“Mediocre philosophy sells: It makes the half-literate… feel smart."
Pax On Both Houses: Compendium Of Ayn Rand Posts
Ayn Rand Really Hated C.S. Lewis And Championed Child Murderer, Dismemberer, Edward Hickman
http://paxonbothhouses.
Pax On Both Houses: Compendium Of Ayn Rand Posts
Ayn Rand Really Hated C.S. Lewis And Championed Child Murderer, Dismemberer, Edward Hickman
http://paxonbothhouses.
Alan: Tragically, "a little knowledge is a dangerous thing." And since Americans know as little as any putatively literate people can, we are doomed - at least at intervals --to be ruled by demagogues who tell us"heaven is hell" and "hell heaven."
Donald Trump: The Paranoid Style In American Politics And The Ongoing Festival Of Hatred
"By means of shrewd lies, unremittingly repeated, it is possible to make people believe that heaven is hell - and hell heaven...The great masses of people will more easily fall victim to a big lie than to a small one."
Adolf Hitler
"War, Peace And Political Manipulation: Quotations"
"Martin Luther King Jr. told us we must take the pain of moral progress upon ourselves rather than inflict it upon others. What an amazing ethical concept: And more amazing still is the fact that it works better than any other method of social change. (Our representatives) are all running on high-speed treadmills of fund-raising that give them time to listen only to big money lobbyists ant (the limited) latitude to do only their bidding, or (at least to) do them no harm.
Granny D. Haddock, a 93 year old woman who walked 3000 miles across the United States to address Congress on the evils of "big money."
Throughout the following email from a conservative friend, we see in high relief how white right-wingers ally with their oppressors, condemning those who are poorer than they, believing that their own family's diminishing prospects will be remedied if only The 1% has unregulated (and untaxed) opportunity to set things straight.
The self-oppression perpetrated by white America's championship of Rugged Individualism is a textbook illustration of Stockholm Sydrome.
Alan: The following email, "Conundrum," was forwarded by friend JT to whom I am continually indebted for keeping me abreast of "The Aggressively Ignorant."
I have long puzzled over the relationship between "common sense" and "uncommon sense" and recently realized that the fundamental epistemological error made by champions of the former is their unflappable conviction that mere invocation of "common sense" obviates need for research and analysis.
The proper domain of "common sense" is immediate survival.
"Common sense" keeps us a safe distance from fire; encourages us to drive sober; makes us duck when projectiles are flung our way; persuades us to refrain from "leaping tall buildings in a single bound" and -- for heterosexual males -- squelches the urge to rut when curvaceous females come in view.
"Uncommon sense" on the other hand relates to those elements of The Human Condition not ruled by immediate demands of physical survival but rather by those needs that are "developmental" or "political" in nature.
"Uncommon sense" is suffused with paradox and irony and ironically often contradicts the conclusions of "common sense" when "common sense" is misapplied to developmental and political concerns.
Here are six posts that explore the misuse of Common Sense and, alternatively, the proper application of Uncommon Sense.
Granny D. Haddock, a 93 year old woman who walked 3000 miles across the United States to address Congress on the evils of "big money."
Throughout the following email from a conservative friend, we see in high relief how white right-wingers ally with their oppressors, condemning those who are poorer than they, believing that their own family's diminishing prospects will be remedied if only The 1% has unregulated (and untaxed) opportunity to set things straight.
The self-oppression perpetrated by white America's championship of Rugged Individualism is a textbook illustration of Stockholm Sydrome.
Alan: The following email, "Conundrum," was forwarded by friend JT to whom I am continually indebted for keeping me abreast of "The Aggressively Ignorant."
I have long puzzled over the relationship between "common sense" and "uncommon sense" and recently realized that the fundamental epistemological error made by champions of the former is their unflappable conviction that mere invocation of "common sense" obviates need for research and analysis.
The proper domain of "common sense" is immediate survival.
"Common sense" keeps us a safe distance from fire; encourages us to drive sober; makes us duck when projectiles are flung our way; persuades us to refrain from "leaping tall buildings in a single bound" and -- for heterosexual males -- squelches the urge to rut when curvaceous females come in view.
"Uncommon sense" on the other hand relates to those elements of The Human Condition not ruled by immediate demands of physical survival but rather by those needs that are "developmental" or "political" in nature.
