Godwin's Law

According to Godwin's Law,
"As an online discussion grows longer, the probability of a comparison involving Nazis or Hitler approaches one." A variation of this is the debate fallacy sometimes called reductio ad Hitlerem. The idea is that the debater loses the argument if that debater invokes the World War II period generally and Nazis, fascists, or Hitler specifically. I think the reason for this comes from the exceptional circumstances that gave rise to that period. Thus, the use of features from that time period are suspect as analogies that illuminate or support a point of view.

A Defense of Fidelity

Is there a reasonable defense of fidelity to your spouse that has a foundation that is neither legalistic or theistic? Is that defense superior to an alternate defense of infidelity? Can such a finding be placed on a base other than individualistic relativism?

My thought: if we accept that adultery is a kind of lying and that truthfulness is the core of morality, then adultery must on prima facie grounds be immoral. There is also the distinction between doing something that you think is wrong (say adultery) and confessing that act to someone who may be harmed by that confession (say, your spouse and children). And then the question becomes: what if your spouse acknowledges your adultery perhaps in the context of an "open marriage"? Is it then immoral? The main principle of Kantian ethics is that consequences needs to be divorced from the essence of the act itself-- that the essential rightness or wrongess of the actions must be weighed without regard to utiliterian, pragmatic, or perceived societal considerations. Thus, I think Kant would say that moral duty alone determines whether or not adultery is moral or not. OK, but is fidelity a moral duty, and if so, why?

"My morals revolve around self interest. And for me fidelity is compatible with self interest. "

While I agree with your statement, I don't think it provides a sufficient basis as a principle for ethical actions, as other people's self-interest may lead them to infidelity. Their self-interest may come from such motivates as to perpetuate their genes, for trivial amusement, or to provide tonic for a psychological condition. On what ground is their self-interest inferior to your self-interest that results in fidelity other than subjectively perceived utiliterianism? To me, Kant has the answer. Essentially, it is the recognition of the objective reality that we don't live apart from the existence of others and a morality requires a leap of empathy to recgnize the humans are not objects for our own use not matter what the jusitication of that use may be, accoding to Kant's second formulation of the categorical imperative:

"Act in such a way that you treat humanity, whether in your own person or in the person of any other, always at the same time as an end and never simply as a means"

An argument from self-interest -- either "I yearn for sex, thus I must have her" or "I must keep myself free from disease, so I will exercise self-restraint" -- both fall into hypothetical imperatives-- conditional actions that are not tied to a universal moral law.

"Some of the most noble forms of human altruism are motivated by unconscious predispositions to perpetuate their genes."

Agreed. There are all kinds of unconscious predispositions that make us do the things we do, which is why it behooves us to reflect on these predispositions to the extent that they become conscious. The sociobiologists, Freudians, and behavorists give us insights into causes and effects of human behavior. But that is a far cry from suggesting that we are lumbering automata controlled entirely by subliminal instincts which in turn are orchestrated by our genetic heritage.

Cause and effect in motivations of even the most simple organism is more than genetic with interactions to the environment and other organisms and in the case of advanced animals with the emergent properties of cognition, education, consciousness, and choice.

I have on my wall a plaque "Children Learn What They Live"-- the credo that I have for my kids:

If children live with criticism, they learn to condemn.
If children live with hostility, they learn to fight.
If children lie with ridicule, they learn to be shy.
If children live with shame, they learn to feel guilty.
If children live with tolerance, they learn to be patient.
If children live with enouragement, they learn confidence.
If chidlren live with praise, they learn to appreciate.
If children live with fairness, they learn jsutice.
If children live with security, they learn to have faith.
If chidlren live with approval, they learn to like themselves.
If children live with acceptance and friendship, they learn to find love in the world.

In the same spirit, I might add that if children live with adulterers, they learn dishonesty and contempt for others. It seems to me that the injunction from Exodus 21:14 "You shall not commit adultery" wasn't invented by theistic overlords to deprive the masses of their simple pleasures. Rather, it reflects a truth that has emerged and has been sustained over the millenia in countless cultures that brings pain to those who violate the injunction and pleasure to those who do not violate the injunction. The Oriental idea of karma or the tao are both akin to this-- that if you violate fundamental laws of life, life will violate you, or, as Emerson writes in his essay on "Compensation": "The thief steals from himself. The swindler swindles himself."

And so I think it can be fairly said that the adulterer cheats him or herself.

"I think that these things just don't work well in general due to human nature. Jealousy, lack of communication, risk of disease, all contribute to make these kinds of arrangements difficult at best, and I see no reason to make life more difficult than it already is."

Occum's razor-- entities should not be multiplied save out of necessity-- applies here. Even LDS polygamists, who morally are straight arrows (except for their statutory rape), still have to contend with the hen house. It's frankly more than I can take. I'm somewhat bemused with the Girl Next Door show starring the Playboy bunny hatch and Hugh Hefner-- he with the shriveled testicles and a personality that more or less froze around the age of 17. There is something pathetic about a 80 year old man making awkward conversation with a twenty-something girl who clearly has no interest in his body or his mind. What on earth can they talk about after they have messed up the sheets? I suspect: not much. Hef is an example of someone who seeks the many because he hasn't found the one.

"The emergent properties (of consciousness and choice) emerge from two factors alone: genetics and experience."

Maybe. I just heard on the TV that Stones singer Keith Richards snorted his father's cremains. Was that act nature or nurture?

