The American Spectator

Martin| 6.25.09 @ 6:28PM

People ARE the problem. The greatest event in world history was the Black Death, which wiped out a third of the population and so raised wage rates enough to make the Industrial Revolution economically viable.

Having said that, global warming is total crapola and Waxman-Markey is a disgrace. But getting global population down to its natural level of around 1 billion is an urgent priority. The world does NOT need more people, of any ethnic group; it has far too many already.

Aaron| 6.25.09 @ 6:58PM

Criminal. I was stark raving mad at the stimulus bill but this and health care reform will be what makes me vote for third party candidates. The party can't get their message out, can't get a defense or offense and worst of all can't keep their own in check.

danny| 6.25.09 @ 8:28PM

sad day. just talked to my 30 year old daughter. she told me this was a sad day. thought to myself, well she is finally catching on to what is happening to our once great country. alas, she was talking about the death of farrah and michael. oh well. yeah it's definitly a sad day.

Roy| 6.26.09 @ 3:37AM

That Black Death/Industrial revolution theory is pretty off the wall in both the level of theory and practice.

On the level of theory, it states that people are better off economically if a third of their neighbors die horrible deaths. Let's see how that works. Economy has 3 people, farmer and two workers.

Farmer: Hey, I can grow 10 bushels of wheat!
Worker 1: I'll build you a house for 5 of them!
Worker 2: Oh yeah? I'll do it for 4!
Worker 1: Oh crap, I better find something else to do..how about I invent the plow so you can grow 15 bushels of wheat!
Farmer: Sweet! I'll give you 5 for the plow.

And they all lived happily ever after.

Or the alternate reality:

Farmer: I can grow 10 bushels of wheat!
Worker 1: I'll build you a house for 5!
Worker 2: Oh yeah? I'll do it for 4!
Worker 1: Oh yeah? Ka-BLAM!
[Worker 2 falls over dead]
Worker 1: Ok now you'll darn well pay me 5.
Farmer: Sigh, we now live in a totally stagnant eeconomy don't we.
Worker 1: What do I care? I'm part of Ye Olde United Auto Workers.

In practice: The Black Death took place around 1350, while the Industrial Revolution is mostly stated to have taken place around 1800. That's an awfully long hiatus, eg, twice as long as the lifetime of the United States.