Governments and politicians are wonderful at finding solutions to problems that do not exist (except in their collective minds). Then they tell everyone else how they should behave while not doing so themselves - the do as I say not as I do philosophy. Example of this is them flying all over the world in their private jets to tell us we need to lower our carbon footprint.
That certainty usually "reserved for savants and psychopaths" has today been amply bestowed on our psychopaths. Somehow we'll come through this, too, but in what condition? Now that's a good question. Best.
My Zen Master of the Taoist School of Wisdom carries the Tao te Ching everywhere he goes. But his answers to my inquiries are always clouded in mystery. He likes to warm me that if I want to find “truth” then don’t have opinions as those who say don’t know and those who know don’t say.” if I press him for a clear answer he says, “Son, you must become a lamp unto thyself.”
If I dig at him some more he says,” My lad, when you take your cart to the mountains a path will open for you, and always remember to drink from the stream upstream from the herd.”
When I tell him I have no more questions he smiles and says, You have crossed over the river into Nirvana!
Thanks for this. I appreciate the prose, the opinion, the sentiment expressed in this essay, regardless of whether or not I’m in agreement with some, any, or none of it. This piece earned a sub from me and a chance to enter into my ‘paid sub’ rotation.
Laissez-faire a concept under apprieciated, misunderstood or lack of comprehension. Its root is preservation its unjustly seen as selfshness but in reality its independence.
Yes and all this actions comes from those who fly their personal jets around while lecturing others into 15 minute cities, those who forced vaccines upon society when the vaccines are worse than the virus and put doctors in jail and removed their right to practice because they had better ideas on how to treat the virus, put people in jail for being invited inside the capital and then walking around. Their hubris is inexhaustible as they censor people against the constitution. The last thing on their minds is freedom and god given rights. It is control of others by their ideas.
Thoughts for the day. Most likely all the criminal actions of our government will not affect us but rather those that follow us. Be it the destruction of our money or making the many populations of the world our enemies. Think again if you believe these global wars won’t come home to roost with our children or grandchildren. They will have to bear the brunt of our generations failures. Do not act surprised at the next 9/11 event. Time preference is key! For some reason humanity has lost the ability to build for the future. Missing are the stone masons who build a church, never to be completed in their lifetime but a gift for future generations.
I worked for 11 years in a company with an accounting division and a consulting division.
As a favor to a client needing an IRS publication, I went to the company’s tax library. A librarian found the form and instructions and copied them for me.
An inbox for new and updated IRS forms and instructions that the librarians had to file. Mostly that meant removing the old and installing the new. I was told that library task was not well liked.
The volume of the library was enormous, and no one person could ever read it all, even in the lifetime of a hearty and healthy tax expert.
Tax attorneys have to specialize. Even the largest firm will have to outsource some tax litigation work. I expect that Abe Lincoln would be astounded by the sheer size of a complete tax library.
Governments and politicians are wonderful at finding solutions to problems that do not exist (except in their collective minds). Then they tell everyone else how they should behave while not doing so themselves - the do as I say not as I do philosophy. Example of this is them flying all over the world in their private jets to tell us we need to lower our carbon footprint.
Humanity’s bias for action needs tempering with the Hippocratic oath of ‘first do no harm’.
Primum non nocere... literally had that in my notes. Next time. Cheers!
Or a review of G.K. Chesterton's parable about tearing down fences.
Another dead hero...
If You sent these sayings of Lao-Tzu to every politician in the world. Nothing would change. It would fall on deaf ears.
Agreed… I think the broader point is, we shouldn’t wait (in vain, no doubt) for them to change, but to change ourselves instead.
And that is the key.
Flaneur with purpose!
Agree, but how much or what do You think I should change. If right is right and wrong is wrong, I can not change!
Have you seen the movie, “Idiocracy” 2006? It seems to me we are moving quickly toward such an era if we aren’t already there.
Interestingly, the film maker, and liberals, were viewing the Trump presidency as playing out the theme of the movie in real life.
A brilliant synthesis of classical wisdom Joel!
That certainty usually "reserved for savants and psychopaths" has today been amply bestowed on our psychopaths. Somehow we'll come through this, too, but in what condition? Now that's a good question. Best.
Excellent ❤️
My Zen Master of the Taoist School of Wisdom carries the Tao te Ching everywhere he goes. But his answers to my inquiries are always clouded in mystery. He likes to warm me that if I want to find “truth” then don’t have opinions as those who say don’t know and those who know don’t say.” if I press him for a clear answer he says, “Son, you must become a lamp unto thyself.”
If I dig at him some more he says,” My lad, when you take your cart to the mountains a path will open for you, and always remember to drink from the stream upstream from the herd.”
When I tell him I have no more questions he smiles and says, You have crossed over the river into Nirvana!
Ahh, the inscrutable orientals.
tax library watch the staff members get increasingly panicked near the due date.
The day after the returns are filed (most companies follow the April return due date) the tax folks take a well deserved holiday.
David
p.s. Joel, sorry with the bifurcated submission, but my vision is still impaired.
Joel, I am surprised by your lament that governments like to govern and, over time, do so to excess to the determent of the governed.
It has always be thus, and I suspect always will. Someone has to be in charge; it's our nature.
Verifying this disposition are films galore of mass rallies featuring autocratic officials -- demagogues all
They thrive by telling their followers all manner of nonsense, from Hitler, Father Coughlin then to Trump, Alex Jones and Putin today,
The common denominator seems to be that each have approving audiences seeking direction
Thanks for this. I appreciate the prose, the opinion, the sentiment expressed in this essay, regardless of whether or not I’m in agreement with some, any, or none of it. This piece earned a sub from me and a chance to enter into my ‘paid sub’ rotation.
I loved this column. One of your best. “Armed with a certainty normally reserved for …psychopaths “ is a great line and spot on.
Laissez-faire a concept under apprieciated, misunderstood or lack of comprehension. Its root is preservation its unjustly seen as selfshness but in reality its independence.
Yes and all this actions comes from those who fly their personal jets around while lecturing others into 15 minute cities, those who forced vaccines upon society when the vaccines are worse than the virus and put doctors in jail and removed their right to practice because they had better ideas on how to treat the virus, put people in jail for being invited inside the capital and then walking around. Their hubris is inexhaustible as they censor people against the constitution. The last thing on their minds is freedom and god given rights. It is control of others by their ideas.
Thoughts for the day. Most likely all the criminal actions of our government will not affect us but rather those that follow us. Be it the destruction of our money or making the many populations of the world our enemies. Think again if you believe these global wars won’t come home to roost with our children or grandchildren. They will have to bear the brunt of our generations failures. Do not act surprised at the next 9/11 event. Time preference is key! For some reason humanity has lost the ability to build for the future. Missing are the stone masons who build a church, never to be completed in their lifetime but a gift for future generations.
Joel:
I worked for 11 years in a company with an accounting division and a consulting division.
As a favor to a client needing an IRS publication, I went to the company’s tax library. A librarian found the form and instructions and copied them for me.
An inbox for new and updated IRS forms and instructions that the librarians had to file. Mostly that meant removing the old and installing the new. I was told that library task was not well liked.
The volume of the library was enormous, and no one person could ever read it all, even in the lifetime of a hearty and healthy tax expert.
Tax attorneys have to specialize. Even the largest firm will have to outsource some tax litigation work. I expect that Abe Lincoln would be astounded by the sheer size of a complete tax library.
If you have access to a