|
|
1.24.2003 11:25 PM The Brothers Judd: consumers of vast quantities of literature and Billy Corgan fans. Who would have thunk? Sean Hackbarth | 10:50 PM Fredrick Norman links to a letter signed by a number of economists and policy wonks backing President Bush's tax plan. The signers don't claim that restraining federal spending, pushing up previous tax reductions, and ending the dividend tax will immediately jump start the economy. In general, these thinkers want to end government polices that harm the economy. Bush's plan "will help achieve this objective." On a side note: Looking through the list, I one of the signees was Guido Hülsmann, a Senior Fellow at the Ludwig von Mises Institute. I'm pleased to know that not everyone associated with Anarchy Lew Rockwell opposes Republican/conservative proposals just because they don't go far enough. "An Open Letter to Congress" Sean Hackbarth | 10:35 PM The Guardian is reporting that war is imminent. President Bush will make that clear in next week's State of the Union speech. Advantage: Den Beste. "The Message from the Bush Camp: 'It's War within Weeks'" Sean Hackbarth | 9:32 PM A few days ago, Glenn Reynolds commented on Roe v. Wade and limited government. By using the actual text of the constitution, he argued that Congress couldn't ban abortion. Some things aren't "necessarily fit subjects for federal regulation." What Reynolds hasn't done is decide if Roe should be overturned. My guess is he would approve of that and let state legislatures decide the abortion question. Sean Hackbarth | 1.23.2003 9:59 PM Forget France and Germany who have sacrificed NATO for Saddam. Forget the U.N. where many members would like the weapons inspectors to give Iraq an eternity for it to prove they've disarmed. Forget anti-war protestors who hate Saddam's tyrannical regime but hate American power more (and allied themselves with the Communist International A.N.S.W.E.R.). As Condi Rice makes clear, Iraq's failure to disclose their ABC weapons in that 12,000 page pile of camel's dung amounts to a material breach. President Bush has tried his best to get international support for liberating Iraq. Critics should stop with the cries of "unilateralism." It's hard to be a multilateralist if no one is willing to join you. But in this case the U.S. has the support of the U.K., Australia, Kuwait, Qatar, and other nations. To claim the U.S. is going into Iraq as a posse of one is intellectually dishonest--but that's never stop his critics. France and Germany can crow all they want about how "old Europe" (Don Rumsfeld's phrase) will bounce back with time (admitting they're not as important on the world stage as they think they are), the U.S. will liberate Iraq. Based on troop movements, Steven Den Beste predicts war will begin 2.01 or 1.31. Now is the time to ignore the critics. They've had plenty of time to make the best case for not liberating Iraq. They've failed to convince me, and more importantly, they've failed to convince the American public. Let's get this war started and done with so everyone can move on to the important task of bringing the Arab world into the 21th Century. "Why We Know Iraq Is Lying" UPDATE: Rich Galen questions why business leaders aren't pushing for war.
"I Don't Understand" Sean Hackbarth | 7:10 PM I want Shania Twain to be the starting quarterback of my fantasy football team. Sean Hackbarth | 1.22.2003 11:21 PM Today marked the 30 anniversary of Roe v. Wade, the Supreme Court decision that legalized abortion and made abortion a federal issue. Over 40 million children have been sacrificed just so no woman has to endure a "back alley" abortion or self-mutilation. I'm pretty sure that in the pre-Roe days 1.3 million women didn't die every year because they risked their very lives to rip a helpless, innocent live from their bodies. So 40 million children who never had a chance to ride a bike, to read any Harry Potter books, to go to college, to build the next techno wonder, or to raise children of their own had to be sacrificed so women and guilty men didn't have to think about dealing with the consequences of their actions. Abortion backers and "moderates" will abstract away the human qualities of the fetus or zygote. "It's just a clump of cells, not a human," they say. It's human nature to be concerned more about the visible women in the septic-abortion ward of a hospital than the invisible child in the womb. It takes a certain amount of abstraction to kill another person. Timothy McVeigh was called a "monster" when he was put to death for the Oklahoma City bombing. In World War II, Allied troops weren't killing Germans or the Japanese. They were killing "Krauts" and "Japs." Abstracting people from their full humanity eases the psychological burden on the killer. What technology has done is allow women to better see the full humanity of the