More Fraud and Lies

It's remarkable that government and modern "dialogue" is unable to address major issues with simplicity and honesty. Reading the news today, I descried an example that I post below regarding the ongoing scam of wind power.

WSJ: SHANGHAI—"China's ambition to create "green cities" powered by huge wind farms comes with a dirty little secret: Dozens of new coal-fired power plants need to be installed as well. Part of the reason is that wind power depends on, well, the wind. To safeguard against blackouts when conditions are too calm, officials have turned to coal-fired power as a backup.

"... officials want enough new coal-fired capacity in reserve so that they can meet demand whenever the wind doesn't blow. This is important because wind is less reliable as an energy source than coal, which fuels two-thirds of China's electricity output. Wind energy ultimately depends on wind strength and direction, unlike coal, which can be stockpiled at generators in advance.

In simple terms, talk of wind power as a source of energy is hot air. One has to build TWO power systems because the wind doesn't always blow. Do you suppose anyone publicly includes that double cost in their fraudulent claims that wind power is economical ? Nope.

Reading

Books contain real, enduring knowledge. Anything on the Internet might disappear overnight or be changed with no notice, hence it's not a reliable reference. Complex topics can be put into a 300 page book. Who could sit at a computer and read 300 pages of serious writing over a few weeks ? How do you keep your place ? Who's really comfortable sitting at a computer ? No one. Paper books rule.

What to read ? I prefer nonfiction for many reasons. But some say it's boring, and they have a point. How can one read a 300 page book on a serious topic to learn something useful ? I've had problems in the past doing that. I might get 1/3 or 1/2 way through, and then get burned out or bored. So I put the book aside on the pile and it sits ... for months. Finally, I'll pick it up again and force my way through it.

Over the past few months, I employed a new system that is working well. I read about ten pages at a sitting. It's simple discipline - one can overcome the feeling of drudgery or boredom by thinking each time, "I'm just going to do ten pages - easy". I try to do two or three sittings a day, but even with only one, a serious 300 page book can be read in one month. At three sittings a day, voilà, it's done in ten days.

I am currently reading "A Pragmatic Theory of Fallacy", a scholarly book about logical fallacies in argumentation and debates. A better understanding of rhetoric and argumentation helps one understand public debates and how the ruling classes are fooling the public. The book has about 300 pages. I had started it a few months ago, but it was tough reading. So late last week I picked it up again and re-started with my new system. I'm now about 60 pages in and enjoying it immensely.

In later posts, I'll list and describe these fallacies and use them to dissect public debate. As a teaser, the global warming "debate" is riddled with these fallacies. The public is being ill-served. I suppose that's what we should expect, as the ruling classes and the media simply run a propaganda machine to have their way with the common man.

Actions

FT reported Saturday that global commerce rose in July at the fastest rate in five years. Hmm ...

On Friday on the continued dip, I bought some more MT common stock in 1-2-3 Fund and in Fido Fund I bought a bit more COF and a new name - CLF - a US iron ore company. I think CLF might get taken over at a good price in a year or so as the economy reaches its prior levels of activity.


Word of the Day

"Elenchus"- noun [$10]; plural "elenchi", adjective "elenchic"; to English from Latin from Greek.
Elenchus means logical refutation.
Sentence: A knowledge of the names and proper definitions of fallacies gives one a huge assist in explaining elenchus clearly, without weaker metaphors and analogies. Clearly understood elenchic responses can be decisive in argumentation.

Verbum Diei

"Valere"- verb, second conjugation
Valere means to be strong, to have power, be well. Vale (valete) means good-bye, farewell. Interesting, the Latin term for good-bye literally means "be strong".
Sententia: Ubi leges valent, ibi populus liber potest valere. (from Publius Syrys)
Sentence: Where the laws are strong, there a free people can be strong.