http://www.freerepublic.com/tag/philosophy-news/ en-us Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:59:29 GMT Focus Forum 15 http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386859/posts What is Liberty? Well, in my opinion, in the context of American liberty, here's an answer.... "Liberty is freedom from encumberance in an environment where the unalienable, God-given rights of mankind are both recognized and respected and where individual "Free Will" bounded by fundamental moral principle is the avenue for interaction in society." That's a lot of pretty words that basically say that if a people are to be free, they and their government have to recognize and respect the God-given rights of others and be moral. In fact, liberty can not coexist with widespread individual, or institutional immorality. Immorality... JEFFHEAD.COM http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386859/posts#comment Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:59:29 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386669/posts 1. The Power Of The Obvious 2. The Power Of Polarization 3. The Power of the Dancing Referee 4. The Power of Positioning 5. The Power Of Listening and Citation ... Extra Credit: keep your friends close and your enemies closer. Quoting your opponents more accurately than they can quote themselves is one of the most fascinating moves you can employ. The original speaker is put on the defensive, forced to fumble and clarify, and in the process loses control. If you want to experience true schadenfreude listen closely to what your opponents say. Do not admit to enjoying this... http://www.ribbonfarm.com/ http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386669/posts#comment Sun, 15 Nov 2009 02:41:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386562/posts The Conscience of Kansas radio program with host Paul A. Ibbetson invites you all to place an order through the Obama Burger Drive-Thru. Enjoy! The Conscience of Kansas radio program http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386562/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:19:35 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386556/posts Many observers feel that Obama cannot be compared with Hitler until Obama becomes German, sleeps with his niece, grows a moustache, and trims it just so. Any comparison of political tactics, between the National Socialist (Hitler) and the Socialist (Obama), are off-limits due to umpteen traits that “just don’t match.” One such objection? “Hitler stuffed Jews into ovens! Obama hasn’t done, and won’t do, anything nearly as evil!” I couldn’t agree more. Obama can’t get away with that, and probably wouldn’t want to. But I have two questions: Question #1: The week before Hitler murdered his first Jew, were Hitler’s... Brave New Commie http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386556/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 21:01:56 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386538/posts The Universal Declaration of Human Rights- VIDEO PREAMBLE Whereas recognition of the inherent dignity and of the equal and inalienable rights of all members of the human family is the foundation of freedom, justice and peace in the world, Whereas disregard and contempt for human rights have resulted in barbarous acts which have outraged the conscience of mankind, and the advent of a world in which human beings shall enjoy freedom of speech and belief and freedom from fear and want has been proclaimed as the highest aspiration of the common people, Whereas it is essential, if man is not... Universal Declaration of Human Rights http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386538/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 20:30:03 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386472/posts How do we know that the attack at Fort Hood was an act of Islamist terrorism? Simple, Major Nidal Hassan told us so. You’ve seen reports of a long list of things he did and said along these lines. But what’s most amazing of all is this: Hassan is the first terrorist in history to give an academic lecture explaining why he was about to attack. Yet that still isn’t enough for too many people—including the president of the United States--to understand that the murderous assault at Fort Hood was a Jihad attack. It was reported that the audience was... Rubin Reports http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386472/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 18:43:13 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386401/posts Marching to a different drummer who perennially draws dreamers and dissenters to Chicago, the Democratic Socialists of America came to town Friday -- or at least close. Their three-day national convention was held at an Evanston hotel. The faithful still display the passion of predecessors who made Chicago the birthplace of working-class politics. At a time when the word "socialist" has been hurled as an insult at President Barack Obama and some of his policies, these socialists embrace the label and make sure to point out the difference. They wore buttons proclaiming: "Obama's No Socialist But I Am." To them,... Chicago Tribune http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386401/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 17:00:09 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386391/posts In his new book, “The Greatest Show on Earth,” biologist Richard Dawkins brands those who doubt Charles Darwin’s ideas on evolution as “history deniers,” even stooping to compare them to “Holocaust deniers.” In today’s highly charged political climate, scientific debates over controversial subjects such as climate change and evolution increasingly substitute such overblown rhetoric for careful analysis. We commonly see one side depicting the other as not only wrong, but as unreasonable, irrational, or immoral. As a result, two terms are presently in vogue to describe those who question scientific ideas: “Skeptic” and “Denier.” In practice, the terms have virtually... Washington Examiner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386391/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:48:19 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386386/posts "Magic Mirror on the Wall, who is the fairest one of all?" was uttered by the wicked Queen in the 1937 Walt Disney animated movie 'Snow White and the Seven Dwarfs.' Do you remember that poignant