VERITAS CONNECTIONS

HAPPINESS: The Way it Was Meant to Be!

2006-08-04T10:40:00.000-07:00

The Lost Virtues of Happiness: Discovering the Disciplines of the Good life, J.P. Moreland and Klaus Issler (Colorado Springs, Co: NavPress, 2006).

JP Moreland and Klaus Issler ransom the contemporary idea of “happiness” from the obsessive, authoritarian grips of pleasure-seeking narcissism, and cleanse it with biblical counsel, Spirit-led wisdom, pastoral insight, and the demonstrable lessons of their own life lived in the fellowship of others. Their thesis is articulated in eight life-empowering chapters, which claims that happiness is best understood and obtained if it means living our life as it is meant to flourish. We are meant to flourish in a life of character and virtue formation that manifests itself in wisdom, kindness and goodness (25).

The life of Jesus Christ and the gospel of the kingdom of God are both the indispensable model and means for obtaining this kind of abundant life. Chapter One and Two both (authored by Moreland) establish this foundational claim. Chapter Three (Issler), Four (Moreland) and Five (Issler) form a unit to give clear instruction and pastoral insight about how to get good at living this kind of life: Namely, form a tender, receptive heart (ch. 3); form a thoughtful mind stayed on God (ch. 4); form a trustful will that risks with God (ch. 5). With the foundation laid in chapters one and two, and the edifice formed in chapters three, four and five, this house of edification is nearly complete. But first, Chapter Six (Issler) and Seven (Moreland) tests a biblical conception of human flourishing in light of the so-called “hiddennes of God” (ch. 6) and in view of experiencing anxiety and depression (ch. 7). These two chapters form a potent unit of instruction and insight, encouraging the reader to embrace the reality of God’s hiddenness and to learn not to just “cope” with anxiety and depression but to actually defeat its control over one’s ability to flourish. I found these chapters to be liberating, helpful, and truthfully conveyed. Moreland openly shares his experience and defeat of anxiety and depression. This testimony should encourage anyone who is afflicted with such struggle. Lastly, Chapter Eight (Issler) caps the entire discussion of the book with a focus on “cultivating spiritual friendships.”

Topically, I would expect Chapters Three, Four and Five to be part of a book on spiritual formation, even though the authors offer a decisively unique perspective on these topics. However, it is Chapters Six and Seven that make the book all the more accessible and authoritative. For these chapters demonstrate that the ideas conveyed in the previous chapters are not only true, but because they are true, they actually work and are livable even in the crucible of life’s most desperate circumstances.

Structurally, each chapter faithfully maintains a length of 24 pages. This consistency appropriately informs the reader’s attention and forms the reader’s expectation. This prudential proportionality of space demonstrates that the authors do not overstate or understate one topic over another. Visually, the text actually appeals to the eyes. The lines have generous spacing and the fonts are crisp. Each page does not feel like it is informationally overloaded. The ideas expressed and the space and words that are used to fulfill that expression are prudentially balanced.

Moreover, instructional helps and end-of-chapter exercises are found throughout the book. These are not superficial or ineffectual, but encourage the reader to give careful attention to what they are reading and to do so while attending to their own life. For example, there is an informative chart on page 26 that offers a succinct contrast between “Contemporary Happiness” (pleasurable satisfaction) and “Classical Happiness” (virtue and well-being). On page 117, Issler captures “Five Enduring Kingdom Themes” (Loving God, Relating, Reigning, Renewing and Resisting) in the form of a circular diagram. And in this same chapter about learning to form a trusting will, Issler provides (p. 125-26) an “Eternal Investment Portfolio” (EIP) to gauge how we are investing our lives now in view of how we will live eternally. Lastly, on 197-8, Issler provides an in-text questionnaire to discern a “Close Friendship Quotient” (CFQ). The end-of-chapter exercises strike a brilliant balance between a summary of the chapter’s main content and a creative way to receive and digest the significance of what the authors intend.

The book is wisely and strategically co-authored. Moreland and Issler draw from each other’s interrelated contributions and insights on the topic. I would characterize this book as the merging of two streams, each author drawing from and extending their most notable offerings on spiritual formation to date. In addition, their 25-year friendship adds further credence to their credibility, especially when they authoritatively model to the reader what it means to “cultivate spiritual friendships.”

The treatment of their topic is not just mere “biblical exposition” with no end in sight, or exposition with no insight. It is a beautifully written account from a first-person perspective that is also informed in the tradition of other’s experiences, culminating in existentially relevant words of encouragement and biblical instruction. Scripture is handled in an exegetically honest and hermeneutically informed way. Therefore, it bears honorable likeness, credibility and seriousness to a peer-reviewed publication but without being stuffy, or taken too seriously because it is “academic.” For this reason, I would have no hesitation or feel no embarrassment to give the book to an honest, truth-seeking Christian academic or to a spiritually hungry layperson.

The tone serves both the academic and lay person beneficially. Indeed, this is one of the notable accomplishments of the book. Only a senseless and apathetic reader would not be able to detect the vulnerability, authenticity, and pastoral care for people’s well-being that is voluminously present in the text. When I read the book, I actually had a keen sense that I was being shepherded and pastorally instructed in how I am to live my life well in the kingdom of God. This has not always been my experience when reading other so-called “spiritual formation” books.

When reading other books about the “inner” spiritual life, sometimes the discussion unnecessarily becomes gendered and therefore complicated. But this is not the case for Moreland and Issler’s book. I would have no reservation in giving this to a male or female friend. Emotionally attentive men and thoughtful women (neither of which is an oxymoron!) will receive enlightenment about their lives in this book, even though the discussion is not intended to be gendered. I think this will be one of the long-lasting gifts of the book.

The remarkable legacy of the book, I believe, is its ability to successfully provide instruction and pastoral insight in and from a biblical conception of human flourishing that is rooted in what it means to live as an apprentice of Jesus Christ. The authors joyfully and eagerly call people to get good at living their lives in the manner that Jesus lived his life. Having tested and tried the ideas and exercises of this book, I can honestly report that I am a better person because of it.

Moreland on the Historicity of the Resurrection

2006-04-10T13:58:00.000-07:00

JP Moreland gave a stirring talk last night at my church on the "Historicity of the Resurrection" (mp3). A must listen to anyone seeking to offer a defense for this central claim of Christiandom!

~VC~

Biola Responds to "Gospel of Judas"

2006-04-10T13:51:00.000-07:00

New Testament Scholar, Clint Arnold, responds to the "Gospel of Judas" in an exclusive BIOLA interview.

~VC~

POLICY - If We Leave Iraq, More Terrorism Will Follow

2005-07-26T01:46:00.000-07:00

A brilliantly written article by Caleb Carr (teaches military history at Baird) about the historical implications for "retreat" or "pulling back," especially as this concerns our engagement in Iraq.

~VC~

RELIGION - Resurrection of Evangelical Scholars

2005-05-21T15:15:00.000-07:00

Here are 7 reasons why 20/20's recent broadcast, titled, "Resurrection," may be an indication of how the tide is turning with the mainstream press' primetime coverage of Christianity.

It was responsive to evangelical interests, their beliefs, and earnest desire to see their views respected and truthfully reported (See Vargas interview, question 1)
It encouraged journalistic questioning motivated by curiousity for the truth but devoid of cynicism and irrational skepticism.
It publically excluded the sophisticated skeptic or cynic by not entertaining their objections. Objections raised to the resurrection were limited to "believers" in one form or another (either those believing in the "spiritual" or "physical" resurrection - that something significant happened was without dispute).
It seemed to accept the truthfulness (and therefore historicity) of the gospel accounts, since the general storyline was followed and lead the plot discussion.
It respectively (if not impressively) featured evangelical scholars that offered evidence-based reasons for belief in the physical and therefore historical resurrection of Jesus.
It allowed evangelical scholars to point out the naturalistic assumptions of unbelievers.
It closed with the global, ecumenical, worshipping and believing community of faith, rather than the lone, isolated, and often condescending "final word" of the broadcast host

I’m very proud of the evangelicals who we have represented in this special. They were absolutely wonderful and brought the story to life.

- Elizabeth Vargas

A subsequent Christianity Today editorial considered the implication of this shift, concluding the following:

First, we can thank God. Jesus Christ's unique message and values will gain a larger and more respectful hearing.

Second, as noted, we really can't play the persecution card anymore. As "players," we will be criticized sharply still, but that's just part of life in America.

Third, let's remember that how we got here is how we will stay here: Careful scholarship. Measured proclamations. Majoring on the majors. Grassroots organizing. Patience. Prayer.

Now that we're prime-time, we don't want to start acting like American idols.

~VC~

RELIGION - Ratzinger Resources (sites)

2005-04-27T10:38:00.000-07:00

The "Cardinal Ratzinger Fan Club" has a brilliant and impressive list of online resources pertaining to Ratzinger's core writings.

~VC~

RELIGION - BIOLA on NBC

2005-04-27T09:59:00.000-07:00

[From Biola]: Dr. Clint Arnold, Chair of the New Testament Department at Talbot School of Theology, was interviewed on April 25th by NBC's Dateline, John Larson, for a story regarding modern day perceptions and expressions of evil. The story will air this Wednesday evening, April 27 at 8:00 p.m. on NBC. Check your local listings for NBC programs and times.

~VC~

RELIGION - Who is Pope Benedict XVI

2005-04-22T10:57:00.000-07:00

Who is Pope Benedict XVI?

Read those who know him -

Light in a New Dark Age: Pope Benedict XVI -- The Man and the Mission, by George Weigel. Wall Street Journal April 21, 2005:
As with the program, so with the man: He is a Benedict in the depths of his interior life and in his intellectual accomplishment. Benedict XVI has an encyclopedic knowledge of two millennia of theology, and indeed of the cultural history of the West. He is more the shy, monastic scholar than the ebullient public personality of his predecessor; yet he has shown an impressive capacity for a different type of public "presence" in his brilliantly simple homily at John Paul II's funeral and in his first appearance as pope. He has known hardship: He knows the modern temptations of totalitarianism (paganism wedded to technology) from inside the Third Reich; he has been betrayed by former students (like the splenetic Brazilian liberation theologian Leonardo Boff) and former colleagues (like Hans Kung, a man of far less scholarly accomplishment and infinitely less charity). His critics say he is dour and pessimistic. Yet I take it as an iron law of human personality that a man is known by his musical preferences; and Benedict XVI is a Mozart man, who knows that Mozart is what the angels play when they perform for the sheer joy of it. Indeed, and notwithstanding the cartoon Joseph Ratzinger, the new pope is a man of Christian happiness who has long asked why, in the aftermath of the Second Vatican Council, summoned to be a "new Pentecost" for the Catholic Church, so much of the joy has gone out of Catholicism. Over some 17 years of conversation with him, I have come to know him as a man who likes to laugh, and who can laugh because he is convinced that the human drama is, in the final analysis, a divine comedy.
Annuntio Vobis Gaudium Magnum - the author of the blog Mystery Achievement registers his impressions of the Holy Father:
He is a man of sincere and profound Christian holiness who both demands it from himself, and will demand it from us, the Catholic faithful. The interview footage in which he acknowledged the sins of Catholics, and the "mea culpas" of the past Good Friday's Stations of the Cross drove this home to me. And in the section of his pre-election homily to the College of Cardinals where he both contrasted doctrinal steadfastness with relativism, and enumerated some of the bitter fruits of the latter, he subtly but clearly said, in effect, that doctrinal faithfulness and holiness are of a piece.
Rome's Radical Conservative, by Michael Novak. New York Times April 20, 2005:
One of Cardinal Ratzinger's central, and most misunderstood, notions is his conception of liberty, and he is very jealous in thinking deeply about it, pointing often to Tocqueville. He is a strong foe of socialism, statism and authoritarianism, but he also worries that democracy, despite its great promise, is exceedingly vulnerable to the tyranny of the majority, to "the new soft despotism" of the all-mothering state, and to the common belief that liberty means doing whatever you please. Following Lord Acton and James Madison, Cardinal Ratzinger has written of the need of humans to practice self-government over their passions in private life.
He also fears that Europe, especially, is abandoning the search for objective truth and sliding into pure subjectivism. That is how the Nazis arose, he believes, and the Leninists. When all opinions are considered subjective, no moral ground remains for protesting against lies and injustices.
The Acton Institute's Robert Sirico on the True Liberalism of Benedict XVI:
We have already heard a thousand times or more that the new Pope is a conservative. As counterintuitive as this may sound, I believe that insofar as the new papacy has implications for economics and politics, it is in the direction of a humane and unifying liberalism. I speak not of liberalism as we know it now, which is bound up with state management and democratic relativism, but liberalism of an older variety that placed it hopes in society, faith, and freedom.

Also from the Acton Institute: Alejandro Chaufen on Benedict XVI and Freedom":

"Given Ratzinger’s sharp focus on doctrine, many have seen only one side of this man: the protector of the faith, the leader of a new “inquisition.” Few have focused on his rich analyses of freedom. . . ."
The Real Ratzinger: The Lover of Lovers, by Anthony & Marta Valle. Inside the Vatican:
" To the world he is many things; to us he is th priest who celebrated our wedding Mass in St. Peter’ Basilica on June 24, 2004, a short 10 months before h became Pope Benedict XVI . . ."
Not a transitional pope: Benedict may surprise, by John Allen, Jr. National Catholic Reporter April 29, 2005.
In German town, Benedict XVI known for love of cats, conversation by Matthew Schofield, Knight Ridder Newspapers. April 21, 2005. A great profile of the Pope with comments from his brother, George. As a fellow cat-lover, I am heartily pleased to learn of our new Pope's preferences for feline companions:

"I went with him once," said Konrad Baumgartner, the head of the theology department at Regensburg University. "Afterwards, he went into the old cemetery behind the church.
"It was full of cats, and when he went out, they all ran to him. They knew him and loved him. He stood there, petting some and talking to them, for quite a long time. He visited the cats whenever he visited the church. His love for cats is quite famous."
Oswald Sobrino on The Importance of the name Benedict in light of his conversations with Peter Seewald in God and the World.
'A Beautiful Personality': The Pontificate of Benedict XVI Begins Interview with Father Augustine Di Noia. National Catholic Register May 1-8, 2005:
He has a beautiful personality and when that begins to shine through and becomes evident, people will love him. One hundred percent of the staff in the office — including the ushers — are absolutely ecstatic. He is a kind, extremely humble and extraordinary human being. He’s also a fun man with a good sense of humor — we’ll miss him. He’s the whole package — he’s holy and knows how the Church works and how to run the Church.
And on a similar note: ‘People Will Love Him', Newsweek interviews Fr. Di Noia. April 19, 2005.
The Real Benedict XVI: Reports Reveal Warmth and Openness. Zenit.org. April 23, 2005:

When he first came to Rome in 1981 to take up his post as prefect of the congregation he did not even take possession of the apartment that would normally be his by right, as it was occupied by an elderly cardinal, whom he did not wish to disturb. The apartment in which Cardinal Ratzinger has remained in all these years in Rome, is not one as large or well-appointed as would normally correspond to his post, and is adorned with secondhand furniture. It is also located on the other side of St. Peter's Square from his office, instead of being in the same building. . . .
In the afternoons the future Pope would often go out for a walk along the streets near his apartment and would stop to greet the shopkeepers along the Borgo Pio. Mario, a fruit-seller, recalled how once the cardinal asked him which apples to buy to best prepare a strudel. And electrician Angelo Mosca spoke of the time he had gone to the cardinal’s apartment to fix a problem, and how he had remained in a relaxed conversation with him for an hour, "just as if we were old friends."

~VC~

RELIGION - Succession of John Paul II

2005-04-03T11:48:00.000-07:00

For those of us who are not Catholics, here is some helpful links concerning papal succession and the process that is accomplished:

The editor of America, Rev. Thomas J. Reese, S.J., has written a comprehensive, link-filled guide to the papal succession process.

The Teaching Company is making available two free lectures on papal succession, given by Professor Thomas F. X. Noble, the Robert M. Conway Director of the Medieval Institute and Professor of History at the University of Notre Dame.

~VC~

POLICY - Conflict of Interest in Schiavo Case?

2005-04-01T09:16:00.000-08:00

Judi McLeod, founding editor for the Canadian Free Press, has uncovered some interesting "conflicts of interest" in the Schiavo case.

~VC~

POLICY - Crichton on "Religion of Environmentalism"

2005-03-01T09:27:00.000-08:00

In a 2003 Commonwealth Club speech, noted fiction author, Michael Crichton, spoke about the "religion of environmentalism" versus the "science of environmentalism." Here is his last paragraph:

Because in the end, science offers us the only way out of politics. And if we allow science to become politicized, then we are lost. We will enter the Internet version of the dark ages, an era of shifting fears and wild prejudices, transmitted to people who don't know any better. That's not a good future for the human race. That's our past. So it's time to abandon the religion of environmentalism, and return to the science of environmentalism, and base our public policy decisions firmly on that.

~VC~

RELIGION - Great teaching on the gifts from Vineyard

2005-02-01T09:38:00.000-08:00

Gary Best, one of the pastors at North Langley Vineyard, B.C, has done a supurb series on the use of spiritual gifts in a communal context. The series is titled, "Ministry Training Sessions: Doing the Works of the Kingdom."

~VC~

POLICY - Democracy in the Middle East

2005-01-31T09:45:00.000-08:00

The American Enterprise Online has a supurb theme issue, titled, "Democracy Breaks out in the Middle East."

Favorite quote on the subject:

It's strange for me to say it, but this process of change has started because of the American invasion of Iraq. I was cynical about Iraq. But when I saw the Iraqi people voting, 8 million of them, it was the start of a new Arab world. The Syrian people, the Egyptian people, all say that something is changing. The Berlin Wall has fallen. We can see it.

-Lebanese politician Walid Jumblatt, in the Washington Post

A book that must be read on the subject:

Michael Novak (the premier Catholic philosopher), Universal Hunger for Freedom. Read Novak's piece in National Review, titled, "Global Liberty: Toward a Foreign Policy for Democratic Nations."

~VC~

Bloggers on the Iraqi Election

2005-01-30T14:52:00.000-08:00

The Wall Street Journal had a helpful round-up of what some of the more prominent bloggers in Iraq are reporting.

War With Iraq

Bloggers Share the View
From Election Day in Iraq

By VAUHINI VARA
THE WALL STREET JOURNAL ONLINE

Bloggers have been buzzing about Iraq's first free election in half a century. These Web logs – whose authors run the gamut from professional journalists to ordinary Iraqis looking to share their observations – have been chronicling the situation in Iraq since the fall of Saddam Hussein. Here is a sampling of what's being written by those inside the country. Note that many bloggers don't reveal their real names, we have not verified their reports.

* * *

"Ali" of Free Iraqi reported that he woke up by 6:30 a.m. local time to vote -- "I do this once every century." He recalled: "The voting center that was chosen in our district is a high school in the middle of the neighborhood. This was the same place I went in 1996 to cast my vote in a poll asking if we wanted to have Saddam as a president for life or not. I had to go at that time. The threats for anyone who refused to take that poll were no less than the death penalty." Later, he added: "This time we went by choice and the threat was exactly the opposite."

* * *

At Cigars in the Sand, an American working in Baghdad reported driving three bus loads of Iraqis to polling centers. "Every bus load has sang and danced the entire drive home," he wrote. He posted a picture of a polling center -- "WELLCOME" was painted in English on the wall (he notes it's the thought, not the spelling, that counts) -- and said the men waiting in line seemed unfazed by the "multiple" explosions that could be heard in the distance. The blog has several interesting photographs from election day, including some from inside polling places. The site's author said he planned to spend tonight dodging celebratory gunshots. "After that," he wrote, "it's back to the hard task of capturing the momentum and translating it into real political access and choice. That will be long and difficult – undoubtedly plagued by further violence and setbacks. Today is a new beginning, not an end."

* * *

Husayn Uthman changed the name of his blog from "Democracy in Iraq" to "Democracy in Iraq (Is Here!)." The 26-year-old Iraqi described his turn at the polls. "My voting was only a simple act. I went, I identified myself, got my finger stained, filled out a ballot and dropped it in a box," he writes. "It is not a complex or grand process to the eye, but it is one that I will forever remember and will recount to my children, and their children." On a blog called The Mesopotamian, the author wrote, "This is a very hurried message, while we are witnessing something quite extraordinary. I myself have voted and so did members of my family. Thank God for giving us the chance."

Several bloggers gave thanks to the U.S. government. Among them, a writer identified only as "Hammorabi," who operates a blog under the same name: "Our thanks go to George W. Bush who will enter the history as the leader of the freedom and democracy in the recent history! He and his people are our friends for ever!" Others said it was too soon to celebrate. "The current early and premature Iraqi election is being marketed as THE event, THE peak, THE happening! As if everything will be over after the day of elections! Just like in some stupid love movies where the curtain falls after the two lovers get married," wrote "Raed" of Raed in the Middle. "What matters is not the election, what matters is what will happen next."

