Does having daughters makes fathers more likely to agree with Left-wing views?

The underlying assumption of the British article below is faulty. Women split roughly evenly between Left and Right at election time. Although it is often asserted, Leftism is NOT in fact "feminine". Women can be very practical and such women are by that fact less likely to succumb to Leftist fantasies. I will be very interested to see what the research methods were when the article behind the story below is finally published.

And other facts run contrary to its conclusions. Married people with children lean heavily towards conservative parties. So having ANY childen, male or female, moves you to the Right. And, in general, people with chidren, male or female, will be older and older people too tend to become more conservative than when they were young. It is young unattached females who lean Left. So the known demographic factors that influence political choice have nothing to do with the sex of the children concerned

When she needs a lift or money to buy clothes, a girl will turn the charm on her father. But it seems that a daughter’s influence on her dad goes far beyond the odd favour. Research has found that the more girls a man has, the more likely he is to be Left-wing. Daughters have such a profound effect on their fathers that they can switch their political viewpoint, a study suggests.

Compared to men, women are more likely to favour Labour or Liberal policies such as higher taxes to fund provisions like the NHS. They also tend to earn less than men so won’t be as hard-hit by higher taxation. As a man fathers more daughters, he will gradually be won round by their more Left-wing viewpoints.

The study, carried out by Professor Andrew Oswald from Warwick University and Dr Nattavudh Powdthavee from York University, also found that a predominance of sons can make a mother more right-wing. The researchers even suggested that well-known Left-wing politicians and personalities owed their beliefs to the high numbers of daughters in the family. The late John Smith, former leader of the Labour party, had three daughters. Similarly Cherie Blair’s father Tony Booth, the actor who starred in the BBC’s Til Death Us Do Part, who was renowned for being a strong supporter of the Labour Party, had eight daughters

In an unpublished article to be submitted to an economics journal, the researchers wrote: ‘This paper provides evidence that daughters make people more Left-wing, while having sons, by contrast, makes them more Right-wing.’ Professor Oswald said: ‘As men acquire female children, those men gradually shift their political stance and become more sympathetic to the “female” desire for a larger amount for the public good. ‘They become more Left-wing. Similarly a mother with sons becomes sympathetic to the “male” case for lower taxes and a smaller supply of public goods.

‘Potential feelings are much less independently chosen than people realise. ‘Children mould their parents. It’s so scientifically because it’s out of the parents’ control whether they have a boy or a girl.’ ‘We document evidence that having daughters leads people to be more sympathetic to Left-wing parties. ‘Giving birth to sons, by contrast, seems to make people more likely to vote for a right-wing party.’

They found that among parents of with between two to four children who voted for Labour or the Lib Dems, the average number of daughters was higher than average number of sons. The study is backed up by recent findings in America that showed US congressmen were more likely to support gender equality policies if they had daughters.

Sociologist Rebecca Warner from Oregon State University and economist Ebonya Washington from Yale University studied the voting records of the politicians before and after they had children. The authors concluded that parents realise the potential struggles their daughters will face and begin to sympathise with them.

Long before he even became a father, Brad Pitt broke down in tears and spoke of his desire to have daughters. The actor, who was in a relationship with Jennifer Anniston at the time, told a US TV show: ‘Yes, I have got family on the mind. Jen and I have been working something out. Little girls, they just crush me - they break my heart.’ Sylvester Stalone, star of the Rocky films, admitted he altered his career path and chose more emotive roles after the birth of his daughter Sophia in 1996. He said: ‘The birth of my daughter was a subtle indication of the way I should go. I want to get back to more emotional, character-driven films.’

SOURCE

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If we build it, will they come?

By guest blogger Locutisprime.

Almost everyone has seen the movie Field of Dreams with Kevin Costner. And just as many people remember the tag line from the movie..."if you build it he will come." There are a number of metaphorical references and themes in that film that touch a certain spot in the heart of most people. I know it touched mine.