There are countless complex human behaviors that not only require an interaction between both nature and nature but seem to also mutate, evolve, and devolve over time. Ir wasn't until the Middle Ages before people recognize something called "romance" and it wasn't until the late Victorian period where there was a time in people's lives called "childhood" (coinciding with the invention of Santa Claus).

But I do think there are also highly complex not well-understood behavorial modalities that are hard-wired, such as the capacity to detect dishonesty and the ability to be dishonest and also the ability to express guilt, commitment, and empathy. Lacking guilt, empathy, commitment, honesty, and the ability to detect dishonesty is genetically speaking a losing strategy. It is also these common behaviors that are the foundations to religion, politics, and law-- which is also why societies almost without exception can never condone adultery.

There also appears to be a distinct gender difference in the way these behaviors appear to have developed. Woman must make a far greater investment in child-rearing with the possibility of (especially in pre-modern times) of death from pregnancy, whereas a man can be relatively speaking indifferent to the consequences of his promiscuity. To generalize, woman, because they generally are physically weaker, compensate by have increased verbal and interpersonal skills as a genetic survivial mechanism.

"I think there's an implicit contract at work."

Marriage is indeed a contract, and a contract is a triad of offer, acceptance, and consideration. The absence of any of those elements voids a contract. In the case of adultery, the missing factor is consideration, which, legally speaking, is a benefit which must be bargained for between the parties, and is the essential reason for a party entering into a contract. .

We Build Our Dream Home

We moved into our Scottsdale house ten years ago, paying for it with the Swedish credit plan-- cash on the barrel head. Five years ago, we started planning for a renovation. We wanted a new kitchen, larger rooms, and a new curb-side look. But contractors were difficult to find at the time. So, we decide to buy a rental home while at the same time we hired an architect to come up with designs for our house.






Our house is now under construction-- a major renovation over several phases. The first phase will cover the outside and the installation of a large century-old stain glass window for our living room. The second phase will cover new bathrooms, the third phase the kitchen, and the final phase the pool, additional security, and landscaping.






By the time we are done, we think our home should look something like this.

COMPUSA Imploding

Two COMPUSA stores are in the process of shutting down in Scottsdale and Paradise Valley. They have never been my first choice for computer gadgetry. I usually prefer Best Buy or Fry's. While it's a stiff retailing market, some people attribute COMPUSA's implosion to uncompetitive pricing and poor customer service.

Read more.

D. Curtis Wik 1930-2007: An Appreciation

This obituary to my cousin D. Curtis Wik was published in today's Arizona Republic.

D. Curtis Wik was born on August 19, 1930 in rural Faulk County, South Dakota. He was raised on his family homestead and in Sioux City, Iowa. After attending Bethel College in St. Paul, he served in the U.S. Army. He used his GI bill benefits to learn to fly, and had a successful career as a commercial pilot, retiring as a 747 Captain with Pan Am, having traveled the whole world.

He and his wife Shirley raised two children, Lori and Jay, and made dear friendships in numerous places around the country. Curt devoted his abundant energy and creativity in serving Jesus Christ and adding joy to the lives of his family and friends. He led three church building programs, which established Christian congregations in New York, Connecticut, and Arizona. Each year, he wrote everyone's favorite Christmas letter. He loved his South Dakota roots and spent more than 40 years turning his old family grain elevator into a wonderful place for family gatherings and honoring his pioneer heritage. The Elevator has received mroe than 300 annual visitors and had been featured on HGTV and in many publications from the local newspapers to Guideposts.

Most people would say that Curt Wik made more out of each hour of life than anyone they had ever met. He planned ambitiously, prayed faithfully, worked diligently, and loved abundantly and the Lord made his life fruitful in so many ways.

Captain Wik was cleared for final take off Friday morning, March 23, 2007 with his wife and kids at his side. They believe he's now presenting Jesus with a project list that will take eternity-- and then some.

Papa's Flowers


The Elevator


The Curtis Wik Farm


I had a satisfying time today celebrating the remarkable life of Curt Wik. I left work an hour early to give me time to get to the Desert View Baptist Church, and I'm glad I did because the address in the newspaper was wrong. But I stopped at another church in Gilbert to get the right address.

It was a full house of I suppose about 200 people. The foyer had displays of photographs, slides, and videos of Curt and his family working and playing. One one table was his pilot's hat and also a Viking baseball cap and, more familiar to most of us, his sand-colored stetson. On another table, there was some of his artistry-- wood carving, stained glass, and even crocheting.

The hour-long service featured Curt's favorite two hymns "It is Well With My Soul" and "I'll Fly Away." The pastor gave a message of hope and passed the microphone to those in the audience, and his friends from the areas as well as Lake Havasu and elsewhere had plenty of insightful comments to make. Steve Moore, who was at the reunion last summer, captured the spirit, determination, and joy on behalf of the family with well-chosen words.

Curt's death was sudden-- within a span of days. Among the last thing that Curt said after they pulled the breathing tube out was "My beautiful, beautiful Shirley. I see your smile."
And it was good to see Shirley's smile, although this time couldn't have been easy. It was also good to get to see again some of the children and grand children, many of whom were also at the reunion last year.

After the service, in the courtyard, people mingled while they shared memories and sipped lemonade and nibbled cookies. Shirley invited me to the luncheon afterwards at the church, and I was honored to be there with other members of the family.

