tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-143050852011-11-27T19:01:33.698-05:00Musings of a 19th century liberal.Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.comBlogger761100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-84866769555672501072009-05-12T23:37:00.002-04:002009-05-12T23:46:54.344-04:00

Picked this up from Rational Capitalist.It is incredibly shocking that the agency charged with oversight of the Federal Reserve has no clue how it's spending the one trillion dollars it just added to its balance sheet. On the other hand, there's a bit of Pot v. Kettle about Congress chiding the Fed for spending money with reckless abandon. They wrote the president a blank check with the TARP

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28939527008086976252009-05-12T10:41:00.003-04:002009-05-12T11:36:28.178-04:00

The Wall Street Journal reports that, in an interview with Charlie Rose, Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner has acknowledged the responsibility of the Federal Reserve for the economic crisis.Mr. Geithner: "But I would say there were three types of broad errors of policyand policy both here and around the world. One was that monetary policy aroundthe world was too loose too long. And that created

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-21226151804844338072009-05-11T23:11:00.002-04:002009-05-11T23:49:25.349-04:00

Diane Hsieh at Noodle Food links to this news report regarding a woman who called 911 when her father began having a seizure and ended up in a pissing contest with the policeman handling the call over her use of the 'f' word.The policeman is obviously a jerk. He priggishly scolded the woman for her initial expletive, even though it was not addressed to him and she had no way of knowing that he

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-59805202581945577832009-04-25T02:21:00.002-04:002009-04-25T02:40:22.813-04:00

Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute is now a regular on PJTV, and will be appearing on Fridays. The show is hosted by Allen Barton, and he is joined by Terry Jones of Investors Business Daily. Yesterday's show concerned Obama's first 100 days in office, the new credit card regulations, and a proposed federalism amendment. Watching these three men intelligently discuss the issues of the day is a

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-71237296133395396612009-04-23T23:18:00.003-04:002009-04-24T00:54:51.672-04:00

This week's edition of the Objectivist Round Up is being hosted by Rational Jenn. Lots of good posts listed. Be sure to check it out.A special nod to Paul McKeever who nicely refutes a rather bone-headed comparison of Ayn Rand and Thrasymachus.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-57649369653630320792009-04-22T10:34:00.002-04:002009-04-22T11:46:28.128-04:00

Last year on my blog I promoted a new celebration called Exploit the Earth Day. It is a day set aside to celebrate all the myriad ways in which man exploits the Earth in order to live. I was looking for ways to mark the occasion, special things one might do to show one's joy in the exploitation of the Earth. Since then, I've realized that Exploit the Earth Day shouldn't be about a once-a-year

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-84398822305808808512009-04-17T13:59:00.003-04:002009-04-17T16:39:28.881-04:00

Here are some good links for more info on the protests.My nomination for best speech of the day is this one by Dr. John Lewis:There's a round-up at Titanic Deck Chairs of Objectivist bloggers writing about their experiences at the Tea Parties. Of special note are the speeches given by Greg Perkins and Rational Jenn.Update: Forgot to include this after speech interview with Dr. Lewis.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1757718474101686212009-04-15T22:55:00.008-04:002009-04-16T14:26:55.106-04:00

Tallahassee's Tax Day Tea Party took place today at 5pm in front of the old capitol. I spent the early part of the day getting my sign ready. Not particularly clever or artistic, but it said what I wanted to say. (Clicking on the pictures will take you to my Webshots album where there are more pics.)I got there about 4:30pm, and had some trouble finding a parking spot in Klemen Plaza. Most of

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-79082745033667281522009-04-06T23:08:00.002-04:002009-04-07T00:07:46.608-04:00

A short video put out by the Ayn Rand Institute explaining the link between Atlas Shrugged and the Tea Party protests.Craig Biddle has a three part series of articles at Capitalism Magazine in which he discusses Atlas Shrugged and its relation to current events in greater detail. He gives an excellent explanation of the morality at the heart of Rand's philosophy, and explains why it is vital to

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-9762690185320358832009-04-06T22:30:00.002-04:002009-04-06T22:52:22.689-04:00

