Fareed Zakaria, making perfect sense:
August 8, 2010
August 7, 2010
How Anti-Islamic Rhetoric Strengthens Extremists
About that mosque that's supposed to be build near Ground Zero, New York. From Slate:
Their comparison of Bin Laden and Gingrich quotes is a bit far stretched but the conclusion is sound: by pretending that this is a clash of civilizations, the West only ends up strengthening the crazies.
At the same time, there's no need to be ashamed to proclaim Western values as superior, nor to give way to ideologies that are totalitarian and oppressive. Fundamentalist Islam is despicable and dangerous. The West should offer freedom as its alternative instead of bigotry and fear.
Several astute writers [...] have explained the idiocy of the anti-mosque campaign. By opposing the mosque, [Newt] Gingrich, Sarah Palin, Rudy Giuliani, and other Republicans think they're standing up to Bin Laden. But Bin Laden isn't fighting for Islam. He's fighting to transform a war of terrorists against civilization into a war of infidels against Islam. He's fighting to persuade Muslims that they belong on his side, not on ours.
And you're helping him, Newt. You're giving him exactly the fight he wants. Nice going.
Their comparison of Bin Laden and Gingrich quotes is a bit far stretched but the conclusion is sound: by pretending that this is a clash of civilizations, the West only ends up strengthening the crazies.
At the same time, there's no need to be ashamed to proclaim Western values as superior, nor to give way to ideologies that are totalitarian and oppressive. Fundamentalist Islam is despicable and dangerous. The West should offer freedom as its alternative instead of bigotry and fear.
Bailouts as Evidence of "Faith" in American People?
From The New York Times:
That's wonderful but the opposition isn't losing faith in American industry of course, nor in the American people. It is losing faith in government's ability to "help" them both recover from economic hardship.
The president sadly confuses the very premise of government interference in private sector industry. That isn't a sign of "faith" in people's ability to control their own lives. To the contrary, it displays a blatant lack of faith in people's right to make their own choices. After all, if people always made the "right" choices in the eyes of policy makers, surely there'd be no need for bailouts and regulation in the first place?
Against a backdrop of American-made cars, President Obama cast his Republican critics on Thursday as having lost faith in the American people [...]
"I wish they could see the pride you take in building these great cars, American-made cars. And my message to them is: Don't bet against the American worker; don't lose faith in the American people; don't lose faith in American industry. We are coming back."
That's wonderful but the opposition isn't losing faith in American industry of course, nor in the American people. It is losing faith in government's ability to "help" them both recover from economic hardship.
The president sadly confuses the very premise of government interference in private sector industry. That isn't a sign of "faith" in people's ability to control their own lives. To the contrary, it displays a blatant lack of faith in people's right to make their own choices. After all, if people always made the "right" choices in the eyes of policy makers, surely there'd be no need for bailouts and regulation in the first place?
August 6, 2010
Missouri Voters Say No to ObamaCare
A stunning 71 percent of Missouri voters on Tuesday rejected ObamaCare in their state's primary election.
Proposition C, the Missouri Health Care Freedom Act, amends existing law to deny government the authority to "penalize citizens for refusing to purchase private health insurance or infringe upon the right to offer or accept direct payment for lawful healthcare services."
The health care bill's mandate, which forces citizens to buy insurance, is one of the legislation's most blatant of assaults on individual rights. For a nation whose legal tradition is steeped in the defense of personal liberties, it borders on the absurd that a law need be passed that explicitly denies government the power to punish citizens for not doing something.
Along with Missouri, dozens of states are lining up to fight ObamaCare. Missouri's victory may just be temporary, depending on whether the insurance mandate is deemed to be legitimate under Congress' power to regulate "interstate commerce," but it's clear, in either event, that people contesting the bill throughout the land, if not the very notion of socialized medicine.
Proposition C, the Missouri Health Care Freedom Act, amends existing law to deny government the authority to "penalize citizens for refusing to purchase private health insurance or infringe upon the right to offer or accept direct payment for lawful healthcare services."
The health care bill's mandate, which forces citizens to buy insurance, is one of the legislation's most blatant of assaults on individual rights. For a nation whose legal tradition is steeped in the defense of personal liberties, it borders on the absurd that a law need be passed that explicitly denies government the power to punish citizens for not doing something.
Along with Missouri, dozens of states are lining up to fight ObamaCare. Missouri's victory may just be temporary, depending on whether the insurance mandate is deemed to be legitimate under Congress' power to regulate "interstate commerce," but it's clear, in either event, that people contesting the bill throughout the land, if not the very notion of socialized medicine.
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