My first real memories of Curt go back to the Norbeck reunion of '86 when I saw the elevator for the first time. Years later, we found we had a mutual interest in family history, and I appreciated his cheerful erudition and generosity in providing invaluable information that answered some longstanding questions. The boys were also impressed by this Swedish cowboy, and they enjoyed the go-carts and ice-cream sodas that Curt made possible. But, for me, the most outstanding quality of Curt's life is the love he showed to his Shirley and the "Wikids." That certainly came through in the photographs and videos I saw today-- the horse and camping trips, the plays, the parties, and so on.

Shirley tells me that there will be another memorial in April in South Dakota.

There is No War On Terror

According to Zbigniew Brzezinski:

"The damage these three words have done -- a classic self-inflicted wound -- is infinitely greater than any wild dreams entertained by the fanatical perpetrators of the 9/11 attacks when they were plotting against us in distant Afghan caves. The phrase itself is meaningless. It defines neither a geographic context nor our presumed enemies. Terrorism is not an enemy but a technique of warfare -- political intimidation through the killing of unarmed non-combatants."

This also is my contention. War is conducted against people or countries. It is not conducted against emotions. Strategically, the so-called WOT was a grave mistake, as it placed the motivation ostensibly on capabilities-- WMDs-- while actually the causus belli was subjective-- a perception of intention by a relatively small number of people in the Bush adminsitration. The motivation has shifted to something even more subjective-- a desire to inculcate democracy in a land that has never know democracy and now most recently to justify the sacrifices of the dead by committing more blood and treasure.

I disagree that the WOT has caused us to be afraid. That might have been so in the early stages of the war. However, as more people began to see through the lies, the more it became obvious that the WOT was a charade initiated for political goals rather than out on behalf of genuine national security interests. The prevailing emotion I think among msot Amricans is now contempt.

I believe Congress abdicated their responsibility by not insisting on their constitutional prerogrative in declaring or not declaring war. We have Americans fighting and dying, but in the constitutional sense, this is not a war, much less a war on "terror."

The irrationality of the Iraq war has caused the erosion of support for thsi war. It is an axiom in foreign policy that war cannot be sustained in the absence of home front support. For that reason, it will be just a matter of time-- probably several months before the 2008 election-- that President Bush will declare victory and leave.

Falling Stars

A Pentagon investigation is recommending that up to four generals should be held accountable for the coverup of the friendly-fire death of Arizona Cardinal's star and Army Ranger Pat Tillman.

I hope every one of them is stripped of their command and send to a brig, for they should be if faith is to be restored in our military. But my guess is that notation in the officer's efficiency rating form will bring this sordid matter to a close, at least the the eyes of the military.

The Elements of Religious Fanatacism

Heaven's Gate was a New Age cult. The leader of the cult Marshall Applewhite convinced 39 followers to commit suicide in 1997 so that their souls could take a ride on a UFO that they said was carrying Jesus and hiding in the comet Hale-Bopp.

I've discussed the psychology of fanaticism elsewhere on my website. Let's take a look at the nut and bolts-- the ingredients-- of a cult, as exemplified by the website's splash page of the Heaven's Gate UFO religion. It provides fascinating insight into their twisted inner world.

In the pre-Google days, when search engines were relatively unsophisticated, web coders would try to get higher rankings for their site by stuffing the META NAME KEYWORD tag in the HEAD section of a HTML page with words that related to the content on that page. Most search engines today no longer consider this tag, preferring to parse real content instead of words that may not relate to that content. Another problem was that spammers thought that they could trick the search engines by repeating certain words or by using words that thery thought would attract traffic irregardless of its relevancy. The Heaven's Gate web site tries to do just this, with repetition of the words Jesus and millenium, for example.

Religions, to attract followers, need to proclaim a narrative, which is often a soup of mysticism, hope, and elements from popular culture. Thus, amid the keywords of the Heaven's Gate website, you see mystical elements, such as channelings and discarnates. You have intimations of hope, such as second coming and God's chosen. And, finally, you have elements stripped from popular culture, such as the Stars Wars (Yoda) and Star Trek (away teams) science fiction shows. One of the 39 who died was Thomas Nicholas, whose sister Nichele played Communications Officer Lt. Uhura on TV's Star Trek.

So here you have it, the mishmash of reality and fantasy that somehow congealed into a lethal narrative that caused thirty nine people to consume applesauce and poison. But no one can say that there was no warning, as a prominant keyword is misinformation.