They kinda lost me at the end with the bit about Reagan, but I agree with the general sentiment. Reagan's reputation as a defender of capitalism is based on image rather than substance, but in the past 80 yrs he's the only president who even bothered to cultivate the image, making him an icon to some. I don't think he's much of an exception to the trend of the past 100 years, though, in which

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-78345886702183806342009-04-01T10:33:00.002-04:002009-04-01T10:48:09.494-04:00

There's a group planning to stage a Tea Party protest on April 15 on the steps of the old capitol in downtown Tallahassee. I'm planning to attend. This will be my first protest. I'm going to take the kids if I can find gas masks small enough for them. I just have to figure out what to write on my protest sign. I'm having a hard time with it, because there's too much I want to say and no one-liner

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-54609963613254509762009-03-31T00:03:00.003-04:002009-03-31T00:16:01.921-04:00

The buzz about Atlas Shrugged is attracting attention on the left as well. Below is a response I typed to one of Ayn Rand's many new critics out there in the blogosphere.We have a very different perspective on Rand's philosophy. What I see at it's core is a passionate love of man at his best. Far from being soulless, it reunifies man's body and soul and delivers them from the mind/body dichotomy

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-52136410336267938232009-03-26T17:59:00.003-04:002009-03-26T18:37:31.723-04:00

As a counter to "Earth Hour," the University of Michigan Students of Objectivism are encouraging people to turn on their lights in a celebration of the man who brought us the electric light bulb, Thomas Alva Edison. From their Facebook page:In 2009, at 8.30pm on March 28, we are asking people across the world toturn ON their lights and join together in a celebration of technology

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-90819510073448442922009-03-26T10:40:00.003-04:002009-03-26T11:15:34.762-04:00

This short speech had me wanting to cheer. I would love to hear one of our Congressmen speak out like this.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-80515678680520750512009-03-25T13:06:00.003-04:002009-03-25T14:29:01.732-04:00

Jake DeSantis has resigned from AIG, publishing his resignation letter in the NYT. His statement is not as uncompromising as it might have been, but he does reject any notion that he should feel guilty for the money he earned at AIG. He is nonetheless donating all of the money he should have received under his contract to those who have been hurt by the economic downturn, and he is daring

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28085646987583510662009-03-25T12:14:00.005-04:002009-03-25T12:57:26.590-04:00

Today's Non Sequitur, which is an apt title for this particular joke. Anger is being directed at the bankers on Wall Street, when it should be directed at Congress, the President, and the Federal Reserve. What I found amusing about the cartoon is how it sums up the attitude people have towards the rich and successful. Need a scapegoat? Does someone need to be thrown into the volcano? Look around

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-63190047851918241822009-03-25T01:30:00.003-04:002009-03-25T02:09:06.870-04:00

James Taranto suggests that some of our fading rock stars join together and hold a benefit concert for Wall Street. This is definitely one of his better ideas. He asks his readers for recommendations regarding what songs should be played, or other ideas about how to organize it. In spite of past disagreements, I thought I would pitch in and do my part. What I would like to see at a benefit

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-33646509477731213422009-03-20T15:44:00.003-04:002009-03-20T23:47:11.405-04:00

NR continues its crusade against Ayn Rand.I'm too angry to say anything else at the moment.Update: A little calmer now.I knew that NR would eventually respond to the Go Galt phenomenon by trying to smear Ayn Rand. In fact, I predicted it. On March 8, at this blog, I wrote:I’m expecting any day now for someone at NRO to remind their conservativebrethren that Ayn Rand was a heretic, and was

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-44270445290610705022009-03-19T21:15:00.003-04:002009-03-19T21:48:29.975-04:00

I've been browsing the current edition of the Objectivist Round Up hosted by Amy Mossoff at The Little Things. I particularly recommend Burgess Laughlin's review of The Independent Scholar's Handbook, Doug A.'s takedown of an assinine segment by Colbert, and Rational Jenn's explanation of how to get children to solve their own conflicts. Check out the whole thing.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-72199041857065401532009-03-19T00:37:00.003-04:002009-03-19T00:58:13.956-04:00

