The subtitle of this book by Joel Mokyr is “Technological Creativity and Economic Progress.” I requested the book to be sent to my local library after reading a reference that sounded interesting in “A Case for Nuclear-Generated Electricity” (reviewed previously). The author of that book observed that Mokyr discussed how China transitioned from being a technological, military, and economic power to becoming a backward country pushed around by the world because, simplistically, it stopped embracing innovation. I wanted to learn more so I obtained Mokyr’s book. Continue reading
Square Deal
Theodore Roosevelt became President in 1901when William McKinley, who had strong support of industry titans, was assassinated. Roosevelt used the phrase “Square Deal” as his campaign slogan in 1904. Roosevelt was a Progressive who had strong belief corporations had too much power over workers. The slogan was based on the “3 C’s.” These were Control of Corporations, Consumer Protection, and Conservation of Natural Resources.
Die With Your Boots On
An interesting expression from the turn-of-the-last-century Wild West appears in a book reviewed on this site. “To die with your boots on” refers to dieing a violent death, specifically to being murdered. Continue reading
History of ‘Billy the Kid’
This short book (only 61 pages) was first published in 1920. It caught my eye because I live outside Silver City, New Mexico, where “the Kid” lived for a time and where his mother is buried. The author Chas A. Siringo, was “personally acquainted with him, and assisted in his capture”. His book is based on what he was told by Billy the Kid himself, and by others who knew the Kid.
Siringo’s style is Spartan. There are many one-sentence paragraphs. He presents facts of the Kid’s life with little explanation or description. I learned what the Kid did, but was left with no real understanding of what drove him through his violent life. Continue reading
Gun Safety Starts With Gun Knowledge
There is so much fear-mongering involving guns right now. The debate over gun violence has led media outlets to cover a lot of shootings lately. Do not let this panic you. Violence in America (and among humanity in general) is going down. I repeatedly receive chain-emails that equate the government with Nazis; that tell me I will need to fight off the American Army from a bunker; that mock and vilify my fellow citizens. These messages are designed to inflame emotions and suppress rational discussion. Delete, delete, delete.
There are many problems that guns are a part of: suicide is different from accident, which is different from domestic violence, which is different from mass shootings, and so on.
Gun Sales Surge
The tragic massacre of children and teachers in Newtown, Connecticut, created understandable outrage and many legislators decided they must do something. Legislators in my state of Colorado rushed to pass new legislation to “control guns.” Some or all of the legislation will undoubtedly be found unconstitutional, but the legislators and their anti-gun constituents have been repeated portrayed by the media celebrating that they “have taken action.” They were unfazed by the fact the laws they passed would not have stopped the tragic massacres in the Colorado theatre or the Connecticut school.
Photo: www.myfoxboston.com
Colorado residents responded to the highly publicized actions by overloading the background check system to buy guns. At one point there was a week or more delay in obtaining approval to make a purchase. The effort to “control guns” resulted in a surge in gun sales.
Colorado wasn’t the only place where guns sales increased. I recently heard a short report on CNBC that retail sales in the U.S. were up by a bit under 2 percent for the fourth quarter of 2012. The primary reason for the increase was attributed to the 20 percent increase in gun sales. Continue reading