Canada Day...Is Canada Aging Gracefully, or Trying to Hang on to Her Youth?

Our great and majestic country turned 139 today, if she was born in 1867. While I do spend a fair bit of time criticizing our government, and though I do detest the fact that we have a monarchy, I do love living in this country and I'm optimistic that I'll live here until I die.

For me, the things that make this country great are as follows: We've got a relatively low population density. There is tremendous natural beauty everywhere you look. Despite a late tax-freedom day, we are a relatively free citizenry. Finally, Canada is home to the greatest game in the world!

The Future is Here!

Hey you! You like the earth, eh? Think it's pretty cool that we still have enough clean air to breath, and that we haven't all drowned yet due to global warming?

Then trade in your crappy car, and get one that runs on alternative fuels. Everybody's doing it....

Pumpin' it up for the People!

This is definitely the headline of the day, via seriously guys.

A Fair Trial

The Supreme Court of the US has ruled that it's unconstitutional to have a military tribunal for the detainees at Guantanamo, affording them the same due process that an American would enjoy. While I personally don't think that's necessary, kudos to the US for granting those prisoners the same right that Al-Qaida denies its hostages. In my mind it certainly clarifies the moral superiority of the American position.

Can You Say Bender?

Via Seriously Guys, Germany is on the verge of running out of beer! Apparently, it's all the fault of the drunken English fans who have flooded the country.

I Did It!

I just got a letter from the U of M accepting me into the faculty of architecture! Wow. I've never been so relieved in my life! It just so happens that tommorrow's my last day as a gas man, and up til now it's kinda felt like I was jumping off the diving board with my eyes closed; with no idea whether there was water in the pool.... Now summer can really begin.

Evil Capitalists!!

To the chagrin of communists everywhere, who undoubtedly wish they were the benefactors of his wealth, Warren Buffet, in partnership with Bill Gates, is giving his fortune away! Together, the two of them will give away more money than the GDP of over 150 countries! (Not 150 countries combined, mind you)

And to think, these two men were completely driven by profit during their working lives.

Hey guess how many Microsoft Millionaires there are! (Answer: over 10,000) And by Microsoft millionaires, I mean employees of Microsoft who are millionaires. I wonder if any of those people ever give money away...

One more thing...

....about moral relativism, before I have no friends left.... lol...

As you probably know, 4 russian hostages have been executed by Al-Qaida forces in Iraq, and the video of the execution has been distributed for propaghanda purposes by the same. All believers in moral relativity, watch the video at peril of altering your worldview.

If you can watch that video without appreciating the difference between it, and the photos that have come out of Abu Ghraib, for example, then there is nothing that I can say to you that will change your mind. But I'll try to remember to thank those that I meet who fight for liberty on your behalf.

Moral Relativism

The Americans use smart bombs, designed to avoid 'collateral damage'. The Jihadis blow themselves up in public places to purposefully kill innocent lives.

The Americans hold inquiries and serve court marshals when mistakes are made. The Jihadis lop off the heads of any hostages they can find.

Where's the moral equivalence?

Post Number 100

For this special occasion (my 100th post), I would like to share a cartoon that takes a little poke at the concept of Moral Relativism. Consider the 'torture' of detainees at Abu Ghraib or Guantanamo Bay. Now think of the real torture of those two American troops by members of Al-Qaida. Isn't there a moral difference between the borderline torture at one and the real, brutal torture by the other?

What about the difference between women's rights in our culture, and women's rights in Islamic culture? Are they morally equivalent?

What about the freedom of religion, association, and speech that we've got, compared to the states of fear in Iraq, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Yemen, Syria, etc.?

How about our social safety net, where even welfare recipients can have cable TV and refrigerators, as compared to the crushing famine engulfing North Korea's 'people's republic'?

I could go on....

Hey Saddam, Pass The Mustard, Please!

Chemical weapons have been found in Iraq. Over 500 shells containing sarin and mustard gas have been found so far in Iraq, and officials believe that that's just the tip of the iceberg.

Sheila Copps Gone Mad

Sheila Copps has completely missed the point in an Op-Ed in today's Toronto Star. It's titled "Taxes Will Set Us Free", and in it she derides the Fraser Institute, and anyone else who thinks along their lines, for complaining that tax freedom day comes too late in the year. She's implicitly arguing that it doesn't come late enough, and that as a result, government is having trouble providing the services that we have come to expect. She doesn't seem to understand that the outrage is more about how little we're actually getting for our massive tax burden!!! I mean, seriously. Tax Freedom Day was June 19th this year, which is half-way through the year. This means that half of your income is going to the government! How come we still have health care problems? Shitty roads? Rising crime rates? No military? Tainted water?

Her answer is always: Pour more money into the problems. This way to Utopia, folks! Bleed the people dry, and then spend their money with no accountability!

But look, if there are all these problems already, and no amount of taxes so far have fixed any of them, then why would more taxes do the trick?

Sure. Throw a few more billion into the gun registry. Spend another bil on advertising to Quebecers! The people won't mind, eh? Hey, don't complain, didn't you know that we've got the best health-care system in the world?

But you know what, Sheila? People are repelled by high taxes and bloated bureaucracy. That's why they move away. That's why Alberta is so appealing, or even -gasp- the United States. They are repulsed by your fiscal black hole. So keep on screaming about raising taxes to fund your lifestyle. You probably won't even notice when you're the only one left.

Political Correctness Gone Mad

Brittany McComb, a high-school valedictorian in Nevada, had her microphone cut off because she mentioned God in her address. Wow.

Has Iraq Turned a Corner?

I follow Iraq The Model pretty closely, and given Mohammed and Omar's track record at being brutally honest about how things are going in Bagdad and surrounding areas, I'd say their posts in the days since Zarqawi's death speak volumes about the change in momentum that has just occurred. I wouldn't say a reversal of momentum by any means; as I've always considered there to be consistent movement towards a free and peaceful Iraq, but I'd say there has been a quickening of momentum for the Coalition and the Iraqi government's causes.

Jeremy, Jeremy, Jeremy.

Via Vogtee, Kabalarians.com is a website that purports to analyse your name to find out key character traits that you possess. Here's what they say about Jeremy:


"The name Jeremy creates the urge to be creative and original, but we point out that it limits your versatility and scope, tuning you to technical details.

This name, when combined with the last name, can frustrate happiness, contentment, and success, as well as cause health weaknesses centring in the head, and in the stomach and intestinal organs.

Your first name of Jeremy has given you a very practical, hard-working, systematic nature.
Your interests are focused on technical, mechanical, and scientific things, rather than interests of an artistic, musical, or social nature.

You have a rather skeptical outlook on life and rather materialistic standards.

In reaching your goals, you are very independent and resourceful, patient and determined.

You can be so very positive and definite in your own ideas and opinions that others sense a lack of tact and friendliness in your manner of expression."