Another example of how clueless some on the right are with respect to Ayn Rand.Mark Thompson, 50, was arrested Thursday night by UI police for resistingarrest after he disrupted a speech by UI-Chicago professor Bill Ayers at AllenHall in Urbana.[...]UI spokeswoman Robin Kaler said Thursday evening that Thompson tried togive Ayers a Bible and a copy of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged.”It's almost funny

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-5782674577572646032009-03-16T23:52:00.002-04:002009-03-17T00:02:07.056-04:00

It's not time to "go Galt," he says, it's time to fight.He also explains that what we need isn't simply another tax revolt, but a moral revolution. This is a must-watch for people interested in the "tea party" protests and the current buzz about "going Galt."

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-79221249383558244582009-03-09T13:58:00.004-04:002009-03-09T15:05:57.171-04:00

I got this from Rational Jenn. It's an interview to do with your children. I asked my 7 yr-old for his answers first, and then went through them with my 12-yr old daughter. I had her look away from the computer screen so she wouldn't see his answers.What is something dad always says to you?Him: "Do your work"Her: Phrases in French.(Hey, I gotta use it or lose it.)What makes dad happy?Him: The

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-28208035693058091992009-03-07T11:29:00.003-05:002009-03-08T00:01:36.128-05:00

Stephen Green has a post up on Pajamas Media in which he advises Republicans to stop playing nice with Democrats. He points out that regardless of what Republicans do, the Democrats will paint them as bad guys, so they might as well embrace the role and enjoy it.Look. We cannot buy our way into friendship in Washington for the next fouryears. We aren’t going to become popular by playing along

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-88036316008639106432008-12-22T14:13:00.004-05:002008-12-22T15:39:08.480-05:00

Every year we hear the same thing. Christians lamenting the fact that Christ is being left out of Christmas, and even secular people complaining that Christmas has become too commercial. In thinking about this, I've concluded that the problem they are trying to solve is that Christmas is a celebration. It is no longer a holy day, it is a holiday.Think about it. Holy days should not be celebrated,

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-58151884635462271492008-04-30T21:08:00.002-04:002008-04-30T23:48:09.062-04:00

"Bueller.... Bueller..."That's my image of Ben Stein: slightly boring, self-deprecating, staid conservative. I don't know who this religious nut is. Science leads to killing people? And God leads to this very glorious place. Well.Stein has generated good responses here and here, and Derbyshire has a longer article here on Stein's promotion of ID in Expelled. I really don't have anything to add to

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-6532148530774789572008-04-29T14:08:00.003-04:002008-04-29T14:16:17.888-04:00

This is a good video. I've been very critical of Bush, but this is why I voted for him twice. At his core, he is a good man. He is infected up to his ears with pragmatism, and wouldn't know a principle if it bit him in the ass (which has happened several times during his presidency), but he has been persistent in waging war on our enemies. There are so many ways that he could have done a better

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-86709220202843572492008-04-28T21:28:00.003-04:002008-04-28T23:07:24.502-04:00

I'm still reading Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism. One of the themes he keeps coming back to is the emphasis that fascism places on action, as opposed to deliberation and analysis.The fascist state of mind can best be described as "Enough talk, more action!"Close the books, get out of the library, get moving. Take action! What kind ofaction? Direct action! Social action! Mass action!

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-49630526134129540062008-04-24T18:02:00.004-04:002008-04-25T02:22:45.162-04:00

I'm reading Jonah Goldberg's Liberal Fascism right now, and I found this little tidbit just rich, rich, rich in irony.U.S. Congressional candidate Tony Zirkle is facing criticism from one ofhis primary opponents, and a host of people on the Internet, for speaking at anevent over the weekend that celebrated Adolf Hitler’s birthday.Zirkle confirmed to The News-Dispatch on Monday he spoke Sunday

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-78922122958720148762008-04-22T20:09:00.003-04:002008-04-22T20:17:44.212-04:00

