A friend of mine retired from an IT executive job and she and her husband decided to become wealthy capitalists in their retirement. Since the evils of capitalism are a frequent topic here on FtB, maybe it’s a good idea to do a quick explainer of how a few of those evils work. These are the simple ones, and I’ll describe them as cleanly as I can so you can understand what’s going on when you hear about it elsewhere.
The ‘collectible’ book market on Amazon is pretty interesting. A few years ago I thought I’d get a friend of mine a copy of one of my favorite monographs by Erwin Olaf, and I was stunned to discover that it was over $1000.00 on Amazon. There appear to be a small number of gamblers who like to buy books and then list them for high prices so they can score a tidy windfall if it turns out someone wants them that badly.
When Howard Zinn’s A People’s History of The United States sold its millionth copy, there was a celebration in New York City. Zinn was there, as were others.
Speaking of Sheffield steel…
The US empire was forged in Pittsburgh, and in Bethlehem, and Baltimore’s Sparrow’s Point. The plant at Bethlehem was huge; I spent a day wandering inside the year before it was finally torn down.
Miniature versions of things are fascinating; the smaller and more intricate they are the harder they are to do – and the more we appreciate them.
Cutting and stacking and welding pieces of steel – it’s hard work. Who’d’a thunk?
Atomic lighter. Do we need to discuss this further?
Years ago, I read Massey’s Dreadnought and the Coming of The Great War [amzn] and one tidbit stuck in my mind: naval blockades are an act of war. Of course, it’s more complicated than that, usually cutting down to the core of the conflict – war supplies or food.
My family used to sometimes make expeditions to New York; we’d take the train up on a summer morning from Baltimore station, stepping out into the magic wonder-land of the city at 34th Street Station.