What does your name "mean"?

Brazil Bound

Oh boy oh boy, Jeremy's going on vacation! In the past 7 years, the longest stretch of time off I've had has been one week. I've done that 3 times. However, as a direct consequence of my divesture of the Petro-Can, I'm taking 8 weeks off, 5 of which I will be in Brazil! It sounds like all the travel arrangements have been made, all that's left to do is fly, surf, suntan, and party!

Woo Hoo!

The Empire of The Pursuit of Happiness

Jack Wakeland, a contributor to The Intellectual Activist, waxes eloquent in an essay about the globalization of Liberty, brilliantly titled The Empire of The Pursuit of Happiness. This is a must-read!

The Globalization of Terror

Mark Steyn, Canada's most improbable product, has a piece about the globalization that isn't accompanied by protest, and should be.

I've always found it ironic that people will gladly protest the 'evils' of globalized free markets, etc., but when it comes to the spreading jihad, those same people are silent, and have their eyes closed to reality.

"She is a no-b.s. - so to speak - kind of person."

The aforementioned crazy dem who dropped the dog doo doo off at the republican congresswoman's office turns out to be a professor emeritus at North Colorado University. Wow. That's what you get with $100,000 a year worth of tax dollars, eh?

The title to this post was my favorite quote from the story, given by one of her democratic colleagues.

Is Canada Awakening From Its Delusions?

Jonah Goldberg writes that we better be.


I've been checking out The Absurd Report lately, which is a good place to sift through media spin.

Daniel Libeskind's Vision

Architect Daniel Libeskind won the commission for rebuilding the World Trade Center Site, back in 2003. His master plan is stunning, to say the least. Unfortunately, it may be many years before it is materially realized because it has it's opponents. A few neat features: The tallest tower is exactly 1776 feet high. The year 1776 of course is when the Declaration of Independence was signed. Secondly, the shape of the rooflines itself is a tribute to Liberty, because it evokes the shape of the flame burning on the torch held by Lady Liberty. Lastly, the buildings are arranged so that, on September 11th of each year, between the hours of 8:46am (The time the first plane hit) and 10:28am (The time the second building collapsed), the sun will shine without shadow in a wedge across a public space set aside for a memorial.

The Greatest Generation

Wretchard at The Belmont Club lays the truth about war bare, and it ain't pretty. The Greatest Generation had to do some seriously terrible things in Hiroshima, Dresden, etc. to secure victory. It makes one wonder if all the pains that this generation has undertaken to avoid collateral damage in war will be in vain.

Hehehehehe

A posthumous interview with Abu Zarqawi. He does interview well.

The Nutbags Strike Once More

Some crazy dem in Colorado is so sick of losing that she's started to stuff envelopes full of dog shit into the mail slot of a Republican Congresswoman.

The Nutbags Strike Again

Some Democrats are calling the death of Zarqawi a 'stunt' to shore up support for the war in Iraq. I am frankly at a loss for words....

Keith "Excuse me, I fell off my perch" Richards is back!!

The Rolling Stones are happy to report that, after a bad fall out of a palm tree and subsequent brain surgery, the show will go on! Their delayed world tour is about to begin...

Mind Boggler

NateDawg has uncovered something here. The Ontario chapter of CUPE has decided to boycott Israel in favour of the Palestinian cause. Now don't get me wrong, everybody's entitled to their own opinions, but there are some serious problems with this public position:

1. CUPE is a union of public employees. That fact alone is preposterous, given that every time they strike or demand concessions, they're doing it on the backs of taxpayers. But more importantly, they are a group of government workers, who should not present ANY positions on international affairs, because even though they're not elected, as government workers they represent Canada. And Canadians do not necessarily support their positions.

2. Where then, does CUPE stand on other pressing issues? Do they support the right of Palestinians to blow themselves up on public transit vessels, killing innocent Israeli men, women, and children?

3. With respect to my first point, I suppose that CUPE has never pretended to have Canadian interests at heart. I mean really, they continually file grievances with the Canadian government, which is the true representative of the Canadian public, and they are against Canada's official stance on terrorism.

Gay Marriage

Gay Marriage is coming to a vote this year, in a parliament near you. (Or not, if you live outside of Ottawa).

Ahhhhhhhh. Time to lean back, relax, and pound out a good rant......

I wish this topic was that of the morality of homosexuality, rather than the State’s benign and magnificent blessing of it through the redefinition of a word. What’s the difference between a ‘marriage’ and a ‘union’? Who cares, but the Statists, and more importantly, God’s people? At any rate, the answer to the ‘riddle’ of same-sex marriage is found in the realm of semantics; and God and God’s children have ownership of the meaning of the word marriage, and across cultures, religions, and classes, the word ‘marriage’ means a spiritual connection between a man, a woman, and God. And God (otherwise known as Allah, or Yahweh), like his children, isn’t interested in having non-believers change His word. Therefore, the State should not have the power to recognize ‘marriages’ between two homosexual people. It’s sad that this topic is worthy of public debate in a handful of societies. After all, those that want a redefinition of the word are homosexual, or atheist, or possibly both, but more importantly, they are devout ‘Statists’. You don’t see the Christians(except maybe the United Church), Jews, and Muslims lining up at the public pulpit advocating gay marriage, and this group, in Canada at least, represents over 70% of the population (StatsCan, 2001); so I’d suggest that the people whom this issue affects are not interested in the redefinition of their Lord’s terminology. Further, if this large portion of the population can claim to know God’s will, who amongst the remaining 30% which are atheists, gay, or members of the United Church, can hope to claim otherwise? Lastly, why would that 30% (or less) really care about taking down the pan-religious, anti-gay-marriage crowd anyway? Really, the majority of Canadians, Americans, or any other civilized nation’s citizens want gays to hook up if that’s their desire. It doesn’t seem all that scandalous to them, as long as the newlyweds don’t come asking God to accept them, either as unrepentant followers, or as a married couple, which is why a gay civil unions are not unreasonable, and the redefinition of marriage is.

‘Marriage’ is a religious term found in the Bible. ‘Ketubah’ is the Hebrew translation found in the Tanakh, and ‘Nikah’ is the Arabic as found in the Quran. It is a symbolic joining of a man, woman, and God. When a man and a woman are symbolically joined outside of religion by a Justice of the Peace in Canada, the procedure is called a ‘civil union’. The followers of God seemingly have no quarrel with the State over its practice of civil union. Further, Christians, Jews, and Muslims all agree that humans ‘sin’, even though they shouldn’t. The relative ‘immorality’ of a sin in the eyes of a follower is crucial to this argument, and it’s important to note that God seems to regard homosexuality as a sin, regardless of the Christian/Jewish/Muslim perspective. Modern Christians, Jews, and Muslims, mindful that their religion is their own moral guide, have to allow their co-worshippers to find their own way through the guide, even occasionally contradict it (by sinning), but they are vigilant against the subversion of this guide, particularly by others who are not followers of God or his moral guidance. Their (correct) view is that allowing the term ‘marriage’ to be redefined as a union between either opposite sexes or same sexes is a subversion of the moral guide provided by God to his followers.