Well, I didn't get out and exploit the Earth today. I just sat inside with the AC kicking and the computer running... oh, wait...My wife sent me an email earlier about how she was marking the day:On this beautiful "Earth" day, I pause to celebrate:The lovely new seal and paint job my office parking lot received today -it's shiny!The completion of the widening of the truck route from 1 lane to 3,

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-75257648254584944412008-04-21T12:23:00.002-04:002008-04-21T12:48:58.293-04:00

In lieu of joining the Back to the Jurassic movement tomorrow, some people have proposed using the day to celebrate the exploitation of the Earth, an activity without which we would all die. Therefore, I'm looking for suggestions on ways to celebrate Exploit the Earth Day. Please leave ideas in the comments.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-3728842203729676282008-04-20T00:30:00.002-04:002008-04-20T00:50:51.120-04:00

I received the following from a friend of mine in an email, and asked his permission to post it here. I think it is relevant to my previous post. Rather than place it in block quotes and having it show up even narrower than it already is (someone want to tell me how to expand my text frame?), I'm going to paste it between the asterisks.*************************************************CAUSE AND

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-65053975818005506312008-04-18T14:15:00.004-04:002009-03-09T15:28:54.301-04:00

In the comments at PW, Ric Locke does a good job of making the practical case for capitalism, but I again find myself wishing that conservatives would focus on the moral case for capitalism. I wonder how far abolitionists would have gotten by arguing against slavery on the grounds that it is inefficient? Probably as far as conservatives have gotten in reestablishing a capitalist system.Every year

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-6641573475322002142008-04-15T19:17:00.004-04:002009-03-09T15:27:24.299-04:00

James Taranto responded today to my email criticizing his comment about Ayn Rand in yesterday's Best of the Web Today. He quotes my email in full, and after quoting another critical response from this blog, he responds to both of us as follows:We must admit, we're surprised. Aren't Ayn Rand admirers usually known for theirjolly sense of humor?That's his total response, which is very typical of

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-63900492323945018432008-04-15T01:19:00.003-04:002009-03-09T15:23:54.683-04:00

I sent the following as an email to James Taranto in response to this.Mr Taranto,In your Best of the Web column of April 13, you made the following statement:Underlying this criticism is a curious normative premise: that the nonaffluentought to prioritize their material interests over moral and cultural concerns."Workers of the world, unite!" meets "The Virtue of Selfishness."Either you have

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1168041346609013622007-01-05T14:47:00.001-05:002009-03-09T15:21:16.234-04:00

the bitch is dead.Saddam, I mean.Yeah, I know. It's old news. It occurred to me, though, that having blogged a few times about his trial, maybe I should say something about the end result.I'm glad the man is dead. He deserved to be killed for the things he did. As I've said before, I'm not pleased about how it was brought about. We should have done it, and we should have done it immediately when

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1167011972301501032006-12-24T20:37:00.001-05:002009-03-09T15:20:23.186-04:00

On the way home from a Christmas Eve visit...Her: (A cry of consternation from the back of the van, some noises of exasperation, and then the exclammation...) Everytime I'm feeling happy, fate plays me a dirty trick!!Mom and Dad: (Suppressed laughter.) What's the matter?Her: I've dropped a puzzle piece from my activity book. It's in between the seat and the side of the van, and I can't get to it

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1164947565529580102006-11-30T23:24:00.001-05:002009-03-09T15:18:54.105-04:00

Took my daughter to the eye doctor today. My son was along for the ride, as usual. After 15 minutes waiting in the lobby, and a 30 minute exam by the nurse practioner, we were told the doctor would be in to see us in a few minutes. Ten minutes later, the natives were restless and not behaving very well. My daughter makes up a song using the doctor's name:Dr. Beggs, we beg you,Please hurry up.Just

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1164467233863364512006-11-25T09:54:00.001-05:002009-03-09T15:16:50.709-04:00

Her: Can I tell you about the book I've been reading, Esemeralda and the Enchanted Pond?Me: (Debating whether I want to be the audience for an hour-long monologue.) Umm...Her: I'll sum it up...Me: Didn't you tell me about that one yesterday?Her: I wanted to add more detail.Me: That wouldn't be summing up, then, would it?Her: Please...Me: (Inwardly sighing.) Okay.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1164132508454123592006-11-21T13:02:00.001-05:002009-03-09T15:15:54.615-04:00

