shopping for a PDA?

"The fact that these issues are not even on the radar screen of the international relations community is indeed terrifying."

Nope - the fact that these issues are not on the radar screen of the international relations community is a blessed good thing.

Consider India - recipient of $100s of Billions in international aid and the full time attention of policy elites for 50 years post independence produced little more than throwing pebbles in the cean. 15 years of entrepeneurship by expat and overseas Indians, blessedly unaware of tho whole 'international relations community', has produced an economic boom that has lifted millions out of poverty and is changing every aspect of society - the first real changes since independence.

Foreign relations pros get in the way of developement by argueing for policies and programs that cater to the whims and prejudices of the academic and ruling elites, and not the entrepeneurs. Entrepeneurs by their nature are (ultimately) challengers to ruling elites, who love programs that can be turned into 'crony capitalism'.

Another example - Russia. Subject to vast attention by clver policy pros, it followed their reccomendations - and sank into cronyism and and corruption that paved the way for the current near-dictattorship.

Nothing helps African development more that the legions of cab drivers in the US, quitely subverting their local economies by putting US-earned capital to work in a thousand vilages (and educating their female relatives), more or less free of the horrible corruption and waste that turns officially approved development projects into sinkholes.

So everyone is better off without the attention of the policy elites, I say. More Kyoto treaties, anyone?

Think Latin America- we can’t begin to seal off the Mexican border.
1. Pemex reports that production from its Cantarell field, the 8th largest in the world, is falling. The field has been in production since 1979 and brought glory days to Mexico. Pemex expects its output to decline by 5% to 2.0 mbpd in 2005. This field accounted for more than 60% of Pemex production in 2004. Pemex, the Mexican national oil company, provides 16% of the imports to the US—behind Canada and jockeying with Saudi Arabia for second or third place. Venezuela produces more oil than Mexico and has more reserves, but Mr. Chavez is busy making deals with China and dislikes the 2. US.
2. Venezuelan minister of energy and petroleum Rafael Ramirez announced today Monday that Venezuela is prepared to cause a "verdaderamente catastrófico" para la economía mundial.” Nonliteral translation: “If the US and its Colombian puppet keep harassing Venezuela, we’ll stop oil sales to the US and maybe we can push the cost of oil to $100 a barrel. That will bring economic disaster”. Iran has made similar threats. They are just hot air, so far.
3. Bolivia has problems. President Carlos Mesa says that he will resign, 1 ½ years after violent protests forced the resignation of President Gonzalo Sanchez de Lozada. Bolivia is the poorest country in the Americas, except for Haiti. Civil war there will not be good.
4. The US and China follow similar profligate courses, grabbing as much oil and gas as possible, refusing to admit that the old ways are unsustainable. Each superpower would be wise to attend to the needs and problems of its neighbors, and to start crash programs to develop alternative energy supplies. Americans and Chinese both believe that they are God's anointed people (American exceptionalism vs. Chinese exceptionalism- that’s why we are on a collision course). The US will sink into economic collapse if we continue to fight in the Middle East; we’ll remain in the Middle East as long as we’re addicted to petroleum. China has worse pollution problems than we do.