Live Event: The Morality of War
The Ayn Rand Institute Lecture Series 2004 Presents: The Morality of War by Dr. Yaron BrookThursday, September 9, 2004 As the death toll of American troops continues to mount, this three-year-long war, we are told, must drag on for years to come—and demand even greater sacrifices of our soldiers. At home, we are urged to accept the inevitability of further catastrophic terrorist attacks. Is military victory within our reach? And, if it is, then why must so many of our soldiers—and more civilians—die? Why does Washington seem to care more about avoiding civilian casualties in Baghdad than in New York? Why does it fear torturing prisoners of war, if that could save American lives? In this passionately reasoned lecture, Dr. Yaron Brook of the Ayn Rand Institute explains why America's war is being sabotaged. He blames the moral code of Altruism—embodied in the "just-war" theory—that drives Washington's battle plans. It is this code of warfare that explains why victory is within our reach, but consciously forfeited. But, as Dr. Brook argues, there is an alternative—a morality of war that leads to unequivocal and swift victory. Drawing upon Ayn Rand's philosophy, Objectivism, he advocates a morality of war based on the principles of rational egoism. It is a practicable, rational solution to the threats from Islamic totalitarianism. The event is free and open to the public. Location and details: Hyatt Regency Irvine
17900 Jamboree Road
(at Jamboree & the 405 Fwy)
Irvine, California
$5 for self-parking, $9 for valet Thursday, September 9, 2004 Doors open: 6:30 PM
Presentation: 7:30 PM to 8:30 PM
Q & A: 8:30 PM to 9:30 PM
Reception: follows until 10 PM For questions or more information, please e-mail: events@aynrand.org or call 949-222-6550. See our flyer on the Web at www.aynrand.org/news
Catch Me If You Can
From Cox and Forkum:
From CNN: Bush's bounce poll shows Kerry flagging.For the first time since the presidential contest became a two-man race this spring, it seems to have a clear leader: President Bush. The latest TIME poll shows Bush leading his rival, John Kerry, 52% to 41%.From William Safire at The New York Times: The Comeback Prez.
[B]bouncing Bushies are properly concerned with peaking too soon. Because the media revel in a horse race right down to the wire, any reduction of the present Bush surge will be hailed with a jubilant "Here comes Kerry!" But the Republicans coming out of their New York success -- with a personally popular candidate, a much deeper surrogate bench, the momentum of an upbeat message and a clearly centrist appeal -- have good reasons to have faith in the November decision of today's legion of swing voters.
Noms de Guerre: “Chechen Rebels” Want Muslim State Ruled by Islamic Law
From Cox and Forkum:
Politically-correct news organizations undermine their credibility with such subterfuges [as using euphemisms for terrorist]. How can one trust what one reads, hears, or sees when the self-evident fact of terrorism is being semi-denied? Worse, the multiple euphemisms for terrorist obstruct a clear understanding of the violent threats confronting the civilized world. It is bad enough that only one of five articles discussing the Beslan atrocity mentions its Islamist origins; worse is the miasma of words that insulates the public from the evil of terrorism.And The Wall Street Journal examines why so many continue to look for causes of terrorism other than Islamist ideology: The Children of Beslan.
In the face of such horror, who can offer up any shred of justification? Yet that is precisely what has happened in the wake of every terrorist event the world has seen in recent years. By such lights, terrorism is viewed as a political act, intended to draw sympathetic attention to a cause -- in this case the brutal Russian occupation of Chechnya. Post-9/11, there were those who "explained" the attacks by blaming U.S. policy in the Mideast as behind the "desperation" of the hijackers. After the Madrid bombings, half the Spanish electorate effectively blamed their nation's participation in the war in Iraq by voting out the government that supported the U.S. In the wake of every suicide bombing in Israel, that country's policy on Palestinians is deemed responsible in many quarters, especially in Europe. Post-Beslan, who is prepared to blame the children?UPDATE I -- September 9: This cartoon appears in today's edition of Investor's Business Daily. UPDATE II: Jeff Jacoby writes: Where is the Muslim outrage?. (Via Little Green Footballs)
They are still burying the victims of the latest atrocity committed by evildoers professing Islam -- the slaughter of hundreds of children, teachers, and parents in an elementary school in Beslan, Russia. And from Muslims the world over, as usual, has come mostly silence. There have been no public demonstrations by Muslims anxious to make it clear how outraged and sickened they are that anyone could commit such unspeakable deeds as an act of Islamic faith. There has been no anguished outcry by Islam's leading imams and sheiks. Prominent Muslim organizations in the West have not called press conferences to express their disgust and anger. Once again the world has witnessed a savage episode of Islamist terror, and once again it strains to hear a convincing rejection of the terrorists from those who should care most about Islam's reputation.Jacoby lists one very noteworthy exception. Read the whole thing.