Him: (A sudden question inserted into the middle of a long, wearying, stream of consciousness monologue concerning aliens, or transporters, or some such.) Do you want to know something?Me: Not really. I prefer not knowing anything. Ignorance is bliss they say.Him: (Continues dissertation as if I hadn't said a word.)Update: Continuing on, two hours later, we have turned to the subject of bacteria

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1162939184152616302006-11-07T15:51:00.000-05:002006-11-07T17:39:44.266-05:00

I haven't posted on the election this year, because my thoughts on it have been very confused. There's been a pretty intense debate on HBL regarding whether to vote Democratic or Republican. The debate centered around a recommendation made by Leonard Peikoff that Objectivists ought to vote for the Democrats, because the Republican Party represents the empowerment of a philosophical trend towards

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1161638415388994652006-10-23T17:15:00.001-04:002009-03-09T14:06:20.855-04:00

Him: (Referring to the blanket he named Fuzz when he was two.) Dad, how do I know this blanket is really Fuzz?Me: (Trying to get ready to leave the house.) That's either a totally inane question, or it's so philosophically profound that I don't have time to answer it right now.Update: Conversations with the 10 yr old go more like this:(After a brief discussion in which I informed her that getting

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1161106951595529092006-10-17T13:34:00.000-04:002006-10-17T13:42:31.630-04:00

But wait, I think we might just be in danger of watering down the definition of terrorist attack here.LITTLE ROCK - A man who allegedly shot a crossbow at a motorist after being on the receiving end of an obscene gesture has been charged with committing a terroristic act.Wayne Allen Dierks, Jr. 26, was arrested Sunday and is also charged with possession of an instrument of crime, driving while

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1159993878663111462006-10-04T15:07:00.000-04:002006-10-04T16:31:18.910-04:00

A powerful video montage put together by Michelle Malkin a few months ago has been banned on YouTube. The video, entitled First They Came..., shows different scenes illustrating the violent goals of the Islamists interspersed with text. Malkin has posted a response to YouTube's action on her blog, complete with video in which she takes them to task for going dhimmi. Watch the video.(H/T

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1159942142798623282006-10-04T01:31:00.000-04:002006-10-04T02:09:02.843-04:00

The French have moved quickly from abject surrender to collaboration.The south Lebanese village of Merwahin was the stage Thursday, Sept 28 of the first near-showdown between UN and Israeli forces. DEBKAfile publishes here the first photo of an encounter between 4 French Leclerc and at least 5 Israeli Merkava tanks in that Lebanese village. Despite the photographic evidence, Israel officially

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1159456478943132042006-09-28T10:13:00.002-04:002009-03-09T14:10:55.159-04:00

I got into a discussion on the existence of God over at Protein Wisdom. Jeff started it, sort of. He was responding to something I had said in another thread dismissing agnosticism in favor of atheism. After starting the thread, though, he disappeared and the discussion devolved into atheism vs. theism. That's nearly always a waste of time, but once I was involved in the discussion, it was

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1158865344730142512006-09-21T14:23:00.000-04:002006-09-21T22:40:12.946-04:00

The (farcical and pointless, imo) trial of Saddam Hussein is back in the news. The chief judge of the tribunal presiding over his trial has been fired for telling Saddam that he was not a dictator. The WaPo article on the firing contains the following lesson on judicial ethics from a member of Human Rights Watch:"This is Judicial Ethics 101: You don't remove a judge just because you don't like

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1158001988035176382006-09-11T15:12:00.000-04:002006-09-11T15:13:08.076-04:00

Steven Brokerman at American Renaissance has posted a timeline of events leading up to 9/11. He places the events in a much wider perspective, and provides the moral context necessary for understanding the continued existence of Islamic terrorism. My previous post on the Road to Dhimmitude should be read as a footnote to this timeline.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1157661844394690332006-09-07T16:18:00.000-04:002006-09-07T16:44:04.443-04:00

