Out Of Control Gun Control In America

Gun Controllers Are Blind & Obsessed

Gun control has been out of control for decades thanks to fanatic gun controllers who engage constantly in senseless battles of moral superiority and waste enormous resources. Further, and not less disturbing, theses narrow minded gun controllers prevent or subvert any serious debate among reasonable adults about such killings like in Tucson or Virginia Tech or Amish school children and so forth.

Abuse & Exploitation Of A Nation’s Trauma

In the wake of the high profile assassinations of US President John F. Kennedy (Died 11/22/1963) and his brother (Died 6/6/1968), Martin Luther King (Died 4/4/1968), Malcolm X (Died 2/21/1965) and multiple race riots in the 1960s and the ongoing Vietnam War & Protests, the legislators in the US Congress totally overreacted culminating in the infamous 1968 Gun Control Act (Enacted 10/22/1968). The negative effects of this irrational overreaction are still felt and present today.

Addendum

Previously, this nation witnessed horrific killings (sometimes in broad daylight to the imminent danger of innocent bystanders) by organized and other criminals (e.g. Saint Valentine’s Day massacre of 2/14/1929) using rapid fire automatic, sometimes large caliber, weapons. However, law enforcement and prosecutors learnt quickly how to deal with these criminals effectively. So called Untouchables were killed or became permanent residents of maximum security penitentiaries like Alcatraz, Sing Sing, San Quentin, …

Ice Age, Global Warming, (next panic?)

What hysteric, apocalyptic panic is next? Any bets?

Wave After Wave

Fad after fad!

In the 1970s it was Club of Rome and Global Cooling.

In the 1990s onwards it was Global Warming.

Is this just another manifestation of the human condition or what?

When will humans learn faster that they are being taken as fools?

What is truly shocking?

How many so called scientists were involved in this racket for funds and fame by exploiting human anxieties?
Way too many!

How many respectable, peer-reviewed scientific magazines went along by trying to be the latest and greatest distributor of a hoax?
Way too many and way too often!

The UN proved once more that it is an irrelevant organization.

The female head of government of one of the leading Western economies, a Ph.D. physicist and daughter of a clergy, went along with this nonsense instead of being a voice of reasoning.

The Curse Of Nuclear Power

Demagoguery Drowns Voice Of Reason

Recent and frequent comparisons of Three Mile Island, Chernobyl, and Japanese nuclear power plants affected by the earthquake are at best disingenuous and at worst irresponsible demagoguery.

Post-Modern Superstition

Medieval superstition in the 21^st century against nuclear power by too many people on this planet still reigns supreme. Poor education of our children for decades in science and technology explains a lot about the paranoia surrounding nuclear power.

Hiroshima & Nagasaki

Too many people of this world are still confusing nuclear weapons and nuclear power generation since 1945. Hiroshima and Nagasaki were not nuclear power plants.

Madame Curie & Her Husband

Marie Curie, one of the giants of science and radioactivity research and humanism, is reported to have died of the side effects of long-time exposure to radioactive rays. However, she died at age 66 in 1934 She survived her beloved husband by 28 years, who died of a horse carriage accident.

Why Did I Come To The U.S.?

Good Company

Before me there was Thomas Paine, Thomas Jefferson, Thomas Eakins, Thomas Alva Edison and others whose name I forgot to mention here. I am in good company. My father told me that I was named after someone else, but he was a big fan of Thomas Jefferson.

Trust In Taxpayers

The US income tax system relies on taxpayers to self-report their income for tax purposes. To submit any supporting documents with the tax return is basically not required. Tax audits are infrequent. Thus, Uncle Sam trusts its citizens like not many other governments.

Ultimate Checks & Balances

The founders of the German constitution omitted to include a 2^nd Amendment (or the right to bear arms).

Tier & Mensch

Wer ist klüger?
Affe oder Mensch?

Der Klügere gibt nach.

Der Dümmere glaubt er müsse den Affen retten.

Ein Planet für alle Tiere und Menschen.

Wichtigstes Tweet: Freiheit & Respekt Füreinander

The Exponential Development Of The Technological Revolution

Introduction

I am certainly not the first to make this claim (e.g. Singularity by e.g. Mr. Ray Kurzweil). However, this technological revolution may not yet be well understood by the inhabitants of this planet nor by myself.

Past Technological Revolutions Pale In Comparison

The ramifications and repercussions of this technological revolution are profound and will impact everything on earth in the foreseeable future. This technological revolution is like no other before in history in speed and impact. The diffusion of innovation and the adaption rate are already much faster than any historical precedent we know of. Just think of the cell phone.

For over five hundred years the book was basically the most important conveyance of human knowledge. Now the book as we know it is fast becoming extinct like the stone tablets and papyrus before.