The previously mentioned ‘Statists’ believe that they have a moral guide that should supersede the one provided by God. Good for them. However, the troubling, insinuation-laced hyperbole spewing forth from some prominent figures in this ‘debate’ ( ie. That all those who oppose same-sex marriage are neo-conservative homophobes) seems to indicate that they believe that theirs is the final and all-authoritative moral guide, and that not only do they believe it should supersede God’s word, they believe they’ve got the moral authority to forcibly impose this guide upon their God-worshipping opponents.

If social mores dictate the content and perspective of our laws regarding morality, then this argument is already settled. It seems as though, as long as the vast majority of a society’s members believe in the ‘word(s) of God’, the moral ‘law of the land’ must support opposite-sex marriage, and limit the term used to describe the union of two (or heck, three or four) homosexuals to a ‘civil union’. However, if some Hedonistic, Utilitarian, Kantian, or other contrived theory of morality must be used to determine the morality of same sex marriage, then the debate is open, but at least the debate can then be reframed to be one about the extent of liberty to be enjoyed by the religious majority, and not the liberty of homosexuals, if you’re a Utilitarian. Or if you’re a Kantian, perhaps you’d debate whether a law legalizing homosexual union was the right kind of rule for people who want to freely choose how they are governed. In other words, can there be social justice for religious people who want to be free to be happy, and worship a God who condemns homosexual marriage?

The answer is clear. The meaning of a word can belong to a group. It may end up being subverted in the popular, common vernacular of the day by other groups, but as the word ‘Kleenex’ can only ever really mean a Kleenex-brand tissue - yet is commonly used to name any tissue, so ‘marriage’ remains a religious concept that is subverted by non-religious people. That said, it seems a little improper for the State to absurdly decree that officially, Kleenex must be the term that is used to describe Sneezy brand’s competing product. In fact, the absurdity of the State dictating semantics to the populace at all with reference to religious moral code is staggering, given I’m writing this essay while living in a country that (so far) allows freedom of religious belief. Making same-sex marriage a legal definition would open a door for making certain religious beliefs legally immoral, and in Canada’s case could make preaching the Christian belief that homosexuality is immoral a hate crime. Further, in Canada it has already happened that marriage commissioners (who are public employees) have been told they must be willing to perform same-sex marriages or resign. Clearly a Christian marriage commissioner must have the same right to that job as any one else, regardless of his religious convictions. Particularly because a marriage commissioner is a public employee, his or her employer must not be able to infringe upon that commissioner’s Charter right to freedom of religion.

Cough, cough. Ahem.

UPDATE: It's already happened. The Saskatchewan thought police have charged a couple priests with hate crimes for upholding the Catholic Church's view on homosexuality. And found them guilty.

Memetic Weaponry

Armed and Dangerous has an excellent essay on the same theme that I expounded in my three part rant. Memes such as multiculturalism, relativism, and exploitation are nothing new.

Actually for that matter, neither is this essay. It appears to be dated February 11, 2006.

Is Iraq a Disaster?

Apparently, there are more violence-caused civilian deaths in a year in Washington D.C. than there are in Iraq.

Time to Heal Some Wounds

I am soon to be a former gas man. That is, I've sold my Petro Canada franchise, and the handover occurs in less than a month. Once that's done, I hope that I'm moving on to something bigger and better. This change is actually just one of a few that are occuring in my life. My living arrangement is changing, my family life is changing (my sister and several cousins have started their own families, my parents are getting ready to retire, etc.)

As I transition from one chapter in my life to another, I've decided to take stock of my outlook on life; my attitudes towards other people, institutions, situations, spirituality, and vice, in particular. It's a good thing to do sometimes. When you run a business, you've got to continuously take stock of your situation, ie. product levels, cash and working capital levels, etc., in order to know what direction the business is going in, and to periodically give yourself an honesty/reality check with respect to that direction. Sometimes, you have to adjust your stock. In the case of a convenience store like the one I owned, that meant writing off old stock, or theft, for example. You know, you have to shed some of the things that are not helping you move in the direction that you want to be going in.

Today I want to write off resentments that I've accumulated over the seven years that I've owned this business. Resentment is like old stock, it goes sour like past due milk, or stale like old chocolate bars, and you can never sell it, and you'll never get anything out of it but a bad taste in your mouth. You may as well face the fact that the old stock should just be thrown away, and you move on.

I need to give up the resentments that I have towards:

1. People who complain about high gas prices
2. People who yell at gas jockeys
3. Thieves
4. Dishonest employees
5. Petro Canada for their endless manipulations
6. And finally, the government for making me their tax collector.

I forgive this list of people for hurting me over the years. I want to also seek forgiveness from those close to me who've suffered my anger during this time. It is my intention to release my resentments in a more timely and constructive manner, because it is resentment that is the root of much destructive behaviour. It's not as though the acts of people listed above are not destructive themselves, but I can not control any of them, only my own acts.

By the way, resentment also makes one self-absorbed. Maybe my ceaseless ranting will finally cease, if I can successfully release all my resentments :)

Stay tuned, for some more stock taking....

Ah Mr. Moore, Your Deceptions Will Cost You

Michael Moore is being sued by a veteran of the Iraq war for misrepresenting him and distorting what he said, in the film Fahrenheit 9/11. Mr. Moore, justice is served.

Learn more about his deceptions here, here, here and here.

UPDATE: The second link originally linked to a closed-down website. That problem has been corrected.

At Least It's Not a Third Leg!

The jokes would never stop. This chinese kid actually was born with three arms! Fully functional!

Ugggghhhh

Who came up with the idea of getting drunk on your birthday? Seriously, it's one thing to wake up the next day as an older version of yourself, why would you want to feel like barfing all day too?

It was a good time though, thanks to those who stopped by - it was good to see you! And thanks for the b-day comments here too!

May 29th

It's my b-day today, I've turned the big 2 - 9: It's officially the last year that I get older. :)

However, as it turns out, this year May 29th has some extra significance. It's Memorial Day in America. On Memorial Day, which occurs on the last monday of May, Americans are reminded of those who fell for their country. I wish it was possible to meet all the men and women who've made the ultimate sacrifice for their country and ultimately the world, so that I could thank them all personally. Since it's not though, I guess it will have to suffice to simply remember their acts, and enjoy the freedoms they have bought us all.

So, I'm gonna skip out on work, go get some lunch, and then hit a round of golf with a friend. It's the right thing to do. :)

hahahahaha

via Seriously Guys, an incredible story of one man, several gallons of liquor, and a car.

hehehehe

What Goes Through Their Heads When....

