The Glorious, Untapped Potential of Capitalism

…n some and relaxed for others. It’s the system where economy and state are completely separate, precisely as church and state are (or should be) separate. Capitalism is the only social system which can or will uphold individual rights. Individual rights refer to freedom from the initiation of force or fraud. At root, individual rights are a protection of the right to be left alone. Nobody — not a criminal, not the government — may initiate force (… Continue reading

The Brain Isn’t Mindless

…rted that there were no causes of personality and behavior, that there was simply behavior. Then, starting in the 1960s and ’70s, there was the dawning of the sociological point of view that cultural and political influences were all-determining. Starting in the 1980s, the cognitive school of thought came into its own. The cognitive school asserted that an individual’s thoughts, premises, assumptions and ideas were what determined individual perso… Continue reading

The “Dream Act” is a Politician’s Dream

…of welfare dependents who will vote for more and more Big Government. Put simply, immigration would not need “reform” if the United States first reformed itself. The way for the United States to reform itself is to move back towards freedom whereby everyone is expected, and required, to earn his own living. The first American immigrants did not come to a nation withfree” education, “free” health care, “free” retirement benefits, “free” roads, “… Continue reading

Obamacare Architect’s Comments On “Stupid” Americans

…to take responsibility for themselves. Even some with my own anti-Obama/pro-free market political and philosophical point-of-view will say, “People are stupid. Look how most of these idiots voted for Obama twice. That’s proof of how stupid the world is.” Well, if you believe that, then how can you possibly support freedom and individual rights? To say that people choose not to take care of themselves is one thing; to imply that they cannot is diff… Continue reading

Pro-Islam/Anti-Gay Violence: Where’s the Outrage?

…view Islam as one of their fellow oppressed groups. As a result, they are simply silent or baffled when it comes time to condemn Islam-inspired violence. If they come out against Islam, they can oppose this movement for its overt hatred and desire to commit violence against gay and lesbian individuals. Yet if they come out against Islam, they risk looking like “haters,” because according to the conventional progressive line, we’re not supposed to… Continue reading

Don’t Forget China

…n Department of Defense spending reductions: nytimes.com 2/23/14, reuters.com 2/24/14, newsmax.com 1/27/15] Be sure to “friend” Dr. Hurd on Facebook. Search under “Michael Hurd” (Rehoboth Beach DE). Get up-to-the-minute postings, recommended articles and links, and engage in back-and-forth discussion with Dr. Hurd on topics of interest. Also follow Dr. Hurd on Twitter at @MichaelJHurd1… Continue reading

Religion of Peace? ISIS Begs to Differ

…gion. It seems that the terrorists who support Islam have a different point-of-view. It’s not just an academic argument, either. It’s an argument with very real consequences, including but not limited to the destruction of skyscrapers with thousands of people in them, multiple kidnappings and beheadings, and discriminatory, racist and homophobic torture surely worthy of the name “hate crime.” I wonder if any society in human history, when repeated… Continue reading

Barack’s Plan to Equalize Wealth in 23 Months or Less

…ostly borrowing) has risen more than at any time in human history, and high-income earners have been routinely, if not daily, morally chastised for having more money than other people. If these policies were effective and rational, you think Obama would have what he wants by now, and wouldn’t have to focus on it in the final months of his presidency. The fact is: socialism (whatever degree or form it takes) fails even on its own terms. While it’s… Continue reading

Sharia Law Comes to Texas: The Price of Philosophical Disarmament

…involving family and business issues. [Source: Newsmax.com, Breitbart.com 1-27-15; also see TheWashingtonPost.com 1/28/15] In the words of a reader of mine, “Islamic/Sharia law in Texas? WTF??” Here’s the problem. Advocates of fundamentalist religion, which includes full integration of church and state, understand one thing that most others do not. They grasp that philosophical issues are not resolved in the middle. Most Americans say, “Well, that… Continue reading

“Detach With Love”: Not Yours to Fix

…nity if nothing else. Fran Simone, Ph.D., writing at psychologytoday.com [6-5-15]: For years, I struggled to control my adult son’s substance abuse. My efforts failed, but that didn’t stop me. I thought that if I tried hard enough, yelled loud enough and threatened long enough, my son would stop the insanity that was destroying his life. When his checks bounced, I covered them. When he stole money from my wallet, I ignored it. When he landed in ja… Continue reading

Regulating Doggie Day Care

…eption against their own customers. Such a view is not only naive; it also completely ignores and evades the basic and natural good will that exists between customer and business owner. This is true whether the business is small or large, because large corporations must protect their brand name and reputation even more vigilantly than a small business, if anything. You might say, “But that’s naive. You cannot count on the good will and rational se… Continue reading

Congress Shows (Rare) Backbone, as Joe Biden Rages

…he United States does not consider an enemy. The President is the commander-in-chief, and it’s true that no military strike can be waged against Iran without that commander-in-chief’s agreement. However, we still have another branch of government, i.e. the Congress. The Congress is simply trying to let our obvious enemy know, “You might be safe for now, but after 1/20/17, it could be a different story.” Whether there’s any useful point in doing so… Continue reading