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Context Matters
Knowledge is not a series of random, isolated ideas. Knowledge is, as Leonard Peikoff puts it, “an organization or integration of interconnected elements, each relevant to the others.” That integration is the context, and context matters. If we fail to consider all of the relevant facts we are guilty of dropping context. Important information does…
The Crony Ideology
Both “progressives” and conservatives embrace the crony ideology. That they apply that ideology differently is merely a matter of detail. So, what is the crony ideology? The essence of the crony ideology is the belief that government force should be used to compel or prohibit certain actions. Every act of cronyism ultimately rests on this…
Apologizing for the Truth
It is a sad statement about the state of our culture when a governor apologizes for speaking the truth. Talking about a dramatic increase in theft from railroads, California Gov. Gavin Newsome recently said, This is not one-off. This is organized theft. These are organized gangs of people that are coming out. In response to…
Conservative Populism
ByjbpThis was originally posted on Live Oaks on January 29, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. Glenn Beck can be both illuminating and infuriating. As an example of the latter, he recently made a statement on his radio show that the states have a right to institute universal health care, hand out free cars, etc….
When Tiger was Truly Selfish
ByjbpThis was originally posted on Live Oaks on March 1, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. During his public apology for marital infidelity, Tiger Woods blamed his actions on “selfishness”. I thought of nobody but myself, he declared. As I pointed out last week, his actions were anything but selfish. Interestingly, Tiger has been truly…
Principles, Propositions, and Property Rights
ByjbpThis was originally posted on Live Oaks on October 14, 2009. Comments have not been migrated. When an individual abandons principles he approaches each issue in isolation from other issues. He has no way to integrate or connect seemingly separate issues, and deals with each on a case-by-case basis. The resulting conclusions are often contradictory,…