Heaven's Gate, Heaven's Gate, Heaven's Gate, Heaven's Gate, Heaven's Gate, Heaven's Gate, ufo, ufo, ufo, ufo, ufo, ufo, space alien, space alien, space alien, space alien, space alien, space alien, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial, extraterrestrial, millennium, millennium, millennium,millennium, millennium, millennium, millennium,misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, misinformation, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, freedom, second coming, second coming, second coming, second coming, second coming, second coming, angels, angels, angels, angels, angels, angels, end times, end times, end times, end times, end times, end times, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, God, God, God, God, God, God, Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate Heaven's Gate ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo ufo space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien space alien extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial extraterrestrial misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation misinformation freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom freedom second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming second coming angels angels angels angels angels angels angels angels angels angels end end times times end times end times end times end times end times end times end times end times end times 144,000, Abductees, Agnostic, Alien, Allah, Alternative, Angels, Antichrist, Apocalypse, Armageddon, Ascension, Atheist, Awakening, Away Team, Beyond Human, Blasphemy, Boddhisattva, Book of Revelation, Buddha, Channeling, Children of God, Christ, Christ's Teachings, Consciousness, Contactees, Corruption, Creation, Death, Discarnate, Discarnates, Disciple, Disciples, Disinformation, Dying, Ecumenical, End of the Age, End of the World, Eternal Life, Eunuch, Evolution, Evolutionary, Extraterrestrial, Freedom, Fulfilling Prophecy, Genderless, Glorified Body, God, God's Children, God's Chosen, God's Heaven, God's Laws, God's Son, Guru, Harvest Time, He's Back, Heaven, Heaven's Gate, Heavenly Kingdom, Higher Consciousness, His Church, Human Metamorphosis, Human Spirit, Implant, Incarnation, Interfaith, Jesus, Jesus' Return, Jesus' Teaching, Kingdom of God, Kingdom of Heaven, Krishna Consciousness, Lamb of God, Last Days, Level Above Human, Life After Death, Luciferian, Luciferians, Meditation, Members of the Next Level, Messiah, Metamorphosis, Metaphysical, Millennium, Misinformation, Mothership, Mystic, Next Level, Non Perishable, Non Temporal, Older Member, Our Lords Return, Out of Body Experience, Overcomers, Overcoming, Past Lives, Prophecy, Prophecy Fulfillment, Rapture, Reactive Mind, Recycling the Planet, Reincarnation, Religion, Resurrection, Revelations, Saved, Second Coming, Soul, Space Alien, Spacecraft, Spirit, Spirit Filled, Spirit Guide, Spiritual, Spiritual Awakening, Star People, Super Natural, Telepathy, The Remnant, The Two, Theosophy, Ti and Do, Truth, Two Witnesses, UFO, Virginity, Walk-ins, Yahweh, Yeshua, Yoda, Yoga

The Giulianis Come to Jesus

Asked whether thrice-married Rudy Giuliani was aware of her two other marriages, Judith said, "Of course! One of the things that Rudy and I have in common is we were both married three times. At this stage in life, we believe in the institution of marriage. "

Ah yes, the stages of life. With George, it was booze. With the Giulianis, it is infidelity. But all is forgiven if you're a values voter.

Necessary Political Theatre

Today, the House voted 218-212, mostly along part lines, for a binding war spending bill requiring that combat operations cease before September, 2008.

That narrow margin is scarcely veto-proof. It is political theatre-- but it's necessary theatre. For it's the first meaningful rebuke to the Bush administration by Congress in the use of its budget power. Facts, reason, and counsel from former secretary of states and generals has had no effect on changing policy. What will change policy is raw politics.

To the argument that the Democrats wouldn't cut off funds while Americans troops are under fire, my response is: why not? Every drop of American blood that has been shed in Iraq is due to the president, and he and his party must bear the consequences irrespective of whetheror not there is funding. Giving money to this lost cause is akin to giving a drug addict money to buy drugs. Such an action doesn't address the root cause of the problem, speicifcally, the wrong-headed and vainglorious assumptions that predicated this exercise in futility.

A Strange Day

Five miles from my workplace, the alternator of my '93 Nissan Sentra died. The speedometer plunged to zero while the car continued for another two miles along the expressway. I flashed on the emergency lights and hitched my way to plant along with my lap top. My wife thinks that I'm sometimes far too jaded, but this time I was pleasantly surprised by the kindness of a stranger-- a woman in a pickup who dropped me off at the front gate. I called the police to alert them that I had temporarily abandoned my car and called for a tow truck. I spent the rest of the day working on the lap top from home, while outside it thundered and rained sometimes heavily. This rather mild annoyance was put into perspective when an e-mail was sent to the department mentioning that someone on the floor had killed himself, leaving behind his wife and two small children and a mortgage.

I don't know quite what to make of today other than to simply record the facts. I think we have to find our own path, no matter what challenges face us. A headline mentioned that a candidate for the presidency had found that his wife's cancer had returned. John Edwards plans to continue to run for the presidency. I'm not sure that's the choice I would make, but it is a choice that John and Elizabeth have made and perhaps that is the better and braver choice. It could be that it is these challenges-- the death of their son and now what appears to be terminal cancer-- is exactly what John feels he needs to focus his life-- find meaning in his life-- to make a difference for the country on behalf of his family and the woman he loves.

Viral Attack Media

The political question of the week is the identity of the anonymous person who reworked the classic 1984 ad introducing the Apple Macintosh computer to the world into a biting attack piece against Clinton -- and posted it on the popular YouTube Web site.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6h3G-lMZxjo

Condemned to Repeat History

"Those who cannot remember the past are condemned to repeat it."

This quotation from George Santayana seems apt given the travails of another George. The president's prep-school insouciant contempt for the lessons of history must surely be taking it toil. For those who read history, today's headlines is a story twice-told, an exercise in déjà vu, tragedy, and farce. A quagmire abroad with no end in sight, an administration with eroding credability, and a president hurtling towards a constitutional crisis is merely a replay of the the stupidity and dishonesty from the LBJ-Nixon era and other eras before that as well.

At present, the only hope that I see for the Republicans-- and this is a long shot-- is to collude with the Democrats to immediately impeach Bush and Cheney, hoping that the continuing downward spiral in Democratic hands will be sufficient to throw the election back into the hands of the Republicans. But the polls show that the current administration continues to hold a strong albeit weakening base, so I don't view impeachment as likely. The more likely scenerio will be a Democratic sweep of the executive branch and Congress in 2008, cynically facilitated by the Democrats allowing the president to continue to dig his way to disaster while Americans continue to die in Iraq for nothing. And this may prepare the way for possibly eight years of Democratic governance and the ascendency of as many as five liberal Supreme Court justices.