As I sit here contemplating this Memorial Day weekend, I am torn between realizing that many Americans only see this holiday as the first big cookout weekend of the summer season. It means little more to many than just that. A reason to kick back and relax on a three day weekend off. Time to burn some burgers, drink some beer and maybe go to the lake or beach or perhaps watch the Indy 500 on TV. But beyond those activities of shared interest and commonality, I fear that not many present day contemporary Americans will remember or even be aware of what the Memorial Day holiday is supposed to both signify and pay tribute to. Much more that it is supposed to honor the memory of our honored dead.

Memorial Day is supposed to be a day of remembrance. A day when all Americans take pause to reflect on those who have sacrificed their lives in service to this nation. A day of remembrance of those that sacrificed so that there could be cookouts and burgers and beer and all the other activities and blessings of a free nation for generations to come. And ball games and days at the lake and vacations at the beach. For there are those who remain as they always have, prepared to take away our freedoms and abilities to pursue our versions of happiness, freedom and liberty. And there are those who have already deprived many who were innocent of their lives, as they did those who willingly died in the defense of other Americans who never even knew them.

Is there a higher calling than to be of service to your nation? Perhaps.

Perhaps it is a higher calling to be of service to your God and your family. I believe that there are few who would disagree with that, but there also comes the time when each generation is called upon to step forward and offer service to both themselves and their neighbors.

Jesus said: "Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends." I have to agree. But what of the man or woman....who lays down their life for those that they never knew..... Or those who have yet to be born yet? Is this not also a demonstration of the greatest love? Albeit a demonstration of commitment to country, it still remains a commitment to all who cannot stand and defend themselves. At least that is the way I look at it.

And what remains of the lives lost during times of conflict for America. What remains other than the cherished memories of their families and loved ones. They weep in silence. We expect that remembrance from those closest to us, yet what do we expect from those who never knew us. What should be expected of those who follow in the blissful peace of never having known the mind tearing fear of war and combat. Of those who never knew the taste of sudden and brutal death in a land far removed from their former lives.

America's sons and daughters and father and mothers and brothers and sisters have long marched off to defend that which was being threatened here at home. And these same defenders have bled and left members of their bodies strewn across countless battlefields over the past 200 years. And many of them never left those battlefields at all. They lie there now in repose, or they rest in the bottom of the depths of the sea where they were interred having been wrapped in the flag of their nation. Their only remaining connection with their loved ones or descendants or those that came after, are some words on the page of a history book. Or perhaps, some words on a monument somewhere, lost to the day to day passing of time and the memories of those who knew them.

As I think about these things each year, I often wonder what those who have gone before us and who are no longer are with us think or thought about such things. For many of them there was no time to think or contemplate their actions or their death. It just happened suddenly and painlessly and they were gone. For others there was agony and lingering and there must certainly have been a desire of last will and testament to above all be remembered. What else can we leave to this world but our actions and the memory of our actions. And when those actions are of self sacrifice on a battlefield in defense of those who cannot defend themselves? I have to feel and believe that the emotions involved transcend death. I happen to believe that death cannot silence the memories of those who have sacrificed so greatly. I have to believe that our sacred lost stand as silent sentinels and testament to their commitment to love of country and family. Where they stand I do not know, but they certainly must become members of an honored cadre of the many who have similarly served and committed their lives and souls to an eternal presence in the glory of a God who recognizes their sacrifice.

If we build it? Will they come? I have often wondered about that. What of our memorials. What of our memorials in the form of monuments and designated days of observance? Is there really the reverence present that there should be? Do we as Americans truly feel thankful or grateful that we live in a nation, whose liberties have been so dearly paid for. And what of the sentinels that stand on the other side of eternity. Keeping constant watch and vigil. Asking now only that we remember them. Asking only that their lives not have been lost in vain. Asking only that we take a day here and there to remember them. Is that too much to ask? I wonder. As I wonder if our honored dead are aware of our present lives and what they died to preserve.

