ELSEWHERE

Leftist compassion a fake: "When the labels "conservative" and "liberal" are brought into a political discussion, the common perception is that Democrats, or liberals, are inherently more compassionate than Republicans, or conservatives. However, in the first study to test whether this perception conforms to reality, a University of Missouri-Columbia researcher finds that liberals do not show any more compassion than conservatives in similar settings.... Mr. Milyo, along with colleagues Lisa Anderson and Jennifer Mellor at Virginia's College of William and Mary, examined differences in the behavior of liberal versus conservative subjects in two experimental settings".

Minimum wage turnabout "In academia, when scholars change their minds about something, they admit it publicly and explain why, even if the previous error causes a bit of embarrassment. Thus we recently saw renowned physicist Stephen Hawking say he was wrong in his theory of 'black holes.' He knew it was a necessary, if painful, thing for him to do so research on these celestial objects can move forward. I believe public opinion leaders have the same responsibility to explain themselves when they switch gears. If I were suddenly to endorse a higher minimum wage, after opposing it for many years, I would owe my readers an explanation. ... This is not the view of the New York Times. For decades, the paper carefully and consistently editorialized against the minimum wage. But five years ago, for no apparent reason, it reversed a policy dating to 1937 and suddenly endorsed a higher minimum wage."

Whoopee! "A panel created by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is proposing a top-to-bottom overhaul of state government that would leave virtually no piece of the state's sprawling bureaucracy intact. It would wipe out more than 100 boards and commissions, consolidate a tangle of state services and give departments fresh mandates in an ambitious bid to make government leaner and improve its performance"

What a laugh! "The continuing decline in numbers in the Anglican Church has prompted calls for leaders to consider potentially radical changes in the way the church ministers to the faithful, including implementing cafes in churches. A report from Wayne Brighton, a researcher with the General Synod Office of the Anglican Church, has painted a bleak outlook for the church, with a diminishing and greying congregation." Cafes indeed! They should learn from the vibrant Sydney diocese. THEY preach the Gospel.

Ecumenical economic ignorance: "Conservative Protestants are wary of ecumenical organizations because these groups are so often predisposed toward radicalism and extremism. This disposition may strike some as odd, given that ecumenical bodies are forever issuing blanket affirmations and urgent appeals for the unity of the faith. But Protestants suspicious about the ecumenists will have plenty to worry them later this week when the World Alliance of Reformed Churches, an umbrella group based in Geneva, takes up the issue of economics and global trade."

Maybe pigs do fly! "World Trade Organization members approved a plan Sunday to end export subsidies on farm products and cut import duties across the world" Marvellous if it happens.

Rip van Winkle awakes: "The Vatican on Saturday denounced feminism for trying to blur differences between men and women and threatening the institution of families based on a mother and a father."

Arnold Kling: "To prevent future acts of terrorism, we have to kill people. This is not a good thing. War is horrible. It is repulsive. In every war, soldiers commit atrocities and die senselessly, often because of the mistakes of their superior officers. If World War II were shown to the American people in slow-motion freeze frame, it would look every bit as ugly as the war against Islamist terrorism... For all practical purposes, most of the Muslim world is undecided between Islamism and America. If we adopt a more aggressive approach, some of these Muslims will jump off the fence and onto the other side. But passivity and weakness on our part would be even worse. To regain support of moderate Muslims in the long run, we will have to take steps in the short run that risk upsetting them.... We could not have won World War II with "soft power," trying to win the hearts and minds of ordinary Germans as a way of defeating the Nazis... Eventually, I believe that we can win over the hearts and minds of most Muslims to the concepts of peace and moderation. But not before we have eliminated most of the radicals."

There is a good cartoon about Fascism here

Peg Kaplan has an excellent post on the REAL two Americas.

Hmmm... I used to think that Australian blogger Jason Soon was conservative-leaning but some of his/her recent posts suggest Leftist elitism more than anything else -- such as this one -- where he/she dismisses one of Australia's most brilliant and successful business entrepreneurs as a "vulgarian". Why? On the basis of a conspiracy theory. Yuk! I think we have a nasty little envier there.

For more postings, see GREENIE WATCH and POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH. Mirror sites here and here

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Puzzle: Leftists always say that human nature is fundamentally good and that people can be trusted. So why do they say that whilst at the same time wanting to regulate everybody to death and take as many decisions and choices out of the hands of the individual as they possibly can? Easy: They say that about human nature because, if it is true, then THEY are good at heart and can be trusted -- and, given their destructive deeds, they need all the propaganda help they can get in that regard.

The conflict between conservatives and Leftists is not usually a conflict between realists and idealists. Mostly it is a conflict between realists and people who will say anything to win applause

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