Just take libraries for example. Do we still need those 100,000s of legacy libraries all over the world with millions of kilometers of bookshelves? Theoretically, one digital library with digital storage of everything ever written by humans would suffice.

Human Progress Like Rice On A Chessboard

Like Moore’s Law processing power increases, data storage increases, and ultimately the accumulation of knowledge and information. The acceleration of progress in science, medicine & technology, we are already witnessing today, is breath taking and just the beginning.

The Whole World Participates In This Revolution

Unlike previous, historical technological revolutions, which evolved over time and geographic space, this technological revolution is happening almost simultaneously worldwide and all people can and do participate across all continents.

Today, there are about 7 billion human brains participating in this revolution, billions of brains more than in any other previous revolution. Almost every human being today has already access to the entire human knowledge over Internet like the Wikipedia. Just compare this to the famous French encyclopedia of

This time it will not be a predominantly European & American, or Islamic, or Indian or Chinese revolution, but a revolution carried out by people of any cultural background and geographic location.

It will be a modern Renaissance, but much more powerful. This time people of all walks of life not only the scholars can participate. Thus, the obstacles for anyone to participate are greatly reduced compared to any earlier time.

The Evolution Of The Brain-Computer Interface Is Imminent

There is a distinct possibility that machines will soon be more intelligent than today’s humans. The famous Turing Test will likely be passed in less than 20 years.

However, I am not pessimistic. One day our brains will be augmented by computers. Can you imagine to have a memory such that forgetfulness is obsolete? Can you imagine to have a computer or network of computers work for you on a novel problem, while you sleep and you wake up to review what these computers came up with?

Being Envious

I truly envy the coming generations of humans. It is just mind boggling what the future holds in store. Very exciting Brave New World!

Economics Is In A Beauty Contest With Mathematics

First The Historical School, Then The Philosophical School Disappeared

Maybe the beauty contest explains why there is no Adam Smith, Friedrich Hayek, Ludwig von Mises, or even Joseph Schumpeter in our time.

One who does not learn the lessons of economic history is doomed to repeat it. Economists are doomed. Mathematics is no substitute for history. When I studied economics at my alma mater in Frankfurt am Main, there was, if I remember correctly, one elder professor of economic history left, but his courses were electables and he offered few courses.

In 1993, the Nobel Prize Committee had a special moment of inspiration when it awarded the economics prize to two professors of economic history.

Only Pure Mathematics Is More Aesthetic Than Economics

As a consequence, economists do not see reality anymore, only equations and abstract models. In their quest to be equal to physics, economists became econometricians. Or economists research some esoteric topics.

Economists Failed To Prevent The Great Recession

The Great Recession is a result of this beauty contest. The Great Recession should be a clarion call to every economist. Why are there highly trained economists working at, e.g., our central banks and international banks?

A Science Nobody Takes Serious

Economists are to blame when their science is ridiculed by popular opinions like economics is a dismal science guided by  an invisible hand and when they are the target of jokes like economists predicted 10 out of 7 recessions or you ask 10 economists and you get 13 different answers.

Or what did the so celebrated John Maynard Keynes once say “Practical men, …, are usually the slaves of some defunct economist” and “The long run is a misleading guide to current affairs. In the long run we are all dead”. What lesson did economist take away from this nonsense? Use mathematics and practical men will not understand you anymore.

The Greatest Tax Reform Of All Times In Honor Of Benjamin Franklin

Posted: 4/19/2011 Updated: 4/15/2015

Update 4/15/15

Just learnt of this quote from one of Ayn Rand’s books titled “The Virtue of Selfishness” (emphasis added):

“In a fully free society, taxation—or, to be exact, payment for governmental services — would be voluntary. Since the proper services of a government—the police, the armed forces, the law courts—are demonstrably needed by individual citizens and affect their interests directly, the citizens would (and should) be willing to pay for such services, as they pay for insurance.”

I fully agree!

A Tax Reform Like No Other

It is not utopian. It would be a triumph of individual freedom and responsibility. Such a tax reform would instantly solve so many problems with taxation. Too many to list here. The benefits of such a radical reform probably far outweigh the concerns. Politicians and civil servants would be held accountable like never before. The beast would be starved. No Taxation Without Representation was the beginning. Taxation Without Coercion is next.

A Tip Of The Hat To Benjamin Franklin

Benjamin Franklin wrote “Our new Constitution is now established, and has an appearance that promises permanency; but in this world nothing can be said to be certain, except death and taxes.”. Taxes will still be certain, but the people will finally be able to vote with their money, because voting by feet is inconvenient. What would Benjamin Franklin think about voluntary taxes?