I am adding the new blog, MarcusEpstein.com, to my links.
That is all.
Friday, March 25, 2005
Thursday, March 24, 2005
Bad Precedents, Bad Examples
Larry Elder points out that Iraq War is not the most unpopular war for Americans to ever enter into.
Big deal.
Many of the wars Elder cites (1812, Mexican-American, Spanish-American, World War I, and Vietnam) were either disasters or grossly immoral, or both.
In any case, if his goal was more than just to prove that the Iraq War isn't that unpopular, and to prove how wonderful all of these unpopular wars have turned out to be, he is really off-base.
That is all.
Big deal.
Many of the wars Elder cites (1812, Mexican-American, Spanish-American, World War I, and Vietnam) were either disasters or grossly immoral, or both.
In any case, if his goal was more than just to prove that the Iraq War isn't that unpopular, and to prove how wonderful all of these unpopular wars have turned out to be, he is really off-base.
That is all.
Ulterior Motives
Much of the venom from the left on the issue of Terry Schiavo (not to say that there isn't venom from the right as well, but that's a topic for another post) seems to based on the idea that the left is standing up for mere principle, while those who want Terry Schiavo on a feeding tube are motivated really by ulterior motives such as religious concerns. Not that in all cases the motives are ulterior, but rather that any secular argument by the pro-feeding tube people is a decoy for their real, religious motivations. For example read this.
Of course, we are to believe that the side who wants to let Terry die is motivated by their good hearts and their desire to obey her wishes.
Obviously, in formal logic arguing by ad hominem, including arguments from motivation, is fallacious. But as Thrasymachus points out, in the real world where we have to trust other people's interpretations to be unbiased and honest, and where analyzing and determining all the facts ourselves is impossible (how many people commenting on the case have personally gone through all of the data on Terry Schiavo?), it is necessary to determine the reliability of other people's arguments based to an extent on how much we trust the people. (Obviously, a full scientific investigation is better, if you trust the scientists doing it, but sometimes it is difficult to have a full investiagtion that you can be confident in when the issue is controversial).
In that vein, it is important to note that those who want the feedinfg tube pulled may have an ulterior motive for their desires as well, beyond any concern for Ms. Schiavo or either of her families.
First, for many in the scientific community, there is a great advantage to being able to use living human organisms in research (I use the term human organims to refer to any collection of human cells that was once a sentient human being or has the capacity to become one, or that could have become one, so the term would include zygotes, persistent vegetables, and brain-dead people). Therefore, there is likely to be a motivation by many to define as many human organisms as possible as not being truly persons (i.e. a human organism but not a human being).
Secondly, as Steve Sailer points out, people lingering around tends to decrease hte amount of inheritance. People cheering on the removal of the feeding tube may, in many cases, be hoping to set a precedent if their parents one day threaten to squander their inheritance by not dying in a timely manner.
Which is not to say that there aren't honest people on both sides as well.
But there seems to me to be too much concentration on the motives of the pro-feeding tube people and not enough on the anti-feeding tube people.
That is all.
Of course, we are to believe that the side who wants to let Terry die is motivated by their good hearts and their desire to obey her wishes.
Obviously, in formal logic arguing by ad hominem, including arguments from motivation, is fallacious. But as Thrasymachus points out, in the real world where we have to trust other people's interpretations to be unbiased and honest, and where analyzing and determining all the facts ourselves is impossible (how many people commenting on the case have personally gone through all of the data on Terry Schiavo?), it is necessary to determine the reliability of other people's arguments based to an extent on how much we trust the people. (Obviously, a full scientific investigation is better, if you trust the scientists doing it, but sometimes it is difficult to have a full investiagtion that you can be confident in when the issue is controversial).
In that vein, it is important to note that those who want the feedinfg tube pulled may have an ulterior motive for their desires as well, beyond any concern for Ms. Schiavo or either of her families.
First, for many in the scientific community, there is a great advantage to being able to use living human organisms in research (I use the term human organims to refer to any collection of human cells that was once a sentient human being or has the capacity to become one, or that could have become one, so the term would include zygotes, persistent vegetables, and brain-dead people). Therefore, there is likely to be a motivation by many to define as many human organisms as possible as not being truly persons (i.e. a human organism but not a human being).
