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Culture

 

Extolling the Female Tongue:

Selwyn Duke

December 20, 2006:

Man has long known that women were the more loquacious sex, and studies to this effect have been made.  A recent book states that women have about 20,000 “communication events” a day, versus about 7,000 for men. But Selwyn Duke questions the assumption that this imputes superiority to women.  “Communication” has become one of the buzzwords of modern psychology.  And, whenever relationships are at issue – be it in a book, article, talk or interview – almost invariably an “expert” will inform us of two things.  One is that women communicate more than men.  The other is that an onus belongs on men, as this “handicap” of theirs is an impediment to good relations.  Why, men need to learn to communicate more and share their feelings, people are told. Mr. Duke, however, does not hold that simply because women tend to exhibit more of a certain trait, that trait must necessarily be desirable.

 

Economics

 

Wage Gaps, Inequality, and Government:

Dr. William Anderson

December 21, 2006:

The supposed "inequality crisis" decried by some economists (and, of course, members of the political classes) does not stem necessarily from human discontent with the nature of scarcity, but rather from the propensity of some to play with aggregate numbers — and call it "economics." Although the typical American consumer today has more affordable goods from which to choose than at any other time in this nation's history, that has not stopped some prominent voices from declaring that "unfettered" capitalism is undermining prosperity. The most prominent voice on this current "inequality crisis" has been Paul Krugman, who from his New York Times editorial page perch has declared that "economic inequality is rising in America." Dr. William Anderson challenges Krugman's arguments and makes the case for why the current economic situation is quite an improvement over those of past eras.

 

Historical Analysis

 

What Was Wrong With the Old World (1943):

Rose Wilder Lane

December 20, 2006:

In this classic essay, Rose Wilder Lane describes the superstition which has long held most parts of the world in hunger and under tyranny: the belief that men necessarily are and must be the subjects of some higher authority which controls and ought to control every detail of their lives. Ms. Lane contrasts this Old-World superstition with the general American belief in individual autonomy and self-sufficiency; she explains the historic material success of Americans by tracing it to such a belief.

 

Good Fascists and Bad Fascists (1944):

John T. Flynn

December 21, 2006:

In this 1944 essay, John T. Flynn argues that it is dangerous to think well of fascistic or authoritarian regimes simply because they are or have at one time been the allies of the United States or because they are or have been oppressed by even larger fascist and authoritarian regimes. Mr. Flynn also warns that fascism can take many forms, and the United States is not immune from its emergence.

 

Politics

 

Stop Blaming Theology for Your Apathy:

Dr. Chuck Baldwin

December 20, 2006:

Many Christians see the deteriorating political situation in the United States as "destiny" and a state of affairs they are powerless to change; as a result, they become apathetic and do not even wish to attempt to resist negative political and social trends. Dr. Chuck Baldwin urges them to abandon this determinist mindset and put their free agency in the service of liberty. 

 

What Patriotic Christians Can Do for America:

Dr. Chuck Baldwin

December 20, 2006:

Dr. Chuck Baldwin gives advice as to what Christians who love liberty and detest the growth of government intervention can do in an attempt to turn the tides.

 

The Russians Have Never Stopped Spying On Us:

Alan Caruba

December 20, 2006:

From its earliest days, Soviet Russia maintained a vast army of spies around the world, and penetrating the United States remained high on its list of priorities. Vladimir Putin's increasingly authoritarian current Russian regime is no different, writes Alan Caruba. Mr. Caruba gives evidence for a large number of Russian spies currently operating within the United States government.

 

The "Organic" Milk Scam Continues:

Alan Caruba

December 20, 2006:

Alan Caruba writes that the advocacy of "organic" milk is not about health; milk made with non-organically produced components poses no health risks. Instead, this advocacy is a method of "organic" milk producers to drive their competitors out of business to the detriment of consumers-- who will be forced to buy inferior and more expensive products.

 

The Global Warming Inquisition and the Suppression of Skeptic Heresy:

Tom DeWeese

December 20, 2006:

There are lots of lies surrounding the Global Warming mantra. The biggest one claims there is "consensus" among scientists that human-caused global warming is a fact. There is no such consensus. There are simply attempts by global warming alarmists to silence anyone who questions the spurious "evidence" behind the theory. Tom DeWeese writes that human survival demands that we listen to "skeptics" about global warming before they are burned at the stake by suppositious brutes like Senators Jay Rockefeller and Olympia Snowe-- who recently tried to bully Exxon into ceasing to support the activities of thinkers who challenge the existence of global warming.

 

The Original Foreign Policy:

Rep. Ron Paul, M. D.

December 21, 2006:

Rep. Ron Paul believes our founding fathers had it right when they argued for peace and commerce between nations, and against entangling political and military alliances.  In other words, noninterventionism. Noninterventionism is not isolationism.  Nonintervention simply means America does not interfere militarily, financially, or covertly in the internal affairs of other nations.  It does not we that we isolate ourselves; on the contrary, our founders advocated open trade, travel, communication, and diplomacy with other nations. Thomas Jefferson summed up the noninterventionist foreign policy position perfectly in his 1801 inaugural address: “Peace, commerce, and honest friendship with all nations- entangling alliances with none.” Washington similarly urged that we must “act for ourselves and not for others,” by forming an “American character wholly free of foreign attachments.”

 

"Nobody spends somebody else's money as carefully as he spends his own. Nobody uses somebody else's resources as carefully as he uses his own. So if you want efficiency and effectiveness, if you want knowledge to be properly utilized, you have to do it through the means of private property."

 

~ Milton Friedman