* * *

Several bloggers described the blue ink that stained the fingers of those who had voted -- a measure to prevent people from voting more than once. From I Should Have Stayed Home, written by two Americans in Iraq: "The permanent ink that so many people were afraid of is being worn as a mark of pride by every single person I have seen in the streets. They hold up their fingers to show that they voted." According to Iraq the Model, one of the more popular Iraqi blogs: "Everyone we saw was holding up his blue tipped finger with broad smiles on the faces while walking out of the [polling] center."

* * *

Freelance journalist Christopher Allbritton updated his blog several times during the day. Early on, he described the strict rules that were being enforced in the name of security. "No driving, dusk to dawn curfews, states of emergency," he wrote. "If that's what it takes to provide security in Iraq, why erase one police state only to replace it with another?" Later, he wrote that those he saw at polling centers "looked happier than I've seen them in months" By the end of the day, he deemed the election a success. "Everyone out on the streets is happy, even the Iraqi security forces who will laugh and joke with journalists -- the first time they've done it in months," he wrote.

* * *

On A Star From Mosul, a 16-year-old Iraqi girl wrote about feeling guilty for not voting -- and jealous of her grandmother, aunt and uncle, who were old enough to cast their votes. "Don't be angry at me," she wrote. "I have nothing to do with me not voting." Her uncle writes a blog called Life in Baghdad, and is fond of verbose postings. On Thursday, he wrote a lengthy discourse explaining that he was conflicted on whether or not to vote. Many in his family had urged him not to, fearing for his safety. But he feared that if he didn't vote, the guilt would be overwhelming. Today, he revealed his decision in a two-word entry: "I did."

Write to Vauhini Vara at vauhini.vara@wsj.com

~VC~

DRAFT: The GREAT CLARIFIER

2005-01-21T11:30:00.000-08:00

If Ronald Reagan was heralded as "The Great Communicator," then George W. Bush is to be donned "The Great Clarifier." Talk radio host, Michael Medved, has made this point numerous times on his show, and writes about it in his recently released (must read!) book, Right Turns.

It is time to see George W. as a moral philosopher who is a disciple of the greatest philosopher and moral-exemplar to live ... Jesus of Nazareth.

Shortly after his first term began, I started to take note (and make some rather copious notes) about the way in which Bush is constantly clarifying, ennumerating, and 'slicing-up-reality' with carefully crafted distinctions, definitions, and examples. This skill, it struck me, flies directly in the face of the conventional media pundetry that W. is 'not nuanced' (read: only uses plain-spoken language), or 'does not appreciate the complexities of life' (read: having certainty in your beliefs and convictions is against enlightenment). In short, Bush can only surround himself with the brightest of the bright because he alone does not have the intellectual prowess to think, judge, and clarify his own beliefs.

But a nuanced, careful, and enlightened reading of George W. Bush's speeches reveals a man who is intimately attuned to the truthfulness of his own intellectual life, and seeks to instruct his nation and the world about the clarity of his own beliefs and how they can be a force for good in the lives of countless millions.

Clarity-language can be identified by any of the following tools: the use of contrasting clauses (this, not that), the use of disjunctions (e.g., 'but'), similes and metaphors (as, like), the use of precise (but not necessarily technical) words and descriptons. I would argue that Bush draws heavily from the clarity toolbox and this usage is a clear indication of the man's beliefs, thoughts, and intellectual life. But I would further my claim by asserting that Bush's 'life of the mind' exemplification is deeply related to (perhaps, even inspired by) his flourishing as a follower of Jesus, who is his Messiah.

~VC~

DRAFT: The New World Order of Foreign Policy

2005-01-21T10:21:00.000-08:00

While listening to President Bush's inaugural speech, I was struck by the following question:

Is the conventional categorical distinction between "interventionism" and "isolationism" helpful to today's foreign policy discussion?

I raise this question because it seems that this distinction is more a product of a previous age, an age marked by Cold War realities, originating, perhaps, after the failure of Wilsonian policy. A related question: why did Wilson's foreign policy fail?

Post-911, we do seem to live in a new world order of unique and differing relations. For one thing, terrorism obviously came to our shores, the world of Islamic-Fascist ideas crashed into our geographic boundaries and geopolitical ideals.

The old isolationist argument was that America minds it's own business, is responsible for its own affairs around the world, but does not intervene, perhaps doesn't care, what other nation's (free or oppressed) do with their sovereignty. The hubriously, overstated term, 'national-building,' is one among many vocabulary products of this highly-marketed perspective. Indeed, isolationists like to charge interventionists with 'national-building.' Sometimes, interventionists are justified in being called 'national-builders.' For Wilsonian foreign policy (indeed, the whole notion of a "League of Nations" or the "United Nations") presumes upon some sort of national-building orientation. The old interventionist argument placed heavy moral capital on America's "interest in the world," and therefore advanced an active policy of interventionist involvement in the affairs of the world. Stereotypically, isolationism is a more passive attitude to the affairs of the world, while interventionism is an active faith.

Presently, isolationism tends to attract everyone from Leftist Anti-War congregations, to Pat Buchanan 'conservatives.' Whereas, interventionism attracts everyone from 'New Deal' Democrats to Neo-conservatives.

But I believe Bush's foreign policy is neither Wilsonian nor Neo-conservative. Rather, it is the synergy of (1) the genuine belief in the power and efficaciousness of liberty over tyrrany and (2) the belief that it is within America's national interest to encourage (perhaps, even 'export' - whatever that means) the ideals of human liberty and civic order around the world. For this reason, Bush's policy has a overall missiological orientation.

~VC~

Is '24' Propagating Hate?

2005-01-19T13:32:00.000-08:00

The Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR) thinks the Fox TV hit drama, '24,' is propagating hate. Read it here.

What do I think?

Well, I just purchased DVDs from Season 2 and 3.

Allah be praised!

Seriously though (if this can be taken seriously), the gist of CAIR's complaint surrounds the shows portrayal of an "average neighborhood family" that is clearly Middle Eastern but it turns out, though, that this family (the Araz Family: Navi, Dina, and son, Behrooz) is co-conspiring with other Middle Eastern terrorists to prosecute and eventually murder America's Secretary of Defense. As you can see, CAIR is concerned that this is sending the wrong impression of Arab-Americans.

But what CAIR fails to acknowledge is the enormous job opportunity that this has brought to Arab-American actors. For example, Navi, the father, is played by Nestor Serrano, who appeared in such films as the recent "Day after Tomorrow," "Runaway Jury," or "Lethal Weapon 2." Moreover, Dina, the mother, is played by Shohreh Aghdashloo, who is the first Iranian and Middle Eastern woman to be nominated for an Academy Award. Should Arab-American actors be prohibited from appearing in films (let alone, appearing in character) that portray Arabs as terrorists?

If not Middle Easterners, then who? Chinese? African-Americans? Jews? White Supremicists? Germans? The point: this characterization could be given to other demographics. But it is not, because the above list would not fit the storyline as well.

In short, this political correctness simply assaults a good storyline, elaborated by excellent Arab and non-Arab actors.

~VC~

POLICY - International Law and the Supremes (audio)

2005-01-14T09:44:00.000-08:00

A revealing exchange between the honorable Supreme Court Justices Antonin Scalia and Stephen Breyer discuss "Whether Foreign Court Decisions Should Impact American Constitution Law." The event is co-sponsored by American University Washington College of Law and the U.S. Association of Constitutional Law. The moderator is Professor Norman Dorsen of the NYU School of Law, the founding president of the U.S. Association of Constitutional Law.

~VC~

POLICY - Brian Williams on Rush

2004-12-31T13:00:00.000-08:00

An informative and interesting interview by C-SPAN's Brian Lamb with the new NBC host, Brian Williams .... Dear God, he's a bit of a 'ditto-head'!

TRANSCRIPT:

LAMB: I mean, how do you – so much the conservative media criticize anchors living in New York City and in Connecticut for being isolated and never paying attention to their thought. How do you – do you ever listen to the Limbaugh show or any of that stuff?

WILLIAMS: Oh, often, often, and I’m one of the few in a very select group that Rush has allowed on when I’ve called in from the car. I do listen to Rush. I listen to it from a radio in my office or depending on my day, if I’m in the car, I will listen to Rush and he will tell you I’ve been listening for years. I think it’s my duty to listen to Rush. I think Rush has actually yet to get the credit he is due because his audience for so many years felt they were in the wilderness of this country. No one was talking to them. They would look at mainstream media and they’d hear sentences like the following: Conservative firebrand Newt Gingrich today accused Massachusetts Senator Ted Kennedy….

Well, what’s wrong with that sentence? My friend Brit Hume – we covered the White House together, always would call reporters on this. Where’s the appellation for Ted Kennedy in that sentence, you remembers of the perhaps unintentionally liberal media? Why aren’t you calling Kennedy something if you’re going to label Newt Gingrich a conservative firebrand? That’s what Rush did. Rush said to millions of Americans, you have a home. Come with me. For three hours a day you can listen and hear the like minded calling in from across the country and I’ll read to you things perhaps you didn’t see that are out there. I think Rush gave birth to the FOX news channel. I think Rush helped to give birth to a movement. I think he played his part in the contract with America. So I hope he gets his due as a broadcaster.

That is an answer that is meant to be absent ideology. But if you’re anchoring a blue state broadcast that is headquartered in a blue state, it’s incumbent on you to know as much as you can. I like to feel I grew up in a red spot in a blue state. Elmira, New York, the Elmira of my youth, was classic small town America. My wife and I vacation in Yellowstone National Park every year out in the west. I feel I know that area intimately. I go down to the house where I was born, where my sister now lives in New Jersey. I visit my old fire house.

I feel I have a good, almost again to use the word tactile feel for America. Because of my roots and certainly nothing fancy, an education that was just middle of the road, I had to start out at a community college locally because that’s all my guidance counselor in high school thought I’d be up for. I feel I have a pretty good idea of what the message was in this last election and what real Americans eat, sleep, breathe, what they do, what they are and what they’re passionate about. And to make sure we know, we’re going to take this broadcast on the air, on the road rather. We’re going to get out. It’s one thing to guess about what’s important in Ohio and Las Vegas and Alamagordo (ph). It’s another thing to go there, put a microphone in front of someone and say, tell us about your life. How do you see the country right now?

Read the entire transcript here, and the video can be watched here.

~VC~

RELIGION - Anthony Flew Exclusive - (article)

2004-12-09T16:03:00.000-08:00

The news leaked this afternoon from ABC and the AP that the legendary British Atheist, Anthony Flew, has become a theist.

Tis true!

What you may not know is that Philosophia Christi, which is the journal of the Evangelical Philosophical Society, has THE DEFINITIVE and EXCLUSIVE interview with Flew. The interviewer is Dr. Gary Habermas, a prolific philosopher and historian from Liberty University who has debated Flew several times. They have maintained a friendship despite their years of disagreement on the existence of God.

You can read the interview here.

Excerpts -

GARY HABERMAS: You very kindly noted that our debates and discussions had influenced your move in the direction of theism. You mentioned that this initial influence contributed in part to your comment that naturalistic efforts have never succeeded . . . Which arguments for God's existence did you find most persuasive?

ANTONY FLEW: I think that the most impressive arguments for God's existence are those that are supported by recent scientific discoveries. . . . I think the argument to Intelligent Design is enormously stronger than it was when I first met it.

Garry DeWeese, Professor of Philosophy at Biola University, had the following comments in a personal email:

While not a Christian by any means, Prof. Flew's 'conversion' from atheism to theism is significant, and points to the intellectual power of contemporary Christian philosophy and apologetics. If Flew is humble enough to renounce atheism at age 81, perhaps there is hope! We can al pray for God the Father to draw him into a relationship with Jesus Christ as his savior.

The 'blogosphere' has some interaction; from Blogpulse, Technorati, and Feedster.

To subscribe to the cutting-edge philosophy journal, Philosophia Christi, just go to: www.biola.edu/philchristi

~VC~

POLICY - When War is the Answer - (article)

2004-12-06T14:00:00.000-08:00

From James V. Schall, S.J., professor of government at Georgetown University, comes the thoughtful and provacative article, titled, "When War Must be the Answer."

A calm and reasonable case can and should be made for the possession and effective use of force in today’s world. It is irresponsible not to plan for the necessity of force in the face of real turmoils and enemies actually present in the world. No talk of peace, justice, truth, or virtue is complete without a clear understanding that certain individuals, movements, and nations must be met with measured force, however much we might prefer to deal with them peacefully or pleasantly. Without force, many will not talk seriously at all, and some not even then. Human, moral, and economic problems are greater today for the lack of adequate military force or, more often, for the failure to use it when necessary.

~VC~

POLICY - Arkes on Marriage and Natural Law (audio)

2004-11-22T13:33:00.000-08:00

Hadley Arkes, an Ethics & Public Policy Center (EPPC) Senior Fellow, and the Edward Ney Professor American Institutions at Amherst College, gave a lecture titled, "The Question of Marriage."

The lecture was part of the EPPC's series, titled, "American Culture and Democracy"

In this lecture, Professor Hadley Arkes explained how the most serious challenge in principle to the traditional laws governing marriage in fact reveals the deeper flaws in the argument for same-sex marriage.

The lecture can be downloaded as two mp3 files: (1) and (2)

- VC -

POLICY - So there really is a Saudi Conspiracy - (article)

2004-11-22T11:55:00.000-08:00

With the opening of the Pres. Clinton Library and Musuem, all conspirators of good and evil will have justification to fear that there really is a Saudi financial influence at the highest level of power in this country.

But the usual media culprit is not Bush. It's Bubba.

Okay, so the Lebanese and Kuwaitiese also contributed too. But the Saudi connection is still the headline.

A Washington Post editorial on Thursday decried the lack of disclosure of the Clinton Library's funders, calling it "outrageous." Said the editorial,"the presidential libraries, though built and endowed with private funds, are public property, run by the National Archives. The public has a right to know who's underwriting them."

~VC~

RELIGION - A Mormon Revolution? -

2004-11-17T10:17:00.000-08:00

There are some monumental, historical events taking place these days with evangelicals and members of the LDS church. I am privilaged to know of of them, and here is his email on what recently happened in Salt Lake City, Utah:

I believe there was a spiritual earthquake on Sunday evening (November 14, 2004) in the LDS Temple Square and we will be feeling the aftershocks for many months if not years.

There were 7,000 tickets distributed for this event and every seat was filled. Many who came hoping to get into the Tabernacle or the overflow center were disappointed to have to be turned away. The event was covered by all of the print, radio, and television media in Salt Lake City and beyond.

Although the LDS prophet/president was not in attendance (at 94 he is not able to attend many events), there was top level LDS leadership in the hall as well as the senior religion faculty from Brigham Young University. Mormons and Evangelicals from all over Utah packed the venue. Some that I spoke to even flew in from other parts of the country for this historic event.

The speakers for the evening were, in order:

Greg Johnson, Director of Standing Together Ministries in Utah (Greg is the amazing Utah pastor and former Mormon whose winsome relationship building efforts made this event possible

Joseph Tkach, Jr., Pastor General of the World Wide Church of God (now an Evangelical body).

Robert L. Millet, Prolific LDS author and Senior Professor in the Religion Dept at BYU

Richard Mouw, President of Fuller Seminary

Ravi Zacharias, Christian Philosopher and Global Evangelist

Craig Hazen, Professor of Christian Apologetics, Biola University

Michael Card, the Christian singer who performed five songs in the course of the evening.

After some introductory remarks from both the Mormon and Evangelical sides of the aisle, Michael Card led us all in some amazing worship songs. It was surreal to see Evangelicals worshiping in Spirit and Truth at the center of Mormon power and influence. It was a tremendous reminder that the Triune God of Scripture will ultimately triumph and that one day every knee will bow and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord.

Ravi Zacharias gave a dazzling message focusing on the person and work of Christ. I think it was the most effective thing he could have done. In my view the rank-and-file Mormons would not have found anything controversial in it. However, those LDS who had a more finely-tuned sense of theology (very rare among Mormons, even in their leadership) would have recognized
some pointed challenges on sin, salvation, the nature of God, and the state of the human heart. Almost everyone in the audience clapped even when Ravi mentioned the Trinity--except for the BYU professors who knew it was not in concert with LDS teaching and sat more stoically at that point.

Nevertheless, Ravi received a long standing ovation from every person in attendance when he concluded.

I was the final speaker and took the opportunity to challenge the Mormon leaders to make this an annual event. I actually got a huge laugh when I turned to them on the platform and asked "Don't you all have a bigger place right across the street for next year?" (I was referring to their 21,000 seat Conference Center.) The newspapers picked up on that and mentioned this humorous challenge. The word on the street in Salt Lake City is that the wheels might already be turning for such a follow-up event.

I have little doubt that this will be an event featured prominently in history books 100 years from now.

It would take me hours to type out the fuller picture of what took place. It was truly extraordinary. I am so grateful for your prayer partnership in this effort. And I am so thankful to our faithful God and King who listens to our prayers and who longs for all to come to a saving knowledge of His Son.

~VC~

RELIGION - Compendium of Social Teaching (articles)

2004-11-04T10:48:00.000-08:00

The Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, the Vatican department that studies Catholic social teaching, last week released its Compendium of the Social Doctrine of the Church. [Extracts can be read here, and here]. You can read the official Pontifical press release here.

Sam Greg, Director of Research at the Acton Institute, offers some helpful summary of the Compendium's contribution to the notions of vocation and business:

Following developments in magisterial teaching pioneered by John Paul II’s social encyclicals, the Compendium describes economic activity “as a grateful response to the vocation which God holds out for each person” (#326). This should help dispel the notion that “real” vocations are only found in politics, law, education, or the church.

The Compendium, of course, stresses that economic life does not escape the demands of Christian morality. This point is, however, framed in an overwhelmingly positive way, in the sense that creative economic activity is viewed as potentially contributing, by its very nature, to human flourishing.

In this context, the Compendium stresses, “The Church’s social doctrine considers the freedom of the person in economic matters a fundamental value and an inalienable right to be promoted and defended” (#336). This builds upon similar statements found in Pope Pius XII’s teachings, as well as more recent statements in John Paul II’s Centesimus Annus (1991) and Sollicitudo Rei Socialis (1988).

But the Compendium adds that not only should this teaching remind us of “the negative consequences that would arise from weakening or denying the right of economic initiative,” but that “free and responsible initiative in the economic sphere can also be defined as an act that reveals the humanity of men and women as creative and relational subjects. Such initiative, then, should be given ample leeway. The State has the moral obligation to enforce strict limitations only in cases of incompatibility between the pursuit of common good and the type of economic activity proposed or the way it is undertaken” (#336).

Here, two points are made about economic initiative. The first is a moral point: that acts of entrepreneurship reveal something distinctly human about us as persons�”that we are, by nature, creative beings, whose creativity is directed not just to ourselves, but to others. The second point is that this has political implications. Anarchism is clearly incompatible with the Christian Gospel and the natural law. The moral significance of free economic creativity, however, places clear limits on state economic intervention. This is not an argument about the relative efficiency of market versus planned economies (a dispute resolved decades ago in favor of markets), but rather about how certain moral facts about the person translate into concrete political positions.

It is also refreshing to see the Compendium apply these themes directly to business owners and managers. “Economic initiative,” it states, “is an expression of human intelligence and of the necessity of responding to human needs in a creative and cooperative fashion” (#343). On this basis, the Compendium describes entrepreneurship as not just an individual virtue, but also as a “social virtue” (#343), precisely because it involves “seeking together of the most appropriate solutions for responding in the best way to needs as they emerge” (#343). Indeed, the Compendium notes that “The roles of business owners and management have a central importance from the viewpoint of society, because they are at the heart of that network of technical, commercial, financial and cultural bonds that characterizes the modern business reality” (#344).

Business people are thus not an optional-extra in a free and virtuous society. They are in fact essential.

All of these statements about business should be put into the context of everything else that the Compendium says. It underlines, for instance, many of the responsibilities of business people (#344-345), though in a far more coherent way than the political correctness that passes as “business ethics” in most universities today.

Still, any fair reading of the Compendium will suggest that a proper attention and a positive evaluation of business has been firmly cemented into Catholic social teaching. For that, the whole Christian church should give thanks.

~VC~

Why Faith Matters In Political Choice

2004-10-29T13:04:00.000-07:00

Some wise words from Reverand Robert Sirico, President of the Acton Institute, which appeared in a recent newsletter:

Our motivation in beginning the work of the Acton Institute almost 15 years ago was to make a concerted, intelligent and faithful effort to promote and secure what we have repeatedly called 'the free and virtuous society.' It is my conviction that both these elements are necessary if we want society to be worthy of human dignity.

The element of freedom is critical because the human person is created with a destiny beyond this world, which requires his liberty to seek and pursue. It seems to me to follow logically then that interventions of a political nature must be limited, not merely for reasons of efficiency - that things would work better - but also, and more importantly, for reasons of morality. Man must be free to pursue his destiny because that is what he was created for. Religious freedom, as well as the freedom of enterprise, logically flow from this idea. We call for the minimization of taxes, regulations and other forms of control, at the same time as we call for the freedom of expression and assembly and the like, even when, at times, we do not agree with those expressions.

