There are, of course, business organizations that do benefit from the power to restrict entry and competition. This power, however, is not a function of product differentiation, or of advertising, or of the “technostructure,” or of market concentration, but is a function of explicit favors and privileges obtained from government. The sole source of the monopoly power, and of the problem, is the state. Yet it is the very state that most of the critics of business (and supporters of antitrust) would expand and enlarge to suit their particular vision of the good society. Knowingly or unknowingly, the critics of big business would enhance the very institution, and the very relationships that are at the root of the social problems they claim to abhor.

-Dominick Armentano (Antitrust and Monopoly: Anatomy of a Policy Failure)

Too many Socialists love the idea of having Big <insert Industry here> be their bogeyman all the type. Certainly, the Eco-Socialists over at Treehugger are ALWAYS hitting on Capitalism as the Evil of the evilest.

When I bring it up, however, that the source of Crony Capitalism is all those Dark Corners that exist all over Government, they fall strangely silent. They have this outlook, unfortunately, that those in Government are all just non-partisan technocrats that would NEVER engage in such behaviors.  They can only be viewed as being altruistic with no selfish motives of their own (I know, laughable).

They cannot be convinced that to reduce Crony Capitalism, it is first required to make Government smaller. As small as possible, to be truthful, from my standpoint.

Alas, none have ever read De Tocqueville and how astonished he was to find out how much ordinary Americans did for themselves and their friends instead of immediately turning to Government under the rubric of “SomeBODY (er, not me!) has to DO something about this!”).

Frankly, the answer should almost NOT be getting Government to DO something. Rather, it is getting someone to get Government to get out of the way.

The post Notable Quote – Crony Capitalism: Both Loved and Berated appeared first on Granite Grok.

On Saturday, NewsWars dropped a story about an interview with Alan Dana with US Freedom Flyers, whose mission is “to promote informed consent and defend individual medical freedom through preserving citizen’s rights to work and travel without governmental obstruction.”

Related: Did a Record Number of Vaccinated Airline Pilots Drop Dead in 2021?

The group has been “getting calls now from wealthy businessmen and companies to fly their executives around on business jets with unvaccinated crew.”

 

“They get the luxury of being able to choose, because there are still a large amount of crew available in the United States who are not vaccinated because the companies they work for didn’t mandate it.”

“These wealthy businessmen are requiring unvaccinated crew on their business trips,” Dana added. “Passengers on an airline who bought a ticket don’t have that luxury.”

 

If you were looking for another safety signal in the noise, that one seems rather loud. I’m also wondering if the Jet-setting, WEF (ish) jab-them-all crowd is flying air-mRNA in their Jet Streams or are their pilots’ pure bloods’?

 

Highly vaccinated and boosted, Japan is suffering from a surge in deaths.

 

Japanese over-65s have done their best to reduce Japan’s 612-million-dose stockpile of mRNA jabs, with third, fourth and fifth jab rates of 91%, 82.5%, and 56%, respectively. But unfortunately, Japan has started 2023 by reporting its highest ever daily Covid death tolls. During the booster era starting in early 2022, each wave has been noticeably higher than the last.

And what do the experts have to say? “The cause of the rise in Covid deaths is hard to explain.” And, “There’s a lot we don’t know, and we don’t have evidence.”

Among these heavily dosed and deceased, “The direct cause of death is often heart failure or kidney disease, and he said that “thorough analysis is needed.”

You’d best get right on that, then.

 

New York State Health Care Workers Score a Yuge Win in Court! (Emphasis Mine.)

 

In a groundbreaking decision filed today, NY State (NYS) Supreme Court Judge Gerard Neri held that the COVID-19 vaccine mandate for healthcare workers is now “null, void, and of no effect.” The court held that the NYS Dept. of Health lacked the authority to impose such a mandate as this power is reserved to the state legislature. Furthermore, the court found that the mandate was “arbitrary and capricious” as COVID-19 vaccines do not stop transmission, vitiating any rational basis for a mandate.

 

One More: The Last Refuge got a massive response to a request for comments on why readers did not get the vaccine. You can surf the thousands of them here, but I wanted to share part of just one.