Honorable Public Servants

``We will not go along with a partisan fishing expedition aimed at honorable public servants,'' Bush said in a statement from the White House.

Good one, Mr. President.

What Makes a Cat Person

I posted the following on a cat forum:

Why makes a person a cat person? Is it nature-- something genetic-- that inclines them to animals that share their instincts and prejudices? Is it nurture-- your parents loved cats so you do as well? Is it (wild thought!) because you were a cat in a prior life?

Speaking for myself, I've yet to meet a cat I didn't like, and I cannot understand how people cannot love these beautiful creatures.

Read response to this post here.

White House E-Mails

The White House may be reflecting on the role e-mails are playing in the imminent resignation of Mr. Gonzales.

The publication of the several dozen e-mails and blackberry transmissions converys more than just the chatter of evolving policy. It reveals for anyone who cares to contact a Department of Justice or White House official e-mail address formats. These are typically Firstname_Lastname@address or FirstinitialLastname@address. It's encouraging to know that we have such accessible government.

Secondly, it reveals the making of a conspiracy-- not just who said what to who but who cc'd in who. Now, it may be possible although difficult to fabricicate a Mission Impossible-like conspiracy by having an insider get control of Karl Rove's address and e-mail a subordinate a false directive that in turn sets off a chain of more e-mails. But the prima facie evidence that Bush's Brain is behind these e-mails appears compelling.

A common guideline passed down by old White House hands is to never keep a diary. The tale of countless scandels shows that it can take but a single line in your late night musings to politically hang you. In view of the havoc that e-mails can cause, I suspect the use of e-mails as a means to conduct bureaucratic evil may be coming to an end.

The President's Weekly Address

To mark the fourth anniversary of the U.S.-led invasion of Iraq, Bush will play host to the 2006 NCAA football champions, the University of Florida "Gators''.

This is the text of the president's radio address today and my counterpoint:

"Good morning. In times of war, Congress has no greater obligation than funding our war fighters.

Congress it seems to me has an even a greater obligation-- to grow a back bone so as to provide oversight to the president's failed policy in Iraq.

And next week, the House will begin debate on an emergency war spending bill.
The purpose of this legislation should be to give our troops on the front lines the resources, funds, and equipment they need to fight our enemies. Unfortunately, some in Congress are using this bill as an opportunity to micromanage

You are going to see the word micromanage a lot in the run up to the elections. It has the connotation of the meddling of Monday night quarterbacks. The fact is, however, that Congress over the last four years had given the president everthing he has asked for-- but he failed. Perhaps now is the time to start micromanaging.

our military commanders, force a precipitous withdrawal from Iraq,

It has never been the position of the Democratic leadeship to withdraw precipitously. This statement is dishonest.

and spend billions on domestic projects that have nothing to do with the war on terror.

First, the "war on terror" is a meaningless phrase. War is conducted against people or countries, not an emotion. Second, since when is the WOT the only priority in America today? Finally, spending billions on porkbarrow schemes would certainly be in keeping with Republican tradition.

Our troops urgently need Congress to approve emergency war funds. Over the past several weeks, our Nation has begun pursuing a new strategy in Iraq. Under the leadership of General David Petraeus, our troops have launched a difficult and dangerous mission to help Iraqis secure their capital. This plan is still in its early stages, yet we're already seeing signs of progress. Iraqi and American troops have rounded up more than 700 people affiliated with Shia extremists.

I see two things. On one hand, I see official reports proving with statistics that progress is getting made. And then I see rarely a day go by with a car bombing or a death squad killing.

If there is a choice between words or deeds, I always go with deeds.

They've also launched aggressive operations against Sunni extremists. And they've uncovered large caches of weapons that could have been used to kill our troops.
These are hopeful signs. As these operations unfold, they will help the Iraqi government stabilize the country, rebuild the economy, and advance the work of political reconciliation. Yet the bill Congress is considering would undermine General Petraeus and the troops under his command just as these critical security operations are getting under way.
First, the bill would impose arbitrary and restrictive conditions on the use of war funds

Such as making sure that the troops are adequately trained and equipped before we send them into harms way.

and require the withdrawal of forces by the end of this year if these conditions are not met.

An appropriate incentive.

These restrictions would handcuff our generals in the field by denying them the flexibility they need to adjust their operations to the changing situation on the ground. And these restrictions would substitute the mandates of Congress for the considered judgment of our military commanders.

The considered judgment of our military leaders has already proved to be deficient. As lap dogs of the neoconservatives, they cannot be trusted to stand up to the president.

Even if every condition required by this bill was met, all American forces -- except for very limited purposes -- would still be required to withdraw next year, regardless of the situation in Iraq. The consequences of imposing such an artificial timetable would be disastrous.
Here is what Secretary of Defense Robert Gates recently told Congress: Setting a fixed date to withdraw would "essentially tell [the enemy] how long they would have to wait until we're gone." If American forces were to step back from Baghdad before it is more secure, the scale and scope of attacks would increase and intensify. A contagion of violence could spill out across the entire country, and in time, this violence would engulf the region. The enemy would emerge from the chaos emboldened with new safe havens, new recruits, new resources, and an even greater determination to harm America. Such an outcome would be a nightmare for our country.

All of these are assumptions, not facts. We do not know what will happen if we leave Iraq. It is beyond dispute that things have gotten far worse for us and far better for the terrorists since we invaded.