This is where virtue comes in.

It is not enough for people to be free; the more profound question is: What ought I do with my freedom? In many ways, religion, faith, commitment to God and lives of integrity and virtue, help in the construction of a society that promotes generosity, moral accountability, stability and peace. For these reasons, it is astounding to me that in the course of the political discussion over the past few months, and especially in the last few days, numerous intellectuals, editorial writers and journalists insist on identifying the integration of faith, character, values and morality with theocracy. There appears to be a literal panic in some quarters that if religion influences the social and political decisions that Americans make in the coming days, the values of tolerance and pluralism (rightly understood), will disappear.

I believe the opposite is the case and that in order to protect so free and prosperous a society, a clear moral vision and commitment is an essential part of the political debate. In a land where liberty is prized, only the intolerant would forbid the expression of this clear moral vision.

I know enough about politics (though I am not a member of any political party) to know that you cannot bring the kingdom of God to earth by means of it; and as valuable as democracy is as a process, a majority vote cannot determine the truth of a thing.

So my rule of thumb in evaluating platforms, policies and candidates is: Will this promote liberty (which is the highest political end of man)? And will it protect human life, especially when vulnerable? This leaves lots of room for prudence, of course, and Lord knows, plenty of room for debate.

I write to you now with these reflections in the hope that they will encourage those of you eligible to vote in the U.S. elections to do so prayerfully and intelligently, and to vote the values of your moral convictions without fear. And I encourage you to encourage others to do likewise. I am aware that many of our subscribers are priests and ministers, and I would encourage you, likewise, to pose these considerations to your congregations on Sunday morning.

One of the greatest models of how to live the tension of being in the world yet not of it, was Thomas More, the great English statesman. In his life, writings and martyrdom we see a man who witnessed to the "inalienable dignity of man's conscience" while remaining faithful to legitimate authority and political institutions. It was he who said that "man cannot be separated from God, nor can the affairs of state be separated from morality."

Please vote on Tuesday.
Rev. Robert Sirico, President & Co-founder

~VC~

POLICY - Middle-Class Squeeze - (article)

2004-09-20T10:40:00.000-07:00

The filthy rich are getting even more filthy and rich and the poor are getting poorer, so claims a common Democrat mantra: cf. Senator's Edwards' 'Two Americas.'

A recent Washington Post article attempted to make a similar point, emphasizing that there is a 'Middle-Class Squeeze' or that the Middle-Class is disappearing and being obsolved by big business tycoons - such imagery looks so 19th centuryish!

But economist Arnold King argues contrary to the Washington Post article:

The article emphasizes that the middle has shrunk, from 22.3 percent of households to 15.0 percent. What it does not point out is that the two categories below the middle also have shrunk, from 52.8 percent of households to 40.9 percent. Adjusting for inflation, the percentage of households with incomes over $50,000 has climbed from 24.9 percent in 1967 to 44.1 percent in 2003.

Heritage Foundation's Robert Rector offers a thoughtful and well-researched analysis of poverty and economic inequality in the U.S.

~VC~

POLICY - Size and Efficiency of Government - (articles)

2004-09-20T10:26:00.000-07:00

Is there a correlative relationship between the size of a government and the efficiency of that government?

In a 1999 study The Quality of Government by La Porta, Lopez-de-Silanes, Shleifer, and Vishny argued that, larger governments tend be better performing ones. However, new work by USC economist Peter Gordon and Lanlan Wang in Econ Journal Watch challenges that conclusion.

The Gordon and Wang study also found empirical data to reason economic freedom and economic growth go hand-in-hand.

~VC~

POLICY - Comparative Healthcare Analysis - (paper)

2004-09-20T10:16:00.000-07:00

The American Enterprise Institute provides a study that "presents an independent cost estimate and impact analysis of the major policies offered by the candidates to expand access to health insurance."

Summary:

"The health plans offered by Senator John Kerry and President George W. Bush adopt different strategies to help the uninsured gain health coverage. Senator Kerry would expand government health programs and subsidize employers to provide insurance to their employees, with lesser subsidies directly to individuals. He would make a major commitment of taxpayer funds to underwrite his program. President Bush would extend new tax credits to individuals, and he would promote the purchase of high-deductible insurance. His proposals represent a smaller expansion of federal spending."

~VC~

POLICY - Where are the Higher Wage Jobs? - (paper)

2004-09-15T13:18:00.000-07:00

First, the Dems heralded a 'jobless recovery' and now the mantra appears to be that while the economy may in fact be recovering (which it actually is) and job creation is in place, the jobs that are being created are just low-wage service-sector jobs.

But the National Center for Policy Analysis notes that employment is in fact growing in higher wage jobs.

What can the Dems say now? Well they could continue to play the class-envy card: "as long as there are low-wage paying jobs, labor injustice persists."

Yawn.

But increasing lower wage, minimum wage, or establishing a so-called 'living wage' are not good economic incentives for the 'poor' - this is especially important since CA is considering a raise in the minimum wage to $7.75 - Nutso!

As economic columnist Alan Reynolds recently wrote, "A higher minimum wage reduces the number of such jobs that are offered, leaving a larger number of low-wage job-seekers competing for jobs that pay less than the minimum wage. This is turn pushes the lowest wages even further."

~VC~

POLICY - The Uninsured & Healthcare in America - (papers)

2004-09-15T11:57:00.000-07:00

Who are the uninsured in this country? Do the uninsured still receive healthcare? The Heritage Foundation generated some Census Bureau numbers and developed the following statistical picture of the 'uninsured' and what Kerry and Bush's healthcare policy would accomplish:

Although most of the uninsured have low and moderate incomes, many live in high-income families and may be able to afford coverage. The Census Bureau reported that 33 percent of the uninsured were in households with incomes over $50,000 in 2003, and about half of those were in households with incomes over $75,000.[5] A more conservative estimate from Actuarial Research Corporation (ARC) showed that 20 percent of the uninsured were in families with incomes over $50,000 in 2002.[6] Note, however, that an uninsured person may not have access to the income attributed to the family or household.
Some of the uninsured are eligible for government health coverage but do not enroll. Medicaid and the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) are open to low-income people who meet other program requirements. Some people who are eligible do not enroll in those programs for a variety of reasons. Some perceive the stigma of a welfare program, others are daunted by the red tape, and others are unaware that they are eligible to enroll. ARC estimated that 3.8 million people, or about 9 percent of the uninsured in 2002, were eligible for Medicaid and SCHIP but did not enroll.[7]
The Census Bureau underreports the number of people actually enrolled in Medicaid, which overstates the number of uninsured. ARC estimated that at least 10 million additional people were actually enrolled in Medicaid in 2002 but did not report this when surveyed.[8] That represents about 23 percent of the uninsured who were misclassified in the official statistics.
Some of the uninsured are eligible for private insurance but turn it down. According to the Center for Studying Health System Change, 20 percent of all uninsured persons in 1997 were offered health insurance by an employer but did not enroll.[9] Those who decline employer coverage and remain uninsured tend to be low-income workers and their families.
Young adults are less likely to have insurance than other age groups. The Census Bureau reported that 30 percent of people between eighteen and twenty-four years old were uninsured in 2003, compared with 18 percent of those between twenty-five and sixty-four. Most young adults are healthy and less likely to feel the need for health insurance, particularly if the cost of coverage is high relative to their incomes.
Many of the uninsured are without coverage for fairly brief periods of time. The median duration of non-coverage for people uninsured at some time between 1996 and 1999 was 5.6 months according to a Census Bureau study.[10] The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) estimated that 45 percent of all spells without coverage in 1998 lasted four months or less, while 29 percent lasted a year or more.[11] Over the course of three years, 58 percent of people experiencing a spell of non-coverage had only one such spell.[12]

It is clear that the Census estimate of 45 million uninsured conceals as much as it reveals. Some 10 million people included in that count actually had insurance. Perhaps as many as 15 million others realistically could have obtained coverage through Medicaid, SCHIP, or private coverage through employers or the non-group market, and chose not to. Still, half of the uninsured --possibly 20 to 25 million people--do not have those options and are risking financial ruin and poorer health because they do not have health insurance.

~VC~

POLICY - Healthcare in America - (papers)

2004-09-15T11:43:00.000-07:00

The RAND Institute offers what has been called "The First National Report Card on Quality of Healthcare in America," which highlights the following:

Overall, participants in the study received 55 percent of recommended care.
Underuse of care was a greater problem than overuse. For example, patients failed to receive recommended care about 46 percent of the time, compared with 11 percent of the time when they received care that was not recommended and potentially harmful (see Figure 2).
Overall performance was strikingly similar in all of the communities studied. Overall quality ranged from 59 percent in Seattle to 51 percent in Little Rock (see Figure 3). The researchers found the same basic level of performance for chronic, acute, and preventive care.
Quality varied substantially across conditions. For example, people with cataracts received about 79 percent of recommended care; persons with alcohol dependence received about 11 percent (see Figure 4).
Preventive care. All communities did a better job of preventing chronic disease through screening tests (e.g., measuring blood pressure) and immunizations compared with other types of preventive care — for example, prevention of sexually transmitted diseases and HIV and counseling for substance abuse.
Care for chronic disease. Care for selected chronic conditions (cardiac care, depression, hypertension, diabetes, and pulmonary problems) varied both across conditions and across communities within the same condition. For example:
Quality of care for hypertension was among the best for the chronic conditions — residents in Cleveland received about 70 percent of recommended care for this condition.
Quality of care for cardiac conditions (including coronary artery disease, congestive heart failure, and atrial fibrillation) was generally lower than care for hypertension, ranging from 52 percent in Indianapolis and Orange County to 70 percent in Cleveland and Syracuse.
Quality of care for pulmonary problems (asthma and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease) was lower than care for hypertension or cardiac conditions.
Care for depression was even lower, ranging from 47 percent in Newark to 63 percent in Seattle.

In most communities, quality of care for diabetes was lower than care for depression. No single community had consistently the highest or lowest performance for all of the chronic conditions. The relative rankings of the communities changed depending on the aspect of care being examined.

~VC~

POLICY - Terrorism Insurance - (paper)

2004-09-15T11:34:00.000-07:00

The RAND Institute features an informative publication, titled, "Issues & Options for Government Intervention in the Market for Terrorism Insurance," which argues the following:

Following the 9/11 terrorist attacks, the federal government adopted the Terrorism Risk Insurance Act (TRIA), which requires insurers to make terrorism coverage available to commercial policyholders. In exchange, the federal government will reimburse insurers for a portion of insured losses above a particular threshold. This paper frames the central issues in the debate over whether to extend, modify, or end TRIA, and explores the role of disaster insurance within a system for managing risks created by the possibility of terrorist attacks and compensating losses caused by those attacks.

~VC~

A GOP Quotable

2004-08-31T11:04:00.000-07:00

Terrorism did not start on September 11, 2001. It started a long time ago. And it had been festering for many years. And the world had created a response to it that allowed it to succeed. The attack on the Israeli team at the Munich Olympics was in 1972. That's a long time ago. That's not yesterday. And the pattern began early. The three surviving terrorists were arrested. And then within just three months, the terrorists who slaughtered the Israeli athletes were released by the German government -- set free. Action like this became the rule, not the exception. Terrorists came to learn time after time that they could attack, that they could slaughter innocent people and not face any consequences. In 1985, terrorists attacked the Achille Lauro. And they murdered an American citizen who was in a wheelchair, Leon Klinghoffer. They marked him for murder solely because he was Jewish. Some of those terrorists were released, and some of the remaining terrorists -- they were allowed to escape by the Italian government because of fear of reprisals from the terrorists. So terrorists learned they could intimidate the world community, and too often the response, particularly in Europe, would be accommodation, appeasement and compromise. And worse, they also learned that their cause would be taken more seriously almost in direct proportion to the horror of their attack. Terrorist acts became like a ticket to the international bargaining table. How else to explain Yasser Arafat winning the Nobel Peace Prize while he was supporting a plague of terrorism in the Middle East and undermining any chance of peace? Before September 11, we were living with an unrealistic view of our world, much like observing Europe appease Hitler or trying to accommodate the Soviet Union through the use of mutually assured destruction. President Bush decided that we could no longer be just on defense against global terrorism, we must also be on offense. On September 20, 2001, President Bush stood before a joint session of Congress, a still grieving and shocked nation and a confused world, and he changed the direction of our ship of state. He dedicated America, under his leadership, to destroying global terrorism.

- Former NYC Mayor Rudy Giuliani

~VC~

Good News for Dems!

2004-08-24T11:09:00.000-07:00

The late presidential hopeful, Howard Dean, was reportadly cleared in a Norwegian Police 'Scream' case. And late last week it was reported that the Senator Blow-hard from M.A., Ted Kennedy, was not "an immediate threat to the Homeland," according to Homeland Security Director, Tom Ridge.

~VC~
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POLICY - Palestinian Panel Puts Blame on Authority - (article)

2004-08-18T09:42:00.000-07:00

Arafat is once again making acknowledgement of failures in his leadership and the need to clean up corruption, reports Reuters and the AP. Perhaps some of his response is due to the report below.

"A scathing report by a Palestinian legislative committee lays the blame for the anarchy and drift within Palestinian society squarely on the Palestinian Authority and by implication on the man who leads it, Yasser Arafat," reports the Washington Times.

~VC~
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POLICY - Outsourcing Boomerang - (article)

2004-08-17T08:19:00.000-07:00

Business Week provides a helpful article in response to all of those outsourcing doom-and-gloomers.' Much of the discussion of outsourcing (especially in this election year) emphasizes how many jobs are 'lost' to that 'unpatriotic act' of labor offshoring. But "The Outsourcing Boomerang" clearly shows that foreign companies are in fact adding jobs here at home.

"Foreign investment for setting up U.S. subsidiaries and plants doubled, to $82 billion, between 2002 and 2003, according to the Commerce Dept. That means 400,000 new jobs, most of them tech-related, figures the Organization for International Investment, a trade association based in Washington, D.C. Over the same period, outsourcing has taken away about 300,000 U.S. jobs, according to tech consultancy Forrester Research. So, on a net basis, foreign outfits have actually added some 100,000 U.S. jobs."

Moreover, it can be shown that U.S. outsourcing has a negligible effect on the U.S. job market, according to a report from UBS Investment Research chief economist Mary Harris.

[See some thoughtful interaction with this issue and the anti-outsourcing crowd from the Heritage weblog].

Peter Robinson's Uncommon Knowledge featured a beneficial policy discussion on the subject of outsourcing, including often touted economic myths associated with the issue.

~VC~
______________________________
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POLICY - FREE PASS: America's losing fight against illegals?? - (articles)

2004-08-12T09:15:00.000-07:00

The NY Times reports on how there are fresh efforts underway to address boarder-control problems.

Recently, the Washington Times delivered a three-part series on the current crisis of illegal immigration and its impact on policy making decision:

Part I: Aliens hiding in plain sight

Part II: Outnumbered in a hunt for aliens

Part III: Revolving door at border

The RAND Institute recently published the publication, "Assimilating Immigrants: Why America Can and France Cannot," which argues the following:

The United States and France differ greatly in their responses to mass immigration. The U.S. adapts its own culture and that of the immigrants, most recently with Latinos. France wants the immigrants to do it all. As a result, the Muslim North Africans of France’s first wave of mass immigration are not assimilating well. The author compares the two current cases and briefly discusses the policy implications: The U.S. seems on its best course, but France needs policy changes to at least keep the peace.

POLICY - A Sneak-Peak of the Naughty Berger!- (articles)

2004-07-23T09:45:00.000-07:00

In a NY SUN editorial, titled, "The Boldness of the President," the paper reflects upon yesteday's release of the 911 Commission's official Report and postulates what relation there might with the Report's findings and Berger's role in addressing the threat of Al-Qaeda.

According to the Commission's Report, Berger was given four separate opportunities to take action against Al-Qaeda:

LOST OPPORTUNITY #1: The report cites a 1998 meeting between Mr. Berger and the director of central intelligence, George Tenet, at which Mr. Tenet presented a plan to capture Osama bin Laden.

“In his meeting with Tenet, Berger focused most, however, on the question of what was to be done with Bin Ladin if he were actually captured. He worried that the hard evidence against Bin Ladin was still skimpy and that there was a danger of snatching him and bringing him to the United States only to see him acquitted,”

the report says, citing a May 1, 1998, Central Intelligence Agency memo summarizing the weekly meeting between Messrs. Berger and Tenet.

LOST OPPORTUNITY #2: In June of 1999, another plan for action against Mr. bin Laden was on the table. The potential target was a Qaeda terrorist camp in Afghanistan known as Tarnak Farms. The commission report released yesterday cites Mr. Berger’s “handwritten notes on the meeting paper” referring to “the presence of 7 to 11 families in the Tarnak Farms facility, which could mean 60-65 casualties.” According to the Berger notes, “if he responds, we’re blamed.”

LOST OPPORTUNITY #3: On December 4, 1999, the National Security Council’s counterterrorism coordinator, Richard Clarke, sent Mr. Berger a memo suggesting a strike in the last week of 1999 against Al Qaeda camps in Afghanistan. Reports the commission:

“In the margin next to Clarke’s suggestion to attack Al Qaeda facilities in the week before January 1, 2000, Berger wrote, ‘no.’ ”

LOST OPPORTUNITY #4: In August of 2000, Mr. Berger was presented with another possible plan for attacking Mr. bin Laden. This time, the plan would be based on aerial surveillance from a “Predator” drone. Reports the commission:

“In the memo’s margin, Berger wrote that before considering action, ‘I will want more than verified location: we will need, at least, data on pattern of movements to provide some assurance he will remain in place.’ ”

What this certainly shows is the lost opportunities of the Clinton-Berger attempt at addressing Al-Qaeda as a growing and significant threat.

~VC~
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HUMOR - Arnold calls Dems 'Girlie Men' - articles

2004-07-18T22:01:00.000-07:00

The AP reports that Schwarzenegger dished out the insult at a rally Saturday as he claimed Democrats were delaying the budget by catering to special interests.
"If they don't have the guts to come up here in front of you and say, 'I don't want to represent you, I want to represent those special interests, the unions, the trial lawyers ... if they don't have the guts, I call them girlie men"

Naturally, the usual types of highly sensitized political wonks are OUTRAGED by the insensitivity of the Govs. comments, including the charge that he is being homophobic and sexist.

POLICY - 9/11 Commission: U.S. Terror War has Stymied al Qaida - (articles)

2004-06-29T09:46:00.000-07:00

NEWS MAX.com has brought the following to the public's attention:

The Sept. 11 Commission has found that the Bush administration's war on terror has severely impaired al Qaida's ability to organize another spectacular attack against the U.S. homeland by capturing or killing the deadly terror group's key leaders, drying up their financial resources and severely limiting their ability to "strategize, plan attacks, and dispatch operatives worldwide."

The finding from the 9/11 Commission can be read in its entirety here.

~VC~
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REMEMBERING RONALDUS MAGNUS

2004-06-09T13:50:00.000-07:00

During this entire week, America will reflect upon the greatness of a man, whose life we were priviledged to have serve us as President, whose ideas believed in us and in what we were able to be, whose words comforted us when we faced tragedy, and whose leadership was steered by the wisdom and the truth of things.

Ronaldus Magnus will certainly be missed but forever loved by all those who are lovers of freedom, but not lovers for freedom's own sake, but lovers of freedom for the sake of building a better, just, virteous, and noble civic order.

In this post, I link with other editorial and commentary pieces, both from the present and the past, which reflect on the life, legacy, and love of Ronald Reagan:

Ronald Reagan won America's respect with his greatness, and won its love with his goodness. He had the confidence that comes with conviction, the strength that comes with character, the grace that comes with humility, and the humor that comes with wisdom. He leaves behind a nation he restored and a world he helped save. During the years of President Reagan, America laid to rest an era of division and self-doubt. And because of his leadership, the world laid to rest an era of fear and tyranny. Now, in laying our leader to rest, we say thank you. He always told us that for America, the best was yet to come. We comfort ourselves in the knowledge that this is true for him, too. His work is done, and now a shining city awaits him. May God bless Ronald Reagan.

- President George W. Bush, Saturday, June 5th 2004

For the final years of his life, Ronnie's mind was clouded by illness. That cloud has now lifted. He is himself again - more himself than at any time on this earth. For we may be sure that the Big Fella Upstairs never forgets those who remember Him. And as the last journey of this faithful pilgrim took him beyond the sunset, and as heaven's morning broke, I like to think - in the words of Bunyan - that 'all the trumpets sounded on the other side'.

We here still move in twilight. But we have one beacon to guide us that Ronald Reagan never had. We have his example. Let us give thanks today for a life that achieved so much for all of God's children.

