Jun 9, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses, Dollars & Crosses 2
“The journey we’re taking is difficult, but there is no other choice,” President Bush said in reference to Israel making peace with the Palestinians. “No leader of conscience can accept more months and years of humiliation, killing and mourning. I know that peace can finally come.”
A democratic republic that respects the rights of Jews and non-Jews alike (i.e. Israel) must tolerate the existence of a state committed to violence and terrorism (Palestinians — remember who they are? The people who cheered in the streets at the attacks on America on 9/11. The people whose leader, Arafat, makes deals with the Iranians, the world’s number one sponsor of terrorism).
Bush’s premise: The view of the philosopher Descartes who claimed, “I think, therefore I am.” The infinitely superior philosopher, Ayn Rand, called this view the primacy of consciousness — the idea that wishes and intentions (the products of consciousness) supercede objective reality.
President Bush has now brought Descartes’ philosophical viewpoint to the Middle East: I wish it, therefore it will be so.
Try telling this to the next victims of Palestinian terrorism.
May 14, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses, Dollars & Crosses 2
NEW YORK–A federal jury yesterday ruled that 45 gun manufacturers and distributors are not responsible for violence in black and Hispanic neighborhoods.
This comes as a blow to the NAACP, which filed the lawsuit against gun manufacturers based on its long-standing belief that all blacks and Hispanics are mindless puppets of “big business” incapable of making their own decisions.
The NAACP is now expected to begin looking for some other group of large corporations to blame (outside of Hollywood) for various societal ills.
Meanwhile, many blacks and Hispanics are still wondering why the NAACP considers itself qualified to speak on their behalf.
May 1, 2003 | Dollars & Crosses, Dollars & Crosses 2
Americans are already used to socialist celebrities prancing about the country lamenting the fact that “regular people” don’t care about the inane viewpoints of someone who once played a smart person on television. But now, they’re telling those “regular people” to shut-up, and they’re threatening to petition Uncle Sam (the guy with all of those banned “assault weapons”) if America doesn’t comply.
In a letter dated 28 April 2003, the William Morris Agency sent a “cease-and-desist” letter to the “Boycott Hollywood” website. Apparently, some of William Morris’ clients don’t like what those regular folk have to say about them.
Rumors that Susan Sarandon is petitioning to modify the first amendment to read “the famous people” are entirely unsubstantiated, but I don’t mind spreading them anyway.
[Because the Boycott Hollywood website may soon go offline, a copy of the William Morris letter can be found here. And yes, the server is slow. Just deal.]
Oct 24, 2002 | Dollars & Crosses, Dollars & Crosses 2
WASHINGTON–In the distant past, the Food and Drug Administration limited its tyrannical powers to dictating what citizens can and cannot ingest, but recently it has become more and more interested in dictating what citizens can and cannot wear.
On Monday, the FDA halted importation of decorative contact lenses that are sold without a prescription. Contact lenses bearing sports logos or other unusual markings have become a popular and fun way to enhance Halloween costumes over the past few years, but this year goblins from the FDA will be on the prowl.
According to the FDA, decorative lenses are extremely popular at beach shops, where much cavorting is often spotted. The FDA will also be targeting convenience stores and flea markets, where sellers of unapproved lenses can expect to have men with guns confiscate their inventory. But the agency has blessed the prescription-only sale of some tamer versions of cosmetic contact lenses, said FDA Deputy Commissioner Lester Crawford. Approved lenses come in exotic monochrome tints, such as blue.
Fun is not explicitly permitted by any FDA regulation.