little snippet from the movie that became a childhood classic for generations? The nation did not necessarily embrace the evil Queen as a hero but some were on the edge of their seats wondering if the truth or the continued lie would ever come out. The question which many have speculated over was whether or not this movie's focus on the dark side of... Renew America http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386386/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 16:42:24 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386238/posts Some time ago I went to a local mall to buy a phone. After making a purchase at one of the large electronics retailers, I went to the mall restroom and inadvertently left it behind. Ten minutes later I realized I no longer had the phone, so I rushed back, only to find it gone. I checked in with the customer service counter at the mall to see if a good Samaritan had turned it in. Unfortunately, no one had done so, and I left my number in case anyone should turn it in. Needless to say, no call was... The American Thinker http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386238/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 12:55:40 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386165/posts This week, Rep. Debbie Wasserman Schultz, a Florida Democrat, told reporters the GOP offers a "back-of-the-hand treatment to women." Later she said two conservative female representatives only serve to further "repulse women." You see, Schultz said on MSNBC, Republicans "don't really get very many women when it comes to elections." The week before, in Virginia, the Republican gubernatorial candidate won women. And in blue New Jersey, the Republican lost women but won white women by 18 percentage points. Last year, John McCain won a majority of the white female vote. They sum to more than 25 million women. Democrats, so... Real Clear Politics http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386165/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 05:55:59 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386041/posts "As to why is [the human brain] shrinking, perhaps in big societies, as opposed to hunter-gatherer lifestyles, we can rely on other people for more things, can specialize our behavior to a greater extent, and maybe not need our brains as much(...)" FoxNews http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386041/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 01:31:05 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386001/posts Don't know if this was posted already..if so sorry. Please know: I am Black; I grew up in the segregated South. I did not vote for Barack Obama; I wrote in Ron Paul’s name as my choice for president. Most importantly, I am not race conscious. I do not require a Black president to know that I am a person of worth, and that life is worth living. I do not require a Black president to love the ideal of America . I cannot join you in your celebration. I feel no elation. There is no smile on my face.... http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2386001/posts#comment Sat, 14 Nov 2009 00:41:39 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385926/posts Randa Ghazy Rome, Italy, Nov 13, 2009 / 02:37 pm (CNA).- A young Muslim writer named Randa Ghazy has written an article entitled, “I, a Muslim, Defend the Crucifix,” in which she expresses her opposition to a ruling by the EU Human Rights Court that ordered all crucifixes be taken down in classrooms across Italy.  The article will appear in the December edition of the magazine Mondo e Missione, a publication of the Pontifical Institute Missioni Estere. “One of the most beautiful memories of my childhood and adolescence was of Father Bruno,” she writes.  “I would often go to the... cna http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385926/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 23:03:01 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385825/posts According to Politico.com, Ayn Rand — the subject of two new biographies, one of which is titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right — is “having a mainstream moment,” including among conservatives. (Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina wrote a piece in Newsweek on Rand, saying, “This is a very good time for a Rand resurgence. She’s more relevant than ever.”). I hope the moment passes. Ms. Rand may have been a popular novelist, but her philosophy is deeply problematic and morally indefensible..... National Review Online - The Corner http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385825/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 20:51:44 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385720/posts There is a division of the house. On one side are the politically correct in government, the leftist mainstream media, and a raft of Islamist apologists. One and all are tripping over each other in reassuring us that the mass murderers such as Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan and suicide bombers who detonate their explosive vests in crowded marketplaces and even mosques are individual anomalies and Islam is not responsible for what they do. On the other hand are those who have been fed up with the numberless daily horrific acts that are clearly committed under the banner of Islam throughout... The New Media Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385720/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 18:01:27 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385638/posts Sorry, it won't link, story here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/255/story/1156644.html Go to the photos tab at top and click "Honoring Aaron Aamot" or... Photos here: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/493/gallery/1156623.html#http://media.bellinghamherald.com/smedia/2009/11/12/18/s150-AAMOT_CASKET_0029.standalone.prod_affiliate.39.JPG Had the priviledge of standing with thousands of fellow patriots yesterday to honor Spc. Aaron Aamot, the first soldier from Whatcom County to fall in Afghanistan. Even in one of the most liberal states in the union, small town people still love this country and stand up for their own. We all cried. I just wanted to share. The Bellingham Herald http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385638/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:58:28 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385594/posts