17 July 2011
01 July 2011
Juan Williams -- my liberal hero
I can count on two fingers the number of talking heads who call themselves 'liberal' and/or 'democrat' that I think are worthy of paying attention to. Juan Williams is one of them (guess who the other is?).
In this piece at foxnews.com, although he doesn't intend it, he describes the exact reason I give so few people in that camp any credence. In short: they have become the religious-right extremist kooks that they believe themselves to be the Paladin army against... not in specifics but in methodology.
I don't agree with Williams most of the time, but at least he has the intelligence to make a coherent point, and the respect and understanding to address his opponents' viewpoints directly.
In this piece at foxnews.com, although he doesn't intend it, he describes the exact reason I give so few people in that camp any credence. In short: they have become the religious-right extremist kooks that they believe themselves to be the Paladin army against... not in specifics but in methodology.
I don't agree with Williams most of the time, but at least he has the intelligence to make a coherent point, and the respect and understanding to address his opponents' viewpoints directly.
Go, VDH!
Victor Davis Hanson has a nice piece at National Review about the (all-too-predictable) self-destruction of the liberal nanny-state, here and around the world.
29 June 2011
Fair and Balanced...
In the interest of presenting opposing viewpoints I present a Stephen Metcalf, who seems to have a need to chastise libertarians.
Unfortunately I can't really respond because it really is just an endless stream of character- and straw-man-assassination... To say nothing of the considerable factual errors (here, here, and here).
My favorite part is this:
Unfortunately I can't really respond because it really is just an endless stream of character- and straw-man-assassination... To say nothing of the considerable factual errors (here, here, and here).
My favorite part is this:
My, how relieving it must be to believe such simple nonsense.
When I think with my own brain and look with my own eyes, it's obvious to me that some combination of civil rights, democratic institutions, educational capital, social trust, consumer choice, and economic opportunity make me free.
27 June 2011
The Philosophy of Liberty
Another fantastic video! This time on the Philosophy of Liberty.
I found this and the two previous links on the Videos section of the web site of the Foundation for a Free Society.
I found this and the two previous links on the Videos section of the web site of the Foundation for a Free Society.
The Story of Your Enslavement
Here's a fairly powerful philosophical examination of what it means to be free.... or enslaved....
Ten Principles of Classical Liberalism
This is a pretty good summary of the principles behind classical liberalism (by a G. Stolyarov II):
The only one I would disagree with is #5. I don't believe an aggressive response to aggression initiated by another need be proportional. Someone who has initiated aggression has implicitly given permission to their victim to respond in whatever way necessary to stop the aggression as quickly as possible, to prevent further loss and damage, and even to recover what was taken (if possible).
The only one I would disagree with is #5. I don't believe an aggressive response to aggression initiated by another need be proportional. Someone who has initiated aggression has implicitly given permission to their victim to respond in whatever way necessary to stop the aggression as quickly as possible, to prevent further loss and damage, and even to recover what was taken (if possible).
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