Category Archives: Economics

The Star of Bethlehem

The likely truth behind it, and what it means for us today

Due to technological progress it is now possible to see more or less exactly what our ancestors saw in the night sky at any time of any year from any vantage point on earth. Computer programs allow us to see this in real time animation, or sped up, or slowed down. We can “zoom in” and “out” to individual stars, planets or constellations, as if we were looking through a telescope.

This has for some years now opened up the exiting possibility of studying in minute detail what was happening in the heavens in the years and months just prior to the birth of Christ. Was there something extraordinary happening that could have prompted “wise men” to go looking for a “new-born king of the Jews” (see the Gospel of Matthew 2:1-2)?

It turns out, indeed there was.

Before I explain further, some relevant personal background.

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Why Are We So Rich?

The Industrial Revolution happened after Calvinists in the Netherlands claimed that personal wealth was legitimate

One of the big, maybe the biggest, unsolved mystery of recorded human history is that of the origins of the industrial revolution. Why did it happen at all? Why then, and not earlier or later? Why there, and not some other place?

In a time when many denounce the Industrial Revolution, and even the Prime Minister of the country of its origin says that it marked the point when “the doomsday machine began to tick”, one might expect people to want to get to the bottom of this mystery, so as to “correct” it properly, and not make an even greater mess of it.

For the record, I’m not in the camp of those who think that the Industrial Revolution was on balance more evil than good. I think it has so far saved billions of human lives, most of which would otherwise have died in infancy, most of the rest before age 6.

However, in this post, I’m not going argue whether the Industrial Revolution was good or bad for us. Instead, I will analyse a talk given by Dr. Gary North in 2013, where he discusses a very likely reason for the origin of this revolution.

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Environmentalism cannot survive democracy

People will not put up with being pushed around forever.

So says an article in “Spiked” today, by editor Tom Slaytor.

Quote:

“The gilets jaunes – the French populist revolt against green fuel taxes which began in 2018 – had a brilliant slogan: they’re worried about the end of the world, we’re worried about the end of the month. No form of words since has better captured the dynamic at play: those with the time and money to worry about climate change are forcing punishing policies on those who are struggling to make ends meet.”

No-one has squared that circle yet, except those who would let the market forces allow human ingenuity do what it does best: adapt to changing circumstances.

Every other suggestion is, at best, self-delusionary, and at worst pretentious posturing and elitist dreaming of ruling and controlling the world — in other words: of playing God.

Central banks and wars

There is a connection between the two

“It is no coincidence that the century of total war coincided with the century of central banking.”

So said Ron Paul, a humble man, great role model, honoured American elder statesman and honest thinker.

His quote goes a long way in explaining why we need to “repeal the 20th century”, as Murray Rothbard and Gary North have said. Along with central banks, of course.