Politics Archive

Abraham Lincoln: We all declare for liberty…

May 3, 2008 · Category: Individualism, Politics

This quote from Abraham Lincoln does an excellent job of distilling the difference between "negative" and "positive" rights, and the implications of each: We all declare for liberty; but in using the same word, we do not mean the same thing. With some the word liberty may mean for each man to do as he pleases with himself, and the product of his labor; with others the same word may mean for some men to do as they please with other men, and the product of other men's labor. Here are two, not only different, but incompatible things, called ...

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Michael Strong: Give charter schools a chance

May 1, 2008 · Category: Current Events, FLOW, Individualism, Politics

I've been talking some lately with Flow CEO Michael Strong, who (together with Whole Foods CEO John Mackey) is doing some excellent work with explaining free market principles to folks with liberal-ish ideals. Today I noticed an article he published recently at Cato Unbound, wherein he makes some excellent points about charter schools in the United States -- and why they haven't (really) been given a fair trial yet, when it comes to helping American students overcome their rotten performance scores. I liked this point: After the fall of communism, even the most recalcitrant academics acknowledged that Hayek had been correct ...

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Why can’t two-income families afford a home?

April 28, 2008 · Category: Current Events, Politics

Question: "Why could families easily meet their financial obligations in the 1950s and 1960s, when only one parent worked outside the home, yet have great difficulty today, when two-income families are the norm?" Answer: Primarily because their federal taxes increased 140%. (h/t Instapundit)

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Monster lawyers take it in the nose

April 16, 2008 · Category: Current Events, Politics

I know many Objectivists and free market advocates have mixed feelings about patent law and how it is used. If you're one of them, don't miss this letter to the lawyers representing Monster Cable. It is hilarious. (Hat tip Instapundit) Here's one interesting excerpt, just to save you a click: I have seen Monster Cable take untenable IP positions in various different scenarios in the past, and am generally familiar with what seems to be Monster Cable's modus operandi in these matters. I therefore think that it is important that, before closing, I make you aware of a ...

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Buying a Spot on the Syllabus … for Atlas Shrugged

February 27, 2008 · Category: Atlasphere, Individualism, Objectivism, Politics

(Cross-posted from the Atlasphere's Ayn Rand meta-blog.) Inside Higher Ed Editor Scott Jaschik kindly sent a link to his new story "Buying a Spot on the Syllabus," which is indeed very interesting. He begins: Some professors at Marshall University believe that the institution has crossed an ethical line by accepting a gift that requires that a specific book — Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged — be taught in a course. While the criticisms have come from professors who are not fans of Rand’s philosophy, they stress that their objection has nothing to do with this particular book, and that they would have no problem ...

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Liberal vs Conservative? Christ! Oops.

January 15, 2008 · Category: Individualism, Integral, Intellectual, Politics

If you struggle, as I do, with the nutty distinction between being considered "liberal" or "conservative" in modern America, you might share my enjoyment of this thoughtful post by Patrick Stephens. In fact, Patrick's discussion here, and his weighing of the various positions, strikes me as one that comes squarely from a second-tier perspective (in the Integral / Spiral Dynamics model of human development). ...Which already says a little bit, politically, if you're familiar with that model. After reviewing some very sensible arguments from those who are uncomfortable with both of the labels "liberal" and "conservative" -- as well as their ...

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Fred Thompson Releases Substantial Plan to Reduce Federal Spending

January 10, 2008 · Category: Politics

Fred Thompson just became the first and only Republican candidate to produce a detailed and substantial plan to reduce federal spending. If you've not already seen this Thompson interview with Charlie Rose, I recommend it highly. Scroll to 36:18, for example, to hear his sensible -- yet all-too-rare -- bottom-line analysis on the subject of torture: And here's a telling quote from 16:11, in the context of fixing the "No Child Left Behind" fiasco and moving towards voucher programs: You can't get away from what has worked for us, in so many different areas, in this country -- and that is ...

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Fred Thompson on Terry Schiavo: Too Personal for Government Intervention

December 28, 2007 · Category: Politics

Thanks to Marsh for pointing out this piece by Andrew Malcolm from October. Here Fred Thompson offers the most sensible comments I've heard from any politician about Terry Schiavo. As often seems to happen in the public chaos of major political campaigns, it turns out there's much more to that apparent Fred Thompson memory loss story from a couple of weeks ago. You may remember that the closely watched newest Republican candidate was asked about that highly controversial Terri Schiavo right-to-die case in which the husband of a Florida woman in a persistent vegetative state wanted to remove her chemical feeding ...

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There Has Been No Global Warming This Decade

December 22, 2007 · Category: Politics

Wow, thanks to Shawn Klein pointing this out: Here's an inconvenient fact for you: world temperatures have not increased this decade. That's right, there has not been any global warming in almost 10 years.This is not predicted by the so-called skeptic-proof global warming theories. And guess what? The so-called consensus doesn't know how to explain this. They don't know if this is temporary or permanent. They don't know how to explain that while the theories say there should be consistently increasing temperatures, the temperatures haven't increased. What does this mean? I am not sure, but I hope this data can allow ...

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Over 400 Prominent Scientists Disputed Man-Made Global Warming Claims in 2007

December 20, 2007 · Category: Politics

From a new US Senate report: Over 400 prominent scientists from more than two dozen countries recently voiced significant objections to major aspects of the so-called "consensus" on man-made global warming. These scientists, many of whom are current and former participants in the UN IPCC (Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change), criticized the climate claims made by the UN IPCC and former Vice President Al Gore. Keep reading.

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