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… Shocked, shocked I tell you … Yet more virtually suicided posts and threads … Michael … your post concerning your hope for the Pennslovakia legislature has been virtually suicided along with my reply to you. It has now become necessary on this board to keep a copy of your posts so that they can be easily reposted. Here again is my virtually suicided post of earlier this morning in reply to you. As this is a holiday weekend I have all the time in the world to continue reposting.
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27 November 2020 – reply to Michael’s post concerning Pennslovakia governance.

… Michael while I admire your optimism (if for no other reason that I seem to have so little of it as of late) … er … ah … no. I’m afraid your hope that the Pennslovakia (Dr. Farrel’s more than apropos [used in the adjectival sense] term for one of the USSA’s so called states), or any other USSA-ovakias, will bring about the kind of governance that you rightly hope would be the case I do not think foreseeable in either of our lifetimes. Let me provide you with an example from a few days ago as to why I think this is not possible. … Pfizer’s CEO Dumps 62% Of His Stock On COVID Vaccine Announcement
The following sentence is taken from an article with the above title …
Bourla’s sale was conducted under Rule 10b5-1, established by the SEC, allowing the corporate insider to sell a predetermined number of shares at a predetermined time.
A “rule” (of law) established by the SEC legally permits insider trading. Let me repeat, A “rule” (of law) established by the SEC legally permits insider trading.
We are constantly bombarded with the message that “good people” are those who believe in, adhere to, and follow the rule of law. Puuhhh-llleeeaaassseee. What are we to do when continually we are shown that tacit compliance to the assumptions that allow for something like a social contract are being ignored. While not a fan of Hegel, I believe him to be correct when he argues that in this case we owe nothing to those who have in essence “voided the contract”.
According to Investor.gov (if you require a belly laugh or two then this is the site for you) the mission of the SEC is to:
Protect investors
Maintain fair, orderly, and efficient markets
Facilitate capital formation
They also, in their spare time, broker deals on bridges in Brooklyn.
See Harry Markopolos – No One Would Listen. From 1999 to 2008, Markopolos uncovered evidence that suggested that Bernie Madoff’s wealth management business was a huge Ponzi scheme. In 2000, 2001, and 2005, Markopolos alerted the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) of his views, supplying supporting documents, but each time the SEC ignored him or gave his evidence only a cursory investigation. from Tofel, Richard J. (March 8, 2010). “Shadowing a Swindler; Early on, he figured out what Bernard Madoff was up to”. Wall Street Journal Online.
“Listen—I say that justice is nothing other than the advantage of the stronger.”
Republic, 338c
“Thus, Socrates, injustice on a sufficiently large scale is a stronger, freer, and a more masterful thing than justice, and, as I said in the beginning, it is the advantage of the stronger that is the just, while the unjust is what profits man’s self and is for his advantage”. – Republic, 344c
Thrasymachus speaking in the Republic
I find it extremely telling that in the midst of “our most recent unpleasantness” there has been, as best I can ascertain, little or no discussion of social contract theory. Social Justice is at best an aberrant version of what currently passes for Social Contract Theory. I guess that in order to protect ourselves and ensure our safety that we should assume that we are in an Hobbesian State of Nature and prepare and act accordingly. Good luck to each and everyone of you.