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Ayn Rand
For, among other vast accomplishments,
Discovering the the first rational ethical system
- A morality of life -
We salute you. |
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Politics
Last Updated Sept 7, 2009
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The 9-trillion
dollar deficit is my fault- Richard Winkler
The cause and solution to our problems
is as close as the nearest mirror. The kind of politicians we have are not principled, they are
mainly pragmatic opportunists going where the votes are, and the votes
are going to those who can deliver the bucks....more...
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Just A Little
Regulation - Richard Winkler
The best "regulation" would be to let those
institutions and individuals who made the bad decisions fail. What
better teacher than reality?
...more... |
Obama’s Moral
Ideal - Richard Winkler
He is unmasked…a socialist…a man who has failed to
learn the history screaming at him from the wreckage of all the
twentieth century attempts to built socialism. His moral ideal is
out in the open now. We glimpsed it during the elections but did not want to believe
it, or we granted him the benefit of the doubt of his good intentions.
His moral ideal is a world of economic equality.
...more...
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Knowledge, Principle and Ethics in Housing Crises - Richard Winkler
- October 10, 2008
have a question: how much of the utterly banal
commentary in the mainstream media and in the presidential and
vice-presidential debates regarding the housing crises is due to lack of
knowledge, how much to the inability (or unwillingness) to think in
principles, and how much is due to the fact that Altruism was one of the
primary causes of the entire debacle in the form of government thugs
pushing "affordable" housing?
I am sure I am not the first one to think of this, but I can't resist
saying that I think it’s the combination of all of the above that makes
the whole grotesque spectacle a chapter right out of Atlas Shrugged.
We need John Galt to grab a microphone and make a speech to the
world. Imagine, if by some miracle Sarah Palin, had been one tenth the
man that John Galt was; with the platform she had at the debate tonight
she could have come out of nowhere and shocked the world straight.
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The politics of
self-Interest/a> - Richard Winkler
Recently, both Barack Obama and John McCain were
interviewed by mega-evangelist Rick Warren.
Each man responded in a similar vein to two different questions.
Their answers contain a confusion that they, and most Americans,
have about an idea that most people unthinkingly accept and that is the
cause of all the suffering now going on in the world.
...more...
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Whose rights are being violated
here? - Richard Winkler
The Seattle times, in a recent editorial, titled "FCC
warns Comcast: Keep the Internet open", supported the FCC action
against Comcast for blocking a certain file-sharing program. The
Times goes even further, it supports passage of a "net-neutrality" law
that would supposedly prohibit large internet service providers like
Comcast from discriminating in the type and quantity of content it
provides to its users.
...more... |
Environmentalists of
the World Unite! - Richard Winkler
In an article entitled, “Greening
the Globe: a time for Action”, columnist Neal Peirce praises “The
Bridge at the Edge of the World", a book by James Gustave Speth which
envisions a grand coalition of environmentalists, old line leftists, and
ordinary Americans who are turning “green” in droves as a result of the endless
“green” propaganda permeating the culture.
He waxes enthusiastic over the approach of a critical mass of the
population which will buy less, eat less, and use fewer resources and thereby
achieve the environmentalists’ goal of saving the earth from humans.
...more.../a>
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There is no Islamist
Threat - Richard Winkler
In an op-ed entitled “Paranoia
Harming out way of Life”, syndicated columnist Leonard Pitts equates
the furor caused by a popular anchor host wearing an Arab looking scarf
in a television ad with the detention of a student who downloaded an
Al-Qaida training manual.
Both incidents had apparently innocent causes, but they are not
equivalent – should we not be concerned about someone who downloads a
manual with instructions on how to murder innocent people?
...more...
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How to Win a War -
Richard Winkler
Recently, Colombia
launched a bold raid into Ecuador
killing a leader of a leftist guerilla group that has been bedeviling Colombia for
years. For this, Colombia’’s president, Alvaro Uribe was roundly
denounced by Venezuelan socialist strongman Hugo Chavez and his
ideological allies running Ecuador
and Peru - but his
already huge popularity with the Colombian people only soared higher.
...more...
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“McCain-omics”: a Strange Brew of Statism and Liberty
- Richard Winkler
McCain’s honor politics and anti-intellectualism make him a moralizer
without a consistent framework of ideas within which to moralize
effectively, which means his actions are driven at least in part by his
emotions. ...more... |
Knower: Ayaan Hirsi Ali -
Richard Winkler
Ayaan Hirsi Ali’s journey from Islamism to secular
Individualism is a tribute to a mind always seeking the “why” of things,
never satisfied with superficial answers and lies. It is a tribute to
placing knowing over believing.
