Nobody 840

Sunday, November 14, 2010
Nobody # 840

Nobody Asked Me But:

Neither a leader nor a follower be/For leaders steal the self of others/And followers surrender their selves without a struggle. jt<<<

When it was mentioned on the news this past week that President Obama lived in Indonesia as a boy, Barbara was surprised – until I reminded her that according to the “birthers” Indonesia was one of the places that Obama was born.<<<

As I have written before, Jim Hitt and I have been friends for over 40 years. He is like a brother to me. So you can understand my happiness as Barbara and I attended his book signing yesterday at Mysteries To Die For in Thousand Oaks. “Carny,” his novel of connected short stories is an excellent read, and his success in long fiction is way overdue. I highly recommend it.<<< PHILOSOPHER’S CORNER

Buyer, B, agrees to purchase a car from seller, S, who knows that the auto looks good but has severe mechanical problems. Which rule should prevail?

1. Buyer beware?
2. Seller beware?

A libertarian would choose answer (1). Most states opt for (2). Which one would you choose?

Which leads us to - A LOOK AT LIBERTARIANISM

According to the philosophy of Libertarianism, the most fundamental of all rights is the individual’s right to liberty, which is almost absolute and is limited unjustly whenever government does the following:

1. Acts paternalistically (passing laws to protect people from themselves)
2. Legislates one standard of morality
3. Legislates the redistribution of wealth (this includes all taxation for the purpose of promoting the general welfare)

According to libertarians, the most egregious offense for the government is number 3, because “I own myself and my labor and to take the fruits of my labor from me is to make me a slave.”

A simple way to understand libertarians is to realize that their moral compass always points to ME. Although I sympathize with them on number 2 and, in come cases on number 1, I think they are totally off base on number 3. In America, as in any free country, the individual, by choosing to live here, makes an unspoken contract with society to give up certain individual rights and freedoms. In return, he or she receives the benefits provided by the group. If that which is given up seems greater than the benefits received, the individual can attempt to change the rules (laws) and failing that, is free to leave and seek out another society.

In other words, in America each resident has an opportunity/obligation contract. He or she has an opportunity to amass wealth and an obligation to give a portion of it back.<<<

Do you remember when the Clintons were renting out the Lincoln bedroom for $25,000 a night? Well back when Bill Gates had only $40B, he could have used it to sleep there for 66,000 years.<<<

THE GIRL WHO KICKED THE HORNET’S NEST

Like the first two films of the Millennium Trilogy, “Hornet’s Nest” follows the book as closely as any adaptation I can remember. The movie, like the book, unfolds slowly, but by the climatic trial scene it is stunning and completely satisfying. A few critics (it mostly received very good reviews) thought that Lisbeth being confined to a hospital bed for most of the film robbed the film of its best character and, therefore, of its soul. Not so, at least to me. Physically active or not, she remains the movie’s focal point and is, once more, a riveting character.

Haven’t read the books or seen the films yet? What are you waiting for?<<<

And while on the subject, Buffalo Bills wide receiver, Stevie Johnson, in a Sporting News profile, listed “The Girl Who Played with Fire” as a favorite comedy movie, which is just one more proof that helmet to helmet is harmful.<<<

A NEW LOOK AT GEORGE W

I watched Bush's appearance on the Oprah show yesterday and thought it fascinating. It firmed up my ambivalence towards our former president. As I have written, my respect for him grew significantly during his final two years in office and has gone up still more with his consistent refusal to criticize his successor. That shows class. I still vehemently disagree with most of the decisions of his first six years, and I blame much of that on his devotion to the Cheney Doctrine. In fact, I think the greatest of his mistakes was in choosing Cheney to be his running mate. Whereas, I believe Bush was a bad president but not a bad man, Cheney was and is a bad man.

But "Let the dead past bury its dead.” George W. seems like a decent human being today, and he, not I, has to live with American deaths in Iraq. He certainly is not the first president to send our young off to die in an unnecessary war.<<<

ADD ON: Bush Quote

“I probably won’t even vote for the guy (McCain)” I had to endorse him. But I would have endorsed Obama if they’d asked me.” (To a group of British dignitaries at a White House meeting in 2008 – according to two witnesses.)<<<

I don’t know about you, but I think it is time for Betty White to take a publicity break. She’s everywhere. I will not be surprised to see her on American Idol next season – as a contestant, not a judge.<<<

I have coined a new phrase - Dumber than Democrats - but as I watch their leaders in Congress (Pelosi excepted) I realize that I know only a few to whom I can apply the label.<<<

Mary was right! Mary was right! Studies show that sugar can take the edge off pain and therefore “help the medicine go down.”<<<

Last week the California State University Board of Trustees approved a 15% hike in undergraduate tuition, arguing that the action was an essential step to provide access to the Cal State system by more students. Which leads me to this.

Wanted: For murdering California’s envied system of higher education – Governor Ronald Reagan and his successors, Republican and Democratic, who sold out to the “no taxation, even with representation” crowd.<<<

From the Washington Post's Mensa Invitational once again which invites readers to take any word from the dictionary, alter it by adding, subtracting, or changing one letter, and supply a new definition - Ignoranus: A person who's both stupid and an asshole.

BY THEIR FRIENDS YE SHALL KNOW THEM – The United States, this past week, joined 4 other countries in voting no on a U.N proposal to impose a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty. The other countries were China, Saudi Arabia, Iran, The Sudan.<<<