1. Early & Overwhelming Victory For Islamists In Egypt
After this week’s vote by a third of Egypt’s provinces for parliamentary seats, Islamists, composed primarily of the Muslim Brotherhood, currently claim a 65% share of the legislative body. More voting will take place up until January but, as this article reports, most of the more liberal provinces voted in this round, and future votes are expected to deliver even more seats to Islamist candidates. It will be interesting to see how the military “caretaker” government handles this, and how long this democratic system can last with all of the highly explosive elements at play.
2. Vote Deng Xiaoping In 2012 (Or Else!)
Another Friedman-esque lament that the United States languishes under the repressive yoke of representative, constitutional democracy and free markets while China basks in the liberating glow of central planning and flagrant violation of international law. What all of these clowns seem to disregard is that, as a developing nation, China’s current trajectory, while impressive now, is unsustainable in the long term and will eventually reach a state of inertia. The only caveat to that is if China can make a peaceful transition to a parliamentary or representative system with a coda of civil rights that are effectively enforced. If that should happen, the inevitable stagnation and subsequent social upheaval encountered by all central planning states when they grow too rapidly may be avoided.
3. Throwing Our Own Feces: The Key To Human Evolution?
Scientists studying chimpanzees hypothesize that an environment that selected for accurate throwing, a left-brain activity that requires relatively complicated cognition, may have paved the way for the development of speech in our ancestors. My favorite part of this article is the following quote from one of the scientists conducting the study: “Why did these chimps learn to throw in a captive context? I’ve never in my life seen a chimp be given a banana for throwing s–t at someone. The reward is not something food-based. The reward is that they can control a person’s behavior. They get a pile of something to throw, and usually the person tries to run. The chimp learns, ‘If I can do this, I can have some control over the world outside my cage.’”
4. Condescension Toward Customers May Drive Higher Profits
This study demonstrates how, when reminded of their lower social status or disadvantage, people tend to offer more money for a service or item than they normally would. The lesson for businesses? Belittle your target market and be a condescending douchebag toward your customers.
5. And Still We Move Inexorably Toward Cyberwar
This is the first I’ve heard that the Obama administration considered but ultimately rejected the idea of launching a cyberattack on Libya’s air defenses, which I think was a good decision. Still, other nations show far less restraint and prudence and are likely to be the ones who touch off a major war with a crippling initial cyberattack.