- Margaret Thatcher, Friday, June 11th 2004

Text of Eulogies: G.W. Bush | Thatcher | Mulroney | G.H.W. Bush

Ronald Reagan: My hero, and an eternal light for the world - Arnold Schwarzenegger, USA Today

President Reagan symbolized to me what America represented -- hope, opportunity, freedom. He made us remember that the United States stood for something great and noble. Once again, it was alright to stand tall and believe in this country, and in ourselves ... He made each of us, no matter our station in life, feel part of something larger and grander. He saw America as an 'empire of ideals,' and he advanced those ideals to the world.

Farewell to the Chief - David Gergen, NY Daily News

The Polish Preferred "Cowboys" Over Communists - Lech Walesa, WSJ

Cowboys in Western clothes had become a powerful symbol for Poles. Cowboys fight for justice, fight against evil, and fight for freedom, both physical and spiritual. Solidarity trounced the Communists in that election, paving the way for a democratic government in Poland. It is always so touching when people bring this poster up to me to autograph it. They have cherished it for so many years and it has become the emblem of the battle that we all fought together.

Reagan the Leader - Margaret Thatcher, New York Post

President Reagan saw instinctively that pessimism itself was the disease and that the cure for pessimism is optimism. He set about restoring faith in the prospects of the American dream — a dream of boundless opportunity built on enterprise, individual effort and personal generosity. He infused his own belief in America's economic future in the American people.

Gipper's Goodness Always Shone - Mickey Edwards, Boston Globe

It was this man, with his incredible openness, who appealed to those of us who had originally signed up with his campaign because of his ability to articulate American political conservatism as the upbeat, optimistic philosophy we believed it to be. Immediately following his death last weekend, many commentators, including those who could not resist subtle, and not so subtle, attacks on Reagan-era policies, were inclined to cite his personal "goodness." I saw that personal side firsthand, not only in our own many exchanges over the years but in all those things Reagan as a president of the United States did not need to do. As soon as word of his death reached my sister, she wrote to marvel again at how, when my mother was undergoing cancer surgery in a California hospital, Reagan had called her.

The Gipper's Eulogies - Fred Barnes, The Weekly Standard

Tom Brokaw and Dan Rather believe too much media attention has been heaped on Ronald Reagan after his death at 93 last weekend. And it's true Reagan, a modest man with much to be proud of, might have been embarrassed by so many glowing testimonials about him. But he was a strong believer in focusing public attention on the dead and especially in eulogies. How do we know this? Reagan said so

.

What Ronald Reagan Meant to Me - Senator Jon Kyl, RealClearPolitics

Ronald Wilson Reagan's life gave truth to the platitude that just one person - possessed with vision, integrity, the courage of his convictions and an unshakeable sense of optimism - really can change the world.

Reagan Was More Than Just a Great Speaker - Joseph Duggan, St. Louis PD

Former President Bush's esteem for Reagan as a disciplined performer in public speaking deeply impressed us. But Reagan was much more than a skillful reciter of scripts. As any presidential speechwriter can attest, Reagan did not learn from his ghostwriters; they learned from him. He was the author of his own ideas and style. He taught other presidents how to deliver speeches, and he taught professional writers and statesmen how to write.

How Reagan Made Soviet Society Face its Failures - Leon Aron, USA Today

Reagan did more than anyone to delegitimize and demoralize the Soviet Union. Where the arms race, in general, and SDI (a planned space-based anti-ballistic missile system), in particular, are concerned, far more important than the costs was the realization by the Soviet Union's unelected rulers that their science and industry were incapable of matching U.S. technology. Contrary to what the Soviet propaganda stridently asserted at the time, the problem had little to do with their fear of nuclear annihilation.

Instead, for the Soviet Marxists, the impact stemmed from the belief that the economy defined every other aspect of the society and served as the most important barometer of its health and progress. Having long given up on even approaching the standard of living of the U.S., Soviet leaders had considered strategic parity with the U.S. as evidence that theirs still was an economic and political system that provided an alternative and, in the long run, a winning vision of society. By exposing the inability of the Soviet economy to compete in advanced weaponry, Reagan made that evidence increasingly flimsy.

How Reagan Won the Cold War - Fred Kaplan, Slate

In the end, Reagan and Gorbachev needed each other. Gorbachev needed to move swiftly if his reforms were to take hold. Reagan exerted the pressure that forced him to move swiftly and offered the rewards that made his foes and skeptics in the Politburo think the cutbacks might be worth it.

For Vision and Leadership - Connie Mack, Washington Times

Ronald Reagan never lost faith in the freedom, dignity and liberty of mankind. He understood that freedom is never more than one generation away from extinction. He never doubted that freedom was more than a virtue. It was a right given to each of us by a sovereign God.

His Remarkable Humility - Jeff Jacoby, Boston Globe

Though he came from nothing -- poor family, alcoholic father, no status, nothing to boast about -- Reagan considered himself no less entitled to respect and a chance to prove himself than those who had much more. But if no man was his better, neither was he the better of any man. That instinctive sense of the equality of all Americans never left him -- not even when he stood at the pinnacle of fame and power.

Ronald Reagan's Faith - Washington Times

Ronald Reagan spoke eloquently in many ways. But the Great Communicator may be best remembered for his words of faith and the cultural changes that followed them. Faith was the wellspring of his optimism; it was the guiding star of his presidency. Mr. Reagan's faith was the foundation of all he did, and it remains the cornerstone of his legacy.

Reaganomics Made America a Better Country - Stephen Moore, National Review

Ronald Reagan is dead, but the power of his ideas will no doubt continue to shape generations of future leaders worldwide. Throughout American history our heroes have come from the unlikeliest of places. How ironic that the man to most influence economics in the 20th century was a graduate of tiny Eureka College. Our haughty intellectual class, tucked away in their ivory towers, could learn much from the economic lessons of Ronald Reagan. They probably never will. But it's enough that Reagan convinced the rest of us of the rightness of his ideas — that free men and free enterprise should be the guiding forces in a prosperous and just society.

Growing Up With Ronald Reagan - Frederick Turner, TechCentralStation

The intellectuals and the Europeans persistently "misunderestimated" Reagan (in George Bush's splendid phrase). Part of being an adult is that one realizes that one makes a better fighter if one does not give away one's "strategery," and a better trader if one does not make a big show of one's intelligence. One knows that one is going to win, and one knows that the trade will be made on terms that are at least as profitable to oneself as to one's bargaining partner -- but one does not parade one's degrees and one's medals. Intellectuals in America believe that complication in expression is the great sign of intelligence; adults know that the acme of intelligence is to express something simply. The intellectuals despised Reagan for his simplicity, and set out to create the most obfuscatory language ever devised by human beings: deconstructionism. Safe in their cocoon of verbiage they might be safe from the world and never die. Europeans always saw war and bargaining as ways to get territory, to expand the motherland, and have enough money to look after all the "enfants de la patrie" from cradle to grave. They could not understand a grownup American president who bargained for the opportunity to compete, fair and square, whose ambition was not to dominate other peoples but to free them from tyrants and make them stronger, better trading partners. The Europeans and intellectuals thought Reagan was brain dead; but he was Old Possum: he was only playing brain dead. Don't throw me in the briar patch, Br'er Rabbit always said; and they threw him in every time. "Possum," the American icon of the advantages of being underestimated, means "I have the power" in Latin. Reports of the death of American power are now as then, in Mark Twain's word, exaggerated.

Latinos' Link to Reagan - Ruben Navarrette, Indianapolis Star

I spent years trying to figure out what that Mexican man saw in Reagan that I didn't. Now I think I know. He was saying that he was proud to be an American and that Reagan was the reason for that sense of pride.

Reagan Revisionism - Charles Krauthammer, Washington Post

Reagan Critics Still Getting It Wrong - John Podhoretz, New York Post

There They Go Again - Dinesh D'Souza, New York Post

Margaret Thatcher remarked a few years ago that Reagan would go down in history as the man who "won the Cold War without firing a shot." Perhaps it is too much to ask the wise to admit their errors. But it's only right that we who have enjoyed the benefits of the post-Cold War boom should give Reagan due credit during his lifetime for his prescient statesmanship.

The Amiable Dunce Outwitted Them All - John O'Sullivan, Chicago Sun-Times

Reagan's Promised Land - David Brooks, New York Times

Reagan described America as a driving force through history, leading to the empire of liberty. He seemed to regard freedom's triumph as a historical inevitability. He couldn't look at mainstream American culture as anything other than the delightful emanation of this venture. He could never feel alienated from middle American life, or see it succumbing to a spiritual catastrophe ... Reagan embraced America as a permanent revolutionary force. His critics came to fear exactly that sort of zeal. John Kerry's father, Richard, was a representative one. He wrote a book, just after the Reagan years, arguing that the Reagan brand of exceptionalism is a danger. Americans are mistaken if they think all people want to copy their institutions, he argued. Instead, the U.S. should marshal its power within a web of multilateral arrangements, or it will create all sorts of problems ... Reagan's outlook, however, was a bold and challenging optimism. The debate Reagan launched is the one we are still having today

.

He Lived to Tell the Great American Story - David Gergen, US News & WR

If inspiration was Reagan's spear, humor was his shield. He used it time and again to ward off challenges to his leadership. When questions arose during presidential debates in 1984 whether he was growing too old to govern, Reagan had a ready retort: "I will not make age an issue. I will not exploit my opponent's youth and inexperience." The dean of political journalists, David Broder, wrote the next day, "It may well have been that the biggest barrier to Reagan's re-election was swept away in that moment." But the most telling display of humor was entirely unscripted and was the defining moment of his presidency. Wheeled into the hospital as he lay gravely wounded by an attempted assassin, Reagan looked up at his doctors and said, "Please tell me you're all Republicans." Coming out of surgery, he told Nancy, mimicking a line from Jack Dempsey, "Honey, I forgot to duck." Americans saw during those hours that Reagan had "grace under pressure"—Hemingway's definition of courage.

Thank You, Mr. President - William Bennett, RealClearPolitics

The Bush Doctrine is a Reagan Legacy - Brendan Miniter, Wall Street Journal

Reagan Knew Why the EU Won't Work - Mark Steyn, Daily Telegraph

Ronald Reagan took afternoon naps and ended the Cold War. "They say hard work never killed anyone," he said, "but I figure, why take the risk?" There speaks a man who understands the virtues of limited government. I slept easier in my bed knowing he was sleeping easier in his.

He Could See for Miles - Charles Krauthammer, Time Magazine

How Reagan, Thatcher and John Paul II Won the Cold War - John Fund, WSJ

It's certainly safe to say that no other president would have made two famous speeches that drew a sharp moral distinction between the West and communism and lifted countless spirits behind the Iron Curtain. The State Department fought desperately to take out Reagan's reference to the Soviet Union as an "evil empire" as well as his challenge to Mr. Gorbachev: "Tear down this wall." But Reagan's candor undermined Moscow's legitimacy. "Reagan's truth-telling--together with the examples of Mrs. Thatcher's economic success and Pope John Paul's moral strength--gave millions of people courage to rise up when the opportunity for change came," says President Vaclav Klaus of the Czech Republic.

Reagan's Echo in History - George Will, Newsweek

Reagan always believed that the world was watching America. Indeed, he thought the point of America was to be watched—to be exemplary. Hence the complete sincerity of his reiterated references to the City on the Hill. And when the democratic revolution against communism came, Tiananmen Square in Beijing and Wenceslas Square in Prague and points in between rang with the rhetoric of America's third and 16th presidents. The 40th president was not surprised.

A Truly Exceptional American - Michael Barone, US News & World Report

It is impossible to imagine America and the world taking the course they have over the last quarter-century had Ronald Reagan not been president. Derided by Washington insiders as an amiable dunce, Regan was in fact a closet intellectual, a voracious reader, graceful writer and original thinker. Outwardly cheerful and friendly, he was as inaccessible and inscrutable to his closest aides as Franklin Roosevelt was to his: steel beneath the smile. This man who graduated from college in the rock-bottom depression year of 1933 radiated the same optimism as the man who became president then. In the first half of the 20th century, FDR rescued America from despair and the world from totalitarianism; Ronald Reagan did the same in the second half.

Forever the Optimist - Bob Dole, New York Times

While Americans live in the house that Abraham Lincoln built, the modern world is the home of Ronald Reagan. More than 700 million people who lived behind the Iron Curtain now have a taste of freedom, and their children and grandchildren will live with opportunities they could not have imagined. By building our defenses — rather than unleashing aggression — Ronald Reagan brought down the Soviet Union. In so doing, he exposed its bankruptcy — financial, political, moral and spiritual. This is his great and lasting achievement. Today, economic opportunities are increasing, and while individual and political liberties lag in some corners, they are moving inexorably in the direction that Reagan envisioned and to which he devoted his presidency.

The True Spirit of Independence - Stephen Robinson, Daily Telegraph

Reagan's radical idea was to convince Americans that the US federal government was as unlikely to make them rich and happy as the Soviet Union's elite was to bring freedom to its subject peoples. That this argument seems commonplace today is Ronald Reagan's achievement.

A President Who Listened - Mikhail Gorbachev, New York Times

The personal rapport that emerged between us over the years helped me to appreciate Ronald Reagan's human qualities. A true leader, a man of his word and an optimist, he traveled the journey of his life with dignity and faced courageously the cruel disease that darkened his final years. He has earned a place in history and in people's hearts.

The NY Times vs. Ronald Reagan - Matthew Continetti, Weekly Standard

Remember The Man - Peter Robinson, New York Post

Often we find ourselves thinking about historic figures the same way we think about celestial bodies — as distant and impersonal and somehow unreal.

Ronald Reagan was born in a town that still stands. He liked to tell jokes and watch old movies. If you visit his ranch, you can see his favorite riding boots, standing in his tiny closet, the leather still supple. For that matter, you can see his burro, Wenday, a stubborn, comical-looking creature he seems to have bought simply because he liked the idea of having her around ... Now the 40th president of the United States has slipped away, taking his place in the annals of the nation. From this hour on, we will need to remind ourselves that he was no mere force or idea or abstraction. His life remains an example to Americans because he was one of us ... Ronald Reagan was a man.

A Wonderful Life - Cal Thomas, Washington Times

He lingered too long for his own good, but not long enough for his beloved Nancy and the many others who loved and admired him ... He was hated for precisely the same reasons he was loved. He had convictions and made those without them look weak ... Ronald Wilson Reagan was a colossus of the 20th century. Bobby Kennedy's brother, Ted, said RFK saw wrong and tried to right it. Ronald Reagan saw the evil of communism and did not try to contain or oppose it. He aimed to defeat it, and did, at least the Soviet brand. Millions breathe free today because of him. It is altogether fitting that the Berlin Wall stands no longer as a monument to slavery but in its deconstructed state as a testimony to freedom at his library in Simi Valley, Calif.

Thanks From a Grateful Country - Peggy Noonan, Wall Street Journal

What an era his was. What a life he lived. He changed history for the better and was modest about it. He didn't bray about his accomplishments but saw them as the work of the American people. He did not see himself as entitled, never demanded respect, preferred talking to hotel doormen rather than State Department functionaries because he thought the doormen brighter and more interesting. When I pressed him once, a few years out of the presidency, to say what he thought the meaning of his presidency was, he answered, reluctantly, that it might be fairly said that he "advanced the boundaries of freedom in a world more at peace with itself." And so he did. And what could be bigger than that?

How They Misjudged the Reagan I Knew - Richard Perle, Daily Telegraph

Reagan made clear that the democratic West could and would counter Soviet military power, outperform the Communist world in science and technology, and provide material well-being for citizens beyond Moscow's wildest dreams. He would not miss an opportunity to contrast Western freedom with the misery of Soviet tyranny ... Ronald Reagan embodied American optimism. His leadership, confident and cheerful, was instrumental in the demoralisation of the Soviet leadership that produced a Western victory without war and ended half a century of conflict between East and West.

Ronald Reagan’s Successful Legacy - Steven Hayward, National Review

In 1948 the liberal historian Richard Hoftsadter wrote in that Franklin Roosevelt's passing "left American liberalism demoralized and all but helpless." Conservatives mourn the passing Reagan, but will never be demoralized and helpless because they have taken to heart the message Reagan always wanted to be his legacy, never more poignantly stated than in his last public message in 1994: America's best days are ahead.

On the 'Reagan Restoration':

Wall Street Journal | NY Times | Washington Times | USA Today | Pittsburgh Post-Gazette | Boston Globe | Christian Science Monitor

Obituaries

• Members of Congress Remember Reagan
• Lodi News-Sentinel
• International Herald Tribune
• Daily Telegraph, Australia
• Ballyporeen, Ireland
• Oakland Tribune
• ABC News
• Honolulu
• Pasadena Star-News
• Japan Today
• San Diego Union Tribune
• Houston Chronicle
• Lansing State Journal
• NY Newsday
• Fox News
• The Age, Australia
• Salt Lake Tribune
• The News Journal
• Daily Inter Lake
• Gallatin News Examiner

Series of Editorial and Commentary

National Review Articles

Heritage Foundation

Cato Institute

Historical Editorials & Commentary

A Mandate for Change - Wall Street Journal - November 6, 1980.

The GOP Landslide - Newsweek, 1980

Reagan's First 100 Days - The New Republic - May 2, 1981.

The Age of Reagan - The Nation, 1984

Reagan's America - Newsweek, 1989

The Reagan Legacy - Robert Bartley, Wall Street Journal - January 19, 1989

~VC~
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Deep Devotion for Ronaldus Magnus in CA's Southland

2004-06-08T03:30:00.000-07:00

On two separate occasions, I have attempted to make it to the Ronald Reagan Library and Museum in Simi Valley, CA, in order that I just might be able to pay my heartfelt respects to Reagan's body and his family.

Currently, at 3:30 Tuesday morning, within 10 miles of the main exit from CA's 118, devoted citizens are waiting in traffic - a wait that is estimated to take at least 5 hrs - in order that they might board city-provided buses from Moorepark College and be transported to the Library. The wait from the college to the library's rotunda is estimated to be another 5-6 hrs.

Library staff can confirm that people have visited the President's body at a rate of 2000 people per hour and an estimated 60,000 visitors.

"As we were in procession, I couldn't help but think of the love and the outpouring that has begun in the nation for a great president, a great world leader and a faithful servant of almighty God."

- the Rev. Michael Wenning told the Reagan family

The top-of-the-hour AM radio news announced these facts from callers who just entered or have completed the process (perhaps a journey) to pay their respects to Reagan.

Around midnight, it was announced that Reagan's body would extend its stay at the library from 6:00pm until now 12:00am Wednesday morning. Truly, Mrs. Reagan has responded (most appropriately I might add) to the public's interest in saying their 'long goodbye' to her husband.

The brief memorial/funeral service yesterday for the family and a few dignitaries was broadcasted live on all of the main networks in SoCal (and I presume in the state at large, if not on cable). Reportedly, this decision was made by Mrs. Reagan one hour before the casket's arrival at Simi Valley.

~VC~
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HUMOR - The Dysfunctional Company -

2004-06-03T16:20:00.000-07:00

The wife just emailed this to me ...I am sure it is going around on the web ... Enjoy!

Can you imagine working for a company that has a little more than 500 employees and has the following statistics:

* 29 have been accused of spousal abuse

* 7 have been arrested for fraud

* 19 have been accused of writing bad checks

* 117 have directly or indirectly bankrupted at least 2 businesses

* 3 have done time for assault

* 71 cannot get a credit card due to bad credit

* 14 have been arrested on drug-related charges

* 8 have been arrested for shoplifting

* 21 are currently defendants in lawsuits

* 84 have been arrested for drunk driving in the last year...

Can you guess which organization this is?

...

...

...

Give up yet?

It's the 535 members of the United States Congress. The same group that crank out hundreds of new laws each year designed to keep the rest of us in line.

~VC~
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HEY, HEY, HEY ... Mr. Cosby!

2004-05-21T10:17:00.000-07:00

Bill Cosby speaking at Constitution Hall, commemorating Brown v. Board

Ladies and gentlemen, the lower economic people are not holding up their end in this deal. These people are not parenting. They are buying things for kids -- $500 sneakers for what? And won't spend $200 for 'Hooked on Phonics.' ..... They're standing on the corner and they can't speak English, I can't even talk the way these people talk: 'Why you ain't,' 'Where you is' . . . And I blamed the kid until I heard the mother talk. And then I heard the father talk. . . . Everybody knows it's important to speak English except these knuckleheads. . . . You can't be a doctor with that kind of crap coming out of your mouth! [speaking of 'the incarcerated'] ... These are not political criminals. These are people going around stealing Coca-Cola. People getting shot in the back of the head over a piece of pound cake and then we run out and we are outraged, [saying] 'The cops shouldn't have shot him.' What the hell was he doing with the pound cake in his hand?

When Cosby finally concluded, Howard University President H. Patrick Swygert, NAACP President Kweisi Mfume and NAACP legal defense fund head Theodore Shaw came to the podium looking stone-faced.

