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Mostyn Gale

Mostyn Gale

@mostyngale.bsky.social

560 followers 880 following 2.1K posts

Trade makes everybody better off.

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Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · Jul 6

Moderate amounts of density can house huge numbers of people.

For example, a 10 km × 10 km city at 40,000 people per km² would have a population of 4 million people.

40,000 ppl/km² is about 6-8 stories.

10×10 km is 100km², but most big cities are 1000+ km²

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 1h

I read a book recently called Movement: how to take back our streets and transform our lives, which was quite interesting. The overarching story was about designing the area outside a school, not for car drop offs, but for safety.

I hadn't really thought about that before.....

Movement: how to take back our streets and transform our lives

Movement: how to take back our streets and transform our lives : Verkade, Thalia, Brömmelstroet, Marco te: Amazon.com.au: Books

www.amazon.com.au

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 2h

We should make it easier to get by without a car.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

of course giving them fair compensation.

In summary, if owning land cause significant harm by blocking the movement of large numbers of people, it is entirely reasonable for govenrments to take that land. 6/6

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

so 770k people hours wasted in traffic is something like a life wasted.

Anyhoo, cost and harm are kinda the same thing, so owning land harms other people. If people's ownership of land is causing harm to society, it is entirely reasonable for a government to take their land away, 5/6

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

Where people own land, others must travel around it. This is a cost that owners of land impose on others. In cities where many people must travel around land, the cumulative cost can be enormous.

I think of Sydney, Australia near where I live. The median Australian lives for about 770k hours 4/6

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

If a person uses their house to manufacture drugs, some governments will confiscate the property.

The principle is that if a person's property harms others, governments can take that property to prevent that harm.

But how is this relevant to a farm that has been in a family for 175 years? 3/6

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

For starters, property rights are not absolute.

For example: if a person uses a gun to murder people, the government will confiscate it. Few would disagree with this.

If a person drives dangerously some governments will confiscate the person's car. 2/6

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

This video is wrong. It's premise is that it is wrong for a city government to use eminent domain to purchase a farm that has been in a family for 175 years. It finishes with the question: "If a government can just take what it wants, when it wants, what do you really own?" #yimby #urbanism 1/6

They're SEIZING a 175-year-old family farm?!

YouTube video by ReasonTV

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

I've had a Creality Ender 3 for the better part of the last five years. It's been a reliable workhorse. But now I've upgraded to an a Creality K2 Max and holy cow, it's light years ahead. So much easier to use, much better quality, so much easier to print anythingb ut PLA, so automatic. #3dprinting

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3h

Good points. Being in line for the throne is almost 99.99% unlikely to have any bearing on anything, while losing his titles absolutely makes a difference.

Interestingly the royal website still has him as the Duke of York and includes him in the banner picture...

The banner image from royal.uk's sucession page: King Charles III, the Prince of Wales and the Duke of Sussex.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 5h

Fwiw, I damn well hope that I wouldn't have. Now in my wise 40s, I'd just say you might as well shoot me too.

Also, I got out when I realised the true nature of killing other human beings, whether enemy soldiers or innocents.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 5h

TBH, when I was an 18 year old rifleman (soldier), I would've probably walked into a kindergarten and shot all of the kids if ordered, not because I am a monster, but because murdering soldiers & murdering children are not that far removed, & the military is designed to get people to do the former.

Reposted by Mostyn Gale

The Steady State @steadystatevets.bsky.social · 16h

Classic framing of an authoritarian leader:
the leader becomes the source of all achievement, the regime becomes the owner of every success.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 7h

Is Andrew still in the line of secession?

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 7h

I'm really starting to warm up to Halloween. The kids had a blast. Mr 5yo is saying it's the best day of his life.

#HaloweenAustralia

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 9h

That book changed my outlook on life and the universe when I was a kid. It made clear the gulf between reason and science on one hand, and superstition on the other.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 9h

They're looking after their kids.....

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 2d

What creates more value for society:

a) 66 homes, or

b) people not seeing a tall building, having slightly fewer neighbours, slightly more competition for parking?

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 2d

Zoran Mamdani caught lying that he had once seen the Aurora Australis when in fact he saw the Aurora Borealis.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 2d

I was gonna say what you said but you nailed it.

Reposted by Mostyn Gale

Laura G Mitchell @lauragmitchell.com · 3d

Bike infrastructure should be safe enough for all ages and abilities… including very young kids on balance bikes.

🚲 ❤️

A kid on a balance bike and parent ride in a curb protected 2 way bikeway

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 3d

End the Epstein Adjournment.

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 4d

Beautiful pics!

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 4d

Brilliant!

Mostyn Gale @mostyngale.bsky.social · 5d

As a yimby, standing against the wanto weaponisation of heritage by nimbys, it absolutely has its place — the White House is clearly in the top 0.01% of worthiness for preservation.

Moreover, while development rules and procedures are often weaponised as well, they also have a place.

Amanda Kolson Hurley @amandakhurley.bsky.social · 5d

I can’t believe there are not one but two articles, in major papers, with this dumb framing. It is not NIMBY to express dismay when a big part of the White House is suddenly rubbled

Washington Post editorial:
In defense of the White House ballroom
Donald Trump vs. the NIMBYs