GOP Stance on Abortion
From Cox and Forkum:
From Newsweek: A Fight for the GOP's 'Heart and Soul'.Depending on whom you ask, Republicans who identify themselves as pro-choice are either the future of the GOP or marginalized dreamers whose vision has emerged stillborn. Three of the party's rising stars -- California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg and former New York mayor Rudolph Giuliani -- are all outspoken advocates of a woman's right to choose. And the introduction to the party's new platform, which was ratified on Monday, includes a note of tolerance: it calls on Republicans to "accept and respect" each other's divergent views on social issues. But opposition to abortion remains a firm tenet of the Republican ideology and the platform itself, and throughout his administration, President Bush has crusaded to limit abortion rights and extend legal protection for the unborn. The GOP's largest pro-choice advocacy group, the Republican Majority for Choice (RMC), was a chief proponent of the new language in the platform preamble and regards the change as a small step in the right direction. Far from viewing itself as a renegade faction, the RMC touts a recent American Viewpoint poll that found that 73 percent of Republicans claim to be pro-choice. The organization says it is an outspoken minority that has overwhelmed those voices and established the party's agenda. This week, GOP stalwarts Libby Pataki, wife of the New York governor; Bloomberg and former Bush administration official Christie Todd Whitman hosted what they said was the largest-ever gathering of pro-choice Republicans, raising $1 million for their cause. RMC executive director Kellie Rose Ferguson took time out from the back-slapping and exhortation to speak with NEWSWEEK's Karen Fragala.Robert Tracinki commented in TIA Daily:
["Pro-choice" Republicans] have a bigger fight ahead of them than they realize -- since religion has been entrenched for decades now as the moral and philosophical base of conservatism.
“Peace Protestors” vs. Free Speech
From the Cool Blue Blog:The Washington Post covered the protest march that took place in New York City on Sunday.more than 200,000 protesters peacefully swarmed Manhattan's streets on the eve of the Republican National Convention to demand that President Bush be turned out of office.Strange, but my experience of the protestors was that they were anything but peaceful. [...] Prior to starting our march, we had assigned each Warrior to a tactical group and over time, each group split off to infiltrate the march. The rules were that upon infiltration. we would do nothing more provacative but carry our signs. My group was Group Six lead by Tom Paladino. At first we were accepted as one of their own (but with much better signs). Then they noticed us. The massive crowd started chanting "Fascists, leave our march!". Then our way was blocked by a number of individuals who linked arms and stood in our way. We were then physically assaulted. Two of our group of 15 were punched, their signs were taken from them and destroyed. Tom's megaphone (which he only use after we were attacked to try to calm people) was taken from him and destroyed. I truly thought I was going to die. The NYPD ran in to protect us. We identified the individuals who assaulted us who ran like cowards. I'm not sure if the police got them or not. The crowd was now chanting "Fascist Police". Things were getting very dangerous. The NYPD asked us to leave the march and we complied not only for our safety but for theirs. Had we stayed, these guys would have tried to protect us and likely would have otten hurt as well. Not to mention the whole out-of-control riot thing. We left and regrouped in Herald Square with the other tactical teams who had met with pretty much the same response; in some cases without such a quick police response as we got. ... Once this was cleared up, we lined up our signs along the barracades and did our own chanting. One of our members was physically attacked with a broom stick by a man who managed to get it into the march. He was quickly arrested by the NYPD. So while the march may been "peaceful" this was only because of the terriffic efforts by the NYPD. Had they not have been as prepared and well trained as they were, it would have been a disaster. But don't let anyone tell you these people are for peace or Free Speech. It's just not true.