unborn. Sonograms are passed around as first pictures by parents. Actually seeing the human features of one's child should certainly dissuade a women from kill him. Granted abortion rates have fallen. That's good. But a culture that accepts the killing of the unborn is not a healthy culture. In the past few years, people have killed their children soon after birth. The sentencing of those convicted no where approached the sentence they would have received if they would have killed a 4-year-old, a 20-year-old, or a 60-year-old. Last week, a 17-year-old man was arrested for dumping his newborn in portable toilet to drown. Even though he was described as "a good kid, he's a straight-A student," Gabriel Estrada didn't want the child thus the baby deserved to die. Abortion has abstracted the unborn from a developing human into a materialistic choice. As a result of irresponsible sex (sure, it may have been fun) pregnancy occurs. If the pregnancy comes at a bad time because of a whole host of reasons, then the child becomes a burden, a parasite, a "clump of cells." But if the time is right, the child becomes a welcomed part of a family. Because of abortion's choice one's humanity isn't determined objectively by the nature of the individual, but by the subjective determination of the parents. Humanity becomes a social construct malleable beyond the first nine months of a child's life. Our culture is moving toward accepting suicide as a way to end physical or psychological pain. The death penalty is favored as state-sanctioned vengeance. Media gets more and more violent. We're even at the point where Stanford University wants to make embryos so they can be harvested for their stem cells. What we have is the Culture of Death. The Declaration of Independence noted that we were endowed with the rights to Life, Liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Roe v. Wade goes way beyond women's rights and a category of medical procedures (to use the term very loosely). It goes to the heart of the difference between humanity and barbarism. "30 Years After Roe v. Wade, New Trends but the Old Debate" "How Many Ghosts?" [via Brothers Judd] Sean Hackbarth | 10:01 PM A judge correctly threw out a lawsuit against McDonald's claiming the company was responsible for obesity in two children. In his ruling, Judge Robert Sweet wrote,
"McDonald's Obesity Suit Tossed" Sean Hackbarth | 9:04 PM HUMOR: Here's one way to deal with the French. Just imagine the war films Hollywood will make from this invasion. "Iraq Invasion to Start on Normandy Beaches" Sean Hackbarth | 8:56 PM Thomas Friedman tries to convince liberals that removing Saddam is a good thing. A liberated Iraq could be a beacon on hope for the rest of the Arab world.
"Thinking About Iraq (I)" Sean Hackbarth | 8:41 PM In his first of four policy speeches testing out the waters of a Presidential bid, Gary Hart spoke out against war with Iraq. He also called for a new security "tool box" that included trade and aid programs. Hart's a Democrat opposed to war with Iraq and in favor of wasteful foreign aid programs. People who thought he might go to the right of President Bush on the Islamist War must be disappointed. "Hart Says He Opposes Iraq War" Sean Hackbarth | 2:21 PM A few days ago, I posted an NY Times article on a problem with Bush's plan to end the dividend tax. Today, Floyd Norris follows up. Government officials have altered the proposal so investors will be sure their dividends are tax free. "Tax Plan Revised to Clarify Status of Dividends" Sean Hackbarth | 4:16 AM War hasn't even broken out yet and already the French have surrendered. This from Rich Galen:
Well, I can certainly understand this entrepreuer's feelings. "Wink-Wink, Nudge-Nudge" Sean Hackbarth | 1.21.2003 1:40 PM ESPN put together a list of the ultimate franchises. They ranked all the major sports teams by how much money fans put into their teams and how successful those teams are. The best franchise in all of major league sports: The Green Bay Packers. By combining an unbridled fan obsession with an ownership structure that keeps it close to the community, the Packers show they are America's team. It also doesn't hurt to have Brett Favre as your starting QB. As for other teams of note, the Chicago Bears are ranked #95 and the lowly Minnesota Vikings are at #102. "Packers: The Best Franchise in Sports" Sean Hackbarth | 1:18 PM Australian scientists used adult stem cells to replace brain cells in mice. The research could lead to a treatment for multiple sclerosis and without the ethical problems of using embryonic stem cells. "Researchers Make MS Breakthrough Using Adult Stem Cells " Sean Hackbarth | 12:41 PM Al Sharpton and Rep. Charles Rangel (D-NY) are in a conumdrum. USA Today reports blacks are underrepresented in military combat roles. Blacks make up 10.6% of infantrymen while making up 