Mikee

Good one Jerry. But I think the guy on the other end hung up right after "I think all taxes should be abolished"; on to the next sucker. Still, I like everything you said.

Ah, Deanna, Even in tennis women are at a great disadvantage to men because of different physical attributes. In fighting the differences are much more pronounced, to the extreme. Size, strength, aggressiveness, even the mass and density of bone in the skull and hands. Men are designed by nature to fight with each other, women not so much. "Hits like a girl" may not be an insult to you but it's very much an insult to a boy. My first marriage was to a women who owned a karate studio by the way. No, I never said "you hit like a girl". She was nearly my size with bigger wrists and grew up on a farm. I've seen her beat up men who were disrespectful, but I wasn't challenged by her strength and skills personally and was always gentle with her. At her strongest I was easily twice as strong and could run for hours, she hated to run. She was a terror with weapons however, I wouldn't last a half minute if she had a stick or a knife in her hands. To say nothing of a gun...

Jesus Christ: copy, open new window, paste.

Please. Take any business, the best liars are in sales and marketing. Commission = lie your ass off. Engineering is constantly trying (and failing) to get marketing to tone down from impossible to merely unlikely. Of course there are honest salesmen. The exception proves the rule. Wars of defense are not murder and are one of the few real functions of government. Do you really think you were engaged in murder?

Fair enough. You realize that this argument is linked to "viability" which is a real short slippery slope to the Greek "quickening" position and an even shorter slide to a much earlier time in the pregnancy process. A... There is a slippery slope in both directions. Twenty weeks is probably as close as you'll get to where people are least likely to fight over it. The extremists on both ends won't be satisfied but the majority of the population will no longer believe actual human beings are being killed.

Not having read his book, I cannot comment on that aspect. However, we are choosing, once again, amongst the lesser of the "evils" being offered. Therefore, I can deal with his use of eminent domain, not happy at all about it, however, if is a minor problem in the broader scope of his candidacy. Out of curiosity, how are you handling Fiorina's stance on abortion? A... I have the Kindle version of AotD and I don't know how to copy and paste excerpts. I can capture and save *.jpg's of the text but they cannot, as far as I know, be added to OL posts. The Kindle book is cheap however. I found other things that disturb me in this book, character issues. "Winner" doesn't impress me, it's how you win. I believe in hard work and treating your fellow man with respect and as individuals, not being a clone of Donald Trump doesn't make someone a "loser". Carly believes 20 weeks is an appropriate cut off, I have to agree. http://www.ndtv.com/world-news/far-from-a-hospital-a-1-5-pound-miracle-preemie-is-born-on-a-cruise-ship-and-survives-1222991 No taxpayer should have to fund what they believe is murder.

A tool needs to be in the right hands. What are the lying professions? Sales, marketing, politics, & law. Given that Trump is very good rhetorically, his honesty needs to come sharply in focus. In "Art of the Deal" he seemed to admire one of his managers a very great deal, a manager he called "the best he every had" who he acknowledged was a liar and a thief, who he knew stole $50,000/year from him, and stole from and bullied his employees. And how do you explain away his support of eminent domain? Does he really care about anything besides his own power, wealth and prestige? Again, it's easy to say "Make America Great", hard to explain exactly what he means by that. We don't need a cross between Barnum and Putin in the White House.

Persuading the "positive rights" crowd with philosophy...

Yes, great work.

The motif of "La Paloma" (the dove) can be traced back to an episode that occurred in 492 BC, before Darius' invasion of Greece, a time when the white dove had not yet been seen in Europe.[2] The Persian fleet under Mardonius was caught in a storm off the shore of Mount Athos and wrecked, when the Greeks observed white doves escaping from the sinking Persian ships. This inspired the notion that such birds bring home a final message of love from a sailor who is lost at sea. This theme that a final link of love overcomes death and separation is reflected in "La Paloma". While the lyrics may not always be true to the original, the soul of the song seems to survive all attempts to recast it in whatever new form and shape there may be and is able to express the tension between separation with loneliness, even death, and love. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/La_Paloma

Deanna, I missed it too. Found this:

You have no clue what this thread is about. I'm not offended. It was shit. It made him look like a moron. I see what I'm up against. My sincere hope is you give up your illusion of trying to understand philosophy and economics, and work as hard as you possibly can for the other side. They really need you. If you were merely ignorant there might be hope.

