Poker Perambulation

What a great idea! People work together to promote the common good. Everyone is equal. We all get what we need and a bit more. It is an idea that was honored in its time by such caring, talented folks as Pete Seeger. Hell, The Weavers were one of my all time favorite folk groups – superior talent doesn’t extended into one’s every endeavor.

Obviously, it was tried and it didn’t work out too well. The idea comes with “central planning” and that seems to foster dictatorship. Altruism constantly wars with survival and greed. Throw in a bit of the expedient and making it work in practice is beyond difficult.

Communism is basically a manifesto of entitlements. The goal is equality. It sounds really great. It always did. It is caring and equanimous. If only it worked, it would make the world a much better place.

In 1850 a French economist talked about the reasons our best ideas can fail. It pretty well sums up the problems facing institutionalized attempts at the greater good. This is the opening paragraph for the document:

 – Bastiat

It is an interesting book that speaks in simple terms that are easy to understand. It is online and can be viewed.

Part 1 is here and in PDF format.

Those who ignore the past are condemned to repeat it. Seems a reasonable assumption that we all can ignore. It is a way to fix things that really never work out in the long run.

ADDENDUM:

Yes, I'm still playing some poker.  Trip report?  OK.  Treading water in the shallow end of the gene pool.

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