Second, the bill would cut funding for the Iraqi security forces if Iraqi leaders did not meet rigid conditions set by Congress.

Such as urging the Iraq security forces to get rid of their death squads.

This makes no sense. Members of Congress have often said that the Iraqis must step forward and take more responsibility for their own security -- and I agree. Yet Members of Congress can't have it both ways: They can't say that the Iraqis must do more and then take away the funds that will help them do so.

Money is not what is standing in the way of getting the Iraqis to stand up.

Iraq is a young democracy that is fighting for its survival in a region that is vital to American security. To cut off support for their security forces at this critical moment would put our own security at risk.

Another assumption, beloved by the neocons but unproven by events.

Third, the bill would add billions of dollars in domestic spending that is completely unrelated to the war. For example, the House bill would provide $74 million for peanut storage, $48 million for the Farm Service Agency, and $35 million for NASA.

These figures are peanuts compared to the overall spending. $400 billion have already been spend on this war with another $100 billion in the pipeline. This argument is a red herring.

These programs do not belong in an emergency war spending bill. Congress must not allow debate on domestic spending to delay funds for our troops on the front lines. And Members should not use funding our troops as leverage to pass special interest spending for their districts.

We are a Nation at war,

False. In the constitutional sense, we are not at war. We have Americans fighting, but we are far from being a "Nation at war."

and the heaviest responsibilities fall to our troops in the field.

The first true thing Bush has said, with 3,200 Americans who have died and 30,000 who have suffered injuries.

Yet we in Washington have responsibilities, as well. General Petraeus was confirmed by the Senate without a single vote in opposition, and he and his troops need these resources to succeed in their mission. Many in Congress say they support the troops, and I believe them. Now they have a chance to show that support in deed, as well as in word. Congress needs to approve emergency funding for our troops, without strings and without delay. If they send me a bill that does otherwise, I will veto it.

That would be Bush's second veto. It won't happen.

Thank you for listening.''

Quick Hits

The Trump Plan

Donald Trump on CNN said the president should declare victory in Iraq and leave. For once, I want to subscribe to the Donald's newsletter. Can we be so sure that staying in Iraq will cause less damage to America than leaving with the same obliviousness of consequences as invading?

The White House Outs a CIA Operative

As if we didn't need more evidence that this administration puts politics ahead of country, we now have a White House that is willing to sacrifice covert operatives for political gain. I don't think such actions approach the level of high treason, but it's pretty close. For shame.

The Attorney General

The clock is ticking. Al's days are numbered as are Karl's.

The Puzzle

http://www.washingtontimes.com/national/20070315-114453-1740r.htm

Hope sprang eternal as the president gave a speech to House Republicans promising that the GOP will win back both houses and retain the White House.

"The stage featured two giant white puzzle pieces at both ends, which one lawmaker who asked not to be named said signify exactly what the party must struggle with for the next two years. "We put those pieces together and we're golden," said the House member. "

If the puzzle refers to Reality on one hand and the Bush Bubble on the other hand, I would have to say that the prospects for the Grand Old Party in 2008 is anything but golden.

Mercury Rising

99 degrees today in Phoenix.

Conservatism in Traction

TIME's cover story this week displays a weeping Ronald Reagan on its cover and ponders "How the Right Went Wrong":







"A generation ago, fresh off the second biggest electoral landslide in American history, Ronald Reagan surveyed the wreckage that had been the opposition and declared victory. Standing before 1,700 true believers at the 1985 Conservative Political Action Conference (CPAC), he proclaimed, "The tide of history is moving irresistibly in our direction. Why? Because the other side is virtually bankrupt of ideas. It has nothing more to say, nothing to add to the debate. It has spent its intellectual capital."

The failure of the Bush presidency has overshadowed the successes of the conservative movement-- the break up of the Soviet Union, a tax rate half that of Carter's presidency, and welfare and education reform. And so it is the conservatives who are devoid of ideas and who are on the wrong side of the tide of history. Even from conservative blogs and forums, I find it notable how shallow, tiresome, dissicated, demoralized, and unpersuasive conservative apologists have become. And it isn't by accident that the face of modern day conservatism isn't a university or think tank intellectual but Fox news propaganderist Ann Coulter. Conservatives claim that ideas have consequences, but it appears that the only ideas now coming from modern-day conservatists are middle-school taunts. Fighting words such as treason. slander, and godless is now the sum of what passes for deep conservative thought. It's especially rich that a woman with such ambiguous gender-- she with the pronounced Adam's apple-- would call Edwards a faggot to the apprecative laughter of the CPAC audience.

Policies-- and more importantly wars-- are won or lost in the realm of the mind-- ideas and debate. By any measure, conservatives have lost the intellectual argument in the wake of the failure of conservative governance. It can only be a matter of time before they lose in social and political impact.

"Mistakes Were Made"

Attorney General Alberto R. Gonzales, under criticism from lawmakers of both parties for the dismissals of federal prosecutors, said Tuesday “I acknowledge that mistakes were made here.”

I'm always supicious when I see an apology phrased in the passive. It makes a nodding acknowledgement that something bad happened while evading personal responsibility. Such expressions are inherently unethical because they remove the actor from the action. Whenever you see an expression like that, rest assurred that more lies are forthcoming.

What is America's National Interest?

