I tend to take the following policy towards anyone who has a lot of money: Assume they made it honestly and through their own efforts unless there’s evidence to the contrary. This is admittedly more complicated and confusing in a … Continue reading
Culture does not determine personality. People are people — and people are first and foremost individuals. Individualism is not simply a philosophy of how people should be, but also a description of what they are. The polite word for the … Continue reading
When you see qualities in another that you don’t like, and have in yourself, then you have one of two choices. You can either evade the parallel and proceed to attack the other person. Or, you can stop and introspect: … Continue reading
The gigantic company Google is standing up, so far, to Chinese censorship. In statements released to the public, the company is essentially telling the Chinese government, “Stop the hacking into private email, stop the censorship — or we’re leaving China.” … Continue reading
Common sense is helpful at the perceptual level, but a science requires the help of the more generalized, conceptual level of human capacity. Otherwise, there would be no justification for scientific investigation, and advanced technology, in the first place.
Bullies don’t typically go after people who are physically weak. They go after people who see themselves as wrong, i.e., morally weak. That’s what’s happening right now with terrorism. Terrorism receded for a time after 9/11, but now it’s back, … Continue reading
The disappearance of certain sayings from our culture provides some insight as to why there’s so much wrong in the world today. One of these sayings is: Say what you mean and mean what you say. Basically, this refers to … Continue reading
The environmentalist movement is not concerned with bettering human life. It’s concerned with restraining human life. Anyone who values human life and human progress would not look to restricting carbon usage for the next hundred years, causing a decline in … Continue reading
Being free doesn’t make you happy. But freedom is necessary for happiness. People who are indifferent to freedom are not happy in the first place. People who don’t have freedom, but want it, can attain happiness in the fight for … Continue reading
People keep talking about the Tiger Woods scandal as a “teachable moment.” They debate whether or not it is, in fact, a teachable moment “for us” or whether it isn’t. My question: Why does something that some celebrity does have … Continue reading
The most important function of government — making it the only acceptable alternative to anarchy — is the protection of the individual from physical force. Governments cannot prevent people from becoming criminals, of course, and much criminal punishment comes after … Continue reading
Is America too big to fail? No. America was based on big, sound ideas. These ideas included individual rights, freedom, and private property. They included rationality in the sense of people thinking, and being responsible, for themselves. These big, sound … Continue reading