The answer is not simple. Why does someone switch from being a liberal to a conservative or vice-versa? It could be any number of reasons, and you have to take into account the person's life experience. Objectivism "The ideal political-economic system is laissez-faire capitalism. It is a system where men deal with one another, not as victims and executioners, nor as masters and slaves, but as traders, by free, voluntary exchange to mutual benefit. It is a system where no man may obtain any values from others by resorting to physical force, and no man may initiate the use of physical force against others. The government acts only as a policeman that protects man’s rights; it uses physical force only in retaliation and only against those who initiate its use, such as criminals or foreign invaders. In a system of full capitalism, there should be (but, historically, has not yet been) a complete separation of state and economics, in the same way and for the same reasons as the separation of state and church." The moral answer is simple. As far as the utilitarian considerations, few will disagree with Adam Smith: people pursuing their own self interest create the most public good. I would like to know why you personally believe in free markets and liberty. Quite a few people have gone to the trouble to try to answer your question, I would like you to make a well considered and honest attempt at explaining your own views and why you hold them. Aren't you a student? Surely this can't be harder than writing a paper on something you don't feel as passionate about. By the way, would you feel less offended by Rand Paul's characterization if he had used the word serf instead of slave? Overtaxed and over regulated and being denied ownership and control of your own business is a form of serfdom. Did you know that both Rand Paul and his father Ron Paul are medical doctors?

Hardening the soldier for combat How to Ruck Anything by Al Ciampi. In case anyone is interested. Same rules apply to old guys trying to stay useful... Get a heart rate monitor. Check out the warrior diet or intermittent fasting.

This part of what you said is what people would find interesting, I think. The first sentence is about what people are missing out on... great, that evokes emotion. The second sentence tells them what's happening right now that's hurting them... great, that tells them where to place blame (people love blame). Of course you would have to provide examples and make it easier for people to see what you're saying as truth. Calvin, if you want to go the anecdotal route of persuasion, getting to individuals via their emotions which appear to be always raised by 'injustices', nobody is going to stop you, and more power to you. If you compiled a dossier for instance, of cases like the one I related - and asked people how the hell a social system based on caring and equality, could boot an elderly patient into touch, effectively telling her to go home and die, in order to save money for a younger person's operation! Who says he is worthy of life, but not her? By which criteria? Is this not discrimination? Are some persons 'more equal' than others? Maybe emotions can get them thinking. You don't need them to think. There are never going to be enough thinkers in the world for democracy to produce well reasoned decisions, but it will produce decisions based on conviction. Answer for them the question: Why should they believe me? Calvin, If you do believe in free markets and liberty, why do you believe it? If you can explain why you believe the way you do sincerely and make it obvious you've thought about it all the way down that is the best chance of convincing anyone. I personally believe there will never be peace in the world until people stop trying to coerce other people and instead let them think for themselves and plan their own lives. Adam Smith had the so far irrefutable insight, published the same year of the founding of this country, that people create the greatest good for their fellow man by following their own self interest. Socialist's dreams are like giant pyramid schemes, you end up with less and less from a more and more dependent and ignorant populace. The only possible end result is tyranny and ultimately war. One of the reasons I support Carly Fiorina is she talks sincerely about making people great, getting the government out of the way so people can live their own dreams, fulfill their own personal destinies. I think of the founding principles, Life, Liberty, the Pursuit of Happiness.

Mikee, I fully understand what you are saying. The public, however, is not going to be moved by this kind of talk. You blame it on them for not understanding how relevant what you say is? Instead of comparing what we have now, or could have soon, to slavery, why not compare what we have now (while using examples to illuminate the depravities of today, literally and without analogy or interpretation) to what could be? Forcing your conclusions on people doesn't work. I detect a hint of smugness and having your cake and eating it too. Thinking is hard, understanding what works and doesn't work is hard, even with centuries of historical evidence and the correct observations and arguments having been made about the evidence a million times. Read Hannah Arendt, read Ayn Rand, read Mises, read Thomas Sowell. You imagine to take force off the table? Think again. Force is the only answer to impenetrable ignorance. There is Ayn Rands way, the trading principle and non-coercion, or Nature's way, kill or be killed. The choice is to think or not to think. Simple, tell that to your friends.