 

[I]nstead of adding my own story to the thread, which would only echo hundreds of others, I’ve been reading through the entries, looking for a pattern. Allowing that the Treehouse community isn’t a random sample, older and more politically conservative than average, I looked to see if thousands of testimonies might reveal something about the resistant personality.

I would divide the respondents into two groups. The first group didn’t want the vaccine because it was linked to abortion or because they were opposed to all vaccines. Even if the vaccine had been safe and effective, they would never have taken it. People in the second group had been generally open to vaccination. Yet in this case, they did not go along. What made them back away in this one instance and resist in the face of strong social pressure?

The theme that runs through the responses is that the resistant sensed something was wrong early on, a gut feeling, a ‘spidy-sense.’ The resistant would thus seem to be ‘N” types, high in intuition. Unlike people who accepted the advice of authority figures, instinct caused them to look into the matter more deeply, to compare various medical opinions, evidence of all types. This indicates that intellectual curiosity and resistance to authority, i.e. high creativity, is a second commonality.

The third hurdle was that the non-jabbed resisted emotional blackmail, the threat that they would disappoint a spouse, be banned from seeing grandchildren, or lose friends. The resistant are thus thinkers rather than feelers. A fourth commonality was courage; some people were willing to risk security, to lose a high paying job, to forfeit a career, to postpone college; others caved at that point. The resistant are more likely to be risk-takers, which again correlates with high creativity.

 

I’m not sure I’d agree with all of it, but not being an anti-vaxxer, I’d agree that resistance to emotional blackmail hit the nail on the head.

 

The post Demand Spike for Unvaxxed Pilots From Private Jet Owners (And other COVID Vaxx News) appeared first on Granite Grok.

A new driveway can be a big expense if you opt for something labour-intensive like block paving. But even if you only have a concrete driveway, it makes sense to take care of it.

After all, a well-maintained driveway can add kerb appeal when the time comes to sell and be less likely to develop cracks and holes that send Great Aunt Agnes straight to A&E.

Maintenance needs will vary according to the type of driveway you have, but some must-do tasks are essential. Read on for a useful guide to keeping your driveway in tip-top condition.

Block Paved Driveways

A block paved driveway will look amazing when it is first laid, but in time, without due care and attention, block paving is prone to weeds. If left unchecked, weeds and grass growing will damage the mortar and lift the blocks, which leads to further damage.

Always remove weeds and grass before they take root. Pull up by hand or use a weed-killer preparation. Keep your driveway swept so soil, leave debris, and dirt doesn’t collect in between the blocks, as this will create the perfect growing environment for hardy weeds.

Be careful if you use a pressure washer to clean your drive. Hot water and a stiff brush are better, but even that may damage or loosen blocks.

If there are stains, avoid using chemical stain removal solutions, as they could damage and discolour the stone. Speak to a driveways Birmingham expert for advice before you tackle any problems with your block paved driveway or are considering replacing it.

Concrete Driveways

Concrete is a popular material for driveways as it is often cheaper. When done as a professional installation, concrete can look attractive, but proper maintenance is key. It is also crucial to seal a concrete driveway, to prevent damage and excessive wear and tear. Even if you haven’t previously sealed your concrete driveway, it isn’t too late. Clean the surface first and then apply the sealant. It should be reapplied every few years, according to the manufacturer’s recommendations.

Don’t use de-icer solutions on a concrete driveway, as they damage the surface. Salt will also cause damage. Instead, buy a bag of cheap cat litter and sprinkle this around. Sand is just as effective.

Always treat stains before they have a chance to soak in. Soak up greasy liquids using sand, cat litter, or sawdust. Pressure washing will remove most stains if done quickly enough.

If you spot any damage in the concrete, patch the area before it gets worse.

Gravel Driveways

Gravel is a cheap and cheerful driveway material, but weeds can be a problem. Rake over the gravel regularly and remove weeds. This will also prevent the gravel from becoming too uneven. Apply a weed-killing solution to make it harder for problem weeds like dandelions to take hold.

Look after your driveway and it will continue to do a great job, but if yours is looking well past its best, consider upgrading to a new driveway.

The post Essential Driveway Maintenance Tips appeared first on Granite Grok.