Hello from London

Hello friends, sorry for the lapse in blogging. I am over in London, and, although I’ve been here previous, I have come to realise that London and NYC are the same city separated by a very wide river.

The Brits do drink, natch, but more importantly they are either way ahead or way behind the US in political correctness. Thank God, or god. They still smoke in bars and restaurants, unlike NYC and San Francisco, though I am assured that this will be ending in Britain soon. Ah, the puritan spirit — from Britain to the New World and back again.

I had the privilege of joining Martin Geddes for a quick drink in the Angel district, just up the road from where I am staying. I have come to admire Martin for his clear and persuasive thinking on net neutrality.

A charming and intellectually energetic man, and a kindred spirit on issues of economic liberty. We despaired at how normally libertarian folks seem to be drinking the Kool Aid on net neutrality. As Martin put it, have we all abandoned the basics of Chicago (and Austrian) economics? Thankfully the National Review has chimed in with a reasonable position.

But what is the deal with our dearest Glenn Reynolds and other Vast Right Wing Conspirators supporting this new regulation? Or course big business is predatory. We know this. If we have learned nothing since Marx, it is that the only progressive, permanent solution to greed is free-market competition. Government can’t fix it, short of throwing the baby out with the bathwater.

With something as dynamic and evolving as the Internet, I demand nothing less than free reign for those who choose to participate. To do otherwise is to fossilize it in its adolescence. Motives be damned, animal spirits be praised.

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Aside: Tonight, at the pub, I learned the etymology of the word “posh”, from an Indian-Brit. She told me that it signifies the status of those who took boats to India during imperial times. It is an acronym for “Port Out, Starboard Home”. Those were the sunny sides of the boat during the round trip, and worth a fancy penny back in the day.

Comments

[The Gentle Cricket]

Have fun in London! I've missed your blog.

[Jeremiah]

GC said basically what I was going to say. Have a great trip.

[Matt S]

Cheers gents. On my way back tomorrow. Maybe with a little more understanding of statism and demography and Europe and the pound and cities and public transport and currencies. Or, perhaps, just alcoholism.

[robert karp]

posh port out starboard home... in the days of un air conditioned ships, the shady side of the ship was the only desirable side..
the sunny side would have been unbearable going to india from england and returning .
in effect heading east, you'd want the north side and west back to england , once again the north side[or the starbord side]

[rcnet]

You have it backwards. Port is LEFT, as in No Red Port Left in the Bottle. The expensive side was away from teh sun - so on the left out and the right (starboard) back - no AC in those days....

[Matt S]

You know, after I typed that I had a "wait a minute..." moment. But then I figured that the person telling that story knows better than I. I guess the northern side of the boat was better...