ELSEWHERE

Christian libertarian Vox Day has some cogent arguments for getting the government out of marriage altogether: "There is a significant difference between marriage - the religious commitment between a man and one or more women - as it has been known in every historical society for at least 6,000 years, and the modern concept of state-granted civil marriage. Self-styled conservative "defenders of marriage" justify their support for state involvement, mostly in the form of tax breaks and social security benefits, in much the same way that left-liberal justify everything - it's all for the children. As usual, however, this mistaken notion has worked out about as well as every other government intrusion into the economy and culture. The number of children being produced in the United States has dropped to its lowest level since 1909...."

Christopher Hitchens: "One good thing about gay nuptials: It'd drive the mullahs mad."

It seems that George Soros too has that vast ego that motivates so many Leftists and leads them to hate those who already are in the positions of power and influence that they covet. Soros is almost a caricature of an egomaniac in fact. No wonder he hates George Bush.

Europe would vote for Kerry if it could. And they're rooting for him. Another bunch all twisted up by envy. They know America would be weak under Kerry.

Jeff Jacoby: "John Kerry is going to be the Democratic Party's presidential nominee. And that means that President Bush is one step closer to reelection."

Two good quotes via The Federalist: "I have seen gross intolerance shown in support of tolerance." and: "It is completely legitimate for President Bush's campaign to cite Mr. Kerry's voting record and public words in an attempt to prove that the senator's military and foreign policy judgments of the last 30 years have been unwise and unrealistic". The quote about tolerance is from Coleridge (1772-1834) -- a famous poet and one of the many who moved from radicalism to conservatism as he went through life. He could have been writing today.

Rubbery French principles: "France said on Wednesday it was ready to review advertising restrictions on wine producers to encourage the French to drink the industry out of a sales slump."

What fun! "COCA-Cola's new 'designer water" is not the real thing at all and its ingredients are not so special that they are a well-kept secret. For the drink is nothing more than tap water".

Government does something useful: "Citing an array of financial abuses at charitable foundations, federal officials and the Massachusetts attorney general's office plan to push new legislation and tougher regulations designed to curtail excessive salaries, lavish spending, and conflicts of interest by some foundation directors. US Senator Charles E. Grassley [R-IA], chairman of the Senate Finance Committee, called the improprieties at foundations detailed in a recent Globe series 'wrong and outrageous,' and said new laws and more stringent rules are needed to ensure that the billions of dollars in foundation assets are used for charitable purposes and not to enrich insiders."

Lula's Leftist authoritarianism is showing: "Thirty thousand people took part in a march in Sao Paulo to protest a decision by Brazil's President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva to close down bingo halls and ban slot machines nationwide. The march was led by the Fuerza Sindical union, whose leader Paulo Pereira da Silva says the ban will bump 100,000 people out of work just in Sao Paulo and possibly more than three times that number in all of Brazil. Lula ordered the closing down of bingo halls after corruption allegations surfaced in February concerning a former adviser to the government."

I have just posted here some more observations from Chris Brand -- noting some increases in realism about race.

The wicked one has just put up another big collection of funnies. I liked the one about diarrhoea.

In the last two days I have put up critiques of work in psychology by Adorno disciples. Criticism is no substitute for doing better, however, so I have today put up one of my published academic articles that provides better data for testing the Adorno theories. See here or here.

********************************

The Left have always wanted more spent on welfare and made "Fascism" a swear-word. President Bush deposed a brutal Fascist dictator and sponsored a big expansion of welfare. But instead of being admired by the Left, he is hated with a passion. What does that tell you about the Left? It tells you that they have no principles at all: That everything they have ever claimed to stand for is fake.

Three more examples of Leftist dishonesty: They blame the 9/11 attacks on "poverty" in the Islamic world. Yet most of the attackers were Saudis and Saudi Arabia is one of the world's richest countries! They also say that they oppose racism yet support "affirmative action" -- which judges people by the colour of their skin! They say that they care about "the poor" but how often do you hear them calling for the one thing that would bring about a worldwide economic boom in poor countries -- the USA and the EU abandoning their agricultural protectionism? Leftists obviously care more about conservative farmers than they do about the poor!

Comments? Email me here or here. If there are no recent posts here blame Blogger.com and visit my mirror site here or here. My Home Page is here or here.

********************************