Evolutionary philosophy is a bottom-up storytelling project: particles, planets, people. Naturalists (those who say nature is all there is) believe they can invent explanations that are free of miracles, but in practice, miracles pop up everywhere in their stories. This was satirized by Sidney Harris years ago in a cartoon that showed a grad student filling a blackboard with equations. His adviser called attention to one step that needed some elaboration: It said, "Then a miracle happens." Examples of miracles in evolutionary philosophy include the sudden appearance of the universe without cause or explanation, the origin of life, the origin... ACTS & FACTS http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385594/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:11:34 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385622/posts Ibn WarraqTu Quoque On Islam and the Crusades Autumn 2009 Often, when I am criticizing crimes inspired by Islamic extremism, I am interrupted by the remark that Christianity was once culpable of similar abuses. That Christianity may have been intolerant in the past, however, does not make criticisms of Islam’s present-day intolerance any less valid. Also, Islamic intolerance is an immediate danger, whereas Christian intolerance is generally a historical phenomenon and no longer a threat to civilization. And Christendom’s crimes were recorded by Christians themselves—a stark contrast to our politically correct climate, in which many, especially Muslims, are reluctant... City Journal http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385622/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 16:38:02 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385575/posts Objectively, Ayn Rand Was a Nut [Peter Wehner] According to Politico.com, Ayn Rand — the subject of two new biographies, one of which is titled Goddess of the Market: Ayn Rand and the American Right — is “having a mainstream moment,” including among conservatives. (Gov. Mark Sanford of South Carolina wrote a piece in Newsweek on Rand, saying, “This is a very good time for a Rand resurgence. She’s more relevant than ever.”). I hope the moment passes. Ms. Rand may have been a popular novelist, but her philosophy is deeply problematic and morally indefensible. Ayn Rand was, of course,... NRO http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385575/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 15:51:55 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385288/posts Looking at the Cook Political Report’s latest competitive race chart is in itself informative - the short version is that of the top 108 competitive races, the following ratios apply: Dem GOP Likely D 45 0 Leans D 23 1 Toss-up D 12 0 Toss-up R 0 3 Leans R 1 8 Likely R 0 15 Total 81 27 …but there’s some interesting things that can be seen with a little sorting. Below is a chart of competitive seats, sorted by Cook Partisan Rating: TX-17 Chet Edwards R+20 ID-1 Walter Minnick R+18 AL-2 Bobby Bright R+16 MO-4 Ike Skelton R+14... Red State http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385288/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 04:05:42 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385221/posts Nov 12, 2009 — What propelled Mao Zhedong to become the biggest mass murderer in world history?  Let a professor of Chinese history answer the question.  James Pusey (Bucknell U), writing in Nature this week for a series on “Global Darwin,”1 was explaining the vacuum left by the collapse of the reform movement in the early 20th century.  A “group of intellectuals” found Marxism attractive.  It was the fittest ideology: Many tried to fill it: Sun, Jiang Jieshi (Chiang Kaishek) and, finally, the small group of intellectuals who, in indignation at the betrayal at Versailles, found in Marxism what seemed... CEH http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385221/posts#comment Fri, 13 Nov 2009 02:05:38 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385114/posts MSNBC's Nancy Snyderman attacked Catholic bishops on Thursday for opposing abortion funding in the health care bill, agreeing with the President of NOW that the IRS should investigate them. The "Dr. Nancy" host also complained, "This is going to be a Pollyannaish statement. The Catholic bishops appearing and having a political voice seems to be a most fundamental violation of church and state." Terry O’Neill, the President of the National Organization for Women, quickly concurred: "You know, that's the first thing that I said. I don't know where the Internal Revenue Service is, but I hope they're paying attention." Snyderman... NewsBusters http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385114/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 23:40:06 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385029/posts The current crop of conservative “heroes” shows conservatives’ level of desperation in the Obama era. And it’s pathetic. Instead of taking advantage of the Obama morass and elevating great conservative thinkers who espouse family values AND conservative free market values, the lumpenconservatariat has latched onto bimbos, empty vessels, and even liberals, who espouse a single value or two that conservatives like. There’s a difference between coalitions and mergers. And it’s dangerous that so many on the right can’t see the difference to save their lives . . . or save their movement. I’m not talking about real conservatives candidates like... Debbie Schlussel http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385029/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:51:10 GMT http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385016/posts Former President George W. Bush, in his first open-to-the press appearance, said that as the world's economies recover, they should resist the temptation to replace free markets with government spending. Bush said he acted to funnel billions to banks because of a crisis situation. His action, he said, prevented a worldwide Depression. (Full quotes to come.) *** UPDATE *** NBC's Andrew Gross adds Bush's quotes: "The decision last fall was one of the most difficult of my presidency," Bush said in a speech on his vision for his presidential institute at Southern Methodist University. "I went against my free-market instincts... MSNBC http://www.freerepublic.com/focus/f-news/2385016/posts#comment Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:34:23 GMT