Positions

The answer is that authority has an unshakable faith in the image of virtue it calls itself. Authority knows the thousand lies and shenanigans out of which it was created. But authority does not regard these as its true character. Its true character is not what it is, but what it can induce people to believe it is. Thus, until it is led off to the guillotine for its villainies, its true character is always glory and beneficence.

Ben Hecht, Perfidy (New York: Julian Messner, Inc., 1961), 188.

This may seem a particularly cynical view of the world, but it was written in the shadow of unspeakable tragedy and horror abetted by those in positions of trust and power. But it also contains the clarion call to a direct and forthright campaign. Authority built on “lies and shenanigans” will eventually lead to a self-deluded leadership that will move society forward more by accident than plan. To have “true character,” requires a dedication to virtue instead of “the image of virtue.” It is therefore to virtue that we commend ourselves and this campaign.

I love bicycles. They are a great and responsible way to get around, and we don't do enough to support the use of them. I was for a long time satisfied with their status as vehicles with full rights to share the road, and never had an issue taking out one of my own.

More recently, however, my friends in the bicycle community have raised concerns that they don't get the respect every human should. Indeed, they are dying and harassed on the roads in unnecessary number. As Bob Mionske likes to remind us, this is not the way it has to be.

Currently, there also seems to be something of a motorist backlash against initiatives to make our roads safer and friendlier for bicycles. While I do not claim to be fully informed on the issue, Todd Litman certainly provides some perspective in his article Mythbusting: Exposing Half-Truths That Support Automobile Dependency at Planetizen.

As with any issue, this campaign's invitation to you is to find out a bit more before you decide what is right. If someone has a view other than yours, we recommend you take that as an invitation to have a dialogue and grow as a human being. It may not be the only way forward, but it is that which most respects the vision upon which our nation was founded.

College

Our current model for financing College and University education has caused costs to spiral out of control with ever more people holding ever more degrees that are worth less and less.

Naming the Enemy

While it is generating a lot of noise, the Paris attack will do nothing in our War on Terror if we do not name the enemy. We can not wage war – and we must wage war – against the threats to our way of life if we do not identify the threat. This is not a call for boots on the ground, though that can not be ruled out. Perhaps the start is challenging our so called friends to actually value what we do.

Paris Terror Attacks: Instructions for Warfare

We must give the enemy its real name. Its name is not terrorism — it's Islamofascism.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali on combating terror, ‘Stop demonizing Israel, learn from them’

‘Over time, and in a painful way, Israel developed an infrastructure. It is legal. It is counterterrorism measures. It's intelligence. They know what they're doing.’

A Chilling Insight into the Heart and Mind of the Enemies of the West

“Occupied Palestine” Streets Have More Mercedes, BMWs Than Tel Aviv, Haifa or Jerusalem Ayaan Hirsi Ali on combating terror, Stop demonizing Israel, learn from them

While the media and human rights groups blame the Israeli “occupation” for poor living conditions in the Palestinian-controlled areas of Judea and Samaria, a new JCPA report shows Palestinians living in luxury, in a fast-developing society where literacy is high, infant mortality is low, and citizens are happier than most Americans. By Abra Forman

This is simply none of the Federal government's business. Our constitution is wisely self-limiting and suggests neither a defense of marriage or an indictment thereof.

The only place marriage is relevant for the Federal government is in the area of benefits and taxation. Therefore, we will register partnerships with phased in periods of benefit sharing and estate tax exemptions. The rest we are happy to leave to the States to sort out. It's just none of the Fed's business.

Science is not bullshit. Science tells us stuff. Unfortunately, most of what is reported as “Science Says” could just as easily be “Simon Says.” The problem is most people who write about science aren't scientists themselves. They don't understand the process, and don't understand what science can and can't tell us. We see miracle cure stories all the time, but somehow we aren't all so healthy.

Now if I'm trying to sell you my miracle cure, of course I want to say “Scientists Say,” and I might make a lot of money if I can get a guy in a labcoat with an M.D. or a Ph.D. to say it. I'm not saying he's going to lie, but I might be able to get him to stretch the truth, or I might be able to convince him of things for which there isn't much real proof. Not all Ph.D.s or M.D.s get the science so much better than we do, but some get the value of their degrees and know how to market them to earn quite a good living off of those who understand even less.

But at some point in time, you have to trust someone. I'm going to suggest Dr. Ben Goldacre might be a good guy to start with. Even if you don't get the science, he'll give you a sense of the questions you should be asking yourself when you hear someone say “Scientists Say,” or “Research Says.”