Newt Gingrich has the featured article in today's OpinionJournal in which he offers his prescription for winning the war. Here's a small taste:The current hopelessly slow and inefficient interagency system should be replaced by a new metrics-based and ruthlessly disciplined integrated system of accountability, with clear timetables and clear responsibilities.I am fairly certain that the phrase "

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1143213837675122172006-03-24T10:08:00.000-05:002006-03-24T10:23:57.703-05:00

who needs the Taliban?"Rejecting Islam is insulting God. We will not allow God to be humiliated. This man must die," said cleric Abdul Raoulf, who is considered a moderate and was jailed three times for opposing the Taliban before the hard-line regime was ousted in 2001.(Full article.)Is this what our soldiers fought and died for? The article quotes Condaleeza Rice:"There is no more fundamental

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1142484218409808682006-03-15T19:31:00.000-05:002006-03-15T23:43:38.450-05:00

The first issue of The Objective Standard is in the mail. I haven't received my copy yet, but an email from Craig Biddle this afternoon alerted me to a couple of articles from the issue that are available online to the general public. "Just War Theory" vs. American Self-Defense by Yaron Brook and Alex Epstein is a must read. Here's a short teaser:Whenever President Bush wants to defend the

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141705370537415932006-03-06T13:26:00.000-05:002006-03-08T16:17:45.193-05:00

After the February 22nd bombing of the Askariya shrine the media reported that 120 mosques had been in attacked in reprisals, 1300 civilians had been killed in sectarian fighting, and that Iraq was descending into civil war. This version of events was so universally accepted that even certain paleocons felt safe enough to ride the tide by declaring the War in Iraq a failure. On March 2, ten days

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141534713006109152006-03-04T23:38:00.000-05:002006-03-04T23:58:33.023-05:00

Gateway Pundit has pictures and links to news about President Bush's visit to Pakistan (h/t Instapundit). Apparently, he found time for a little cricket. This was my favorite pic:Here's an excerpt from an* interview Brit Hume did with Bush:Hume: Yeah. Now, I notice this here, you've got this cricket bat here...Bush: Yes.Hume: Do you play?Bush: No, I carry this partly of, uh, I don't know

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141364342821802072006-03-03T00:19:00.000-05:002006-03-03T21:31:48.276-05:00

Long before I knew a philosophical reason for being an atheist, I was turned against religion by the manner in which many preachers preach. Rather than appealing to a person's mind, they shout, stamp their feet, wave their arms and carry on like madmen. For a young person to see an adult behaving in such a way, not really understanding what he's talking about, and unable to judge whether he is

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141240170069704132006-03-01T13:58:00.000-05:002006-03-01T14:09:30.080-05:00

I was born 50 miles east of Birmingham, but fortunately my parents moved away 3 months later. I often tell people that Alabama is a really good place to be from. Some of the folks there seem bent on proving it.(h/t Instapundit.)

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141239032101882802006-03-01T11:31:00.000-05:002006-03-01T14:37:48.280-05:00

A Washington Post story today continues the coverage of Saddam's trial under the title, Saddam asks: "Where is the crime?" BAGHDAD, Iraq - Saddam Hussein told judges Wednesday that he ordered the trials of Shiites who eventually were executed in the 1980s and said their lands should be confiscated, but he insisted that those actions were not criminal. The former Iraqi leader also said his

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141144981683343612006-02-28T10:38:00.000-05:002006-02-28T12:22:20.643-05:00

How is this for nauseating? South Korean companies are building an industrial park in North Korea to provide jobs for impoverished members of that dictatorship. The first page of the article speaks in glowing terms about North-South cooperation, and the prospects this project offers for future reunification. If you're like me, you'll be incredulously asking yourself, "What? Is Kim Jong Il dead!?"

