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These quotes may encourage you to read the whole article. You'll be better for it!
Vaclav Klaus: "As someone who lived under communism for most of his life, I feel obliged to say that I see the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity now in ambitious environmentalism, not in communism. This ideology wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central (now global) planning."
Grant Jones: "Some people can't handle the truth about their religious cult of Gaia."
Hugh Fitzgerald: "Those candidates for President should begin to demand an end to the 'payment of the disguised Jizyah of aid' ... It sets up the idea in the minds of Muslims who receive the aid that it is theirs by right, it is owed to them by the Infidels. And they act according to that belief. Just look at the 'Palestinian' Arabs using such absurd terms as 'embargo' and 'boycott' to describe the refusal of Infidel states to give aid to Hamas, or to a Hamas-linked government."
Reuters: "The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to prohibit any aid to Saudi Arabia." (HatTip AOW).
"George Mason": "Despite the many re-readings of Anthem over the years, I was not prepared for a big surprise this time. It was all there before, but the context for the surprise was not. The quality of life and way of life details of this society focus on Marxist collectivism, to be sure, both in Ayn Rand's native Russia and elsewhere in the world. This time, however, in 2007, Anthem took me to the very heart and essence of Islamic society as well."
Vaclav Klaus: "As someone who lived under communism for most of his life, I feel obliged to say that I see the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity now in ambitious environmentalism, not in communism. This ideology wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central (now global) planning."
Grant Jones: "Some people can't handle the truth about their religious cult of Gaia."
Hugh Fitzgerald: "Those candidates for President should begin to demand an end to the 'payment of the disguised Jizyah of aid' ... It sets up the idea in the minds of Muslims who receive the aid that it is theirs by right, it is owed to them by the Infidels. And they act according to that belief. Just look at the 'Palestinian' Arabs using such absurd terms as 'embargo' and 'boycott' to describe the refusal of Infidel states to give aid to Hamas, or to a Hamas-linked government."
Reuters: "The U.S. House of Representatives voted on Friday to prohibit any aid to Saudi Arabia." (HatTip AOW).
"George Mason": "Despite the many re-readings of Anthem over the years, I was not prepared for a big surprise this time. It was all there before, but the context for the surprise was not. The quality of life and way of life details of this society focus on Marxist collectivism, to be sure, both in Ayn Rand's native Russia and elsewhere in the world. This time, however, in 2007, Anthem took me to the very heart and essence of Islamic society as well."
posted by Jason Pappas at 9:32 AM
13 Comments:
Cult of Gaia?
The criticism is pretty humerous coming from the Cult of Ghawar.
Jason,
Off topic....I see that quite a discussion has been going on with "Saladin" at my site. I take a day off from the Internet, and along comes this fellow.
Thanks for picking up the ball, Jason!
BTW, "Saladin" is still at it.
Voting to cutoff aid to Saudi Arabia is fantastic news! I wasn't aware the U.S. was even giving them money, and they certainly don't need it so even if we halt it will have little monetary affect. But as a statement of principle it's fine, and rare.
Very surprising. Maybe Congress is actually starting to wake up. Odd, though, in light of the now near universal desire to lose in, er, withdraw from Iraq.
Jason
Commies feign ignorance when Norman Finkelstein and Joel Koevel call themselves Greens. The Greens are just another term that people like Ducky use to avoid the stench of what they are.
Cubed here.
"Anthem" was the only book that I remembered in detail from the "science fiction" phase of childhood. I was between 10-12 then, and found it on the sci-fi shelf (now, of course, it is properly ensconced on the philosophy shelf).
I forgot the name after that, though, and thought I had lost it forever until I read "Atlas" for the first time while in medical school; it was a paperback edition with a list of the rest of Ayn Rand's books. The title sounded a bit familiar, so I got a copy, and voila! There it was!
I think every child from middle school on up should read it. And then re-read it. Every developmental stage allows a different "take" on the story, and advances one's appreciation for the importance of a proper philosophy.
I sure wish "They" would make a movie out of it.
Jason!
I just posted a U.S. Marine's
communique from the Sand-Box.
See "Straight Talk".
It's Open Forum, and All
Comments Are Welcome. reb
www.lazyonebenn.blogspot.com
Hugh Fitzgerald had an excellent point:
"Those candidates for President should begin to demand an end to the 'payment of the disguised Jizyah of aid'..."
That aid serves to further jihadists' concept of "the will of Allah." In fact, our aid proves to them that the West is weak and has lost its resolve.
Jason,
After several glitches with Google and Blogger, we're trying to revive our site by transferring the info.
You are linked on the right sidebar.
A little dead in here. Oh well, for class discussion:
the first society with a progressive income tax was ancient Athens ,In its earlier tyrannical period, the Athenians had lived under an imposed flat tax.
... Consequently, democratic Athens became the world's first society to fully unleash its most talented citizens. Among the free male population at least, Athenians were free to pursue their talents, writing plays and philosophical texts, not merely making money.
--------------
Oh my, what would Ayn say? Probably anything but admitting she was wrong.
Fortunately, the founding fathers were critical of democracy. Democracy degenerates into mob rule where the many consume their betters. The founders created a Republic. But, then again, they read republican literature; Cicero was a favorite.
As usual, I agree with Jason, this time with regard to our Founders and democracy. As stated in the Declaration of Independepence "to secure these Rights, Governments are instituted among Men..." When the role of government is to secure rights, it is a small, inexpensive mechanism, with little corruption. If instead there is a democracy, in the sense of providing material benefits, government is large, expensive and corrupt. In the former case, few care to vote, as the sole purpose is equal protection for all; in the latter (or current) case, all are competing for special benefits.
Jason,
Off topic....You are named.
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