...others, like the madman of Iran do things like deny the holocaust? The people in this picture (filed by Reuters, May 28th, 2006 with a report about the Pope paying tribute to them) experienced it! Why doesn't he ask them what happened at Auschwitz?

If You Still Like Me After That Rant...

Then come on down to my house tommorrow (monday) night for a bonfire and some libations. Perhaps even a shrimp ring or two. Maybe even something roasted on the BBQ. Or some smores? It's my 29th birthday, and it just so happens that it's on the 29th of May, so clearly there will be some champagne on hand.

Second Thoughts?

Jack Kevorkian, otherwise known as Dr. Death, is dying slowly in prison. Sounds like he's had a lot of time to contemplate his life, and it doesn't sound like he's at all interested in being euthanized.

The Inexorable March Towards Freedom, Final Part

Wars have been occurring since the dawn of civilization. They're usually fought over territory, resources, politics, and religion. Almost always, they are fought because some group believes that they have the manifest destiny to control the lives of the others that they are fighting. All the way up from the Romans, wars have been fought for the conquest value. The more territory captured the better. The more loot plundered, the better. The more people converted to your way of life the better.

All the way up from the time of the Roman empire, the lot of humanity has been improved by war. This is a provocative statement maybe. But consider how evil is sometimes necessary for the attainment of greater virtues such as heroism. Also consider how the Romans were the first to seperate church and state. Or how the American civil war triggered the end of slavery. Or how World Wars 1 and 2 almost finished off the ideas of fascism and communism. Or how the Cold War finished the job.

I believe that throughout time, civilization has shaken off such bad ideas as state-run religions, and communism, mostly through violent means. Further, I believe that this war that the West is currently engaging in will spell the end of religious imperialism, and for that result alone, this war is worth it.

What is the pattern? The pattern is that each step along the way, people become freer. There are more democratic countries in the world every year. The citizens of those countries demand more and more rights from their governments all the time. There is more freedom of speech, religion, organization, than ever before. As a DIRECT consequence, citizens are more prosperous, and peaceful.

The Americans did not start this war. But they are responding the right way. They've understood the greater picture ever since the Declaration of Independence, and I for one am glad that they've got the guts to fight this war alone if they have to. They're doing it for their own selfish reasons, but the whole world is better for it. And the best part is, only a conspiracy theorist can tell you with a straight face that the Americans are doing it for any malevolent reason. They've been saying all along that a more democratic middle east will bring more peace and freedom to the world, because they rightly believe that the freer people are, the more peaceful they will be. God bless America, Canada, Iraq, Australia......etc. etc.

The Inexorable March Towards Freedom, Part 1

I was a communist while I was in business school. Those who've gotten to know me in the years since then might be shocked by that statement (given my current worldview), and those who don't know me might be confused, given that I was a business student while espousing an anti-profit ideology. Well, it didn't make sense, that's true. But I was happy to believe that everybody in the world could live the same way, and in some sort of utopic, ambition-free, hedonistic paradise, if only some people wouldn't be so GREEDY, and SELFISH, and RELIGIOUS. I never really thought too much about how the greedy, selfish, religious people out there could be made to agree with me. Now I know how that's being attempted, but more on that later.

When I was a communist, I didn't believe in profit. Business school taught me how to make one though, even while hiding from me the reason why I OUGHT to make a profit. Because of that, I started my career in business (working for 'big oil', no less) with a big guilt complex. My ideology, and that of roughly half of the general population, instructed me to believe that profit was bad, and that I was exploiting people by demanding one. Thus, I found it easy to be seduced by the ideas floated by the liberal government of the day - higher taxes, gas company collusion probes, environmental accords, recycling cults, welfare programs for the poor, etc.

When I was a communist, I didn't believe in God. My replacement for God was the movement towards organized society, and egalitarianism. As a communist, I felt guilty about Christianity's (the religion of my childhood) impact on the world, because it didn't seem like a fair religion in its dealings with non-believers. It was imperialistic and aggressive - and it had many sins to account for as a result.

A communist has some maxims to live by. Marx was fond of telling his sheep 'from each according to ability, to each according to need'. Others have used variations on 'for the good of society, ahead of the good of the individual.' There are some tools that can be used to leverage these ideas into social change that will theoretically, gradually, win wide social acceptance for the foundations of a communist society. Those are multiculturalism, relativism, and the stigmatization of exploitation.

Multiculturalism and relativism are cousins. Multiculturalism is the idea that cultures are different, but equally important in their contribution to the fabric of a society. Relativism substitutes cultures with ideas, and claims that ideas, in addition to being equally important, are equal in their moral content. Thus, no discrimination should be made between cultures, or between ideas.

Exploitation is the essence of profit. When you make a deal with somebody for an exchange of one type of good with another type of good (ie. your labour for your boss's money), you are out to obtain the maximum advantage that you can for your self. That is exploitation. When you are a boss, and you must find a way to sell a type of good for a profit, you must be seeking to exploit either: a labour pool, and/or a resource pool. This all seems logical. But when exploitation is stigmatized, then the profit motive is stigmatized as well. Thus, the profit motive should not be employed, because it exploits others either directly, or indirectly through the exploitation of resources; which by degrading the environment is detrimental to the greater good.

So, multiculturalism is the lever that was meant to persuade society to believe in the equality of all people. Relativism is the lever that was meant to persuade society to believe that Christianity is no more morally correct than Paganism, or Atheism, or Statism, or any other religion. The stigmatization of the term 'exploitation' is the lever that would try to persuade society to believe that the profit motive was just another way that individuals could act against the greater good.

And for a while, it worked on me, in addition to millions of others in this country, and billions more in other Western nations who had previously thought they'd slayed communism.

To be continued.....

Read this before part 2

Mark Steyn, in another brilliant rip at Statism as Religion.

Onkar Ghate, discussing among other things, a justification for changing and 'exploiting' our environment.

Me, briefly discussing how relativity does not apply to morality.

The Inexorable March Towards Freedom, Part 2

On September 12, 2001, I became a Capitalist. There's another word that one can interchange with capitalism. That word is libertarianism. So I am also a Libertarian.

I remember what I was doing the previous morning, September 11, almost down to the most mundane and boring detail. And for those of you who know me, I usually don't remember things from like, ten minutes ago. I won't waste space here with details; too many people have relived those moments in painful recollection to others, I do not wish to. But reflecting on events the next day, I could not correlate the actions of the hijackers with any sort of relativist rationalization. Especially as the news came out that the terrorists were likely Islamic radicals, relativism and its cousin, multiculturalism began to fade in meaning for me to abstract physical phenomona and food festivals. Even my previous denunciation of Christianity and religion in general started to retract; sure, Christianity had a barbarous stage. Judaism too. Hell, most major religions have had their moments of empiristic ambition, ie. The Crusades, or the Ottoman Empire. But it started to seem to me that Islam had not passed from this phase through enlightenment as had Christianity and Judaism. But I digress to the original event.

