What if we engaged ourselves meaningfully as members of as many communities as possible? Or as meaningfully as possible in single communities?
Tag: respect
Opposition Research: It’s Not Trump’s Fault That Politics is a “Dirty” Game
In a June 12 interview with George Stephanopoulos of ABC News, President Donald Trump freely admitted that he would listen to foreigners offering him “dirt” on his political opponents: “I think you might want to listen, there isn’t anything wrong with listening …. Somebody comes up and says, ‘hey, I have information on your opponent,’ do you call the FBI?”
Pork is Not the Problem
Congressional appropriations for 2019 include 282 earmarks, up from 232 last year. The cost comes to $15.3 billion, up from $14.7 billion. That sounds like a lot of money, and it is. But not nearly as much as one might think, in the scheme of things.
See What You Can Build on Your Own
To prevent someone from making things on their own is bad in two ways. You show you don’t trust them to be competent, and you keep them from becoming competent; from learning how to do things they’ll value. If you never allow someone to succeed or fail on their own, always doing everything for them, they’ll never really grow up. They’ll never learn responsibility.
Androids’ Rights?
I ran across an interesting question on Quora: When we do start making humanoid androids, should they be afforded civil rights? I answered this way: Not unless you can be sure they are sapient— or at least sentient. But even if they are, they would be a separate species, and rights don’t really transfer across species…
Accept Everyone You Can
I try to be accepting of everyone. This doesn’t mean I’m accepting of everything everyone does. Not every behavior is OK. There are lines in the sand I can’t cross, and that when crossed by others, I can’t support.
Don’t Advocate Against Property Rights
Libertarians who support the Big Government “border security” welfare program don’t understand property rights. Property rights are the foundation of all rights, so if you don’t understand and support property rights, how can you credibly claim to be libertarian… or to value liberty at all?
Prescription For Violence: The Corresponding Rise of Antidepressants, SSRIs, & Mass Shootings
Facts matter when addressing such an emotionally charged topic, and more gun control legislation has shown that law-abiding Americans who own guns are not the problem. Consider the following: The more gun control laws that are passed, the more mass murders have occurred.
We Still Haven’t Learned Voltaire’s Lesson
It’s fascinating how easily people accept something they would otherwise know is wrong when someone they view as an authority figure tells them it’s right. Voltaire observed, in 1765, “Those who can make you believe absurdities, can make you commit atrocities.” This truth has led to many of the worst horrors in history. People still haven’t learned the lesson.
It’s Not for Them, It’s for You
Try busting butt and being the best person in the world to work with. Then tell me you don’t feel more awesome, confident, and content. Tell me you gain more from doing the minimum. I won’t believe you because I know it’s not true. Don’t go out of your way to help others out of altruism. There’s never enough of that to muster. Do it as an investment in your own personal pride and self-respect.