Freedom of choice, sang Devo, is what you got. Freedom from choice is what you want. Today, we humans of the most privileged generation in human history, have almost unlimited choice in almost everything. Supermarkets bring us the bounty of the world, in every season. Smart TVs and tablet computers
Zero Alpha No doubt many will have seen, or at least heard about, “Doomsday Preppers”. For those unenlightened among us, it’s a National Geographic TV show about those crazy Americans who are digging bunkers in their back yards, hoarding guns and toilet paper, and just generally getting ready to
The word for today is… sovereignty (noun) – 1. Supremacy of authority or rule as exercised by a sovereign or sovereign state. 2. Royal rank, authority, or power. 3. Complete independence and self-government. 4. A territory existing as an independent state. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : mid-14th century, “pre-eminence,” from Anglo-French
The word for today is… tutelage (noun) – 1. The capacity or activity of a guardian; guardianship. 2. The capacity or activity of a tutor; instruction or teaching. 3. The state of being under the direction of a guardian or tutor. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : The Latin verb tueri means
Jeffrey A. Tucker aier.org This year has been a shock. Here is an early sketch of what I think I’ve learned. 1. Governments are fully capable of doing the unthinkable, and doing so suddenly with no exit plan, little consideration of cost, and a callous disregard for individual
You will no doubt be highly shocked to learn that the 18-year-old pictured below (today’s crybaby of the week) has been struggling to find employment because of his Punk appearance. Novak describes his style as “punk” and sports multiple face piercings, tattoos and a large mohawk. The teen has
The word for today is… volte-face (noun) – A reversal, as in policy; an about-face. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Volte-face came to English by way of French from Italian voltafaccia, a combination of voltare, meaning “to turn,” and faccia, “face.” It has existed as an English noun since at least
There’s an apocryphal story that tells of a hospital where, on cue every Friday evening, any patients left in a particular bed of the ICU would mysteriously expire. For weeks, this went on. Apparently stable patients would suddenly shuffle off this mortal coil like clockwork, every Friday evening. Finally,
One of the most damaging conceits of socialists and big government enthusiasts is that the government, any government, has the ability to run a complex economy like a well-oiled machine. In reality, market forces are the consequences of millions, if not billions, of individuals making independent decisions. When bureaucrats start
The word for today is… requisite (adj) – Something that circumstances make necessary. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Acquiring an understanding of where requisite comes from won’t require a formal inquiry. Without question, the quest begins with Latin quaerere, which means “to ask” or “to seek.” That word is ancestor
The word for today is… rife (adj) – 1. In widespread existence, practice, or use; increasingly prevalent. 2. Abundant or numerous. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : English is rife with words that have Germanic connections, many of which have been handed down to us from Old English. Rife is one of
The word for today is… quack (noun) – 1. The characteristic sound uttered by a duck. 2. An untrained person who pretends to be a physician and dispenses medical advice and treatment. 3. A charlatan; a mountebank. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “To make a duck sound,” 1610s, earlier quake (1520s)
The word for today is… pejorative (adj) – Disparaging; belittling. (noun) – A disparaging or belittling word or expression. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : “If you can’t say something nice, don’t say anything at all.” Parents have given that good advice for years, but unfortunately many people haven’t heeded
The word for today is… noblesse oblige (noun) – Benevolent, honourable behavior considered to be the responsibility of persons of high birth or rank. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : In French, noblesse oblige means literally “nobility obligates.” French speakers transformed the phrase into a noun, which English speakers picked up in
Australian Prime Minister Scott Morrison seems to be talking the right talk when it comes to potentially opening up some areas of New Zealand with some Australian regions. Morrison made the announcement following a series of meetings on Thursday and Friday last week. “ScoMo” said the issue came up on
The word for today is… mien (noun) – 1 Air or bearing especially as expressive of attitude or personality : demeanour. 2 Appearance, aspect. Source : The Free Dictionary Etymology : Like its synonyms bearing and demeanour, mien means the outward manifestation of personality or attitude. Bearing is the most general, but it often