Secondly, as Steve Sailer points out, people lingering around tends to decrease hte amount of inheritance. People cheering on the removal of the feeding tube may, in many cases, be hoping to set a precedent if their parents one day threaten to squander their inheritance by not dying in a timely manner.
Which is not to say that there aren't honest people on both sides as well.
But there seems to me to be too much concentration on the motives of the pro-feeding tube people and not enough on the anti-feeding tube people.
That is all.
Shiite Insurgency Imminent?
Interesting concerns brought up by Scott Ritter.
Art Chrenkoff shows polls that suggest that a theocracy is not on the horizon.
On the other hand, he has a fawning interview with Stephen Schwartz, so considering his lack of discrimination in the people he trusts, I don't entirely trust that his source for this poll is accurate.
That is all.
Art Chrenkoff shows polls that suggest that a theocracy is not on the horizon.
On the other hand, he has a fawning interview with Stephen Schwartz, so considering his lack of discrimination in the people he trusts, I don't entirely trust that his source for this poll is accurate.
That is all.
Wednesday, March 23, 2005
Pomegranate Juice, the Magic Elixir
Ooo! This is a good article.
It reminds me of this post of mine.
Thanx and a tip o' the hat to LewRockwell.com.
That is all.
It reminds me of this post of mine.
Thanx and a tip o' the hat to LewRockwell.com.
That is all.
Ilana Mercer
An interesting article by Ilana Mercer.
I'm afraid that I am even less sanguine than Ilana Mercer. I am far from believing that the Iraq War will, in the future, be justifiable even by a consequentialist morality.
That is all.
I'm afraid that I am even less sanguine than Ilana Mercer. I am far from believing that the Iraq War will, in the future, be justifiable even by a consequentialist morality.
That is all.
The Trends of the War
The pro-warriors are chortling that the "tipping point" has finally come in the war in Iraq.
(See here
here, and here for examples).
However, remember that they felt the same way February last year when the coalition fatality rate went down for a month. then came Fallujah.
The moral of the story is that if you truly believe that something is wrong (such as the war) don't let temporary events sway you. Yes, if Iraq is a prosperous, democratic society 5 years from now, that would refute or at least bring severely into question my beliefs. But to let one's principles be altered by day-to-day or even month-to-month events is not good.
I think that the war was a bad idea, and I am holding fast to that.
That is all.
(See here
here, and here for examples).
However, remember that they felt the same way February last year when the coalition fatality rate went down for a month. then came Fallujah.
The moral of the story is that if you truly believe that something is wrong (such as the war) don't let temporary events sway you. Yes, if Iraq is a prosperous, democratic society 5 years from now, that would refute or at least bring severely into question my beliefs. But to let one's principles be altered by day-to-day or even month-to-month events is not good.
I think that the war was a bad idea, and I am holding fast to that.
That is all.
Tuesday, March 22, 2005
Juan Cole Opines on Hariri Assassination
Juan Cole thinks that Hariri might have been assassinated by Al Qaeda.
In fariness, I should point out that he is offering it as a possibility, he isn't saying that Al Qaeda did it.
Basically, Al Qaeda's motive in doing so would be to remove a politician who is friendly to Saudi Arabia. Remember, overthrowing the Saudi princes is the primary goal of Al Qaeda.
I had considered the possibility that the Saudis might have done it myself, as a way to de-stabilize Syria and thus weaken the Shiite position in the Middle East. I don't think I blogged on this, although I had blogged an alternate theory that some faction in Lebanon had done it.
That is all.
In fariness, I should point out that he is offering it as a possibility, he isn't saying that Al Qaeda did it.
Basically, Al Qaeda's motive in doing so would be to remove a politician who is friendly to Saudi Arabia. Remember, overthrowing the Saudi princes is the primary goal of Al Qaeda.
I had considered the possibility that the Saudis might have done it myself, as a way to de-stabilize Syria and thus weaken the Shiite position in the Middle East. I don't think I blogged on this, although I had blogged an alternate theory that some faction in Lebanon had done it.