I wonder if the husband or son or brother, or sister or mother or daughter, can approach the lives we now live if only as an observer. Is it possible for them to return periodically for flickers of time, just to look in on their loved ones or just to see how things have proceeded and progressed in the absence of their lives? Is it possible for those who gave their last full measure to emotionally reach across and touch the minds of those who remain here on this plain of existence? I have often wondered those same curiosities whenever I looked upon that long black wall on the mall in Washington. I have been there three times now. It took me years to make the journey after the tribute was finally erected. I saw the photographs in magazines and I felt the rush of chills when the eerie illusion of the haunting shapes of the dead almost materialized in that black granite wall for a moment.

Then I realized that the images most often were simply the reflections of those passing by and those stopping to pay their respects. But what if there are really those there on the other side of that black granite wall. And what if there are those who went before them, now disembodied and periodically allowed to peek back into our lives via the conduit of their memorials? It is certainly a heavy thought for me to contemplate. If we build it will they come? Is it possible for our heroes to look back across the great divide and see the now aging faces of wives and mothers, fathers and brothers, sons and daughters, sisters and sweethearts. Can they see those others that meant so much to them in their brief lives here with us on earth.

I certainly hope so. I know that I want to believe that. And I know that my heart tells me that through God all things are possible. So yes, they are there as they have always been in my opinion, though not in flesh and bone. They are there in spirit and in love. And they remain there silently watching and remembering and thinking of the love that they held in this life and the love that remains here in the hearts of others for them.

Therefore, as we enter into another Memorial Day observance, before you light up the grill or open that beer, take the time to pause and reflect. Take the time to be thankful for all that you have and the price paid for in blood for you to have it. Take the time to offer up a prayer for those that you knew and those that you never knew. For those who are no longer with us and will never again be allowed to enjoy a May weekend in spring with their family and friends. Think of how the smell of those cookouts and the laughter of children are no longer shared or enjoyed by those who have laid down their lives for you and I.

By all means....thank a veteran this weekend, but even more importantly, pay respect to those who gave their all that you could enjoy the greatness of this nation and its bounty. They deserve no less from those of us who remain. From those of us who but by the grace of God survived and returned. They deserve to be remembered and saluted on these few days when we set aside the day for tribute to them. It is after all their day not ours. They earned it. Paid for in full with no apologies and no regrets.

They wait for us now and from time to time they assemble to look back on that which they preserved. Visit with them. Let them know that you know that they are there and that you know what they did for you and your family. Go to a national cemetery or visit a monument this weekend and reach out and touch the stone work. These are the tangible references to the fact that they lived and these are the conduits between them and us, their world and ours. These are the touch stones between their existence in memory and our continued existence in life. And they are our means of connection and remembrance.

I know that I certainly believe that they are, as I believe that they are there watching and waiting and endlessly loving those which they willingly sacrificed. I believe that when we built these tributes to their sacrifices, that those who gave are capable of seeing what we have done for them and in their honor and in their memory. As I believe that they are aware of those who never stop to think, much less visit one of them where they now stand as entombed sentinels to the memory of their love of country.

Greater love hath no man, than to lay down his life for his friends.

Honor them. Honor their memory. Never let them die from our thoughts. For as long as they remain in our collective and individual memory, they remain as testament to all that love truly represents. And their sacrifices will not have been in vain.

SOURCE

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What America Means to Me

by Bruce Bialosky

The special nature of this country was brought to mind during a recent journey to retrieve my son after his first year of college at the University of Kansas. I was to fly to Kansas City and drive back to Los Angeles, but an unexpected diversion in that plan reminded me of our country’s greatness.

I left LAX on my Southwest flight at 9 A.M. to arrive at 2 P.M. central time. The flight was beautiful except for a seatmate who made too many lavatory trips, interrupting my movie. Everything was wonderful until we were ready to land at KCI (Kansas International Airport) where there were thunderstorms. The pilot was scared of a little lightning so we hung in a holding pattern. Southwest planes do not carry loads of extra fuel so we were soon diverted to Tulsa, Oklahoma, to sit on the tarmac.