Hans Morgenthau, the University of Chicago professor of international relations, has been dead for twenty-six years. But his writing remain a bracing antidote to the fuzzy thinking of today's neo-conservatives. The shifting rationales for the Iraq war suggests incoherence in foreign policy as well as a failure in epistomology. Just count, for example, the fallacious statements-- claims that have turned out to be either dishonest or ignorant-- in the president's remarks from four years ago:

"Saddam Hussein is a threat to our nation. September the 11th changed the strategic thinking, at least, as far as I was concerned, for how to protect our country. My job is to protect the American people. It used to be that we could think that you could contain a person like Saddam Hussein, that oceans would protect us from his type of terror. September the 11th should say to the American people that we're now a battlefield, that weapons of mass destruction in the hands of a terrorist organization could be deployed here at home.

"So, therefore, I think the threat is real. And so do a lot of other people in my government. And since I believe the threat is real, and since my most important job is to protect the security of the American people, that's precisely what we'll do.

"Our demands are that Saddam Hussein disarm. We hope he does. We have worked with the international community to convince him to disarm. If he doesn't disarm, we'll disarm him."

Now contrast that to the lucidity of Dr. Morgenthau, who sought to find action between nation-states in objective laws rooted in rational interests in distinction to sentiment or fear:

"A realist theory of international politics will also avoid the other popular fallacy of equating the foreign policies of a statesman with his philosophic or political sympathies, and of deducing the former from the latter. Statesmen, especially under contemporary conditions, may well make a habit of presenting their foreign policies in terms of their philosophic and political sympathies in order to gain popular support for them. Yet they will distinguish with Lincoln between their "official duty," which is to think and act in terms of the national interest, and their "personal wish," which is to see their own moral values and political principles realized throughout the world. Political realism does not require, nor does it condone, indifference to political ideals and moral principles, but it requires indeed a sharp distinction between the desirable and the possible-between what is desirable everywhere and at all times and what is possible under the concrete circumstances of time and place."

Thus, the interest of a nation isn't what the president or Congress or even what the majority of the people of the United States always desire. It rather is rooted in qualities and also values that transcend that. Perhaps the best way to define interest is by looking at ourselves-- as members of a family, as spouses, as employees or employers. Our self-seeking inclinations are banked by custom, religion, and law. I want to get rich but I also want to enjoy a good life. I want to have a good life but I also want my kids to have a good life. As we go through life, we make all kinds of calculations that will contribute to our personal and collective goals. We don't burn through our pay check at the casino and nor do we punch our neighbor in the face because we think he may someday punch us in the face. This is nothing more than common sense. The constraints that impose appropriate behavior at the individual level seems to have been overtaken at the national level by a kind of psychosis. This condition that seems to appear again and again in American history allowed for the war to make the world safe for democracy, to contain communism, and to bring democracy to a part of the world that has never known democracy.

Building 18 and the Battle of the Bulge

It's embarassing to compare the U.S. progress against the Wehrmacht and Japanese warlords of World War II to our war in Iraq, as I did in a post in October, 2006. I don't think our lack of on-the-ground progress has anything to do with the courage of the American troops who are dying in Iraq. It has everything to do with our civilian leadership. The lies that surround this war like flies on a dead rabbit are such that it is hard for the average person such as myself to support this war and, by extension, the people who fight this war.

An example of this are the systemic failures at Walter Reed hospital. I couldn't imagine a homeside GI beefing about some mold in Building 18 when his brothers were storming the beaches of Normardy. Why? It's because then national priorities eclipsed such minutia. The press and the majority of Americans suported the goals of the administration.

But that was then.

Now your're seeing the first of many similar Pulitzer-prize making stories, a kind of passive-aggressive attack on the Bush war by highlighting the collateral damage of this war-- recruiting practices, veteran discrimination, accounting irregularities among military vendors, and the like. Such stories would be inconceivable if this were a real war, which, of course, it clearly is not.

Boy Cat or Girl Cat?

I got 65 percent on this test.

What about you?

To the Victor Belongs the Spoils

The phrase "to the victor belongs the spoils" refers to the practice in which the winning party gives its followers government jobs as a reward for working towards victory. The practice is distinguished from awarding offices on the basis of merit. More broadly, this phrase can also refer to policies that benefit one party.

Today, there are reports that
the New Mexico Republican party chairman urder presidential advisor Karl Rove and at least one other member of the White House political team to fire the state's U.S. attorney because of dissatisfaction in part with his failure to indict Democrats in a voter fraud investigation in the battleground election state.

"Anyone with any experience within the Justice Department is completely shocked and appalled by what has been described," said Stanley Hunterton, a former federal prosecutor of 12 years who investigated organized crime in Detroit and Las Vegas. "One of the things the Department has stood for was being apolitical. Sure, politics does gets involved in the appointment process, but this is just nuts."

I cannot say that I'm especially shocked. Hasn't it always been thus, that the party in power will award the plum jobs and advantegous rulings to its political constituency? I think this helps explain the Scooter Libby conviction as well-- that all will be forgiven so long as there is loyalty up.

As Frank Rich notes in today's Sunday New York Times column: "Even by Washington's standards, few debates have been more fatuous or wasted more energy than the frenzied speculation over whether President Bush will or will not pardon Scooter Libby."
Of course he will. A president who tries to void laws he doesn't like by encumbering them with 'signing statements' and who regards the Geneva Conventions as a nonbinding technicality isn't going to start playing by the rules now. His assertion last week that he is 'pretty much going to stay out of' the Libby case is as credible as his pre-election vote of confidence in Donald Rumsfeld. The only real question about the pardon is whether Bush cares enough about his fellow Republicans' political fortunes to delay it until after Election Day 2008."