Meanwhile, Cosby's comments have stirred a number of feathers in the liberal sectors of the Africa-American community. For instance, commentator Michael Eric Dyson and Cornel West weighed-in with their opinion on NPR's "Travis Smiley Show." In response to his criticism, Cosby offered the following statement:

I think that it is time for concerned African Americans to march, galvanize and raise the awareness about this epidemic to transform our helplessness, frustration and righteous indignation into a sense of shared responsibility and action.

Here are some more comments from Cosby, which are adapted excerpts from his speech:

I am talking about these people who cry when their son is standing there in an orange suit. Where were you when he was 2? Where were you when he was 12? Where were you when he was 18 and how come you didn't know that he had a pistol? And where is the father? . . .

The church is only open on Sunday and you can't keep asking Jesus to do things for you. You can't keep saying that God will find a way. God is tired of you," Cosby declared to loud applause.

I wasn't there when God was saying it, I am making this up, but it sounds like what God would say. In all of this work we can not blame white people. White people don't live over there; they close up the shop early. The Korean ones don't know us well enough, so they stay open 24 hours.

On fashion:

People putting their clothes on backwards: Isn't that a sign of something gone wrong? . . . People with their hats on backwards, pants down around the crack, isn't that a sign of something, or are you waiting for Jesus to pull his pants up? Isn't it a sign of something when she has her dress all the way up to the crack and got all type of needles [piercings] going through her body? What part of Africa did this come from? Those people are not Africans; they don't know a damn thing about Africa.

With names like Shaniqua, Taliqua and Mohammed and all of that crap, and all of them are in jail. Brown versus the Board of Education is no longer the white person's problem. We have got to take the neighborhood back. We have to go in there -- forget about telling your child to go into the Peace Corps -- it is right around the corner. They are standing on the corner and they can't speak English.

On teenage sex:

Five, six children -- same woman -- eight, 10 different husbands or whatever. Pretty soon you are going to have DNA cards to tell who you are making love to. You don't know who this is. It might be your grandmother. I am telling you, they're young enough! Hey, you have a baby when you are 12; your baby turns 13 and has a baby. How old are you? Huh? Grandmother! By the time you are 12 you can have sex with your grandmother, you keep those numbers coming. I'm just predicting. . . .

What is it -- young girls getting after a girl who wants to remain a virgin? Who are these sick black people and where do they come from and why haven't they been parented to shut up? This is a sickness, ladies and gentlemen.

Thomas Sowell, the brilliant economist and author of the recent book, Affirmative Action Around the World: An Empirical Study, had the following astute observation in a recent editorial:

Bill Cosby and the black 'leadership' represent two long-standing differences about how to deal with the problems of the black community. The 'leaders' are concerned with protecting the image of blacks, while Cosby is trying to protect the future of blacks, especially those of the younger generation.

Sowell also editorialized on Brown v. Board, in a three-part series, titled, "Half a Century after Brown": "Part One"; Part Two; Part Three.

~VC~
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POLICY - Seeing through the 'Prison-Scandal' Coverage -

2004-05-21T09:05:00.000-07:00

John O'Sullivan, writing for NATIONAL REVIEW, has, arguably, the best editorial piece on the 'Iraqi Prison Scandal.' His article is titled, "Left Eye's View." O'Sullivan argues that in the last week alone, the media coverage of Iraq by the U.S. has exhibited the following separate failings:

1. Selective Agonizing.
2. Taking Dictation from Terror.
3. Willing Gullibility.
4. Galloping Inferentialism.
5. Hunting the Snark (or criminality Antiterrorism).

Selective agonizing, taking dictation from terror, willing gullibility, galloping inferentialism, and criminalizing anti-terrorism - not a short list of media failings for a single week. And when all the mistakes are on the side of opposing the liberation of Iraq, and none of the mistakes favor the U.S. or Britain or Bush or Blair, it tells you something. Namely, which side they're on. Or tears are shed only from the left eye.'

Mr. Kerry is Mr. Busy ... sort of

2004-05-20T08:54:00.001-07:00

Yesterday, the energetic, thrill-packed John Kerry was in a high-profile meeting with Presidential Candidate Ralph Nader. But the meeting was not as successful as some have thought. For one thing, according to sources near the Nader campaign, Kerry refuses to drop out!.
Meanwhile, the nation's high gas prices have reached crisis-mode, if not a serious 2004 Presidential campaign issue. Kerry asserts that the growing gas crisis is just that ... filled with a lot of hot air. As a solution, Kerry lit another fire in this controversy by asserting that the gas hike is due to Republican failures:

It's time for George W. Bush to release the strategic cash reserves by repealing tax cuts, and instituting an immediate rebate to the government of monies which taxpayers would have paid under a Democrat administration ... That money rightfully belongs to the government, but Bush has squandered it by leaving it in the hands of the proletarians.

One thing is certainly finalized for Kerry: Alas, the choice of a 'campaign theme.' Al Gore suggested 'love story.' Did you know that Kerry's actual theme is drawn from former Harlem Stalinist, Langston Hughes?!

Has John Kerry been busy? Yes ... an utter busybody!

~VC~
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PHILOSOPHY - Epistemology - (preprint papers)

2004-05-16T18:16:00.000-07:00

Ernest Sosa, "Intuitions":
Philosophy has perennially relied on what seems intuitively right to the reflective mind. It did so already with paradoxes such as the liar or the sorites, and with hypothetical examples like the Ring of Gyges, or the knife withheld from its rightful owner gone mad, or the statue and the lump. And it does so today with trolley cars, split brains, Matrix scenarios, fake barns, and Twin Earth. It is such reflection that decides philosophical controversies concerning reference, or personal identity, or propositional knowledge, or essentialism, or externalism and internalism, whether in philosophy of mind, or in ethics, or in metaphysics or epistemology. What then is intuition? What accounts for its probative force? How is intuition related to truth? These are questions to be addressed in what follows.

Neil Levy, "Empirical Evidence for Internalism":

The debate between internalists and externalists has largely revolved around the possibility of the amoralist. I argue that there are empirical and conceptual difficulties with this approach, such that this debate is unlikely to end in a decisive victory for either side. So long as we focus attention on Motivational Judgment Internalism, we are unlikely to make much progress. However, the best explanation for the failure of psychopaths to acquire mastery of moral concepts provides powerful evidence for a form of internalism I call Genetic Internalism, which is the thesis that acquisition of moral concepts requires judgmentappropriate emotions. I conclude by arguing that Genetic Internalism is sufficiently strong to count as a robust internalism.

Andrew Cullison, "Privileged Access, Externalism, and Ways of Believing":

Content Externalism is the thesis that the contents of our thoughts are partly determined by external factors. Privileged Access is the thesis that we can know a priori what our thoughts are in our own case. It has been argued that these two theses are incompatible. I invoke a particular metaphysics of belief that has been used to defend a thesis in philosophy of language called "Millianism". I argue that this metaphysics of belief can be used to help solve the apparent incompatibility of Content Externalism and Privileged Access. I then discuss the implications of my solution for epistemology.

Patrick Hawley, "Skepticism and the value of knowledge":

Knowledge is no more valuable than lasting true belief. This surprising claim helps defuse skepticism about knowledge.

Jonathan Sutton, "Without Justification" (book manuscript):

Introduction: My view is that a subject’s belief that p is justified if and only if he knows that p: justification is knowledge. I will start by describing two broad classes of allegedly justified beliefs that do not constitute knowledge and which hence cannot be what they are often taken to be if my view is correct. It is far from clear what my view is until I say a lot more about the relevant concept or concepts of justification that concern me. The following section describes several concepts of justification that epistemologists have employed, and, in particular, identifies the two concepts of justification that I claim are coextensive with the concept of knowledge. One of those is the deontological conception of justification: my view is that one ought not believe that p unless one knows that p. I imagine that the major opposition to my view will be that it is simply obvious that there are justified false beliefs, a feeling that I try to dispel in the lengthy section on concepts of justification before I finally get around to giving the main arguments in favor of my view in the next chapter. Indeed, undermining the intuitive support for the claim that there are justified beliefs that do not constitute knowledge is at least as important as the arguments themselves. I start that project in this chapter, and return to it with greater force after presenting the arguments in the next chapter.

Greg Restall, "Not Every Truth Can Be Known: at least, not all at once":

I propose a modification of the “knowability thesis,” to the effect that every truth is knowable, and show that it avoids triviality arguments against it. I then show that everyone can endorse it, even those without an anti-realist or verificationist bone in their body.

~VC~
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POLICY - UN Scandal of 'Oil for Food Program' - (articles)

2004-05-10T09:48:00.000-07:00

If some prison photos are scandalous, and if church abuse is scandalous, is being 100 BILLION dollars in the hole because of bribes and kick-backs, a sufficient reason to warrant the attachment of the word 'scandal' to the sanctimonious 'World Bank'? Read on ... [Reuters]

Maybe we need to get 'the money out of politics.' Somebody schedule an investigative commission! Somebody call John McCain! Somebody please fire somebody! The important thing is that we all recognize that this corruption goes to the highest level. Cough-it-up Kofi Annan ... your job is required of you!

This is a growing scandal and, quite frankly, not unexpected given what we now know and continue to find as it relates to the U.N.'s other bureaucratic mishandlings.

Pray tell, which Presidential candidate has the enlightened foresight, the intellectual nuance, and courage of will to suggest that the U.N. assume responsibility in Iraq?

Claudia Rosett, a respected international affairs journalist, has written extensively on the developing U.N. scandal related to the so-called 'Oil-for-food' program under Hussein's regime. Here is a list of her important works:

'We Have Other Priorities' - Why Won't the U.N. Answer Questions About its Iraq Scandal? Wall Street Journal (European Edition and Opinion Journal) (05/05/2004)

Oil-For-Terror Wall Street Journal (04/28/2004)

Oil for Memories: How the U.N. Can Begin Paying its Debt to Iraq's People Wall Street Journal (Opinion Journal and European Editions) (04/21/2004)

Claudia Rosett Testimony to House Subcommittee on National Security (04/21/2004)

Oil-for-Terror? There Appears to be Much Worse News to Uncover in the Oil-for-Food Scandal National Review Online (04/18/2004)

The Oil-for-Food Scam: What Did Kofi Annan Know, and When Did He Know It? Commentary Magazine (04/16/2004)

Turtle Bay's Carnival of Corruption: Digging Deeper into the Scandalous Oil-for-Food Program National Review Online (03/21/2004)

Kojo and Kofi National Review Online (03/10/2004)

Oil, Food and a Whole Lot of Questions The New York Times (04/18/2003)

Oil for Food, Money for Kofi Weekly Standard (04/07/2003)

The Oil -for-U.N.-Jobs Program Wall Street Journal (09/26/2002)

~VC~
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2004-05-06T22:41:00.000-07:00

BOOKS - Philosophical Foundations for a Christian Worldview Nominated for an award - According to InterVarsity Press' editorial department, the book has been nominated for the "ECPA Gold Medallion Award" in the "Reference/Commentaries" category. Winners will be announced at the CBA convention at the end of June.

The book is in its 4th printing, with 11,000 copies printed. Sales often affect these awards.

Moreover, the well-respected Catholic Cardinal, Avery Dulles, had favorable words for Moreland and Craig's book in his recent cover article for FIRST THINGS, titled, "The Rebirth of Apologetics" (May 2004): 20

"All over the United States there are signs of a revival. Evangelical Protestants are taking the lead. Apologists of the stature Norman L. Geisler, William Lane Craig, and J. P. Moreland are publishing scholarly works on natural theology and Christian evidences. Unlike the liberal Protestants of an earlier vintage, these Evangelicals insist on orthodoxy; they uncompromisingly maintain the fundamental Christian doctrines of the Trinity, the Incarnation, the Atonement, and the bodily resurrection of Jesus. And their method succeeds. The churches that combine a concern for orthodoxy with vigorous apologetics are growing. Their seminaries attract large numbers of enthusiastic students."

Dulles' article was originally adapted from his most recent McGinley Lecture, delivered at Fordham University on March 2, 2004.

Moreland and Craig, along with the entirety of the Masters of Arts in Philosophy of Religion & Ethics program at Talbot School of Theology, made news last year with their recognition in the Christian newsweekly, Christianity Today.

Scott Rae, Professor of Ethics and Chair of the MA Phil Program, jointly-appeared before members of congress in April to address central ethical issues, an event which was sponsored by the Wilberforce Forum. Rae's presentation is titled, "Swindles, Lies & Building a Healthy Economy." Rae argued that trust not greed is central to a free-market capitalist economy. Moreover, he made the case that business and ethics are related, and that legislators should exert prudential wisdom when it concerns their legislative response to financial scandals (e.g., Enron) and the breach of trust in the marketplace. Ultimately, strength of character and not simply strength of laws and regulations will prohibit further business scandals.

~VC~
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2004-04-26T08:20:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Music File Sharing - (articles): "As sales of recorded music drop precipitously, the music industry has pointed a blaming finger at the dramatic growth of file sharing among individuals who search, share, and download music files from each other. Surely if consumers can get their favorite songs for free, the reasoning goes, they're not making tracks to the nearest record store to pay $18 for a CD," writes a recent Harvard Gazette author.

But - "Think again, says Felix Oberholzer-Gee, associate professor at Harvard Business School. In a recent study, Oberholzer-Gee found that sharing digital music files has no effect on CD sales. 'It's a finding that surprised us,' he says. 'We just couldn't document a negative relationship between file sharing and music sales.'

As one would expect, the Record industry pooh-poohs the study. "The RIAA letter also calls Strumpf and Oberholzer's analysis 'incomprehensible to the layman' and 'inconsistent with virtually every other study done by academics and research analysts.'"

Related to the music file-sharing issue, there is an interesting white paper on the matter from the ELECTRONIC FRONTIER FOUNDATION, titled, "A Better Way Forward: Voluntary Collective Licensing of Music File Sharing."

Here are some of its premises:

"First, artists and copyright holders deserve to be fairly compensated.

Second, file sharing is here to stay. Killing Napster only spawned more decentralized networks. Most evidence suggests that file sharing is at least as popular today as it was before the lawsuits began.

Third, the fans do a better job making music available than the labels. Apple's iTunes Music Store brags about its inventory of over 500,000 songs. Sounds pretty good, until you realize that the fans have made millions of songs available on KaZaA. If the legal clouds were lifted, the peer-to-peer networks would quickly improve.

Fourth, any solution should minimize government intervention in favor of market forces."

~VC~
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2004-04-22T08:39:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Is Money an Impediment to a College Education? - (article): A groundbreaking new study from the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) sheds some light on issues of college affordability and accessibility. The January 2004 study, entitled Private and Public Contributions to Financing College Education, tackles the following questions:

* What do parents and students actually pay for higher education after utilizing financial aid (public and private) and other subsidies?
* Do low-income students pay more, in percentage terms, than their more affluent peers?

If the answer to the second question is "yes," one might conclude that financial aid programs for low-income students are lacking. However, the CBO found that the answer is "no." As the CBO report notes, "Governmental and other non-family assistance makes up a particularly large share of financial support for students from low-income families." The study continues by explaining its four basic findings:

* "First, the share of education costs borne by [low-income] students is as low as or lower than the share borne by students from higher-income families."
* "Second, students from the lowest-income families on average work and borrow less while attending college than do students from the two middle-income family groups (compared with students from the highest-income group, they work and borrow slightly more)."
* "Third, the majority of students from low-income families are able to finance their college costs without exhausting the government-subsidized loans for which they are eligible."
* "Fourth, students from the lowest-income group appear able to finance their education with only moderate support from their parents--in general, little more than the value of room and board for the half of all such students who live at home."

Generally speaking, low-income families--defined as those earning less than $30,000 per year and those whose children are likely to qualify for federal Pell grants--pay the least for college because of the broad array of subsidies and financial aid available to them. Typical low-income first-year college students and their families pay less than 40 percent of the total cost of higher education--a lower proportion than the 50 percent to 60 percent paid by middle- and upper-income students.

From these findings, the CBO report concluded that financing education is "not a major obstacle to college attendance." Certainly, in limited circumstances, financial issues may create difficulties for some families, but the CBO report indicates that such situations are not the norm.

~VC~
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2004-04-22T08:26:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Kerry Tax Plan [Yes .... he actually has a plan] - (article): Senator John Kerry, the presumptive presidential nominee of the Democratic Party, has proposed changes to U.S. tax policy that he argues will boost the economy's performance and increase jobs.

Heritage's Center for Data Analysis crunched the numbers on Kerry's plan, revealing several weaknesses of Kerry's plan:

* By 2006, according to the analysis, "there will be 225,000 fewer jobs created per year due to the Kerry tax plan" than in the baseline scenario, which assumes current policies;
* Unemployment rates will be higher under the Kerry tax plan;
* After-tax income under the Kerry plan will fall below baseline by tens of billions of dollars annually; and
* The savings rate under the Kerry plan will drop far below baseline, starting at 17 percent below baseline in 2005.

If Senator Kerry is serious about jobs and economic growth, concludes CDA Director William Beach, he should embrace all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.

~VC~
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2004-04-22T08:21:00.000-07:00

POLICY - UK Does U-turn on EU Constitution - (articles): "Tony Blair is set to announce this week that the government will hold a referendum on the new European Union constitution if it is approved by EU heads of government later this year," the Financial Times reports. In Cato's "US-EU: The Constitutional Divide," Marian Tupy, assistant director of Cato's Project on Global Economic Liberty, and Patrick Basham, senior fellow in Cato's Center for Representative Government, write: "The EU constitution makes European government more, not less, remote from the citizenry. The EU's operations are expanded, not streamlined, and its bureaucracy is made more complex, not simpler. There are no cuts to the EU's 97,000 pages of accumulated laws and regulations. The EU's powers are supposedly limited in this document but there is an escape clause in case the Brussels-based bureaucracy ever feels boxed in by popular sentiment. The decisions in Brussels are final and EU laws supersede laws made by national parliaments."

~VC~
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2004-04-22T08:13:00.000-07:00

POLICY - WHO Advises Using Taxes to Reduce Obesity - (articles): "The World Health Organisation is continuing to advise governments to consider using taxes to help combat obesity, despite intense lobbying by the US and the worldwide food industry to water down its recommendations," the Financial Times reports. In Cato's Too Fat: Federal Powers Need a Constitutional Diet, George Mason University Law Professor Michael I. Krauss and Cato Senior Fellow Robert A. Levy write: "[No one] has thought to ask where in the Constitution-the document that enumerates Congress' few and defined powers-the national government is authorized to tackle obesity, much less to bar private parties from filing fat-related grievances in state courts against food companies. Excessive food consumption, for example, would be a public health problem if it were contagious. But it isn't. Decisions about nutrition, for us and our families, are voluntary, entirely private matters. We do not need government much less federal government making those decisions for us."

Roger Bate, form National Review, also writes about the WHO as a "politicized and irrelevant Global Agency."

~VC~
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2004-04-17T11:38:00.000-07:00

POLICY - EPA: Illegal Smog Levels in Hundreds of Counties (articles): "Hundreds of the nation's most populated counties are polluting the air with smog and must clean it, the Environmental Protection Agency" said recently and was reported by USA TODAY. In "The Smog Road: Remote Sensing Vs. The Clean Air Act," Professor Daniel B. Klein and transportation economics expert Pia Maria Koskenoja write: "Both empirical evidence and candid reflection suggest that current approaches to vehicle pollution are extremely inefficient, economically costly, and of only limited help in improving air quality. The use of remote sensors, mobile, roadside emission-sensing devices, could do more to improve air quality than all other approaches combined at only a fraction of the cost. Moreover, a remote-sensing program would embody the concept that the polluter--not society at large--should pay for pollution. But remote sensing is largely neglected by the Clean Air Act."

~VC~
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2004-04-15T09:55:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Wal Mart & Unbridled Capitalism - (articles): "A bid by the world's largest corporation to bypass uncooperative elected officials and take its aggressive expansion plans to voters failed ... as Inglewood residents overwhelmingly rejected Wal-Mart's proposal to build a colossal retail and grocery center without an environmental review or public hearings," writes the LA TIMES. Not only is this anti-Wal-Mart emotional offense apparent in SoCal, but also in Chicago.

In Can 'Unbridled Capitalism' Be Tamed? Senior Fellow Doug Bandow writes: "The objection to Wal-Mart is simple: It charges lower prices, drawing customers away from established businesses, hurting 'the community.' The problem is not really Wal-Mart, however. Rather, it is economy-minded customers who desire increased choice and lower prices. Thus, instead of barring Wal-Mart, honest critics should favor arresting anyone who shops at any discounter even by mail. This is the logical, if nonsensical, consequence of the anti-Wal Mart worldview."

~VC~
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2004-04-15T09:37:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Government Auditors Review Medicare Costs - (articles): "As lawmakers squabble over just how much the new Medicare prescription drug package will cost, a team of government auditors in Philadelphia knows one thing: If history is any guide, it won't be a good deal for seniors or taxpayers," The Washington Post reports. In War between the Generations: Federal Spending on the Elderly Set to Explode, Cato Institute's Director of Fiscal Policy Chris Edwards and former researcher Tad DeHaven write: "It is clear that adding an unfunded prescription drug benefit to Medicare moves directly against reform because it puts the program's spending on an even more unsustainable path. Unfortunately, tomorrow's young taxpayers are not here to defend themselves against the huge burdens that are being foisted on them by Congress."