Multiculturalism has become such a rigid concept in western society that there are folks out there that, being overinvested, will tell you that the culture of death that precipitated in the 9/11 attacks is equal in importance to any other culture.

Relativism has created opinions that Christian mission organizations such as MCC are equal in moral goodness to Islamic terrorism. Funny how some of the folks that are scared about Stephen Harper saying 'God Bless Canada', will then blame guys like him and GWB for the atrocities that inevitably precede shouts of "Allahu Akbar'.

Exploitation of oil resources by multinational companies and their suppliers is somehow perverted by seditious agents here into slogans such as 'no blood for oil', while the suppliers of this oil (Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Iraq, Iran, etc.) actively use the proceeds of these oil sales to oppress their own people, torture and kill dissidents, and pursue an anti-Western agenda. Ironic, no?

On September 11, 2001, three thousand innocent people died while working to support their familes, their country, and a certain way of life. A group of terrorists, while not communist but certainly fascist (and therefore related by way of authoritarianism), killed them to show the world how much contempt they had for the institutions of the western world. While there was, and continues to be, much outrage about these attacks, there is a contingent of our society who condemns the United States and any of her allies for not being multicultural ENOUGH. For not understanding the sensitivities of other cultures. For not allowing this death cult to feel equal to true religions of peace. For not allowing the moralities of death, feminine subservience, and religious subservience the equivalent moral status of the freedom to live as one sees fit.

FREEDOM. The people who died in the 9/11 attacks lost their freedom to live as they saw fit. They were murdered. They were murdered in the name of God. They were murdered by a religious fringe who would claim moral equivalence to all other religious groups. They took advantage of the left's levers of relativism and multiculturalism - this act was the logical conclusion of those concepts. Their choice of targets - Americans - was symbolic of what they were attacking that day: Liberty. America is the only country in the world to be founded upon an idea that all people should be free, and when I saw that my cherished ideals of multiculturalism and relativism could be leveraged into an assault on freedom, I knew I had made the wrong choice in selecting an ideology.

I began to look at Liberty as the prime value to be upheld in society. With respect to other cultures, Liberty is really what allows all cultures to flourish - 'multiculturalism ' as we understand it now, is a word that's only used to press people into believing that all cultures are equal. This of course, is a euphemism. Perhaps all people are equal, but the culture of feminine oppression that is found in the middle east, in africa, and elsewhere is certainly not equivalent to the feminist movement cultures to be found in western nations, for example. The thing that makes the feminist movements superior is the concept of Liberty, of course. That women should be free to live their lives as they see fit.

'Relativism', as we understand it now, means for all practical purposes that any moral guide, whether it be State, Islam, Christianity, Objectivism, etc., is equivalent. Of course, given the events of 9/11, and the ensuing terrorist attacks around the world, we know that some people are following a moral code that is not valid. There can be no excusing these acts to differing societal mores. I'm sorry. I cannot accept any reason for these attacks being valid and just.

'Exploitation', as we have been made to understand it now, means that for all practical purposes any transaction where one party gains an advantage from the other party involved, is wrong. Of course, given that both parties enter into a transaction voluntarily and at their Liberty, exploitation must be the expected result. Each party exploits the other, with the tacit acceptance of the other. And thus, exploitation is the functional expression of Liberty in an economic mode that I'd describe as Capitalism.

Given a choice, as we all were on 9/11, between a multicultural concept that excuses any heinous act, and Liberty, I took a side.

To be continued....

My Sister Got Older Today!

I don't know if she reads this blog, but if you do Tamara Nicole Peters, HAPPY 27th BIRTHDAY! She's also an expectant mother, due in August.

Gotta Hand It to The Guy...

Barry Bonds, despite the often poisonous words of his many critics, is an incredibly historic figure in baseball's rich history. He's now saying, having tied Babe Ruth's homerun tally - and being close to Hank Aaron's record, that he won't stop until he's got the world record. That's 868 homers (113 more than Hank Aaron's 755), set by Sadaharu Oh of Japan's Yomiuri Giants in 1980. Gotta hand it to the guy, he doesn't give a damn about what others say, and all he cares about is being the best.

Correction

It seems as though part of the National Post's story which I referred to about Iranian minorities having to wear certain indentifiers is wrong. Apparently, the legislation is focused on making the entire muslim population wear uniforms, and this Iranians don't deny. However, Christians and Jews will not need to wear special identifiers as was originally reported. Well, I guess that's not as neo-nazi as the original story would have led one to believe. But it's still awfully 1984-ish, you know? Like, could you imagine the government of Canada decreeing that everyone's gotta dress up into some kind of weird canuckian robe 24/7? I bet it would have a Leafs logo on it somewhere....

Seriously though, I still wonder how the Christians and Jews are gonna be regarded with respect to this law. They're not Muslim, so will they be free to dress as they please? Or will they be forced to dress like Muslims too?

This took a while, but...

Iraq finally has a full governing body.

First they came for the Jews.....

Iran has recently passed legislation requiring the country's minority Jews and Christians to wear badges that identify then as non-muslim. Next will be ghettos, then camps, and given Iran's desire to 'wipe Israel off the map', extermination.

Commenting

Thanks to a tip from a guy, I have solved my commenting/spam problem. There is now a word-verification stage, and I don't have to moderate comments anymore.

Comments

Due to a recent rash of spam comments, I'm turning comment moderation on. I'll try to be good at putting comments up quickly.

Trouble in Turkey

An Islamic crazy has just killed a judge who ruled that it was illegal to wear religious headwear in classrooms. While I don't think I support the judge's decision, the idea that I should kill him would have never crossed my mind. I would imagine that you would clearly need to be insane in order to commit such an act. Sadly insanity, Islam, and violent acts are equal parts in a vicious mix far too often.

Connecting The Dots

Mark Steyn, Canada's most important contribution to Geopolitics in history, shows how the same tired old lefties who complained that the Bush administration should have been able to connect the dots on the 9/11 attacks before it happened and should have prevented the whole tragedy, are now outraged that the administration is trying to connect the dots to prevent a future attack. He is, of course, talking about the new outrage over NSA's surveillance programs. NSA doesn't really scare me much. I mean, I'm a libertarian, so it does cause me to involuntarily shiver a bit, but really, if the American government is serious about trying to identify threats before they fully materialize, they'll NECESSARILY have programs like this running at all times. How else to do it?

Iran's Smoking Guns

Via Iraq The Model, there are reports surfacing that Iran has lately been supplying Al-Qaeda in Iraq with improved laser-guided surface-to-air missiles, IEDs, etc.

Meanwhile, Back in Chavezistan...

