The
Rational Argumentator
Issue CLXXIV
October 20-24, 2008
Divine Justice:
Kyrel Zantonavitch
October 20, 2008
A Christian, a Muslim, and an atheist all die by chance at the same time in the same place. All three slowly, gently ascend to Heaven on separate, small, puffy, white clouds. What happens to them? Read this provocative short story by Kyrel Zantonavitch to find out.
Culture
Liberation by Internet: How Technology Destroys Tyranny:
G. Stolyarov II
October 20, 2008
As a decentralized communication system facilitating the sending and receiving of messages by billions of people, the Internet has greatly shifted the balance of power away from governments and toward sovereign individuals. Even in its early days, the Internet played a vital role in bringing about the downfall of the Soviet Union’s government. Since then, it has catalyzed tremendous economic, social, and political liberation in countries ranging from Cuba to the United States. Mr. Stolyarov describes the power and impact of the Internet as an agent of liberation.
Economics
Too Big to Fail?:
Ron Paul
October 20, 2008
In the midst of highly unpopular bailouts of Wall Street, many justifications have been given about why Washington feels the need to act. Some claim that capitalism and the free market are to blame, but we have not had capitalism. If you compare our financial capital to our aggregate debt, this would be obvious. In the same way, we have not had a truly free market. The monetary manipulations of the Federal Reserve, a complex tax code, the many “oversight” agencies and their mountains of regulations show that we are far removed from a free-market economy. Ron Paul refutes this and other arguments for the bailouts, including the idea that some financial entities are "too big to fail."
Capitalism Without Capital?:
Ron Paul
October 20, 2008
We know our nation’s “negative savings rate” reflects the habits of private citizens, showing those habits to be not tremendously different than the habits of the public sector. Yet, the signs of decline are becoming ever more apparent. So apparent, in fact, that it seems unlikely that bailouts or other gimmicks will have even short term success. More inflation, and creating moral hazard by bailing out egregious offenders, is a recipe for disaster. These activities can seem to provide some short term relief, but Rep. Ron Paul writes that it seems we are now at a significant crisis point, where monetary policy gimmicks don’t provide the band-aids they did in the past.
The Do-Something Congress:
Ron Paul
October 20, 2008
The first week of October 2008 was not a good week for the Republic. It took quite a bit of trampling of the Constitution, but the bailout bill passed, as Rep. Ron Paul suspected it would. The bailout failed the first time it was brought to the House. Undaunted, the Senate pressed on by attaching the bailout as an amendment to another House-passed bill that was pending in the Senate. The new bailout version had new taxes, so according to the Constitution it should not have originated in the Senate.
Videos
Against John McCain's Foreign Policy - Part 1 of 9 - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
October 20, 2008
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's intent to keep American troops in Iraq until 2013 and instead proposes a withdrawal beginning in January 2009. Mr. Stolyarov offers a fundamental criticism of the American government's occupation of Iraq as incompatible with the objectives this occupation is supposed to accomplish.
Against John McCain's Foreign Policy - Part 2 of 9 - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
October 21, 2008
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's willingness to keep American troops in Iraq and other places throughout the world for 100 years or longer.
Against John McCain's Foreign Policy - Part 3 of 9 - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
October 22, 2008
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's willingness to "bomb Iran" and his psychological comfort with the notion. Bombing Iran would be disastrous in reinvigorating the Iranian theocracy and destroying the currently substantial support the United States has among the youth of Iran.
Against John McCain's Foreign Policy - Part 4 of 9 - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
October 23, 2008
Mr. Stolyarov critiques John McCain's attempts to use the coercive power of government to "bolster volunteerism." Mr. Stolyarov also criticizes McCain's call for us to sacrifice our personal interests for the fictitious "interests" of "the country."
Against John McCain's Foreign Policy - Part 5 of 9 - Video:
G. Stolyarov II
October 24, 2008
Mr. Stolyarov argues that John McCain would impose conscription if he could get it to be egalitarian in practice or if World War III occurs, which is likely under a McCain presidency. John McCain does not have any moral oppositions to the draft, which renders him oblivious to the fact that conscription is murder by lottery. Moreover, the sentiments that McCain expresses regarding "service" and sacrifice are similar to those expressly stated by Hitler and Mussolini.
"A desire presupposes the possibility of action to achieve it; action presupposes a goal which is worth achieving."
~ Ayn Rand
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