~VC~
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2004-04-14T21:21:00.000-07:00

MEDIA - NPR Launches a Hostile Takeover of 2-week old Lib Radio Network - (articles): DRUDGE has been teasing us all day about how the new Liberal Talk Radio Network ("Air America") has momentarily assumed the title 'Dead-Air America.' The reason for the recent closure in the LA and Chicago market is, allegedly, because of a bounced 1 million dollar check.

Late word, this evening, indicates that NPR is going for a grab of the financially-troubled network.

When word broke of the network's dire financial straits, even Talk Radio's Ma-Rushie, paused, reflected, and conceded to his listeners that, truly, some sectors of the economy are still in despairing conditions and, without a doubt, sluggish.

~VC~
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2004-04-14T09:55:00.000-07:00

POLICY - Federal Insurance Regulation - Coming Soon? - (article): "The prospect that Washington will seize a role in the regulation of insurance is gaining momentum after more than 150 years of control by the states," The New York Times reports. The Cato Handbook for Congress recommends that the federal government keep out of the business of regulating insurance companies. In a Handbook chapter on insurance regulation, Scott E. Harrington and Tom Miller write: "Despite the obvious shortcomings of regulation of insurance rates and policy forms in some states, optional federal chartering of property-casualty insurers is not in the best interests of policyholders and taxpayers....The better and more prudent policy is to reject federal chartering and encourage and support further modernization of state regulation."

~VC~
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2004-04-02T10:20:00.000-08:00

POLICY - 'OUTSOURCING': Wanting to monopolize the production of products or services being sold, yet wanting to have competitive prices for when a product or service is being bought - (articles): The outsourcing issue is becoming more of a mainstream concern (This post is a rewrite and expansion of something I previously wrote).

'Outsourcing' has become the demagogues term of choice. I actually hate the usage of the word and its related term, 'insourcing.'

Economic protectionists can be both liberal and conservative. Libs like John F. Kerry appeal to this idea for political posturing, even though Kerry himself "outsourced" his own campaign staff (at one point during this campaign Kerry hired his staff out of Canada). Libs prefer something of a protectionists economic policy because it can continue to fuel the attitude that government can protect those who can't (or simply don't want to) protect themselves. But this is understandable, given liberal assumptions on the role and purpose of government.

But the real policy paradox comes, in my opinion, when conservatives express a similar economic protectionism. If conservatives hold to the idea that government should be least involved in the economic affairs of its citizens, why, then, would a conservative want to encourage such protectionism against themselves and the interest of others? Conservatives that usually hold to some sense of economic protectionism usually do so in the name of patriotism or being "America First." Tariffs are often used and encouraged against foreign traders in order to protect the "American worker" - that is, to keep jobs here at home. But if this is considered sound policy, why not encourage taxation of specific industries in this country, or government subsidization of whole industries, all in the name of "patriotic duty"? But, in most cases, this suggestion would be considered a conservative anathema. Sometimes religious conservatives and liberals alike express an anti-business attitude toward economic progress, calling such outsourcing 'immoral' because of its advantages for the evil "big business." Funny thing, though, a poor person never provided any job for anybody. Productive and effecient businesses provide jobs, not government or politicians.

Doesn't a business have the freedom to find the cheapest labor possible? All things being equal, any good consumer would want to buy product x instead of y because it is cheaper and better. How much more should a business, which provides goods and services, be allowed to freely choose what is best for its own success and competition in the market?

Moreover, the evidence for outsourcing is, at best, skimpy. Bruce Bartlett writes the following in his editorial:

"There is very little real evidence outsourcing has caused significant job losses in the U.S. All the data showing job losses in the millions come from consulting firms like McKinsey & Co., Forrester Research and others, which make money by helping companies outsource. It is in their interest to make potential clients think all their competitors do it, so they must, too."

Even last month, The Wall Street Journal reported that "Despite the political outcry over the outsourcing of white-collar jobs to such places as India and Ghana, the latest U.S. government data suggest that foreigners outsource far more office work to the U.S. than American companies send abroad'. For "The value of U.S. exports of legal work, computer programming, telecommunications, banking, engineering, management consulting and other private services jumped to $131.01 billion in 2003, up $8.42 billion from the previous year, the Commerce Department reported". In "The States and Outsourcing," Cato Policy Analyst Radley Balko writes: "For all the talk of off-shoring, the cost of packing up a domestic plant and moving it overseas is pretty significant. Even outsourcing tech support and programming doesn't always make economic sense. American workers are still far more productive than, for example, Indian workers, even when you factor in the lower wages. It's only when the onus of complying with federal, state, and local tax laws and regulations becomes overly burdensome that it makes economic sense for a corporation to shop jurisdictions for a better deal."

What the outsourcing debate reveals is a confusion about what is (as a matter of policy) free trade and its implications for the countries that participate in such trade.

Kevin Schmiesing, research fellow at the Acton Institute, has a great commentary piece on the election-year outsourcing debate: "People of faith are criticizing companies that shift jobs overseas, joining the contentious political debate. But, as Kevin Schmiesing points out, the movement of manufacturing and now high-tech jobs to lower-wage markets is a decades-old global trend that advances free trade and prosperity."

Daniel Drezner, writing in the May/June issue of FOREIGN POLICY, that the outsourcing issue is but another 'bogeyman': Outsourcing actually brings far more benefits than costs, both now and in the long run. If its critics succeed in provoking a new wave of American protectionism, the consequences will be disastrous — for the U.S. economy and for the American workers they claim to defend.

The HERITAGE FOUNDATION provides a nice web memo, which states 10 common myths about jobs and outsourcing and then provides some good responses. Also, Alison Fraser, Director of the Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy Studies at Heritage, has an excellent piece, titled, "What's Really Happening with Jobs and Outsourcing?" Instead of increasing the minimum wage, extending unemployment, or increasing other regulations to prevent outsourcing, we should focus on policies that create jobs like lowering the burden of regulation, attacking frivolous lawsuits through tort reform, and implementing pro-growth tax policies. These are the types of policies that will help us to see the payroll job gains everyone has been waiting for catch up with the rest of the economy.

Brink Lindsey, the director of Cato's Center for Trade Policy Studies, published a recent briefing, "Job Losses and Trade:
A Reality Check" (pdf). "Calls for new trade restrictions to preserve current jobs are misguided. There is no significant difference between jobs lost because of trade and those lost because of technologies or work processes. All of those job losses are a painful but necessary part of the larger process of innovation and productivity increases that is the source of new wealth and rising living standards."

Russell Roberts, a research fellow at the Hoover Institution and a professor of economics at George Mason University, wrote "The Great Outsourcing Scare of 2004" for the HOOVER DIGEST (2004, no. 2):

"People are worried that Indians are going to take away all of America’s good jobs. The 'outsourcing' of call center and software coding jobs to India has been a tough pill to swallow for an educated workforce. The alarmists, from presidential candidates to think tank economists, see a dim future for America if nothing is done to arrest the flow of jobs from West to East.

There are two ways to get things in life. The first is to make them for yourself. The second is to let someone else make them for you and trade for them. When others can make something more cheaply than you can make it for yourself, it makes sense to outsource it. You specialize in what you do most productively and swap for the rest of your desires. That specialization creates wealth.

A final thought. Can you imagine how strange our worries about outsourcing must sound to India? Hearing us complain about their low-wage competition is like listening to the Yankees complain that the Red Sox signed Pokey Reese to a contract. You don’t know who Pokey Reese is? That’s the point. It’s the Red Sox who have it rough. But baseball is a zero-sum game—when the Yankees win, the Red Sox have to lose. Unlike sports, international trade makes both sides better off. Outsourcing lets Americans get less-expensive software and the Indians get better wages and the chance to buy more American goods. It’s a good deal for both of us."

Bush had it right when he asserted that trade will in fact produce more jobs for Americans.

There certainly is an obvious 'human-side' to unemployment - to state this is even unnecessary. But the so-called 'human-side' to unemployment is not what government should be in the business of employing. Its easy for a politician to say, 'I feel your pain.' But it is more challenging for that same politician to assert or promise that he or she will help to provide sufficient economic conditions so that businesses can provide more jobs.

Rev. Robert A. Sirico, President of the Acton Institute has his priorities right, when he said in a recent Institute newsletter

"Ministers are called upon to provide counsel in times of personal crisis. One of the most common of these crises is the loss of a job. Sometimes the fact of being unemployed causes a person to undervalue his or her self worth, or to face a difficult transition to a new line of work. It can mean a costly move, more time spent in school, or possibly venturing out toward starting an enterprise.

No matter what the result, unemployment reminds us that little in this life is certain. But it can also draw us closer to family and faith, and impart lessons about fortitude and initiative. Losing a job doesnÂt have to be a long-term tragedy. With the right institutional conditions (and this is true primarily in the US), unemployment can be only a temporary setback that yields a positive long-term result.

In many parts of the world, however, unemployment is a grave social matter that signals a deeper, underlying problem: the lack of market flexibility to respond to human needs. This can take the form of punishing tax levels, mercantilist trade policy, wage controls, costly business regulations, or an absence of property rights. The result, however, is always a cycle of poverty and despair.

Economists often talk about scarcity as a feature of the market. There are limited means and unlimited wants. One implication of this concept is that there is never a shortage of work as such. What we need are institutions that make cooperation possible between people so that work can be mutually advantageous. The very institutions (wage contracts, property titles, freedom to associate) that aid this cooperation are often inadvertently harmed through governmental intervention in the labor market."

If unemployment is really a serious concern to leftist, big-government protectionists, and right-wing 'America First' protectionists, then both should adopt a pro-business economic policy, pro-entrepreneurshiphip, and pro-innovation - with all the necessary risks that would be involved.

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2004-03-19T09:45:00.000-08:00

CULTURE - 'Perpetual Adolescent' - (articles): In recent years, sociologists have concluded that 'adulthood' is really no longer that life phase right after that phase known as adolescence. Increasingly, being an 'adult' is someone who is in their mid 30s, beginning to start the 'work force' after living at Mom and Dad's during their 20s and parts of their 30s. Why not smootch on the folks, it certainly seems economically viable?

Popular culture is an excellent example of this prolonging of the significance and responsibilities of adulthood. On another note, its not suprising that many people become more conservative in their political and economic understanding as they grow-up. Commonsensically, people want to adapt their lives to reality and not to youthful illusions about the world. People want to keep more of their income, and be more responsible for their own lives and the lives that they are stewards of. Such ownership of one's life is less likely for a forever young, popular culture.

Two articles on this matter are noteworthy:

Joseph Epstein, one of today's best and most articulate essayists, writes in the WEEKLY STANDARD of The Perpetual Adolescent: And the triumph of youth culture." : "The ideal almost everywhere is to seem young for as long as possible. The health clubs and endemic workout clothes, the enormous increase in cosmetic surgery (for women and men), the special youth-oriented television programming and moviemaking, all these are merely the more obvious signs of the triumph of youth culture. When I say youth culture, I do not mean merely that the young today are transcendent, the group most admired among the various age groups in American society, but that youth is no longer viewed as a transitory state, through which one passes on the way from childhood to adulthood, but an aspiration, a vaunted condition in which, if one can only arrange it, to settle in perpetuity.

Terrance O. Moore, principal of Ridgeview Classical Schools in Fort Collins, Colorado, wrote in the CLAREMONT REVIEW OF BOOKS of "Wimps & Barbarians: The Sons of Murphy Brown": Manhood is not simply a matter of being male and reaching a certain age. These are acts of nature; manhood is a sustained act of character. It is no easier to become a man than it is to become virtuous. In fact, the two are the same. The root of our old-fashioned word "virtue" is the Latin word virtus, a derivative of vir, or man. To be virtuous is to be "manly." As Aristotle understood it, virtue is a "golden mean" between the extremes of excess and deficiency. Too often among today's young males, the extremes seem to predominate. One extreme suffers from an excess of manliness, or from misdirected and unrefined manly energies. The other suffers from a lack of manliness, a total want of manly spirit. Call them barbarians and wimps. So prevalent are these two errant types that the prescription for what ails our young males might be reduced to two simple injunctions: Don't be a barbarian. Don't be a wimp. What is left, ceteris paribus, will be a man.

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2004-03-10T08:45:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - The Enlightened Ones are at it again - (article): Those wanna-be highbrow intellectuals of atheism seem to find great elasticity of mind as it concerns censoring religious expression. The WASHINGTON TIMES reports that "Atheists and other nonbelievers set up a political action committee yesterday to endorse candidates and lobby lawmakers to remove all traces of religion from the government."

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2004-03-05T09:14:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL (foreign) - Has Post-Cold War Russia Been a Failure? - (article): Andrei Shleifer and Daniel Treisman have the following article, titled, "A Normal Country" in the journal FOREIGN POLICY:

"Conventional wisdom in the West says that post-Cold War Russia has been a disastrous failure. The facts say otherwise. Aspects of Russia's performance over the last decade may have been disappointing, but the notion that the country has gone through an economic cataclysm and political relapse is wrong — more a comment on overblown expectations than on Russia's actual experience. Compared to other countries at a similar level of economic and political development, Russia looks more the norm than the exception."

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2004-03-05T08:17:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Biolian's making a difference in the public square - (article): Biola University's PR just released the following announcement:

"Dr. Scott Rae’s, associate professor of biblical studies and Christian
ethics at Biola’s Talbot School of Theology, will speak to members of
Congress and their staff on 'Swindles, Lies and Building a Healthy
Economy' on March 31 and April 1.

Rae’s lecture is one of an eight-part lecture series entitled “Contours of
a Christian Worldview.” The Wilberforce Forum, a division of Chuck
Colson’s Prison Fellowship Ministries, is sponsoring the lecture series.

The Wilberforce Forum works to enable Christians to approach life with a
biblical worldview so that they can shape culture from a biblical
perspective.

In addition to his work with Talbot, Rae works as a consultant to the
ethics committees of five Southern California area hospitals and is the
author of several books on Christian ethics."

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2004-03-04T09:28:00.000-08:00

POLICY [Foreign] - Saddam's Philanthropy - (article): Nicely researched article from the AMERICAN OUTLOOK magazine, titled, "Saddam Hussein’s Philanthropy of Terror," by Deroy Murdock. Clearly shows how Hussein has consistent history of bank-rolling terrorism. Jonathan Schanzer, writing in a recent issue of the WEEKLY STANDARD, draws and establishes some good examples of the Hussein-al'Qaeda connection in his article, titled, "Saddam's Ambassador to al Qaeda."

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2004-03-04T09:21:00.000-08:00

HISTORY - Blackmun Papers Released - (articles): "A vast new trove of material on the hidden workings of the U.S. Supreme Court becomes available today as the Library of Congress opens the papers of former Justice Harry A. Blackmun, covering 24 years of internal court deliberation on issues such as capital punishment, school prayer and especially abortion," writes the WASHINGTON POST.

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2004-03-03T18:50:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Carl Henry Institute Lectures - (audio): Here are some recent formus from the Institute:

• Ecumenical Jihad? Islam, Christianity, and the Culture War

• How High the Wall? A Debate on the Separation of Church and State

• Christ in the Public Square: Toward a Theology of Christian Political Engagement

• Onward Christian Soldiers? Christian Witness in a Time of Terror

• Whose Holy Land? Israel, the Church, and the Battle for Palestine

• Roe v. Wade--Thirty Years Later: Pro-life Witness in Pro-choice America

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2004-03-02T08:56:00.000-08:00

POLICY - Iraq's Bill of Rights - (articles): "A bill of rights with clearly defined protections for women, religious groups and ethnic minorities -- a rarity in the Arab world -- won unanimous backing yesterday from the 25-member Iraqi Governing Council as part of a temporary constitution to take effect when the U.S. led rule formally ends June 30," writes the Washington Times.

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2004-03-01T22:44:00.000-08:00

PHILOSOPHY - Philosophy of Religion - (academic papers): Here are some noteworthy papers in the area of philosophy of religion, which were recently made available online in either their published or preprint format:

York Gunther, "The Ontological Argument": "It's widely believed that the Ontological Argument is a priori and deductive in form. From merely having the concept of God, the argument claims that God's existence necessarily follows. While many objections to the Ontological Argument have been raised, I know of none that question its apriority. This, along with raising a related objection to the argument, is the goal of the paper."

Notre Dame Philosophical Reviews, Joshua Golding's Rationality and Religious Theism: "This new book may be said to constitute a very interesting attempt to act in accordance with the slogan “religion is what it does.” But whereas the social anthropologists who invented this slogan (which summarizes the approach that is known to them as “Functionalism”) were interested in different matters, Joshua Golding has here produced a very good, clear and well-argued presentation that is purely philosophical. In place of the hoary-old philosophical debate whether it is rational to believe certain propositions about God's existence and nature, which largely centered around the familiar so-called “proofs” of God's existence, Golding proposes that we concentrate on the question whether it is rational to be religious theists. For him religious theists are those who live a religious way of life. They seek a good relationship with God, in whom they, at least minimally, believe; i.e. they are committed to the belief that there is a live possibility that there is a God. They must also believe that the religious way they follow promotes the probability that if there is a God they will attain the special relation to God which they seek, and the obtaining of which they regard as supremely valuable."

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2004-03-01T22:38:00.000-08:00

PHILOSOPHY - Metaphysics & Philosophy of Mind - (academic papers): Here are some noteworthy papers in the area of metaphysics and phil. mind, which were recently made available online in either their published or preprint format:

Matti Eklund (U. Colorado), "Antirealism about Modality": "My topic here will be what form a plausible antirealism about modality might take. I start out discussing traditional empiricist views on modality, first reviewing familiar problems with these views and then arguing that these views are in fact instances of familiar general types of antirealism. This suggests that we might find a better empiricist account of modality if we look at what other form antirealism about modality might take. My conclusions will however mainly be negative. I discuss two important proposals from the literature, those of Crispin Wright and Simon Blackburn, and argue that these proposals are hardly acceptable. In the course of my discussion I will also discuss how the problems with Wright.s and Blackburn.s views generalize to other antirealist accounts of modality. (Not that the realist about modality should take too much comfort in the problems the antirealist faces. As I note in the concluding section, the main problem for the antirealist is a problem also for the realist)."

Alexander Pruss (Georgetown), "Freedom Cancelation & Determinism": "I argue that if we accept that I would not be free if you were to have deterministically caused all of my actions, then we basically should become incompatibilists."

Sean Kelly (Princeton) and Joshua Knobe, "Can One Act for a Reason without Acting Intentionally?": "Since the important work of Elizabeth Anscombe (1957), philosophers have been almost unanimous in accepting the claim that every behavior performed for a reason is performed intentionally. We develop and discuss here an apparent counterexample to this claim – a case in which people are inclined to say that an agent has performed a behavior for a reason, but are not inclined to say that he has performed that behavior intentionally. Absent a convincing argument for the view that people’s intuitions are misguided in this case, one must conclude that Anscombe’s claim is incorrect."

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2004-03-01T22:27:00.000-08:00

PHILOSOPHY - Ethics - (academic papers): Here are some noteworthy papers in the area of meta-ethics and ethical issues, which were recently made available online:

Robert Johnson, "The Good and Self-Development"

Jeremy Shearmur and Daniel B. Klein, "Good Conduct in a Great Society: Adam Smith and the Role of Reputation": "We aim to argue for the viability of good conduct in a voluntaristic great society by arguing that Smith's optimism about good conduct in the extended economic order can be carried over to the extended social order; that which fosters trustworthy behavior in the economic realm also fosters it in the social realm."

Sharon Dolovich, "Legitimate Punishment in Liberal Democracy": "What are the terms of legitimate punishment in a liberal democracy? Traditional approaches to this question tend to focus on the purposes punishment is supposed to serve (deterrence, retribution, rehabilitation, moral education, etc.) while giving little if any consideration to the coercive deployment of state power punishment represents. In this article, I take the coercive nature of state punishment as my starting point. My aim is to determine what normative constraints, if any, exist on the state's power to punish criminal offenders in a liberal democracy - a determination, I argue, that is especially urgent given the current size of America's prison population."

Pekka Vayrynen (UC Davis), Usable Moral Principles: "An adequate model of moral guidance must provide for agents a reliable and available strategy for doing the right thing for the right reasons. Drawing on my favorite theory of moral principles, I argue that moral principles are suited to provide adequate guidance. The basic idea is that the acceptance of moral principles structures the agent's responsiveness to moral reasons."

"Grounding the Usability Constraint on Moral Theories": "Argues that grounding the usability constraint on moral theories in the importance of certain forms of autonomy and justice explains facts about adequate moral guidance better than grounding the constraint in the principle that 'ought' implies 'can.'"