The main and perhaps the only thing that deters a permanent spoils system is a healthy two-party system. And the prospect that Bush and Cheney will bequeath to a Democratic president and vice president the imperial power that they wrested over eight years must give many Republicans of a traditionalist and liberterian coloration pause. It could very well be that some day President Clinton and Vice President Obama will be writing signing statement, firing attorney generals, and launching preemptive wars.

Ralph Waldo Emerson notes in "Compensation" that there is "no such thing as concealment. Commit a crime, and the earth is made of glass. You cannot recall the spoken word, you canot wipe out the foot-track. Always some damning circumstance transpires." And the most damning circumstance that will be Bush's legacy may well be a Democratic establishment that embraces and executes the methods and procedures of the Republican establishment, so much so, that, as in the last page of Animal Farm, no one can tell the difference between the humans and the pigs, the Democrats and the Republicans.

God Beats the Devil By .58%

I was thumbing through this week's National Review when I encountered an ad for a virtue fund pleading that we "find joy in morally responsible investing." The ad touts that its portfolio doesn't support abortion, pornography, or companies with non-marital partner benefits, a code phrase for homosexual civil rights. It looks like God is with the money managers in this case, although just barely. When you compare the S&P 500 index over the last year, the return is 15.79 percent. The Ava Maria Rising Dividend Fund has a return of 17.89 percent, which is .58 percent better than the Vice Fund with major holdings in tobacco and gambling at 17.31 percent.

God and the devil are both winning strategies, because the strategy has more to do with portfolio concentration than morality.

Read more.

http://www.vicefund.com/fundfacts.html

http://www.slate.com/id/2123644/

It's My Birthday!

Today's my birthday, and so my personal odometer makes one more click. Actually, we don't get a year older on our birth date, just a day older. Still, for some, this day can be a day not of joy but of gloom.

In my parent's house is a sign on the fridge: "Getting Old Isn't For Sissies." Indeed. It's no fun when more hair is growing out of your ear than on year head and what hair that remains is the color of
cobwebs. But with the passage of years comes maybe not exactly wisdom but at least the perspective that the good and the bad experiences of our life are both necessary and enriching.

I recently connected with someone I knew from my high school years in Bucks County Pennsylvania 34 years ago. It was good to exchange the story of each of our life's journey. It seems that everyone must traverse the valley of personal and professional reversals before ascending to the heights. From this pilgrimage come wellsprings of understanding, contentment, and fulfillment. I ended my e-mail thread to him noting that "Strange how life knocks you around but still gives you ample reason to look back on life with tremendous satisfaction. It's all part of the package."

So, on this day when I blow out yet one more candle, I do so happily and gratefully.

Life is good.

The Man, the Moment, the Creep

The national election horserace is shaping up as a contest between Hillary Clinton and Rudy Giuliani. Right now, I like neither of them much. Hillary reminds me of the cartoon character Lisa Simpson except that Lisa has more depth and less pretension. Many people snickered at a recent speech she gave in front of a southern black audience where she adopted a phony red-neck accent. Just after that speech, the camera lingered on Hillary as she shook the hands of those who passed her by. I was struck by the disconnect between the dead-fish coldness of Hillary's eyes and her crinkled smile. Hillary has impressive ambition and she may well be the smartest candidate. But her inability to account for her continuing support for her vote for the war in Iraq fosters with me deep distrust in her character.

And yet when it comes to character, Hillary is a tower of integrity compared to Rudy Giuliani, who the New York Times described as "swaggering, brash and opinionated and loves to stick his thumb in the eye of conventional political norms. Those traits won him some acclaim in New York, not to mention a lot of tabloid headlines. But he can also be temperamental, controlling, capricious, volatile." That he married his second cousin, divorced his second wife, is estranged from his kids. and presided over some of the worst civil rights violations in New York's recent history must surely provide a window to his soul much more so than Time's 2001 Man of the Year haliography.

Just as some liberals distrust Hillary in her embrace of the Bush war machine, so too do some conservatives distrust Giuliani in his embrace of abortion, gay rights, and other red meat social issues. After the defeat of John Kerry, I would have thought that presidential wannerbees would have heeded the lesson of that election-- that northeastern liberals need not apply for the Oval office.

My prediction: neither Clinton nor Giuliani will be nominated by their respective parties.

Read more.

http://www.nndb.com/people/587/000024515/

My First Post

My Mall & News is now more than five years old. I'm currently getting between 900 and 1,400 hits each day. It is now marginally profitable.

At one time, I thought I could turn this website into another revenue stream. But that turned out to be pretty much wishful thinking. I get almost no money from My Mall, which consists entirely of ads from Commission Junction. The advertising revenue from Google's adsense is enough to cover my monthly server expenses, but that's about it.

However, this website has had great indirect value. It has allowed me to present my resume, get sustained employment, on occasion do independent contracting, and has put me in touch with people around the world who share my many interests.

This blog is an experiment. It is a way to present my view on topics of personal interest-- politics, technology, philosophy, literature, and popular culture. I originally thought that a bulletin board, such as those that ezboard produce, may be the way to go. I also thought about installing WordPress. I like my final decision of using blogger.com, as it is free and it is also integrated with the Google suite of products.

I'm a free speech absolutist, and I like nothing better than the thought and discourse of a vigorous exchange of ideas. I have no restrictions on those who care to respond to my posts. I only ask that you respect the free speech of others in the words you use.