Calvin, Can you even imagine what slavery is? What it entails? Imagine being a slave holder, what are your requirements as a successful slave owner? Do you beat your slaves all the time and work them to death? Or do you try to keep them happy and healthy and well rested and not complaining? Are they no less slaves because they have intelligent self interested owners who practice good animal husbandry? What do you think of people who are satisfied with the life of a slave, no worries, someone else taking care of thinking about everything and making all of your decisions for them? You say slavery is so far from anyone's life experience that it turns people off when it is mentioned. I say it's like a fish in water not seeing the water. Canada is worse than the United States in many ways. There is not a single decision I make in my life, work, home, thinking about retirement, where every single detail isn't proscribed in some way by some government bureaucrat regulation. We break the law daily, knowingly or unknowingly, because a law has been written governing every aspect of our lives. We mostly don't see it or bother with it because frankly government people are fairly stupid, they imagine they are like God and see every turn of every sparrows wing, but mostly they see little. Unless...unless you are like the tall bamboo and you stick up taller than your fellows. Or rock the boat or complain or criticize too loudly [heard of Mark Steyn?]. Then these laws and regulations have teeth and can get you put in prison. You're not a slave? You don't want to talk about slavery? Think again.

Working on the plantation means someone else telling you what to do and beating/killing you if you disobey. Working on your own farm means you can work how you want, will not get beaten, can leave and do something else at any time, and hopefully earn some money... So what part of this is supposed to make me think doctors in Canada are slaves? Your doing it again. You're trying to make me "think" in a way that denies all common sense. You're telling me, "Just forget that doctors in Canada and slaves are light years from being the same for a second, and just focus on these abstract qualities they share." I already believe in the principles of the free market, but before someone who doesn't will be comfortable considering them at all, you have to appeal to their actual life experience. Again, no doctor is going to say he/she feels like they are on the level of a slave. Calvin, I really don't mean this as an insult. You can't help where you're at, I think you're a product of an educational system that required zero critical thinking and you haven't taken the trouble or done the hard work that thinking for yourself requires. You have little understanding of free markets, you are unable to make a connection by analogy, you try to persuade people to feel the way you do, not to think. You engage without the slightest intention of trying to correct errors in your own thinking because you don't believe they exist. I don't know what you see in Ayn Rand's writings or what this free market is that you claim to believe in. It has all gone completely over your head. Thinking is hard, but the more you exercise a muscle the stronger it gets. (Oops, another analogy).

Capitalism is: 1. Uncoerced free trade between individuals governed by the rule of law. 2. Absolute right to own and to keep what you earn through your trade. This creates the greatest motivating force for thinking, planning, innovation, cooperation and hard work the world has ever seen. It is also a great character builder [responsibility, decency, honesty, productivity, etc]. Widespread wealth and thriving follows. Edited in response to Wolf DeVoon's post following:

Wine is constant proof that God loves us and loves to see us happy. -Benjamin Franklin

You're not thinking Calvin. Think about it. You explain to me what I mean. Define slavery. What does working on a plantation vs working your own farm mean to you? If someone took your farm by force and incorporated it into a plantation controlled by someone else and paid you what they wanted to pay you and not what you asked for, would you "retire"?

"The horror story that Rand tries to use... that of a doctor operating with a gun to his head... nobody can relate to that. Not even the people who agree with Rand. Not even Rand himself can honestly say he thinks that would ever happen. And Bernie capitalized on that silliness." The doctors who are retiring from private practice and medicine completely rather than join a medical group can relate to it. People believe in fairy tales and free stuff. If they can feel like children with a mommy and daddy taking care of them their whole lives...why not? Sounds great to me. Other peoples money and other people being forced to comply, you get all the gravy (free stuff, no worries). The fact that it's impossible? That doesn't sound good, don't bother me with that negativism. Do you really think a doctor who violated these new laws and made money doing it wouldn't end up with armed government agents at his door pointing guns at him? What do you think government coercion is? Just a suggestion?

Let it be so... Granted.

Thank you Adam. I cannot imagine a greater compliment. Likewise my friend. [i briefly thought "I am no John Galt"...then "no one is"] [open for argument]