Mark, Kalderon, MORAL FICTIONALISM: Forthcoming from OUP. Contemporary metaethics only recognizes two alternatives to moral realism: nonfactualism and the error theory. According to the nonfactualist, moral sentences do not express moral propositions, propositions that represent putative moral facts; rather, moral sentences have some other semantic function - to express emotional attitudes, say. The nonfactualist further maintains that in accepting a moral sentence, a subject does not believe the moral proposition expressed (for it expresses none) but rather adopts some noncognitive attitude. The error theorist maintains, in contrast, that while the acceptance of a moral sentence is belief in the moral proposition expressed, such beliefs are systematically false or unjustified. There is, however, a third alternative to moral realism: moral fictionalism.

Chapter One: Moral Pryrrhonism and Noncognitivism: In contrast to familiar internalist arguments according to which there is a motivational difference between moral acceptance and belief, I argue that there is an epistemic difference between moral acceptance and belief.

Chapter Two: The Pragmatic Fallacy: As standardly developed, noncognitivism is part of a syndrome of ideas that involve positive and negative claims about moral semantics. These are nonfactualism (the content of a moral sentence is not a moral proposition, a proposition that attributes moral properties to things) and expressivism (the content of a moral sentence is the noncognitive attitudes its utterance is used to express). In its most transparently noncognitivist form, an atomistic reduction to moral content to the expression of noncognitive attitudes, it faces the unanswerable Frege-Geach problem. In a form that avoids this difficulty, as exemplified in the work of Blackburn and Gibbard, sophisticated expresivism lacks the means of demonstrating its nonfactualist and hence noncognitivist standing.

Chapter Three: The Varieties of Moral Irrealism: If the arguments for noncognitivism are compelling, we face a puzzle at this point. This puzzle can be solved once we recognize that there are forms of noncognitivism that are not nonfactualist. Moral fictionalism is noncognitivism without an expressivist and nonfactualist semantics. Demonstrating this requires that we rethink the standard taxonomy of alternatives to moral realism

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2004-03-01T18:40:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Calvin Seminary Lectures - (audio):

Cornelius Plantinga, delivered, "Renewing the Soul, Renewing the Church, Renewing the World."

Bruce Metzger delivered, "The Dead Sea Scrolls & Bible Translation"

N. T. Wright delivered, "Preaching and Teaching Romans: All Israel and the Church's Task," and "Preaching and Teaching Romans: New Exodus, New Creation, New Humanity," and "Preaching and Teaching Romans: God's Gospel, God's Son, God's Righteousness."

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2004-03-01T18:29:00.000-08:00

PHILOSOPHY - Eleonore Stump Lecture - (audio): Dr. Eleonore Stump, The Robert J. Henle Professor of Philosophy at Saint Louis University, delivered the Beall-Russell Lecture in the Humanities Tuesday, Oct. 6, at Jones Theater in the Hooper-Schaefer Fine Arts Center, Baylor University. Stump’s lecture was titled “Faith and the Problem of Evil: Abraham, Isaac, Hagar, and Ishmael.”

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2004-03-01T18:25:00.000-08:00

HISTORY - David McCullough Lecture on Adams - (audio): Pulitzer Prize-winning author David McCullough delivered the annual Ferguson-Clark Author Lecture at 7 p.m. Thursday, Oct. 9, at Waco Hall, Baylor University. His talk, which focused on his latest book, John Adams, was followed by a question and answer session.

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2004-03-01T17:44:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Craig Audio Debate - (mp3): Here are some downloadable audio of the recent William Lane Craig and Hector Avalos debate. There are also some other lectures that Craig gave (e.g., historical Jesus, pluralism).

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2004-02-26T19:55:00.000-08:00

CULTURAL - Illustrating Absurdity with Absurdity - (article): Frank Beckwith, longtime, evangelical champion of all-things good and sound, has a really helpful suggestions for social conservatives, as they seek to respond to the plight of fly-bye, same-sex weddings in SanFran. His piece appears at NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: "Street Theatre in the Bay Area":

"I believe, however, that given present circumstances that the best strategy is to take the mayor at his word and employ "street theatre" in a provocative way in order to force the other side to defend their marital nihilism in all its glory. Here's the plan: Have about 50 folks go to San Francisco city hall and request marriage licenses, but not for gay marriages, rather, for other sorts of "unions" that are also forbidden by the state: three bisexuals from two genders, one person who wants to marry himself (and have him accuse the mayor of "numberism," the prejudice that marriage must include more than one person), two married couples who want a temporary "wife-swap lease," a couple consisting of two brothers, two sisters, or a brother and a sister, an adult mother and son, and a man who wants to add a second wife and a first husband in order to have a "marital ensemble," etc., etc. Let's see if the mayor will give these people "marriage" licenses. If not, why not? If not, then the jig is up and the mayor actually has to explain the grounds on which he will not give licenses to these folks. But what could those grounds be? That it would break the law? That marriage has a nature, a purpose, that is not the result of social construction or state fiat? If so, then what is it and why?"

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2004-02-11T08:45:00.000-08:00

POLICY - A 'Moral Case' for Immigration - (article): Within the larger national discussion about immigration policy, few reasonable attempts have been made for a moral case for immigration, especially as this is understood from traditional, Catholic Social teaching.

From the Acton Institute, combining Catholic social teaching and economic analysis, Andrew Yuengert argues forcefully for the right to migrate. Yuengert, the John and Francis Duggan Chair of Economics at Seaver College, Pepperdine University, formulates a view of immigrants as “creative persons with inherent dignity, rather than social burdens and economic drains.”

"The Stranger who Sojourns with You: Toward a Moral Immigration Policy" (pdf).

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2004-02-09T19:05:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - The Wrong Guy in the Dock - (article): The American Spectator has a nice piece today: "The War on the War on Terror." The article comments on how Bush has been unreasonably placed in the Dock. While the real enemy - our enemies of the U.S. - escape the necessary moral outrage from much of the Left:

"But the general pattern has been that democratic leaders who wage war on terrorists, totalitarians, enemies of freedom, are guilty until proven innocent. Never more so than now, when alleged intelligence failures, alleged deceptions, are all the rage. The Free World turns in, snarling, upon itself ..."

"If the domestic opponents of Bush and Blair were claiming that they can manage the War on Terror more effectively, that would be one thing. But most of them, instead, are casting doubt on whether this war is necessary at all -- and using a flap about WMD and intelligence to try and delegitimize Bush and Blair altogether. Considering the very real threats we continue to face from al Qaeda, Iran, North Korea, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia, et al., that's what really scares me."

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2004-01-30T13:46:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - *NEWS FLASH* - (articles): Conspiracy theorists beware! While many Liberal Dems shout with wanna-be prophetic utterance at the way in which "Bush/Cheney went to War because of Big Oil," one has to simply laugh, then laugh again, and roll with political glee at the fact that neither "Bush" nor "Cheney" squandered Iraqi Oil.

"Oil For-Food Program." Does this not sound suspicious? Long-before ABC reported about this ghastly, UN rip-off, others were already reporting about the suspicious if not incredible nature of this program and its policy:

Stratfor.com: "Chirac-Hussein Connection" (February 19, 2003).

The NATIONAL CENTER FOR POLICY ANALYSIS: "Oil For Food -- and Boats, Sport Supplies, Detergent" (April 18, 2003):

William Safire, "Follow the Money" (April 21, 2003).

You gotta love-it when worthless bureaucratic UN policy serves the pocket of wealthy despots under the semblance of 'magnanimity' and 'world peace.' Even the Bulgarian Socialists are outraged over Sadaam's Oil Bounties.

The Wall Street Journal has a very good editorial on this matter: "Sadaam's Global Payroll":

"In the seven years that Oil-for-Food was operational, (it was shut down in November and its obligations are being wound up) Saddam was able to skim off funds for his personal use, while at the same time doing favors for those who supported the lifting of sanctions, supplied him with his vast arsenal of weapons, and opposed military action in Iraq. Indeed, it was clear from the outset that Saddam would be able to use the program to benefit his friends. The 1995 U.N. resolution setting out the program--Resolution 986--bends over backwards to reassure Iraq that Oil-for-Food would not "infringe the sovereignty or territorial integrity" of Iraq. And to that end it gave Saddam power to decide on trading partners. "A contract for the purchase of petroleum and petroleum products will only be considered for approval if it has been endorsed by the Government of Iraq," states the program's procedures. Predictably, Saddam exploited the program for influence-buying and kickbacks, and filled his coffers by smuggling oil through Syria and elsewhere. With Oil-for-Food and smuggling, he was able to sustain his domestic power base and maintain a lavish lifestyle for his inner circle.

"The system was ripe for abuse, in part because a divided Security Council gave Saddam far too much flexibility within the program. Oil-for-Food not only gave Iraq the power to decide with whom to deal, but also freedom to determine the official price of Iraqi oil, revenues from which went legally into the U.N.'s Oil-for-Food account. U.N. rules did not allow it to order Iraq to deal directly with end-users and bypass all those lucky middlemen who got deals from Saddam. Nor was the U.N. allowed to view contracts other than those between the oil ministry and the first purchaser, so it had no way of verifying that surcharges were being imposed by the middlemen on end-users. That enabled him to add surcharges to finance his own schemes while still making the final price competitive."

Does anybody have any further doubts about how utterly backwards, if not dangerous UN policy is to our national security and to the security of the very community the UN allegedly preserves?

"We do not need a permission slip to protect ourselves"
- President George W. Bush, Headmaster & Grand Leader of the Free World

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2004-01-28T10:40:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Democrat Presidential Nominations - (articles): Some insightful commentary on what the media wants out of the Democrat political nomination race by editorialist James Pinkerton in his "Media Want a Long Campaign."

In the meantime, as Kerry seems to show a lead distinct from the rest of the Democrat pack, does he show leadership? Or, with Mac Owens from NATIONAL REVIEW, "Is Kerry a Proud War Hero or Angry Antiwar Protester?"

Mickey Kaus takes Kerry's 'phony populism' to task. And Ann Coulter takes her satire and draws some great holes in Kerry's lucrative bank:

"Kerry is like some character in a Balzac novel, an adventurer twirling the end of his mustache and preying on rich women. This low-born poseur with his threadbare pseudo-Brahmin family bought a political career with one rich woman's money, dumped her, and made off with another heiress to enable him to run for president. If Democrats want to talk about middle-class tax cuts, couldn't they nominate someone who hasn't been a poodle to rich women for past 33 years."

And with Buckley,

"A problem with presidential candidacies is their pursuit of trendy popularity. Kerry tasted deep of this when he paraded before Congress in 1971, condemning the judgment and integrity of three U.S. presidents who had argued the importance of resisting the Communists in Vietnam. And now Kerry has his eyes on a sitting president who with the backing of 77 senators, including John Kerry, set out to disarm Saddam Hussein by force. Does anyone doubt that if the Iraqi insurgency had been quelled six months ago, Candidate Kerry would have applauded the leadership of the president he is so consumed to replace?"

William Saletan, from Slate, has this observation about Kerry:

"After watching him for a year and seeing him work New Hampshire, here's my warning: You're getting a guy who has plenty of selling points but can't make the sale himself ...

Physically, Kerry's repertoire is painfully limited. He thrusts his index finger at the audience in an overhead arc again and again, as though launching a projectile. He seems to be trying not to animate his thoughts but to expel them. Above the neck, nothing but his mouth moves. If you showed anyone a video of Kerry with his lips blacked out, they'd never know he was speaking. On television, it often seems as though Kerry is looking at you but not seeing you. In person, you realize he is looking at you but not seeing you. His words are even more stilted, particularly when he ruins a good line by adding prepositional phrases—"in this country … as a fundamental commitment … to all our citizens … regardless of circumstance"—until everyone is silently begging him to stop."

~VC~
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2004-01-27T08:45:00.000-08:00

MEDIA - Stossel's Confessions - (article): Many of us have been long-time fans of the great reporting of John Stossel. With the resigning of BraBra Walters (sniffles, cries, weaping, and cheers!) from ABC's 20/20, it is with great hope that ABC allows Stossel to go solo on 20/20.

Stossel just released his own intellectual autobiography of sorts, which documents, among other things, his own rise to political reporting and transition from liberalism to libertarian conservativism: Give Me a Break.

"Lies, Myths and Downright Stupidity" is a nice compilation of issues Stossel has confronted over the years.

~VC~
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2004-01-27T08:40:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Christian Higher Education & Its Cultural Significance - (articles): Previously, I posted about this issue. Now there is an update to add from a recent TIME magazine article: "Higher Learning Christian colleges are booming — and reinventing the meaning of a faith-based education."

~VC~
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2004-01-21T13:14:00.000-08:00

FUN - Arnold makes impact in Iraq - (article): Great article from the Washington Times showing the impact of our great Gov. Arnold on a body-builder in Iraq.

~VC~
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2004-01-14T09:26:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Who are the Poor in the Country? - (articles): Democrat liberals routingly cite the poor as being so utterly oppressed by the economic advantages of others, that, indeed, 'the poor' are a definitive entitlement demographic: "those who cannot help themselves."

When one considers what is poverty and who are the poor, one typically thinks of genuine material hardship — e.g., the lack of nutritious food, warm housing and clothing. Clearly, someone who must endure such situations would, without a doubt, be considered poor.

But a new report prepared by the HERITAGE FOUNDATION clearly indicates that 'the poor' in America are indeed well-off, even if poverty is considered from a broader, international perspective. The report is written by Robert E. Rector and and Kirk A. Johnson. The title of the report is called, "Understanding Poverty in America." The following are facts about persons defined as 'poor' by the Census Bureau, taken from various government reports:

* Forty-six percent of all poor households actually own their own homes. The average home owned by persons classified as poor by the Census Bureau is a three-bedroom house with one-and-a-half baths, a garage, and a porch or patio.
* Seventy-six percent of poor households have air conditioning. By contrast, 30 years ago, only 36 percent of the entire U.S. population enjoyed air conditioning.
* Only 6 percent of poor households are overcrowded. More than two-thirds have more than two rooms per person.
* The average poor American has more living space than the average individual living in Paris, London, Vienna, Athens, and other cities throughout Europe. (These comparisons are to the average citizens in foreign countries, not to those classified as poor.)
* Nearly three-quarters of poor households own a car; 30 percent own two or more cars.
* Ninety-seven percent of poor households have a color television; over half own two or more color televisions.
* Seventy-eight percent have a VCR or DVD player; 62 percent have cable or satellite TV reception.
* Seventy-three percent own microwave ovens, more than half have a stereo, and a third have an automatic dishwasher.

Here is one of the conclusions of the report:

"But if poverty means lacking nutritious food, adequate warm housing, and clothing for a family, relatively few of the 35 million people identified as being 'in poverty' by the Census Bureau could be characterized as poor. While material hardship does exist in the United States, it is quite restricted in scope and severity. The average 'poor' person, as defined by the government, has a living standard far higher than the public imagines."

The great economist Thomas Sowell reponds to the above findings in his recent WASHINGTON TIMES editorial: "What do you do when you don't have as much of something as you need? One of the things you can do is stretch it out to make it last as long as it can. That is what the political left is doing with the poor. A lot of noise is made about how we are 'running out' of this or that natural resource -- almost always falsely -- but the real problem of the left is that it is running out of the poor, who serve as a justification of the left's drive to extend its power over all the rest of us."

~VC~
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2004-01-07T10:59:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Illegal Immigration & Temporary Work Program - (articles): "President Bush today will propose a broad temporary-work program that will make more than 8 million illegal aliens eligible to stay in the United States without penalty and eventually to apply for permanent legal residence and citizenship," writes the WASHINGTON TIMES.

The White House provides the following fact sheet about what this new immigration policy is and what it is not: One thing is certain - Pres. Bush does not endorse amnesty!

The liberal Blog TALKING POINTS MEMO has a legitimate transcript from an interview (yesterday) with a "Senior Administration Official" and reporters about Bush's announcement today. Interesting.

There are some notable editorials and commentaries on this policy:

1. Wall Street Journal, "Immigrant Realities": "Like it or not, the U.S. is part of an integrating regional and world economy in which the movement of people across borders is inevitable. Despite nearly 20 years of efforts to "crack down on the borders," the immigrants keep coming--an estimated eight million without legal U.S. documents today. As long as the per capita income differential between the U.S. (nearly $32,000) and Mexico ($3,679) continues to be so wide, we can't stop immigrants short of means that will violate our traditions, our conscience, and our national interest."

2. Mark Krikorian, the executive director of the Center for Immigration Studies, published, "Jobs Americans Won't Do" NATIONAL REVIEW ONLINE: Provides a thorough and concise consideration of the economic and political meaning of "the basic assumption underlying the whole Bush plan: that there are jobs Americans simply won't do, so that the importation of foreigners is essential. Whether these foreign workers are illegal aliens, guestworkers, or permanent legal immigrants is a detail to be worked out by us, the argument goes, but our need for them is unchanged." Krickorian goes on to argue (with Julian Simon) that the influx of immigration labor has stunted necessary innovation in the agricultural industry.

* The Center also provides two related papers, which Krikorian cites from:

(a) Yoav Sarig, James F. Thompson, and Galen K. Brown, "Alternatives to Immigrant Labor? The Status of Fruit and Vegetable Harvest Mechanization in the United States," December 2000.

(b) Bert Mason, R. Keith Striegler, and Gregory T. Berg, "Alternatives to Immigrant Labor? Raisin Industry Tests New Harvesting Technology," June 1997.

3. Michelle Malkin, "The Criminal Raid on Social Security," TOWNHALL.COM: "The bureaucrats call this scheme 'totalization.' Try total prostration. The proposed agreement is nothing more than a transfer of wealth from those who play by the rules to those who willingly and knowingly mock our own immigration and tax laws. What are we doing promising lifetime Social Security paychecks to day laborers in Juarez when we can't even guarantee those benefits to workers here at home?"

4. Linda Chavez, "In Immigration Trenches," WASHINGTON TIMES: "What sense does it make to insist we get rid of the very people doing these jobs now to make way for other foreign workers to take them under a new guest worker plan? It makes a lot more sense to figure out how to get those illegal aliens already employed at these jobs to come in from the shadows and become part of the legal system. They should pay a penalty for having broken the law in the first place by sneaking into the country or overstaying their visas, but it is better for all of us if they earn their way toward legal status than remain in the illegal netherworld where they now hide."

5. Mark Steyn, "Immigration shuffle ... and mood music," WASHINGTON TIMES: "The world's most powerful nation has an illegal-immigration problem because it has a legal-immigration problem. Transferring millions of people from the unofficial shadow network to the arthritic bureaucracy that allowed the problem to get this big is unlikely to solve it."

6. Tamar Jacoby, "America as a Beacon: The Bush immigration plan is Reaganesque in its optimism." WALL STREET JOURNAL: "Ronald Reagan was of course the first president to carry this new conservative banner, extolling free markets both at home and abroad. True, he signed the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, not generally considered a pro-immigration measure. Still, today, even among many left-leaning advocates, he is widely seen as a friend of immigration. His trademark bywords say it all: individual initiative, self-reliance, opportunity, entrepreneurship. Others, including this newspaper, made the same case. But it was President Reagan who articulated it best: not only the supply-siders' arguments that "immigrants mean job growth mean prosperity" for everyone, but also the power of optimism and of America as a beacon."

7. Anthony Bradley, a research associate of the Acton Institute, posted, "The Bush Immigration Plan: A Step in the Right Direction." "After the colossal failure of the 1986 Immigration Reform and Control Act, something had to be done. Eight million undocumented immigrants later, President Bush has proposed a radical change to the federal government’s immigration policy. His plan is not perfect, but it is a positive step toward helping people find jobs and fill employment gaps in our economy."

8. El' Rushbo had a brilliant segment during Tuesday's broadcast, in which he helpfully sorted out much of the political and economic motivations behind the Bush policy: "Understanding the Bush Immigration Policy."

~VC~
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2003-12-11T07:16:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Campaign Finance Reform & Limited Government - (articles): The WASHINGTON TIMES reports that "The U.S. Supreme Court yesterday upheld the new campaign-finance law, which banned 'soft money' donations to national political parties and prohibited interest groups from running issue ads immediately before a federal election."

The Pro-CFR argument is largely motivated by the concern that the political process has become corrupted by 'special interest' money. Thus, the argument goes, if 'special interest' money is restricted, regulated, or prohibited from polluting the political process our political process will be much more stable and judicious.

This populist appeal is misleading for several reasons.

'Special interest' is nothing more than you and me participating in the political process, collectively, conjoining our time, energy, and resources together to represent a group, issue, or cause that we take to be good. Many populists say that the political process has become the individual who simply votes at the ballot box versus the big-bad activism of the X-Y-or-Z 'special interest' group. Thus, the little guy's voice can't really be heard or does not matter as much compared to the million-dollar funded activism of 'special-interest.' The solution? Get the money of 'special interest' out of politics, according to CFR pundits.