Hugo Chavez is offering to supply oil to low-income European families for cut-rates. His offer is similar to one he made to New Yorkers this winter, and is designed to make a 'point' about American-style capitalism and its 'inherent' inequities.

Maybe, seeing as his country has a per capita GDP is $6500.00 and sports a full 47% of the population below the poverty line, he should think about selling the oil for market prices and returning the profits to his countrymen instead of starving them. Just to give some perspective, Canada, whose oil wealth is probably close to Venezuela's, has a per capital GDP of $32,900.00, and 15% of its population is below the poverty line.

But, as Natan Sharansky will point out, Hugo is more interested in making an enemy out of the US that his citizens will fear and despise, than he is in their well-being. Why does that make sense? Because, making an external enemy for his people to hate will mask his socialism's failures, and also his dictatorial ambitions. It's a formula that's been well used throughout the last few decades, by many a dictator. Unfortunately, as Sharansky shows in his book The Case For Democracy: The Power of Freedom to Overcome Tyranny and Terror, in order for Chavez to maintain the control that he seeks, one day he'll have to turn on his own people and create a climate of fear that is not centered on some other nation, but on his own government. He will eventually need to terrorize his own citizens in order to maintain control.

But hey. I mean, gotta love the guy for standing up to "The Great Satan" and the rest of the "Imperialistic Dogs", eh?

Living The Rock n Roll Dream

Gonna go see the Mad Caddies tonight. It's been a rocknroll spring for me, having seen Metric in Winnipeg and Ladytron in Minneapolis recently, then tonight's show, and on Thursday next week I'm gonna go see The Joel Plaskett Emergency.

An Excellent Source of News

Bill Roggio, blogger for The Fourth Rail, is being embedded with the Canadian Forces in Afghanistan. Now we will learn something about our involvement in this war that isn't fed to us by CBC. He was previously in Iraq, embedded with Americans, and did some excellent reporting while there.

Another New Addition to The Blogosphere

A good friend of mine out on the west coast, who, for the sake of anonymity we'll call Ace, has a blog. It is called AlternativeToSanity. Welcome to the blogosphere Ace!

Tired of High Gas Prices?

Here's a few options to consider.

Awww, Harper's Not Letting His Peeps Have Any Fun...

Jane Taber of the Globe and Mail bemoans the fact that, as part of Harper's promise to cleanup government and root out perceived connections between lobbyists and government officials, the PMO is no longer allowing officials to accept free tickets from corporate sponsors for social events. Boo hoo.

Even an Anti-Militarian has to be Impressed by This

The U.S. military has developed a literal "forcefield" system for its' tanks and personnel carriers. That's a bit crazy.

Dictator-for-life/Leftie

Fox News is reporting that Hugo Chavez, el-Presidente-for-life, is threatening to hold a referendum on whether he should govern for the next 25 years, if opposition parties boycott the election in Venezuela. What kind of loaded proposition is THAT!

Winds of Change has a tremendous article up that discusses some themes and directions in Europe, and some predictions that seem like they'll be viewed as prescient in the future.

Ann Coulter, who I sometimes find to be a little too over-the top, has some wise things to say about the public's reaction to gas price fluctuations, as compared to it's ambivalence with regards generally to University/College tuition prices. Particularly, she asks the question why aren't we outraged at high prices of tuition that are paying for tremendously poor-quality educations? Especially since even the worst, partisan professors/buffoons are demanding six-figure salaries.

I've personally had mostly good profs, as far as that goes, but some of the people she names, ie. Ward Churchill, should probably not be making that kind of money, particularly when he's paid by taxpayers. And she is right on the money with this quote:

"The only solution to high gas prices considered on CNN was to pay oil company executives less, perhaps by order of the president. But somehow, no one ever suggested that the solution to the high price of college — far outpacing inflation — was to pay professors less. In that case, the solution is for the government to subsidize college professors' salaries even more than it already does. "

Another Day in (Worker's) Paradise

China kills prisoners and then sells their organs to Canadians.

A New Addition to the Blogosphere

The lovely and talented Emilie Lemay has a blog. Also, check out her art at emilielemay.com.

Yet Another Ballsy Move by Harper

I must say, this man has done more good works in less than 4 months than his predecessors did in 13 years. Stephen Harper is clearing the way for Quebec to participate semi-autonomously in UN matters, starting with UNESCO. This, I believe, is a meaningful gesture, a signal to Quebecers that he's got a different idea of how Canada should look than previous politicians. I can only hope that he wants Quebec to stay, but as part of a Federation of provinces who have more control over their own destinies - that is, a more decentralized federation.

Better Than The Death Penalty

Zacarias Moussaoui will not be a martyr. He will never again experience the freedom that he would have been working to destroy. This man will experience an horrifically empty life. Decades will pass while he slowly dies. The world will move on, civilization will continue to advance, his religion will continue to experience enlightenment, and Zacarias Moussaoui will be able to do nothing but watch. Nobody will remember him. The cause for which he gave his life will fail. To execute him would have been to give him the only thing that he ever really desired. To imprison him for life will be to demonstrate to him and his death cult that to the free world, their movement is just one more irritant to be removed, neutralized, and discarded.

They're Drilling Into His Brain!!

Maybe he should stop climbing palm trees. Keith Richards, who was recently hospitalized for falling out of one, is suffering from a bleeding brain.

Fidel's Finances

Oh to be the dictator of a worker's paradise. Apparently the gig pays well. Fidel Castro is estimated by Forbes to be worth over a billion smackeroos, and counting. I guess that means that everyone else in Cuba must be worth a billion too, right? I mean, you're not allowed to be richer than your comrades are you? Clearly, that would be against the spirit of communism.

Thanks to a tip from a guy, I realized that I had inadvertently turned off anonymous commenting. it is now on, Johnny Singe, and whoever else may be interested to know that.

Nates is a Joosebag Calgary Booster

Ok. Nates is wearing a Calgary Flames bra. Courtney is passed out. The Flames are losing 2 nothing, 6 minutes left in the 3rd. The situation is grim. Will there be a battle of Alberta? Not if these two have anything to do with it. Go Oilers.

Parody Alert

Varifrank does a funny parodic spin on the ongoing immigration protests. As always, there's a grain of truth to it...

HaHaHaHaHaHaHa

How did this ever get past the focus group?

May Day

Yesterday was May Day, the annual holiday for socialists. Catallarchy has a collection of essays that look at the reality of the 'worker's paradise' that so many countries have tried to set up. What they really did was create prison states, murder their own citizens, and attempt to destroy the entire world. Read the whole thing.

A Fork in The Road

I'm staying up later than usual tonight, so blogging has been a little heavier. Why am I still up? A long afternoon nap, a latenight run with a friend, and caffeine are all culprits. But there's something else, something that has been on my mind for about a week. Tommorrow is the day that I ask my two roommates to find a new place to live. That's right, I'm ruthlessly and coldly intruding in their sedentary lifestyles, with no concern for their welfare, and little sympathy for the hardships I may or may not impart upon them.

