Current Events

The new American strategy, released on 2002-Sep-20. It's wonderful to see a proudly self-interested, pro-liberty policy advocated by the American government. The great struggles of the twentieth century between liberty and totalitarianism ended with a decisive victory for the forces of freedom[~]-and a single sustainable model for national success: freedom, democracy, and free enterprise. They of course meant to say "a constitutional republic" — not "democracy," which is a very dangerous political system: the unlimited rule of the majority (if words have meaning). 

I have now created a new category, Current Events, where I'll put stuff that doesn't belong in my intended Quality and Risk themes. I would like to have a voice in multiple themes, but keep them relatively separate. Radio UserLand made it so easy to set up, it's amazing. Now all I need to do for that category is to modify the template and adjust category definitions for postings in the last few weeks (I wish there were an easier way to move a group of existing items to a new category). 

"Arab traditionalism" is a rather weak name to designate islamo-fascism. Den Beste has interesting ideas and arguments although I disagree with the view that such a radically anti-Western religion as Islam can be smoothly reformed. USS Clueless: Something composed like that isn't going to have the rigor of a Ph.D thesis. Let's keep some perspective here: I'm just a guy sitting on the bridge of his starship, writing what he thinks about world events. ... What I'm proposing will involve pain and death and horror and evil, for the Arabs and for us. But it is my considered opinion that all the other paths available to us will result in even more pain and death and horror and evil.

Robert McGee: Wahhabism (and similar strains of Islam) are to cultural diversity what tsetse flies are to biodiversity; some things really aren't worth preserving if we can possibly get rid of them. [via USS Clueless] 

The BBC reports on yet another statist proposal to raise retirement age in order to "save" state pensions. Newly created, UK-based Pensions Policy Institute says there are only two ways out of the pensions crisis: saving more or working (and saving) longer. Warning: False dichotomy! They're basically saying: pay higher taxes, or get less pension money, because this particular Ponzi scheme is running out of victims. [BBC NEWS | Business]

The real, proper alternative is to replace all welfare-state pension systems with tax-free, private savings and investment; as a transitory measure, people over the age of 45 get to opt out of the system with an immediate lump-sum payment if they wish. Only basic mathematical skills are required to figure out the efficiency and morality of private pension. More fundamentally, one's goal must be to free all generations of citizens and ensure their long-term well-being — not to preserve the failing welfare-state at any price. In today's regime, I especially dislike the fact that someone who dies close to retirement cannot provide for loved ones (spouse, children, etc.) because somehow the pension capital "belongs" to the State; a private savings system would never allow such injustice against widows and orphans.

Further, note the blatant sexist inequality. Although life expectancy for women is significantly higher than for men, in the UK, the state pension age is 65 for men and 60 for women, but [it] is due to be equalised to 65 for all by 2020. By the way, life expectancy is steadily increasing! By 2020 it will be another 5 years higher. 

Paul Johnson, eminent British historian and author, recommends four golden rules for the commander-in-chief. In fact, they are rules of leadership that apply very broadly: maintain the will to succeed, however great the difficulties; require unanimity in leadership, and preserve it; define distinct roles, delegating with trust; and stay on a resolute, confident course. Speed and success are everything... But those golden rules must be kept. [Forbes: Current Events] 

To gain that which is worth having, it may be necessary to lose everything else. — Bernadette Devlin

This captures the essence of extreme human action. To pursue the blessings of liberty for themselves and future generations, the US Founding Fathers pledged their life and fortune. To reach an entrepreneurial goal, one may need to accumulate debt and give up one's house and furniture. And, to take a much less pleasing example, evil men may risk their life and sacrifice millions of other lives in order to gain that which they believe is worth having i.e. to pursue their own values, no matter how evil they may be. It is always difficult to understand the value-hierarchy of evil people, because it doesn't make sense to a reasonable, sane person. Hitler's goals included the systematic murder of Jewish people, and the conquest of Europe in the service of that evil, as he had announced in his book Mein Kampf. Imagine what would have happened if Nazi Germany had succeeded in building atomic bombs before the end of WWII. Only six decades later, Saddam Hussein similarly wants to annihilate Israel and the USA, as he has repeatedly announced. Imagine what would happen... 

War is evil, but what alternative is there? Unfortunately, sometimes we are compelled by evil people and their actions to choose the lesser of two evils. Had al Qaeda possessed an atomic device last September, the city of New York would not exist today. ... [Saddam] is rapidly expanding his arsenal of biological and chemical weapons, [has] used these weapons of mass destruction against his subjects and his neighbors, and [is] feverishly trying to acquire nuclear weapons. ... He can produce [material for nuclear bombs] in centrifuges the size of washing machines that can be hidden throughout the country--and Iraq is a very big country. Even free and unfettered inspections will not uncover these portable manufacturing sites of mass death. [Benjamin Netanyahu, OpinionJournal]

Last April, Netanyahu delivered an impressive speech before the US Senate.