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141128750472430362006-02-28T06:23:00.000-05:002006-02-28T10:22:06.226-05:00

Imagine my relief this morning when I saw the following Reuters headline: IAEA: Iran Not Seeking Nuclear Weapons (see update). After all the revelations and speculations about Iran's clandestine nuclear activities, it was good to know that that madman, Ahmadinejad, wasn't going to have his finger anywhere near a nuclear missile launch button.Then I started reading the article...TOKYO - A report

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1141020898092069092006-02-27T01:06:00.000-05:002006-02-27T01:16:01.586-05:00

The Washington Post has an interesting article today on women combat pilots in Iraq.Female helicopter pilots like Piro are demonstrating their valor in Iraq in one of the few direct combat roles women are officially allowed to perform in the military. Their missions often put them at risk of being hit by enemy machine-gun fire and rockets, and require them to shoot back. Piro's unit, Outlaw Troop

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1140839117965046962006-02-24T22:28:00.000-05:002006-02-24T23:29:07.336-05:00

Is for Muslims to share the attitude of this man:I asked Birzo if he found Baba Sheik’s comments about Islam and Muslims offensive.“Of course not,” he said. “I understand his mentality and he understands mine. It’s okay. We are Kurds. Kurds don’t get upset about religion. We aren’t like Arabs. We believe in arguments based on reason, not emotion. If people don’t agree with me about something, I’m

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1140810847485263072006-02-24T14:09:00.000-05:002006-02-24T14:54:07.543-05:00

The value of political cartoons is how they are able to put issues into perspective with a single picture. The Danish cartoon of Mohammed with a bomb-shaped turban exactly captured the view that the West has of Islam, a view that was shaped by Muslims who resort to violence in order to force their fanatical religious views on the rest of the world. In an update below I linked to a number of

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1140759273660808962006-02-24T00:26:00.000-05:002006-02-24T00:34:33.686-05:00

Jeff Goldstein at Protein Wisdom has posted on a difference of opinion between Bill Ardolino at INDC and Rusty at the Jawa Report. The debate concerns whether or not we should consider ourselves to be at war with Islam. Rusty takes the positive position, pointing out that the doctrines of Islam constitute a political ideology. Bill disagrees, arguing that the political component of Islam is

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1140334801921174312006-02-19T02:34:00.000-05:002006-02-24T01:07:22.176-05:00

I had thought of giving this column a good fisking, but then I found this quote today while rereading Twilight of the Idols, and I decided it says everything that needs to be said:When it is trodden on a worm will curl up. That is prudent. It thereby reduces the chance of being trodden on again. In the language of morals: humility. --NietzscheUpdate: Jeff Jacoby reports on a group of worms who

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1140334141094493842006-02-19T01:18:00.000-05:002006-02-19T02:57:34.966-05:00

Wretchard at the Belmont Club has a discussion going concerning Rumsfield's complaint that we are being beaten by the Islamists in the propaganda war. I have participated in a number of discussions at BC in the past week, and have been attempting to press the point that what prevents us from fighting an all-out war is Christian altruism. The people who have responded to me generally maintain that

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1139968554475233432006-02-14T20:47:00.000-05:002006-02-14T20:55:54.493-05:00

on the op-ed pages of the New York Times. Steven Brockerman at American Renaissance has posted twelve cartoons from the Muslim world in order to give them equal time here in the West. These are cartoons everyone should read, as they provide important context for evaluating the cartoons published by Jyllands-Posten, and present the Muslim viewpoint on freedom of expression.* *Essentially, I.N.N.A.

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1139887861179746432006-02-13T21:40:00.000-05:002006-02-13T22:44:19.653-05:00

This column by Robert Tracinski is a must-read. He begins by pointing out that the issue here is freedom of speech, something most of us already know--but not all, and not even everyone on the right. A lot of people, including those at the State Department, have felt a compulsion to nod in the direction of the hurt feelings of the jihadists. To my knowledge, only two newspapers in the US have

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1139873313711505252006-02-13T17:29:00.000-05:002006-02-13T18:28:33.743-05:00

The trial of Saddam continues at its snail's pace and the former dictator continues to make use of the proceedings to deliver his harangues. I strongly suspect that he will die of old age before the Iraqi government gets around to shooting him. This op-ed from the Ayn Rand Institute argues that he should have been shot immediately following his capture, or once any needed information was gotten