It's not that we don't get along, or that they're terrible roommates. It's just that I'm changing, and part of the change has to involve living my life in a way that will be incompatible with the way that these guys do. Besides, I can already envision the pool table that will go downstairs where Andy's room was, and the nice home office/guest room that I can set up in Ken's old room. Financially, the loss in rent that I'll experience will be partly offset by lower bills - less water/hydro consumption, no cable TV, and no land-line telephone to pay for.



I think I'm at peace with this decision, but still....I'm a little nervous about the conversation that we'll have to have tommorrow. I hope that it goes well, and that they're not too upset.

Atlas set to hit the big time?

Variety reports that Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand's most influential work, is set to be made into a movie by LionsGate entertainment. That would be a movie I'd go see.

Truly a Model For Others

Iraq the Model, run by 2 (I think) Iraqis by the names Omar and Mohammed, has some real, inside-the-process analysis of politics in Iraq. They're brutally honest, and not always optimistic, but if you want stripped-down insider info on what's going on there, this is the place to go. Today's post was decidedly optimistic about recent developments in the negotiations to form a new government.

Despite What You May Have Heard....

Al-Qaeda is being defeated. StrategyPage has an interesting breakdown of why this is the case. It includes pointing out that there is increased media competition in America that has helped the administration maintain its resolve in fighting this war. At surface, I found that to be a dubious claim, being a person who is deeply suspicious of mainstream media's biases. But as the article goes on to say, the competition is being supplied by small independent internet suppliers like Drudge Report who can cheaply reach millions of people with unfiltered content. So instead of having CBS, or even CNN control the images and stories that are coming out of Iraq and Afghanistan like the 'good' old days in Vietnam and Mogadishu, the 'silent majority' which has consistently back-boned the administration's posture has all sorts of sources of information from which to draw their opinions on the matters that concern them.

How many times has this exact headline been used?

You've got to wonder. I mean, I don't even understand why Keith Richards falling out of a palm tree is even news any more. It probably happens more than anyone would like to admit.

How's the left gonna blame Bush this time?

Mark Steyn, the world's most important Canadian living today, has an excellent synopsis of the Iran situation. They are truly a growing menace, and if the states doesn't have the balls to act on this threat, I wonder how the left will be able to blame George Bush jr. for the ensuing tragedy.

I Can't....Hold back......Any.....Longer.....

Ok. I'm gonna let go a bit of a rant here. I've been trying to refrain, but that cartoon lit the fuse. I've been a gas man for 10 years. I sell gas for a living, and I think I've got a better view of the big picture than most. I've seen prices as low as 35 cents per litre, and as high as a dollar nineteen. It doesn't matter what the price is, the average customer has this vague feeling that he's being ripped off. I just want to point out a couple facts for those unenlightened people.

1. Inflation-adjusted gasoline prices have been declining for almost a century. And at the same time, real earnings have been increasing. So, we have more disposable income, and gas prices as a whole are lower. WTF!! Need I say more? I mean, that pretty much sums it all up, doesn't it? No? Well then...

2. Crude Oil prices peaked, in inflation-adjusted terms, in 1979, at around $98 per barrel. Seems to me that 70$ per barrel is, oh, say $28 less right now. That not good enough for you?

3. 1 Litre of Evian costs around $2.50. A Litre of Gas costs $1.09 right now.

4. A pack of smokes costs $12 bucks.

5. Five text messages cost as much as a litre of gas

6. Taking the time to tear a strip out of the poor, pimply-faced student who's behind the counter and has no control over gas prices costs you 5 minutes of your time, and all of your soul.

7. If one more hippy who drives a '74 Oldsmobile gives me any grief about selling gas and being the problem and not the solution, he or she is getting a punch in the nose.

8. If one more middle-aged success who drives a hummer H2 or equivalent gives me any grief about selling gas at high prices, I will slash his tires, punch out his son, slap his wife, burn down his garage, kiss his daughter in a tremendously dirty manner, staple his dog to his cat, throw axes at his investment adviser, and then I'll charge him an extra 25 cents a litre for being an asshole.

9. Why does everyone think that gas companies are gouging when they net 10 cents a litre, but close their eyes to the fact that our Canadian Government takes in over 50 cents a litre for doing nothing? The gas companies have to find the oil, retrieve the oil, process the oil, transport it, market it, and dispense it at retail sites, and then remit half of their earnings before expenses to a corrupt, lazy, malevolent, bureacratic blob that consumes anything that it touches - and doesn't lift a finger to help the money come in. People, look to the real criminals if you want to assign blame.

10. Real people work for oil companies. They went to school with you. They were your friends. They have good hearts, and sharp minds. They have strong work ethics. They pursue the best for themselves, just as you do. As a result, they command the highest compensations that they can, just like you. Who are you to judge them, and belittle their ambitions. How can you not allow them the things that you also desire?

11. There are twice as many cars on the road than in the seventies, yet emissions are down by up to 36%! Huh.

12. Oil Companies use some of their profits to pursue the development of alternative energies.


Ok. I don't know if it was letting that all out, or getting into the rum a bit, but I feel much more tranquil now. I may rest.

A Dangerous Double Standard

Cox and Forkum presents an actual caricature of a day in my life as a gas man.

What the hell is going on

John at Powerline has an excellent synopsis of the lack of courage in today's democratic societies. He looks at how book stores reacted in '89 to the fatwa on Satanic Verses, and how the Islamic world handled that. It seems their terrorism then still affects us today.

"It may be that we're all overly sensitized to these issues right now. But in 1989, when a fatwa was issued against The Satanic Verses and its author, book stores showed quite a bit of courage. I remember reading about stores that took a vote of their staffs on whether to stock the book or not; ultimately, I believe all the major chains and many independent stores did carry it. It was not foolish to think there could be a risk, either. Hitoshi Igarashi, who translated the book into Japanese, was stabbed to death in 1991, and Ettore Capriolo, the Italian translator, was attacked and seriously injured at about the same time. Aziz Nesin published extracts of The Satanic Verses in a Turkish newspaper; he was attacked by a mob in 1993. They set a hotel on fire, killing 37 people, but Nesin escaped. And William Nygaard, who published the book in Norway, was shot four times by an intruder in his home."

Given that our bookstores are not stocking publications which contain the cartoons that started it all, and that most media outlets are also too afraid for their safety to publish or televise these images, I'd like to ask: What The Hell is Going On!

Everyone I've ever met is Neurotic

It's true. I always find myself being upset about my own neuroses, but when I do that I tend to forget that everyone I've ever met is Neurotic too. We're all completely out of control maniacs. There's always a dark corner to a person's mind, where flaws and defects lurk, waiting to ambush reason, turning us over to irrationality. You're not human if you don't have an irrational feeling about something. Phobias are a common example of a generalized irrational flaw.