That is all.
On Conflicts of Interest
Tibor Machan makes a good point.
Why do we assume that government-funded scientists are more impartial than corporate-funded ones? Doesn't the government have an agenda (more control) that it is pushing?
That is all.
Why do we assume that government-funded scientists are more impartial than corporate-funded ones? Doesn't the government have an agenda (more control) that it is pushing?
That is all.
Terry Schiavo
National Review Online offers a good perspective, in my opinion, of the Terry Schiavo case.
That is all.
That is all.
Monday, March 21, 2005
Largest Number of Insurgents Killed in Months
This is an interesting story, and sounds like good news for the US.
However, before we start celebrating, we should remember this story, where the military claimed to have killed 54 insurgents, and Iraqi hospitals claimed the dead to number only 8 and that at least 2 were civilians.
I don't know if anyone has ever officially resolved that, but it makes me skeptical about the latest report.
That is all.
However, before we start celebrating, we should remember this story, where the military claimed to have killed 54 insurgents, and Iraqi hospitals claimed the dead to number only 8 and that at least 2 were civilians.
I don't know if anyone has ever officially resolved that, but it makes me skeptical about the latest report.
That is all.
Don't Use the (Stephen) Schwartz!
Here are a set of antiwar.com blog posts about the nuttiness of one Stephen Schwartz:
1, 2, 3, 4
I mention him because back when I used to post in the FrontPageMag comments section, Schwartz more than anyone else irritated me and I found him noxious. Perhaps it was his defense of Clinton's decision to go into the Balkans, or maybe the fact htat he tried to link Miloslevic to bin Laden, which, considering the fact that Miloslevic was in trouble for actions committed against Muslims, made no sense unless Schwartz was simply trying to conflate all of the interventionists' bugbears into one.
In any case, I am pleased to link to a bunch of posts demolishing this crazy man.
That is all.
1, 2, 3, 4
I mention him because back when I used to post in the FrontPageMag comments section, Schwartz more than anyone else irritated me and I found him noxious. Perhaps it was his defense of Clinton's decision to go into the Balkans, or maybe the fact htat he tried to link Miloslevic to bin Laden, which, considering the fact that Miloslevic was in trouble for actions committed against Muslims, made no sense unless Schwartz was simply trying to conflate all of the interventionists' bugbears into one.
In any case, I am pleased to link to a bunch of posts demolishing this crazy man.
That is all.
Was the Fix In?
Sir Richard Dearlove, the head of British MI-6, claims that the US "fixed" the case against Iraq to suit the policy.
I am shocked, SHOCKED! (Apologies to Claude Raines, and to Steve Sailer who has made the use of shocked, shocked in blogs popular).
That is all.
I am shocked, SHOCKED! (Apologies to Claude Raines, and to Steve Sailer who has made the use of shocked, shocked in blogs popular).
That is all.
Sunday, March 20, 2005
Changing Strategy or Changing Targets?
According to this Yahoo! news report, the insurgents have shifted their strategy from attacking US and coalition troops to attacking Kurds, Shia, and Iraqi Security Forces.
Not mentioned is the possibility that the reason that US tropps are not being attacked is maybe that we have moved them all "back ot the bunkers" so to speak.
As I indicated before, attacks on Iraqis have decreased over the past week or so, although this may be due to lack of reporting. If the insurgency has actually become more subdued over the last week or so, I suspect it is probably just that they are taking a breather.
We will see.
That is all.
Not mentioned is the possibility that the reason that US tropps are not being attacked is maybe that we have moved them all "back ot the bunkers" so to speak.
As I indicated before, attacks on Iraqis have decreased over the past week or so, although this may be due to lack of reporting. If the insurgency has actually become more subdued over the last week or so, I suspect it is probably just that they are taking a breather.
We will see.
That is all.
Saturday, March 19, 2005
Scary Altruism
Not that I particularly like Ayn Rand, but seems a good example of the destructive potential of the altruism that she warned against.
that is all.
that is all.
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