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1139685189597163902006-02-11T13:54:00.000-05:002006-02-12T00:59:33.740-05:00

Continuing thoughts from my last post...Here is a partial list of terrorist attacks originating in Muslim countries that have been carried out against the US and US citizens from March of 1973 to September 11, 2001:1973March 2U.S. Ambassador to Sudan Cleo A. Noel and other diplomats were assassinated at the Saudi Arabian Embassy in Khartoum by members of the Black September organization

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1139684026825267312006-02-11T12:10:00.000-05:002006-02-11T13:53:46.866-05:00

Gateway pundit has this post regarding a march for peace by 700 Danes. I posted the following comment there in response to another commenter's use of the term "dangelt".The comment about Danegeld inspired some thoughts:Danegeld, of course, was money paid to the Danes by the Christianized Anglo-Saxons back when the Danes were raiding the coast of England. That was in the days when a common prayer

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1121636871726778642005-07-17T16:00:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:51:31.915-04:00

Finally finished A Stillness at Appomattox last night. I had ordered some other books, and as they arrived I kept setting it aside to read them.I ordered two by one of my favorite authors as a child, Robert Arthur. He's probably unknown to all but the most dedicated readers of old pulp fiction. He was the originator of the Three Investigators mystery series. I read all the TI books in my

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1121266998058292412005-07-13T10:47:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:42:42.439-04:00

A study of history is valuable for providing context to current events. My reading of A Stillness at Appomattox was interrupted while I dove into a couple of books of short stories that I ordered online. Picking it back up this morning, I came across Catton's description of the conditions in Civil War prisons. He says:One does not need to read wartime propaganda to get a full indictment of the

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1121086324395940852005-07-11T07:26:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:38:25.293-04:00

makes them more nimble, apparently. At least, that's the view of the New York times in this article. (HT: Instapundit.)Investigators examining Thursday's attacks, which left at least 49 dead and 700 injured, are pursuing a theory that the bombers were part of a homegrown sleeper cell, which may or may not have had foreign support for the bomb-making phase of the operation.If that theory proves

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1120934824374846462005-07-09T14:02:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:36:12.597-04:00

Now, here's a campaign I can get behind. (HT: Instapundit) I can just see the religious conservatives sputtering with rage over this one. They will surely fail to get the point, because they've successfully convinced themselves that what they are truly worried about are the poor unborn children. What really bothers them is that people are out there fornicating right and left, and not having to

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1120886653704234682005-07-09T01:10:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:34:13.192-04:00

Reading A Stillness at Appomattox now, the third book in Bruce Catton's Army of the Potomac series. Catton is discussing the Army's recruitment woes in the winter of 1864. The ranks have been depleted due to some terrible battles, and the three-year recruits have almost served out their terms. The Union is scrambling for new men. They offer high bounties of up to $1000 for new recruits. This

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1120846636523145952005-07-08T13:18:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:33:16.659-04:00

I've been reading Bruce Catton's Army of the Potomac series. Came across this quote in the second book, Glory Road:Among the possible victims of circumstance in this winter of 1863 were the Democrats who made up a majority of the Indiana legislature. Without realizing it, these men were struggling against the fact that the American political system, wide enough for many things, had not by the

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1120831858658592872005-07-08T09:33:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:30:55.268-04:00

Tigerhawk has posted a transcript of a BBC interview with Rudy Guiliani. The interview ends with this statement by the former NY mayor:RG: The people of London are going to react exactly the same way as the people of New York did. I remember that the night of the attack of September 11 I exhorted the people of New York not to cast blame on any particular group of people because of their religion

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-14305085.post-1120825891246093442005-07-08T08:12:00.001-04:002009-03-25T23:29:08.844-04:00

Some religious conservatives want desperately to cast the current war as a struggle between Islam and Christianity. It is not. It is a struggle between Islam and liberalism (using 'liberalism' in its original meaning, not as a synonym for socialism). Liberalism has two great enemies: socialism in all its variants (fascism, marxism, democratic socialism, etc); and theocracy in all its variants (

Ardsgainehttp://www.blogger.com/profile/01850059187508036055noreply@blogger.com0