12% of the population. These are the troops that will most likely die in a war with Iraq. What do Sharpton and Rangel do? Either they demand a front line that more closely resembles America, and resulting in more black deaths; or they can stay quiet and ignore the issue making it appear it doesn't really matter (which it really doesn't). "Front-Line Troops Disproportionately White, not Black" Sean Hackbarth | 12:07 AM What the University of Michigan Supreme Court case did was bring the issue of affirmative action to the fore. How important should race be in deciding who gets into college or law school? Is "diversity" so important for higher education that schools should give underrepresented groups bonuses? Harry Jaffa questions the concept of "diversity" itself. He grants that diversity may have benefits:
But he wonders if we are willing to live in a society where aptitude isn't the sole determinant:
Jaffa points out that diversity today means racial preference. From my college years, I can tell you he's correct. Time and again I questioned those demanding more diversity what they meant. I expounded on a meaning of diversity that moved beyond skin color. I argued that if real diversity was desired then we should promote diversity of ideas. What's the point of student body that mirrored the make-up of the community if they were all taught the same statist/liberal/postmodern stuff? Where was the push for more conservative/libertarian professors? Why were diversity advocates so obsessed with race? It was like I was talking to a brick wall. Diversity supports never answered my questions because it questioned the very core of their beliefs. How could I oppose seeing more blacks at the University of Minnesota Duluth? I didn't. I opposed a system where blacks and other minority groups got preferences only to self-segregate themselves in their student-supported Black Students Association and diversity classes. To paraphrase Jaffa, in the abstract, diversity is meaningless. In practice, it doesn't break down racial barriers, it promotes them. "Is Diversity Good?" UPDATE: Rich Lowry points out that an economic study showed there was no "evidence of the positive (or negative) effects" for having a diverse campus. A study from a diversity defender even claimed diversity promoted political liberalism. "The Diversity Lie on Campus" [via C-Log] Sean Hackbarth | 1.20.2003 11:34 PM We're going to war with or without the U.N. President Bush has never stated that he needed the U.N.'s approval. In fact, Bush called on the U.N. to act or relegate itself to irrelevance. Now, Colin Powell restated Bush's view. He told the Security Council, "If Iraq is not disarming, the United Nations cannot turn away from its responsibilities." If the U.N. wants to retain any morsel of credibilty in dealing with thugs intent on building ABC weapons to blackmail the rest of the world, then they must not let Saddam dink around. Heck, Iraq's Arab neighbors seem to be getting the hint and are looking for ways for Saddam to leave. With last November's resolution, the U.N. made clear Saddam had to disarm. If they fail, they empower rogue states and demonstrate their ineptitude. "Powell Urges U.N. to Stand Up to Saddam" Sean Hackbarth | 1.19.2003 12:39 AM Today is National Sanctity of Human Life Day. Let's remember that the fight for life is always real. I ask all of you to dedicate your lives to the preservation and defense of human life in all its forms--from the unborn to the invalid to the elderly. Fighting the Culture of Death requires our steadfast vigilance or we will succumb to nihilism. "National Sanctity of Human Life Day, 2003" Sean Hackbarth | 12:33 AM How can I not link to Book Geek? Sean Hackbarth | |
ABOUT When I'm not pondering the fate of the universe, I'm reading, writing, or selling books. Here you'll find comments on politics, culture, books, and music. Not necessarily in that order. MAILBOX sean--at--theamericanmind.com  Support democracy and human rights in Iraq! 
My Bloginality is INTP!!! WEBRINGS « LibertyLoggers » < ? wiscoblogs # > WEBLOGS WIRES AP International AP National AP Politics AP Sports UPI COLUMNISTS Buckley Goldberg Kudlow Novak Horowitz Noonan Reynolds Sowell Will NEWSPAPERS Ha'aretz LA Times Milwaukee Journal Sentinel NY Times Washington Post Washington Times MAGAZINES The American Prowler The Atlantic City Journal Commentary Enter Stage Right First Things FrontPage IntellectualConservative.com In the National Interest National Review New York Times Magazine Opinion Journal Reason Spintech The Weekly Standard NEWS 1stHeadlines ABCNews BBC CNN Cybercast News Service Drudge FoxNews MEMRI MSNBC BOOKS All Consuming The New Republic New York Times Town Hall Book Club Washington Post Weblog BookWatch TECH News.com Wired News HUMOR Mallard Fillmore The Onion ARCHIVE 
Comments by: YACCS template by HELQUIN
|