Delusion is also something that everyone experiences. I hate caring about whether my perception of reality is the same as everybody else's, but I do. But given the fact that I think everyone I know is deluded in some respect, then it follows that I must also sometimes present myself as deluded to others.

Canada Leads the US in a Foreign Initiative

America has decided to cut off aid to Hamas-governed Palestine, following in Canada's lead. See how easy it is to be a global leader, Liberals?

Although I Can't Believe it Came From South Park...

....I'm glad that someone out there in prime time has the balls to do this. As The Officer's Club reports, South Park is priming up to air an episode with a caricature of the prophet Mohammed. So far, the reaction of the western world to the cartoon wars has been shameful. We've gone too long without having to really defend freedom of speech against something, and now we don't really know what to do.

The Eurinals of History

Mark Steyn, the most perceptive Canadian in a generation, congratulates himself on his predictions about Europe's demise. His words, as always, though sarcastically hilarious are foreboding and prophetic. His extensive writings on demographical/birthrate collapse are intense.

The Increasing Quagmire that Wasn't

An interesting analysis of iraq casualties, both civilian and military (US and Iraqi). Sort of gives one hope that things might end up turning out alright there. Or, if you insist on being a pessimist, at least you pretty much have to believe that only George W. Bush could be the reason why things seem to be steadily improving there, and that once he's gone, things will all go to hell. hehehehehe.

Demonstrating for the Freedom to Work!!

Varifrank, whom I regularly read for his long rants, has a short but sweet compare and contrast between France and America. He points out the big difference in labour attitudes in these countries:

"America = non citizens upset at not being allowed to work.

France = citizens upset to find that they might have to work. "

Ok Hippies, you officially have to let go of Kyoto

Winds of Change has a roundup of a whole bunch of developments in technology that frankly have more hope of saving the world than a stupid critical-mass protest. You know, I run a gas station on the edge of Winnipeg's Wolseley neighbourhood. That's where Winnipeg's 'critical-mass' of earth-lovin' type folks live, and I'll tell you, that on the rare occasions that they do drive a car somewhere, it's usually an old, beatup, poorly maintained piece of junk. Lots of old vans, lots of old volvos, a ton of big old boats, etc. They may not drive them that often, but these vehicles do more damage to the environment the one day a week they are driven than a brand new vehicle with modern emissions controls does in a week of continuous use. When will they grasp the irony?

Five Modest Priorities

Man, they're just laying it out there. The Tories have got good game. They're simply making plans and going ahead and executing them, and I think that will get a lot of respect from the voters ahead of next election. They've got a concrete position, they are communicating it clearly, and they are consistently executing it one policy at a time.

Trust the Process

Robert Nozick has many problems with Rawls' Theories of Fairness. Not least though, is his argument that pattern distribution denies individuals the right to make voluntary exchanges of money. This means that, for example, an entrepreneur sells a poor person something, but is taxed on the income from the sale, and the tax is returned to the poor person in the form of either money, or a public service of some kind. This process is fraught with problems, not simply because, as Nozick says, it commands individuals to make exchanges in a certain way, but because makes individuals react to the control in a negative way. It's often said that rich people don't really pay taxes, because they just pass the cost of the taxes on to the average consumer by raising prices. In practice, this continually makes the poorest people in society stay poor, because just as they are the recipients of a redistribution of wealth, they are giving that wealth back to the rich in the form of higher payments for exchanges.

Nozick seems mostly worried about the liberty of rich people, I think, but as even Rawls will acknowledge, people seem to be supremely self-interested, and are repelled by challenges to their liberty. As a consequence, their actions when their liberties are challenged tend to have the opposite effect intended by a Rawlsian redistributor, oppressinging the economic liberties of the poor which he'd intended to save.

Ownership is important to Nozick as a consequence of liberty, and he sees that liberty as supreme. When you are not allowed to give somebody something voluntarily in exchange for a possession of another kind, then you effectively do not own that object. When you do not own the products of your labour, then you are not free. While I agree with Nozick that ownership is an important consequence, or more properly an indicator of liberty, I don't think that pattern distribution can ever limit one's liberty, unless those whom Rawls wants to handicap let him do so, by not raising their prices or lowering their wages.

Which Pattern: Paisley or Checkered?

Pattern ethics as applied to social justice, in the view of John Rawls, is the best way so far to effectively equalize social positions to a degree which is necessary to make just rules for conduct and opportunity. What this means in terms of redistribution, is that those people in society who are disadvantaged by the natural lottery - they're born with some socio or economic or physical deficiency - will receive enough economic compensation (ie. welfare, "free" health-care, "free" education, public services) to be on equal terms with all other members of the society and able to compete for greater economic reward against anyone else.

So basically, in order for people to be able to compete, we need to handicap the top competitors. But we do that in a way that does not create an undue burden for the top "class", yet is satisfactory to the underclass. It's an enticing proposal. But it's sort of a watered-down, Marxism lite. From each according to ability, to each according to need - with rules.

And the problem lies, first in the fact that no consensus of opinion in the underclass would occur to define the handicapping parameters in question, and second in the fact that this sort of patterning of efficacy would certainly impede the liberty of top-class individuals.

One might argue that topclass would need to sacrifice some liberty in order to enhance underclass' liberty, not out of altruism, but rational self-interest. Ie., a wealthy entrepreneur can't become wealthy without her workers, who need to be healthy. She needs them just as they need her, thus, she should expect to pay - through taxation - for her workers' health-care needs.

But on closer examination, this argument falls apart, because if a certain portion of society is never allowed to pay the full cost of its life-choices, it will become dependent upon the rest of society, and never be allowed to reach the 'greater economic reward' that it so justly deserves to compete for. The workers would always be in a position of very little economic choice relative to their topclass masters, because they'd need their masters to be rich enough to be able to afford to subsidize their life-choices. And that's the truth because, in order to pay higher taxes, the topclass would raise prices, creating further pressure on limited economic means, or lower wages, which would have the same effect.

to be continued.....

Chicken or the Egg

Geez. For someone to take 40000 ecstacy pills in 9 years, they'd have to have a certain amount of pre-existing mental problems. I don't think the drugs really made things that much worse.

How Come....

.....You can piss on a crucifix, and get rave reviews in America, yet if you convert to Christianity from Islam, you can be EXECUTED BY YOUR GOVERNMENT in Afghanistan.....You can have hit shows about promiscuous, adulterating middle-age women in America that are generally viewed as empowering for women there, but could be executed for cheating on your husband in Iran.....You can write plays about assassinating your own president in America, or you can be tortured and executed for questioning your leader's policies in Iraq....You can, as the president of the united states of america, visit a mosque directly after September 11, 2001 to pray for peace, or you can riot, burn, and kill in the name of mohammed when someone somewhere draws a cartoon.