While preparing to be a victim of one of those long “sweatfests” I looked at the map and saw Tulsa was pretty much due south of Kansas City and on the road toward Los Angeles. Since there was no clear indication of when we might again attempt our final leg to Kansas City, I had the idea for my son to drive south to Tulsa, and we would push on from there. I went to the flight attendant and asked if I could get off the plane. I had my luggage and could depart without any particular inconvenience. Simultaneously, the pilot decided to head for a gate and humanely let us off until we had a secure time for a landing in Kansas City. I called my son and told him to start driving to Tulsa.

I was now standing in Tulsa’s airport wondering what I am going to do for the next 4+ hours when the wheels (in my brain) started to turn. It came to me that I have a friend who is frequently in Tulsa because his company’s headquarters are in Bartlesville -- not too far from Tulsa. During a call to my friend, I explained the facts – this was my first time here and inquired as to where I should go and what I should do. Of course, as one who lives on the coast, it is ingrained in me that places like Tulsa are “backwater” towns. With a few phone calls and emails, the owners of my friend’s company, who I had never met, had arranged to have me let at a business club of which they are members in downtown Tulsa.

Arriving by cab, I took the elevator to this club called the Summit, located on the 32nd floor of the local Bank of America building. I entered this beautiful club in my shorts, knit shirt and athletic shoes. I apologized for my inappropriate dress, but the people there did not care because I was a guest of Peggy and Tom.

They sat me at a table that had a magnificent view of the Arkansas River. The sunny clear day allowed a view that went on for twenty-plus miles each way, as this is a very flat part of the country. The view was just staggering. Why was I not told of the beauty of this part of the country? This majestic river bordered by beautiful tree-lined areas was captivating.

The staff filled me with some pretty fine grub and plenty of ice tea as I settled in to await the arrival of my son. I took out my book, muted my cell phone and started soaking in a part of America that I had never experienced. Other than driving through Oklahoma on my way home after 9/11, my closest experience in this state had previously been provided by Rodgers and Hammerstein. I had no comprehension about what a wonderful area this part of the country had become.

Early evening faded into nighttime and people started arriving for dinner. Two couples were seated in the table next to me. One of the ladies spotted my KU cap parked on top of my luggage. She mentioned she had graduated from KU in 1954 as had her husband, although their dinner guests were both Oklahoma Sooners. After I again apologized for my informal attire, we engaged in conversation. They had me pull up a chair and delayed ordering their dinner for almost an hour as the five of us talked as if we were long lost friends. They told me all about their wonderful city which Forbes magazine recently ranked the 5th best place to live in America.

I begged off so they could finally order their dinner and I called my son who was near arriving. The picture perfect weather had now turned into rain as can happen in this part of the country during spring. When my son landed in front of building, we stood there hugging in the rain for what seemed like an eternity.

We pushed on from there to Oklahoma City. The next morning we visited the Oklahoma City Memorial, dedicated to those who died at the Federal Building bombing. We drove on to Amarillo where we stopped at the Big Texan – home of the 72-ounce steak. Only in America could you have an experience like this where people would challenge themselves to eat this behemoth. A man had come from Norway to try his hand at tackling this chunk of sirloin. The experience was pure Texas.

For the next two days we drove through New Mexico, Arizona and finally to California. Interstate 40 parallels the historic route 66. As we motored through, we passed many iconic towns well known to Americans through popular songs.

This entire journey reminded me how very fortunate we are to live in this magnificent country which, for the most part, is underappreciated. To many of us, Memorial Day has become the unofficial start of summer. The fact that we are meant to spend the day remembering those who have sacrificed themselves to allow us to live this fine life is often lost.

Hopefully from reading this, you have focused on your own family and friends who make your life special. You have recalled a day when strangers may have done you a good deed simply because you are a fellow American. Maybe you will spend just a smidgen of time remembering those great people who loved our country and what we stand for enough to defend it and pay the ultimate price for that love. And possibly you might remember how blessed we all are to call ourselves Americans.

SOURCE

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The Death of Israel

From Caroline Glick, deputy editor and op-ed writer for the Jerusalem Post, comes alarming news. An expert on Arab-Israeli relations with excellent sources deep inside Netanyahu's government, she reports that CIA chief Leon Panetta, who recently took time out from his day job (feuding with Nancy Pelosi) to travel to Israel "read the riot act" to the government warning against an attack on Iran.