...more... |
When Courage Upholds Truth
- Richard Winkler
I have agonized a bit about how to write about Ayaan
Hirsi Ali, the brave ex-Dutch legislator, originally from Mogadishu who
was forced to flee Holland for America due to her uncompromising stand
against Islam. I have not read her latest book “Infidel”, so I will
temper my remarks by a caveat that consists of the thought “she can’t be
for real, can she?” I have called her a modern day Jeffersonian
Individualist and a true child of the Western Enlightenment. I will let
her speak for herself in these quotes culled from the
Wall
Street Journal article about her:
“Muslims must choose to follow their rational capacities as humans and
to follow reason instead of Quranic commands. At that point Islam will be
reformed." ...more... |
Fear of Dying and Love of
Living - Richard Winkler
Diplomacy can and should be engaged in when
nations have conflicting interests, but not when those interests primarily
include murdering or enslaving you. What kind of compromise can we offer
the Mullah’s: submit and become subservient? They will accept no less,
does anyone doubt it? Where is the wiggle room here, what kind of
give-and-take can we engage in? Allow us to live for ten more years?
Make it a painless death? Don’t put the shackles on so tight?
...more... |
Iran's
Intentions - Richard Winkler
The jaw dropping kicker in the book is
in the epilogue “The price of Failure” where Timmerman relates in the form
of a fiction story how a non-descript civilian cargo ship could sail up to
the U.S. east coast, mingle undetected with hundreds of other ships that
ply those waters every day, and in minutes aim and fire a nuclear missile
that would obliterate the capital in a matter of seconds...more... |
Spreading the Word about
the "Religion of Peace - Richard Winkler
The "Religion of Peace", has Dutch lawmakers hiding in army barracks
watching their backs, and worrying about their loved ones. An
article in the Wall Street Journal entitled "An
Ordinary Dutch Life" highlights the plight of Geert Wilders whose
"...life is in danger because of his criticism of radical, or, as he calls
it, 'mainstream Islam'". In Mr. Wilder's view, Islam hasn't been
"hijacked" by radicals. Rather, radicalism is embedded in the faith.
"It's a violent religion, an intolerant religion," he said
matter-of-factly in an interview"...more...
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Reason
Without Religion - Richard Winkler
When the Koran or a Mullah asks followers to subjugate or kill those who
do not uphold the ideas of Islam, the line from civilized dialogue to rule
by force is crossed. Someone who is required to "accept" Islam at the
point of a gun has not made a moral choice. ...more...
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The Power of Faith
Islamism's most powerful weapon is not nuclear or biological it is the
power of moral certainty. These Islamist truly demonstrate the power
of faith. American preachers talk about the "power of faith", faith
can move mountains they say. Yet faith is not an ideology; in and of
itself it does not dictate the content of belief.
...more...
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Democrat's, What's your
Solution? - Richard Winkler
The moderate Democrats remind me of that campy movie "Mars
Attacks!" Where politicians, with doves symbolizing peace flying
around, approach the aliens offering friendship and get laughed at and
then vaporized for their trouble.
...more...
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Islamic-Fascism Finds a Home In Iran - Richard Winkler
We are not fighting just Al-Qaeda, we are fighting a
set of ideas that has swept the Muslim world. Those ideas can best
be characterized as Islamic-fascism or Islamo-Fascism. Iran is
dangerous because it is a state whose guiding principle is fascism, and,
being a state can muster all
the resources of a geographic area without much internal opposition.
It is suicidal to negotiate with those who`se avowed purpose is to kill or
subjugate you. We should immediately seek to remove the Iranian
regime by military means while we can.
...more...
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Islamic
Opinion Be Damned!
When a person
is physically threatened for expressing an opinion the police should be
called in to arrest those issuing the threat. When a nation or group
threatens another nation or group with physical violence for having
expressed an opinion, then the very principle of freedom of speech is
threatened. ...more... |
Attack Iran - Richard
Winkler
Rogues can wax eloquent
with speeches that include words like “freedom” and “rights”. I remember
hearing Saddam’s UN representative sounding almost like Thomas Jefferson.
Fools and cowards expose their hypocrisy when their actions don’t match
their words. So
regardless of Bush’s stated motives,
the real question, for
anyone who considers freedom the highest of political values, is: has he
actually started spreading freedom throughout the world and will freedom
prevail? ....more... |
Going Nuclear -
Destroying Middle Eastern sourced Terrorism - Margaret Sanchez
Nuclear power is now being touted as the clean, secure and steady
source of energy needed for our Internet age. Finland has just built its
fifth plant and the protestors were marching with signs declaring
"Greenpeace go home!" Amazing. Forty seven power plants have started up or
are under construction since 2000 in Asia alone. China has plans for 100
new power plants and India for eight. Russia is also considering nuclear
power. ...more... |
Moral Self Confidence –
Have We Lost It? - Margaret Sanchez
Right now President
Bush and Prime Minister Blair are the men in the middle. They are
blanking out the truth that we are fighting rabid religious terrorists and
they mean what they say and aim to get what they want: A paradise of
Islamic fundamentalism on earth.
