The Corpus Callosum

In Praise of Idleness

Some things never change.  These are words from the remarkable Bertrand Russell, from 1932:

One of the commonest things to do with savings is to lend
public expenditure of most civilized Governments consists in payment
Shakespeare who hire murderers. The net result of the man’s economical
if he spent it in drink or gambling.

Although he has a lighthearded tone here, he is in fact entirely
serious.  This is evident from reading his other works. 

savings are invested in industrial enterprises. When such enterprises
producing something that could be enjoyed, was expended on producing

It is true that most enterprises fail.  I think of this whenever I
hear that government should be run like a business. 

I suppose I don’t know this for sure, but I do recall learning in high
school business class that something like 75% of businesses are closed
within three years.  Why would you chose as a model, something
that fails more often than not?   Perhaps one should say that
the correct model is not business per se, but successful business.  Surely, any true Scotsman would say so.

Go ahead and read the entire thing.  It is hilarious, especially
if you happen to be afflicted with the incurable form of logical

One final excerpt, just to show that some things really don’t change:

altering the position of matter at or near the earth’s surface
given simultaneously by two organized bodies of men; this is called
persuasive speaking and writing, i.e. of advertising.

Nowadays we would call it lobbying, but that is really just a
specialized form of advertising.  The other thing is that it is no
longer just men who do this.  Women have gotten into the game,