More ominously, Glick reports (likely from sources high up in the Israeli government) that the Obama administration has all but accepted as irreversible and unavoidable fact that Iran will soon develop nuclear weapons. She writes, "...we have learned that the [Obama] administration has made its peace with Iran's nuclear aspirations. Senior administration officials acknowledge as much in off-record briefings. It is true, they say, that Iran may exploit its future talks with the US to run down the clock before they test a nuclear weapon. But, they add, if that happens, the US will simply have to live with a nuclear-armed mullocracy."

She goes on to write that the Obama administration is desperate to stop Israel from attacking Iran writing that "as far as the [Obama] administration is concerned, if Israel could just leave Iran's nuclear installations alone, Iran would behave itself." She notes that American officials would regard any harm to American interests that flowed from an Israeli attack on Iranian nuclear facilities as Israel's doing, not Iran's.

In classic Stockholm Syndrome fashion, the Obama administration is empathizing more with the Iranian leaders who are holding Israel hostage than with the nation that may be wiped off the map if Iran acquires the bomb.

Obama's end-of-the-year deadline for Iranian talks aimed at stopping its progress toward nuclear weapons is just window dressing without the threat of military action. As Metternich wrote "diplomacy without force is like music without instruments." By warning only of possible strengthening of economic sanctions if the talks do not progress, Obama is making an empty threat. The sanctions will likely have no effect because Russia and China will not let the United Nations act as it must if it is to deter Iranian nuclear weapons.

All this means is that Israel's life is in danger. If Iran gets the bomb, it will use it to kill six million Jews. No threat of retaliation will make the slightest difference. One cannot deter a suicide bomber with the threat of death. Nor can one deter a theocracy bent on meriting admission to heaven and its virgins by one glorious act of violence. Iran would probably not launch the bomb itself, anyway, but would give it to its puppet terrorists to send to Israel so it could deny responsibility. Obama, bent on appeasement, would likely not retaliate with nuclear weapons. And Israel will be dead and gone.

Those sunshine Jewish patriots who voted for Obama must realize that we, as Jews, are witnessing the possible end of Israel. We are in the same moral position as our ancestors were as they watched Hitler rise but did nothing to pressure their favorite liberal Democratic president, FDR, to take any real action to save them or even to let Jewish refugees into the country. If we remain complacent, we will have the same anguish at watching the destruction of Israel that our forebears had in witnessing the Holocaust.

Because one thing is increasingly clear: Barack Obama is not about to lift a finger to stop Iran from developing the bomb. And neither is Hillary Clinton.

Obama may have held the first White House cedar [seder?], but he's not planning to spend next year in Jerusalem

SOURCE

Complacent NYC Jews may like to reflect that the Iranian leaders could just as easily put a nuclear device aboard a ship and sail it into NY harbour. There would be no shortage of "martyrs" to man the ship and detonate the bomb

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There is a new lot of postings by Chris Brand just up -- on his usual vastly "incorrect" themes of race, genes, IQ etc.

For more postings from me, see TONGUE-TIED, EDUCATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, GREENIE WATCH, POLITICAL CORRECTNESS WATCH, GUN WATCH, SOCIALIZED MEDICINE, FOOD & HEALTH SKEPTIC, AUSTRALIAN POLITICS, IMMIGRATION WATCH INTERNATIONAL, EYE ON BRITAIN and Paralipomena

List of backup or "mirror" sites here or here -- for readers in China or for everyone when blogspot is "down" or failing to update. Email me here (Hotmail address). My Home Pages are here or here or here

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The Big Lie of the late 20th century was that Nazism was Rightist. It was in fact typical of the Leftism of its day. It was only to the Right of Stalin's Communism. The very word "Nazi" is a German abbreviation for "National Socialist" (Nationalsozialist) and the full name of Hitler's political party (translated) was "The National Socialist German Workers' Party" (In German: Nationalsozialistische Deutsche Arbeiterpartei)

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