...more... |
The Dangers of
Agnosticism - Richard Winkler
In the case of pope John Paul we were
lucky that he indeed had many fine qualities and did in fact uphold
liberty for the eastern Europeans, but he also believes that the unborn (a
fetus) should have more rights over the born (the mother), and considers
happiness on earth secondary to some pie in the sky heaven. So
agnosticism is certainly not a "safe" route to take.
...more... |
An Indecent Bill -
Margaret SanchezSince I am a reasoning person in my own right, I don't
need a nanny government to watch out for my moral state.
...more... |
Is “The Little Guy”
better Off As A Slave? - Richard Winkler
Someone who, due to unfortunate circumstances or through sheer laziness,
is unable or unwilling to take care of himself is much easier to rule.
Politicians do not produce wealth they only pass laws. When politicians
are given control over the economic life of the country through laws and
regulations such as the Medicare Prescription Drug Bill they are given the
opportunity to gain a huge constituency of the dependent.
...more...
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America
Exists Despite Christianity Not Because Of It
In an excellent article entitled
Judeo-Christian
Philosophy and the Founding of America on
www.capitalismmagizine.com,
Michael
Marriott explains why religion is not the cornerstone of
America's unique political philosophy.
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The Only Way to Solve
the Rise in Anti-Semitism
Margaret Sanchez
The fact that an important, democratic nation in Western Europe can
be so quickly and so thoroughly undermined by anti-Semitism should also be
matter of concern-and a warning-for all Western nations, including
America." ...more...>
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Environmentalism - Code Word for Death
Margaret Sanchez
The fact that [the pesticide] Paraquat protects 40% of global food
output, is benign to the environment and without it people in certain
parts of the world are likely to die from starvation does not phase the
eco-imperialists. Their supposed concern is for eggshell density, mice,
and fish. |
Not Pressure Groups but
Individual Rights for Iraq Richard Winkler
The original plan for a constitutional assembly was to elect delegates
from the different regions in Iraq - this, apparently, in an attempt to
balance the claims of the different factions and tribes. What is needed
though is not a balancing of tribal claims, and pressure groups, but the
upholding of the claims of only one segment of Iraqi society – The
Individual – yes, Individual Rights.
...more...> |
Multilateralism vs. The
Facts
Richard
Winkler
Multilateralism is an attempt to sneak altruism into
American foreign policy. If morality consists of satisfying the wishes of
others then intellectually, one should always consider the arguments of
others before those of oneself. After all isn’t the mind and one’s own
thoughts the most selfish and personal aspect of a person?
...more...> |
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News
Oct 25 2009
t's Not Invasion of Privacy If You are not Aware Of It
“They said my privacy wasn’t intruded on because the surveillance was
covert”.
Those words, according Jenny Paton, 40, an English mother of three in
England, were part of the explanation government officials gave her to
justify why she was secretly followed around for more then three weeks by an
education department officer, who cataloged her movements and those of here
children. ...more...>
Nov 14, 2007
Meteorologist who founded The Weather Channel
slams Environmentalism
The article by John Coleman pulls no punches and does not hem and haw.
Read it, don't get scammed.
An Iranian Smoking Gun?
The Daily Telegraph reports that more than
100 high powered sniper rifles manufactured by Austrian gun-maker
Steyr-Mannlicher have been discovered by American troops in Iraq during
raids. The rifles were part of a shipment of 800 rifles sold to Iran
allegedly to combat drug smuggles. According to a
Wall-Street journal article on this same subject, Iran signed
guarantees that the rifles would not be resold. The serial numbers
on the discovered cache have not yet been verified against the guns in the
sale, but if and when they are, it is "Smoking Gun" proof of Iran's direct
involvement in the killing of American soldiers in Iraq.
The rifle is highly accurate and fires bullet that can pierce all body
armor from up to a mile. It can penetrate armored Humvee troop
carriers. American officials have said that 170 British and American
troops have been
killed by such weapons.
Environmentalism caused Katrina damage
All I have to say to all those
environmentalists who cry at how we are hurting the environment is
"brother you asked for it". I dearly hope not a few of you lived in
New Orleans.
Movie Review: The Passion of The Christ
I do not think I will see the movie primarily because it is
un-intellectual - uniquely focusing on the physical aspects of Christ’s
ordeal during his crucifixion with apparently no attempt at providing any
kind of context or discussion of principles or ideas...more...>
U.S. Proposes Interim Iraqi Constitution
The central issue is the type of constitution being considered, and it
looks to be a “moderate” constitution. That is, a moderate amount of
freedom mixed with a moderate amount of tyranny.
...more..>
Science
VET Medicine: Forefront of Biotechnology
The very effectiveness of veterinary biotech would subvert the
regulatory and ethical underpinnings of human-research constraints.
...more...> |
