Philosophy
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
The Military Doctrine of Altruism
John David Lewis October 16, 2006
It is altruism that subjects our military to the slow bleed of dead and maimed soldiers in order to avoid confronting an enemy leader or hurting a shopkeeper. It is altruism that tells our soldiers to build toilets for a hostile population rather than to defeat the deadly enemy.
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Government to American Enterprise: Be Irrational—We'll Help!
Craig Biddle October 8, 2006
In the United States today, if your enterprise is based on the acceptance of ideas in support of which there is no evidence, then you receive every imaginable kind of break and advantage from the government. This from today's New York Times: At any moment, state inspectors can step uninvited…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Reply to a Question about Targeting Non-Combatants in War
Craig Biddle October 7, 2006
[caption id="" align="alignright" width="131"] Ayatollah Mesbah Yazdi[/caption] Reader Dan Edge writes: I've very much appreciated the TOS articles concerning the Islamic Totalitarian threat, particularly Dr. Brook and Dr. Epstein's Just War Theory" article and Dr. Lewis's "William Tecumseh Sherman" article. I had the opportunity to meet Dr. Lewis recently at…
Philosophy
Religion would be a Hoot—if...
Craig Biddle October 5, 2006
If religion were not so damn deadly, it would just be funny. Get this. Iranian Supreme Leader Sayyid Ali Khameini decrees: Don't masturbate during Ramadan. Don't gamble on horse races—unless you're a jockey. You may drink water while standing. Wear foot coverings while harvesting. Don't take part in meetings with…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Speaking in (and of) Tongues
Craig Biddle October 4, 2006
This from MEMRI: Saudi Interior Minister Prince Nayef bin Abd Al-'Aziz: We Will Cut Off Tongues of Those Who Try to Distort Islam With Reform and Progress—They Are Serving the West. "My brothers, the danger is even greater. Even those people have become tools in the hands of the…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Dhimmitude Taking Root
John David Lewis October 3, 2006
USA Today 9/18/06 reports that Muslim cab drivers at Minneapolis–St. Paul Airport are refusing to carry passengers with alcohol—even an unopened bottle of wine—due to their religious beliefs. Drivers are mad because refusing a fare causes them to be sent to the end of the line, and a wait of…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Why Our (Long-Overdue) Retaliation Against Iran Should Include Bombing Mosques and Madrassahs
Craig Biddle September 19, 2006
America is not being attacked by bombs or hijacked airplanes or government buildings or military installations. We are being attacked by people—specifically, by Islamists: people who believe the Koran is true, take its precepts seriously, and thus actively seek the submission or destruction of non-believers. Where are Islamists being produced?…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
A Foreign Policy of Nihilism?
Craig Biddle September 18, 2006
I hesitate to post on this story because its veracity is, as of yet, uncertain; but I cannot resist because, if it is true, it means that our foreign policy is not only altruistic but also, at least partly, nihilistic. KABUL, Afghanistan—The U.S. military said Wednesday it is looking…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
A Video from Memri on the Arab and Iranian Reaction to 9/11
Craig Biddle September 11, 2006
This video from Memri is a vivid reminder of how genuinely evil the Islamists are. (As you watch it, bear in mind that, while some religionists are less dedicated than others to their respective creeds, all religions call for acceptance of ideas in the absence of evidence, obedience to a…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Relativism and Religion vs. the Lives of Americans
Craig Biddle September 7, 2006
With the anniversary of 9/11 approaching, here are a few facts worth circulating: That over 6,000 Americans have been killed by or in pursuit of Islamic terrorists since September 2001—and that we still have not even attacked, let alone destroyed, the regimes most responsible for their deaths—is a consequence of…