I was able to attend the Free-Market Forum weekend before last. FMF is a group of Christian professors gathering to learn more about free-market principles and economics. While I do not think it was part of his planned talk, one of the speakers said that Republicans and Democrats reminded him of Coke and Pepsi – the basic […]
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Coke or Pepsi?
04 Nov 2014
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What Would Brave Voters Do?
03 Nov 2014
You may think this is piling on, but I am okay with that. Some things need to be jumped on. Our national anthem ends with the following line, “O say, does that star-spangled banner yet wave, o’er the land of the free, and the home of the brave?” I am seeing precious little freedom or […]
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Mid-Term Elections
03 Nov 2014
Let’s run through the basics. As of now, the Republicans control the House (233-199) and the Democrats control the Senate (55-45). There is little doubt the GOP will hang onto the House (most people think they will pick up some seats there), but the Senate could go either direction. There are 36 Senate seats being […]
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One of the calumnies of those espousing an ever-expanding view of the state in determining social outcomes against those who would prescribe any limitations on what the government could do is that it is pure “selfishness.” Indeed, it is alleged that opponents of a larger state believe in a “rugged individualism” where, as President Obama […]
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Probably not the smartest idea to blog on the subject of race in a way that plays off Star Trek; after all, its a very serious issue and worthy of substantive discussion and debate. Unfortunately you won’t be getting any of that in the next few days in the media, and you certainly haven’t in the […]
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Dehumanizing and (“UnGoding”) the Humanities
30 Oct 2014
I read this in an article on the present state of the humanities by Heather MacDonald. It is a quote from an unknown humanities work: “Total presence breaks on the univocal predication of the exterior absolute the absolute existent (of that of which it is not possible to univocally predicate an outside, while the equivocal […]
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Tiny Houses and Tiny Government
29 Oct 2014
Have you heard about the “Tiny House” movement? Many probably haven’t, though some may have lived in tiny houses growing up (that was “accidental” unlike this movement). This movement however is a conscious attempt to provide affordable housing in cities where housing is all but unaffordable except for the well-off. As you might expect, some […]
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Weight and See Who Runs for President
28 Oct 2014
As one who tries to keep up with events, but still seeks perspective, I feel tugged between extremes. An overdose of current affairs leads to despair because the fog of news hides the sunshine of hope. Living in the clouds, however, detached from what is actually happening, is a path to obsolescence. So, I too […]
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A “Sider” Sandwich
28 Oct 2014
I was sitting in my office yesterday struggling to stay awake while I prepared a class on international balance of payments. I glanced over at my bookcase and saw this “Sider” sandwich. Ron Sider’s 1977 classic title: Rich Christians in an Age of Hunger (this particular copy is the 1984 second edition) was wedged in […]
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A Time for Choosing
27 Oct 2014
Fifty years ago today, Ronald Reagan delivered one of his most memorable speeches, “A Time for Choosing.” In the speech, Reagan is stumping for beleaguered Republican presidential candidate Barry Goldwater, who was about to undergo a thorough beating at the hands of Democrat Lyndon Johnson and his Great Society. Steve Hayward, currently the Reagan Professor […]