But while there is certainly a difference between me and a special interest, the difference is not forced or regulated but is voluntary. That is, people who participate in the free speech expression of 'special interest' activism are simply people who are more involved in the political process than others. Plus, there is no one stopping you or anyone else from freely joining the NAACP, the AARP, NRA, or the National Right to Life Association, etc.

If you want to truly clean-up the political process from the financial implications of 'special interest' lobbyist, the solution is not to create laws and regulations which strike-down political free-speech. The problem is government and the solution is to limit government's scope in the affairs of private projects, causes, and enterprises. Get the government out of these 'special interests' and you will get the 'special interests' out of Washington. Grow the government's responsibility and power, and you will equally grow the power and presence of 'special interest' lobbying.

Why do private citizens lobby for an issue, collectively joining their time, energy and resources, to represent a group or cause? There are several reasons. But when the government extends its role and responsibility beyond that of its constitutional allowance, and becomes the spending-machine on all sorts of non-constitutionally defined goods, why would you not lobby? A bloated government is a 'special interests' greatest incentive.

The ruling by the Supreme Court on CFR, once again, demonstrates the judicial activism of our courts, and the direct implications of an over-bloated, far-reaching government.

~VC~
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2003-11-23T22:09:00.000-08:00

AMERICAN -- A Grateful Nation -- (website): Gratitude to those who willingly take-up the call to defend and protect the interests and identity of this country ought to be normative in both war-time and peace-time. In war-time, however, the oughtness for such gratitude is aggravated and becomes necessary both for the sake of the health and moral vitality of a country.

As we enter this week of thanksgiving and rest, reflecting upon the bounty of our freedoms and the nearness of God's providence in each of our lives, pause, reflect, and be grateful to those who courageously serve on our behalf, many of whom make the ultimate sacrifice, with faces full of valor, and hearts filled with love for country, and love for the freedom we all cherish and pray to see preserved.

And so it is to them and to their families that our hearts bow with great respect, eager to celebrate their sacrifice, and to be awed by their willingness to flourish as countrymen and soldiers, as patriots and defenders of the good, which is costly guaranteed but freely administered to all. Even now, behold, many of these fine men and women of the red, white and blue, who excel in their vocation with mastery of skill and with great magnanimity of will, even now, they stare death in its face and behold the face of God.

Great dittos to President George W. Bush for making himself such a delightful surprise to our fine men and women in Iraq, where he served them with American gratitude, pride and love!

~VC~
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2003-11-21T08:48:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - JFK Assassination: 40 Years Later - (articles/media): There is much buzz (both in terms of the media and book publishing world) about that horrific day in recent American history:

1. The History Channel's controversial JFK: A Presidency Revealed, asserts that the incident was conspiratorial in nature, going all the way back to LBJ. The Washington Times reports on responses from LBJ's family and administration staffers.

2. Peter Jennings had a superb presentation last evening, titled, The Kennedy Assassination: Beyond Conspiracy. The 2-hour broadcast presents different conspiracy theories and weighs them against recent technological advances used to understand the facts of that fateful day.

3. The Washington Times has a two-part excerpt from JFK: Breaking the News (International Focus Press) by Hugh Aynesworth, Dallas bureau chief of The Washington Times. Aynesworth, as a reporter for the Dallas Morning News, witnessed the assassination of JFK, the arrest of Lee Harvey Oswald and the killing of Oswald by Jack Ruby. Part One & Two.

4. The Academic JFK Assassination Website presents a balanced wealth of information on this incident, helping citizens and researchers alike to sort through various resources.

For a nicely written editorial on all the JFK buzz, see Bill Buckley's "Worshipping JFK."

~VC~
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2003-11-20T08:18:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - Evangelical Theological Society - (articles): This week hundreds of evangelicals are gathering in Atlanta for their annual theological meeting. Last year's meeting, Dr. Roger Nicole raised allegations against Dr. Clark Pinnock in regards to open theism and inerrancy. Open theist Greg Boyd deliberately failed to pay his membership dues, and John Sanders and Pinnock were to have their membership voted on in 2003. Since then, some interesting exchanges have taken place, perhaps the most significant being the results of the Executive Committee inquiry:

(1) In the matter of Clark Pinnock's stance vis-à-vis inerrancy, the Executive Committee unanimously (9-0) believes that the charges brought against him in November 2002 should not be sustained. This is a direct result of extensive discussion with Dr. Pinnock, including his clarifications of many points, and his clarifying and rewriting of a critical passage in his work, retracting certain language therein.

(2) In the matter of John Sanders' stance vis-à-vis inerrancy, the Committee believes by a 7-2 margin that the charges brought against him in November 2002 should be sustained. This too is a direct result of extensive discussion with Dr. Sanders, including his clarification of many points, and his retraction of a critical word usage.

For more on the claims of Open Theism, see the following website provided by Boyd.

Or, consider the online exchange between Sanders and theologian Christopher Hall, provided by Christianity Today.

~VC~
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2003-11-03T09:46:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Sweatshop Protests & the Poor - (articles/media): Many times during the year I am delightfully amused whenever ravage-looking, Leftist-leaning, got-nothing-else-to-do-with-their-life college students protest at the WTO meetings, harping about the woes of Sweatshops and Big Corporation take over of the little guy. It is one of the most amusing experiences to view in today's political culture. Along with their hymnity to anti-capitalism, anti-free markets (which is probably the most monotone sound you'll ever hear), these activists, filled with utter guilt to be living in America, find it within their heart of hearts to evangelize all of us about the grievous ways in which we all contribute to global poverty, and why we should be imputed with the same guilt they are feeling.

Psychotic? Perhaps.

But at minimum, utterly naive.

Recently, investigative reporter John Stossel did a complete debunking of the claim that Sweatshops do more harm than help, and that Sweatshop Protests may in fact contribute to harming poor workers.

Stossel's piece appeared in the "Give Me a Break" segment of ABC's 20/20: Here is the piece, titled, "Don't Sweat It."

June Arunga was interviewed for John Stossel's story. Arunga is director of youth affairs for the Inter Region Economic Network in Kenya. She told Stossel that "people in Kenya would volunteer to work in sweatshops for free, just to have access to clean running water and electricity without carrying firewood."

The solution to world poverty? A large portion of the answer to that question is to encourage free markets and free trade with such countries. See the following helpful resources:

Walter Block, Joseph Horton, and Debbie Walker, Department of Economics and Finance University of Central Arkansas, "The Necessity of Free Trade," Journal of Markets & Morality 1:2 (October 1998).

Rev. Gerald Zandstra, Programs Director of the Acton Institute, "The Moral Case for Free Trade" (2001).

Thomas Carl Rustici, "The Moral Nature of Free Enterprise" (1994).

Walter Block, Harold E. Wirth Eminent Scholar and Chair in Economics College of Business Administration Loyola University New Orleans, "The Moral Dimensions of Poverty, Entitlements, and Theft," Journal of Markets & Morality 4:1 (Spring 2001).

An outstanding page of resources related to a Christian worldview response to Globalization.

Radley Balko, "Sweatshops and Globalization"

~VC~
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2003-10-31T10:56:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Forest Fires & the Futility of Liberal Policies - (articles): Not that Californians need further evidence to demonstrate the failure of Liberal policies, but the current atrocities wreaked by the forest fires are, once again, testimony of the fact that government regulation is the slowest thing to change in a changing world, and is often the first impediment to greet a free, flourishing citizenry.

Now that the fires are being tamed (both as the result of changing weather conditions and the courageous work of thousands of fire fighters), many are considering how such matters could have been more effectively executed.

Is it mindless politicizing to charge liberal policies for the failure to act more effectively in combating these fires?

I think not.

Ideas do have consequences.

After all, a San Diego fire chief took the opportunity to politize the situation in an interview yesterday, where he asserted that the fire fight would have been more successful if So Cal taxpayers would be willing to pay higher taxes (courtesy of San Diego radio host, Roger Hedgecock).

Now it is a known fact that firefighters make up one of the largest unions in the state and are satisfactorily content with being beholden to the Democratic party, and to Gray-out Davis. So, from this context, it is not surprising that a fire chief would emphasize a pro-tax policy as a solution to fire fighters being more effective in their work. This brilliantly conceived logic is goes as follows: more money in the hands of big government coffers, means more social, political and economic regulations and dependency which entails a more 'protected society.' Ah, yes, brilliant, enlightened minds at work!

But taxpayers paying more taxes (especially Californians) is not the factual reason for the failure to more effectively combat, out-of-control forest fires, especially the fires that currently rage in So Cal.

What silly, small-mindedness of liberal skulls, to suggest that more money should simply be thrown to a problem?

Factually, though, the LA Times, the San Diego Tribune, and the AP (hardly associated with the 'vast right-wing conspiracy'), each report that the problems associated with successfully stopping the fires is related to excessive government regulation!

Daniel Henninger editorializes on this matter in today's opinionjournal.com:

"The scale of these wildfires is in part a consequence of the failure to act. Back in 1994, the National Commission on Wildfire Disasters warned that 'millions of acres of forest in the western United States pose an extreme fire hazard from the extensive build-up of dry, highly flammable forest fuels.' The commission's chairman told Congress that year: 'The message we are trying to bring to you today is that there are millions of acres of federal forest in the inland west that need immediate intervention, to prevent an environmental and economic disaster.'

In nine years, nothing was done. Politics of course had a role. In Congress, the dominant Democratic model of environmentalism is stasis; it won't allow any policy that would 'favor logging interests.' As well, these lands are subject to the authority of many federal bureaucracies and several famous federal environmental laws. Forest policy has been smothered with bureaucracy. So much so that a decision--an act of public leadership--has become virtually impossible. And now the burning of California on a catastrophic scale--predicted nine years ago--is happening. We've destroyed the forest in order to save it."

Hugh Hewett, a columnist for the Weekly Standard and talk-radio host, writes about how "A decade and a half of species protection planning helps bring on a species disaster in the fires of California."

"THE MANY SPECIES CONSERVATION PLANS that cover the southern California region all make claims of benefit to the species they purport to protect similar to the claims in the San Diego plan. It is now perfectly obvious that "habitat conservation plans" are to species protection what Soviet five-year plans were to steel production: A vast amount of wasted ink and money, signifying only the ideology and vanity of the planners. I have been a participant in many of these discussions, as a lawyer representing landowners, and know first hand the arrogance of the agencies that issue these orders and devise these grand schemes. Don't count on any apologies coming from their direction."

Secretary of the Interior Gale Norton was recently interviewed (by Roger Hedgecock) and she concurs with much of what each of the above editorials demonstrate.

~VC~
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2003-10-30T16:46:00.000-08:00

POLITICAL - Health Care Without Harm - (article): In a recent Policy Forum (pdf) from the Acton Institute, Doug Bandow critiques Health Care Without Harm, a growing organization founded upon an aggressive environmental ideology. Writes Bandow, “Christian activists in the area of environmental and health policy should carefully grasp and understand the theological, philosophical, and moral assumptions and consequences of their efforts. Too often, however, religiously motivated programs of enviro-health policy activism fail to engage in such wide-ranging, critical reflection on these important points.”

~VC~
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2003-10-30T16:32:00.000-08:00

RELIGION - John Paul II's Social Thought - (article): A recently posted paper at the Acton Institute's website is titled, "Freedom and Culture in the Americas: Reflections on Ecclesia in America," which is written by Kevin E. Schmiesing, and it is a reflection on John Paul's apostolic exhortation, titled, Ecclesia in America.

"The notion of freedom is one that Americans hold dear, even if they rarely pause to ponder its meaning. John Paul has paused and has pondered deeply the meaning of the word and its implications for human society. Because of this fact—and, of course, for Catholics because of his office—John Paul’s reflections on the American situation merit attention. Ecclesia in America, the apostolic exhortation emanating from the Synod of the Americas in 1997, represents the most direct reflection on the American situation that the pope has yet offered. It will, then, serve as a springboard from which to investigate the relationship between freedom and culture and what the intersection of the two means for social life in the Americas."

~VC~
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2003-10-30T16:21:00.000-08:00

POLITICS - An Honest Democrat - (articles): Ok, I know some of my conservative readers might find it intolerable to describe any Democrat as being honest, but the reality of things must dictate our responses.

Within his own party, many would probably consider him more of an annoyance than not, but the soon-to-be retired Senator from Georgia, Zell Miller, will be sorely missed and his service to the state of Georgia and to this country will be greatly admired.

Conservative pundit, Fred Barnes, comments about Miller in a recent piece in the Weekly Standard

Zell Miller is the author of the recent book, National Party No More: The Conscience of a Conservative Democrat.

Read Miller's op-ed in the Wall Street Journal: "George Bush vs. the Naive Nine."

~VC~
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2003-10-14T08:40:00.000-07:00

LITERATURE - Books on our Intelligence Before September 11, 2001 - (articles): There are several interesting books that have been written from the private sector on the controversial nature of our U.S. intelligence (and of the status and role of our intelligence community on Middle Eastern terrorists) before September 11th 2001.

The following books are especially notable:

Bill Gertz (Defense & National Security Columnist for the WASHINGTON TIMES) published in 2002, BREAKDOWN:The Failure of American Intelligence to Defeat Global Terror, which was revised and updated May of this year. Excerpts from Part One, Two, and Three of the book are available from Gertz's website.

Richard Miniter (Senior Fellow of the Centre for the New Europe) released the book, LOSING BIN LADEN: How Bill Clinton's Failures Unleashed Global Terror. The WASHINGTON TIMES recently ran a four-part series of excerpts from the book, including an introductory editorial and companion column from President Reagan's Secretary of Defense, Caspar Weinberger. The first excerpt is titled, "Bill Clinton's Failure on Terrorism," followed by, "Bill Clinton's Indifference," and concluding with "Unprepared for Battle" and "Much Known, Little Done." There is also an excerpt from OpinionJournal.com, which discusses al-Qaeda's attack on the World Trade Center in 1993.

The TIMES has also published a critical response to Miniter from Roger Cressey (who served as National Security Council senior director for counterterrorism from 1999-2001) and Gayle Smith (who served as special assistant to the president for African affairs from 1998-2001), with a follow-up response from Miniter to Cressey and Smith.

~VC~
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2003-10-14T07:44:00.000-07:00

POLITICAL - Gun Laws & Gun Ownership - (articles): Not only is there a constitutional right and defense for private gun ownership, but the AP reports that "A review of gun control laws, including mandatory waiting periods and bans on certain weapons, found no proof that they reduce firearm violence, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention" said recently. Is this report all that surprising?

Conservatives have long made this case. Consider, for instance, John Kell's paper, "Positive Externalities of Gun Ownership."

~VC~
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2003-10-13T09:12:00.000-07:00

RELIGION - Faith, Culture & the Judiciary - (articles and audio): An interesting discussion from INSIGHT ON THE NEWS, which involves a symposium on the following question:

Should more conservative officeholders defy outrageous edicts of federal courts?

The Pro position is presented by Don Feder: "Otherwise democracy will die, and a radical judiciary will transform America in ways that make it virtually unrecognizable."

The Con position is presented by Richard Land: "The rule of law obliges officials to comply or resign for reasons of conscience."

The Carl F. H. Henry Institute, which is sponsored by the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, offers the online audio of a forum which discussed the following:

How High the Wall? A Debate on the separation of Church and State

Panelists include the following:

1. Introduction

E. David Cook (Acknowledgment View)
Fellow and Chaplain, Green College Oxford University; Professor of Christian Ethics, Southern Seminary

Richard D. Land (Accommodation View)
President, Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission Southern Baptist Convention

Tom J. Nettles (Separation View)
Professor of Historical Theology Southern Seminary

K. Hollyn Hollman (Strict Separation View)
General Counsel, Baptist Joint Committee on Public Affairs

2. Introductory Comments by Albert Mohler.
3. Discussion Time #1
4. Discussion Time #2
5. Closing Remarks (Mohler).

~VC~
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For TODAY: Pics (astronomy; weather; imagery); history facts; Vocabulary (wordsmith; oxford english dictionary); analogies; quotes; editorials; headlines; almanac; virus threats.

2003-10-08T11:10:00.000-07:00

REFERENCE RESOURCES - Various- (websites):

ASTRONOMY DAILY.COM: Astronomy Daily.Com offers real time astronomical data tailored to the viewer's location and time zone. The personalized front page presents a chart of tonight's sky. Diagrams allow users to view the planets in their orbits. Educators and students can find images of today's moon and its phase on the calendar, plus data dealing with its current position and its physical and orbital characteristics. Phil Harrington, a supervisor at the Brookhaven National Laboratory, provides two monthly articles; the first assesses a phenomenon in the sky that can be observed with binoculars and the second discusses a phenomenon in the Deep Sky. Viewers can also participate in many discussion forums with other interested astronomers. Although users are required to register in order to view the customized site, no personal identification is requested [ScoutReport, RME]

EARLIEST VOICES: A multimedia site presenting some of the most significant voices captured during the first fifty years of sound recording, 1877-1927.

HISTORY & POLITICS OUT LOUD: A diverse collection of audio -- speeches and private communications -- relating to U.S. history and politics.

Ludwig Van Beethoven: The Magnificent Master - This Web site presents information about the life and works of classical composer Ludwig Van Beethoven. It features a lengthy biography, a list of his works organized by genre, an image gallery, creation histories, and commentary from musicians and music critics. Also includes sections on
Beethoven's relationship to other composers, artists, and thinkers and to other opera composers. Also available in German. From the Raptus Association for Music Appreciation.

MARK TWAIN PAPERS & PROJECT: The Mark Twain Papers contain the private papers of Samuel Langhorne Clemens (Mark Twain) that he himself segregated and made available to his official biographer, Albert Bigelow Paine." The site includes a brief description of holdings, a bibliography of works published by the Mark Twain Project, searchable databases listing all known letters to and from Mark Twain, and links to online exhibits. From the Bancroft Library, University of California, Berkeley [from the LIIWEEK].

OYEZ Project: The OYEZ Project is a vast multimedia relational database on the U.S. Supreme Court, contains abstracts for all leading constitutional decisions of the Court, authoritative oral arguments in streamed media format, a virtual reality tour of the Supreme Court building.

THE FOUNDERS' CONSTITUTION: Online version of 'The Founders' Constitution,' an anthology of documents from the 17th century through the 1830s about popular government in the United States. "The materials are arranged according to broad themes. ... Then they are arranged by article, section, and clause of the U.S. Constitution, from the Preamble through Article Seven and continuing through the first twelve Amendments." Searchable and browsable. From the University of Chicago and the Liberty Fund [from LIIWeek].

WILBUR & ORVILLE WRIGHT PAPERS: On May 13, 1900, Wilbur Wright composed a letter that would later prove to be one of the most important in the history of science, and certainly within the development of the quest of humans to achieve flight. This letter to Octave Chanute (a wealthy businessman and engineer) began thusly: "For some years I have been afflicted with the belief that flight is possible to man." This legendary piece of correspondence, along with 49,000 other digital images, has been placed online in this rather incredible archive, presented as part of the American Memory collection from the Library of Congress. The documents available here for consideration span the years 1881 to 1952 and include the glass-late negative of the famous First Flight at Kitty Hawk on December 17, 1903. For those who would like to examine a smattering of the collection, there are several thematic presentations here as well, such as a Wilber and Orville Wright timeline, a thematic set of documents and commentaries titled Photography and the Wright Brothers and the Wright family tree. [KMG]

~VC~
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For TODAY: Pics (astronomy; weather; imagery); history facts; Vocabulary (wordsmith; oxford english dictionary); analogies; quotes; editorials; headlines; almanac; virus threats.

2003-10-07T18:26:00.000-07:00

POLITICAL - 'Judgement Day': Recall 2003 - (me): Just a few anecdotal stories to provide humor for you from CA:

After Gray Davis voted today, it is reported that he immediately began on his typical rant against Arnie, directly outside the voting place. Well, according to state or federal law, a government employee is not allowed to do this within 100 feet of a voting place on election day. Naturally, some informed citizens saw this on TV and then proceeded to call the local sheriffs to address the matter. The sheriffs supposidly showed-up, and had to "escort" Davis from the property.

The LA TIMES is losing subscribers in the thousands. Partly the result of their liberal bias and partly because of the so-called recent 'scandal slam against Arnie.' This morning, apparently, the LA TIMES decided to reach-out to its disfranchised consumers by kindly leaving a free paper on their doorstep. One consumer called a local radio station (AM 640 KFI), and reported that had received such an unsolicited paper and called the LA TIMES. When he called the TIMES, he told them he didn't want this paper and asked the LA TIMES to come and pick-up their copy. To use Limbaugh's words, the "Dope-smoking, maggot-infested, FM-type," from the TIMES, responded by saying, "Sir, I am sorry. But we are not prepared or do not have the people to pick-up your paper."

~VC~
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For TODAY: Pics (astronomy; weather; imagery); history facts; Vocabulary (wordsmith; oxford english dictionary); analogies; quotes; editorials; headlines; almanac; virus threats.

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HEY, HEY, HEY ... Mr. Cosby!

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Mr. Kerry is Mr. Busy ... sort of

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