Monday, May 31, 2004

Romantic Polytheism or Vague Theism

Unitl today, I had never heard of Richard Rorty.  But, due to rather inclement weather on this Monday, I’ve had some additional time on my hands to read a bit more than I usually do. 

When I stopped by Marginal Revolution, I read a post by Tyler Cowen titled “A new religion of mankind?," which, natuarally, caught my eye, so I read Tyler’s comments and clicked over to the piece on Rorty.

Rorty is attemtping to unite some of the divergent views of various philosophers, something I have a tendency to think about myself, and I found the piece quite interesting, though not without incorrect conclusions.

The piece is titled “How Richard Rorty Found Religion," and was written by Jason Boffetti.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 09:52 AM
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All Used Up

Sex.  Is it all about sex?  Is “free love,” that mantra from the hippy dippy days, the path to nirvana and individual freedom?  Should sex become just an everyday ho hum, hey it feels good, let me stop and get a quick BJ at the Five & Dime type thing?  Should kids be having sex, and if so, how young should individuals encourage their kids to start having sex?  Instead of slumber parties, should oral, coed orgies be encouraged, for the children?

Ally, at Who Moved My Truth, whose comments on this issue are titled “The Clinton Mentality," links to an article from the NYT which peeps into the world of teen sex where kids say things like the following about sex.

"It’s equal,” she said. “Everyone is using each other. That’s fair."

A comment which brought to mind the following Bill Withers tune.

"My friends feel it’s their appointed duty
They keep trying to tell me all you want to do is use me
But my answer yeah to all that use me stuff
Is I wanna spread the news that if it feels this good getting used
Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up
Until you use me up

My brother sit me right down and he talked to me
He told me that I ought not to let you just walk on me
And I’m sure he meant well yeah but when our talk was through
I said brother if you only knew you’d wish that you were in my shoes
You just keep on using me until you use me up
Until you use me up

Oh sometimes yeah it’s true you really do abuse me
You get in a crowd of high class people and then you act real rude to me
But oh baby baby baby baby when you love me I can’t get enough
I and I wanna spread the news that if it feels this good getting used
Oh you just keep on using me until you use me up
Until you use me up

Talking about you using me but it all depends on what you do
It ain’t too bad the way you’re using me
Cause I sure am using you to do the things you do
Ah ha to do the things you do"

What happens when they’re all used up?

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 05:06 AM
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A Short Lesson in Libertarianism

“Other people are not your property."

Some clarifying comments on the above lesson.

"In other words: They are not yours to boss around. Their lives are not yours to micromanage. The fruits of their labour are not yours to dispose of.

It doesn’t matter how wise or marvelous or useful it would be for other people to do whatever it is you’d like them to do. It is none of your business whether they wear their seatbelts, worship the right god, have sex with the wrong people, or engage in market transactions that irritate you. Their choices are not yours to direct. They are human beings like yourself, your equals under Natural Law. You possess no legitimate authority over them. As long as they do not themselves step over the line and start treating other people as their property, you have no moral basis for initiating violence against them – nor for authorising anyone else to do so on your behalf."

For additional commentary, of a rather succinct nature, on this subject, click the link in this post.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 04:54 AM
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A Memorial Day Contribution

Memorial Day was designated to honor the dead who have served in the military.  Though most individuals look at Memorial Day as just another four day weekend.  The story I will link to in this post is not about a dead man, it is about a man who is still alive.  But this story, about a military man, who is still alive, is a living memorial to the military men and women who have served, and died honorably.  It is a story which, because it embodies positive virtues, is not in the news.

“SOMETHING THAT DIDN’T MAKE THE NEWS."

Via PrestoPundit.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 04:43 AM
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Fat Blame Game

Who, or what, can individuals blame for being overweight, obese?

“Study: Driving longer means larger waistlines."
“Gays Rights ‘Leads To Obesity’." Thanks to Jason Kuznicki for that link.
“Urban sprawl linked to high obesity rates."
“Study says big pregnancy weight gain leads to obesity."
“Woolly policies to blame for big rise in obesity, says MPs’ report."
“Inequality is fattening." Thanks to Radley Balko for this link.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 04:15 AM
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An National ID Card Will Not Make You Safer

This morning, in an op-ed piece, The New York Times is banging the drum for a national ID card. Surprisingly, the piece makes no mention of doing this for the children, but the piece does state that a national ID card will make individuals more secure.  What, if I flash a national ID card terrorists and other bad guys are going to turn tail and run?  I don’t think so.  But the weakest reason the NYT presents as a reason for a national ID card is included in the following sentence.

"A card might help Americans move through airports more easily or even cash checks more rapidly."

Yep, that ability to cash checks “more rapidly” is the key.  Sign me up.

Posted by John Venlet on 05/31 at 03:57 AM
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