"Uncommon sense" is suffused with paradox and irony and ironically often contradicts the conclusions of "common sense" when "common sense" is misapplied to developmental and political concerns.
Here are six posts that explore the misuse of Common Sense and, alternatively, the proper application of Uncommon Sense.
"Uncommon sense" on the other hand relates to those elements of The Human Condition not ruled by immediate demands of physical survival but rather by those needs that are "developmental" or "political" in nature.
"Uncommon sense" is suffused with paradox and irony and ironically often contradicts the conclusions of "common sense" when "common sense" is misapplied to developmental and political concerns.
Here are six posts that explore the misuse of Common Sense and, alternatively, the proper application of Uncommon Sense.
The Weaponization Of Grief: Paris Terror And The Non-Contextualization Of News Coverage
Self-Terrorization, The National Pastime
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/10/self-terrorization-national-pastime.html
Asymmetric Warfare And The Unwinnability Of War: "To The Spoils Belongs The Victor"
http://paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/2015/11/asymmetric-warfare-and-unwinnability-of.html
"Bad Black People." Why Bill O'Reilly Is Wrong Even When He's Right"
"The Deadly Oppression Of Black People: Best Pax Posts"
"Bad Black People." Why Bill O'Reilly Is Wrong Even When He's Right"
"The Deadly Oppression Of Black People: Best Pax Posts"
Conundrum
"If you do not take an interest in the affairs of your government,
then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools."
then you are doomed to live under the rule of fools."
Plato
Free people are not equal. Equal people are not free. (Think this one over and over…makes sense!)
Alan: Think this one over... "All men are created equal."
American conservatives would at least be honest if they admitted their opposition to essential American principles.
They would also feel more at home if they admitted their joined-at-the-hip affiliation with the Pharisees of ancient Israel.
American conservatives would at least be honest if they admitted their opposition to essential American principles.
They would also feel more at home if they admitted their joined-at-the-hip affiliation with the Pharisees of ancient Israel.
Yeshua Excoriates Fellow Pharisees: "The Woe Passages"
"A gun is like a parachute. If you need one, and don't have one, you'll probably never need one again."
The definition of the word Conundrum is: something that is puzzling or confusing.
Here are six Conundrums of socialism in the United States of America:
1. America is capitalist and greedy - yet half of the population is subsidized.
Alan: In most cases, subsidies do not provide for a dignified life style.
Take the food stamp challenge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_stamp_challenge
As for subsidized housing... Neither you nor anyone you know would feel safe living in most neighborhoods where subsidized housing is available.
Take the food stamp challenge: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Food_stamp_challenge
As for subsidized housing... Neither you nor anyone you know would feel safe living in most neighborhoods where subsidized housing is available.
2. Half of the population is subsidized - yet they think they are victims.
Alan: In my parents' generation, it was believed that labor and capital were working together to build a bounteous world in whose abundance everyone would more or less equally share.
Ever since working class conservatives turned their back on the Democratic Party and "The New Deal" they have collaborated in their ongoing degradation by the wealthy.
Since The Great Recession, the top 1% have pocketed 95% of all income gains.
The other 99% saw a net 12% drop in their income.
Ever since working class conservatives turned their back on the Democratic Party and "The New Deal" they have collaborated in their ongoing degradation by the wealthy.
Since The Great Recession, the top 1% have pocketed 95% of all income gains.
The other 99% saw a net 12% drop in their income.
Princeton Researches Conclude That U.S. Is No Longer A Democracy But An Oligarchy
3. They think they are victims - yet their representatives run the government.
Alan: Make no mistake. In the United States, we have the best government money can buy.
And once government has been bought, don't think "representatives" will represent anyone but their "money masters."
And once government has been bought, don't think "representatives" will represent anyone but their "money masters."
4. Their representatives run the government - yet the poor keep getting poorer.
Alan: That's right.
And whoever wrote this article might wisely wonder how a supposedly representative government could result in the poor getting poorer.
And whoever wrote this article might wisely wonder how a supposedly representative government could result in the poor getting poorer.
Princeton Researches Conclude That U.S. Is No Longer A Democracy But An Oligarchy
5. The poor keep getting poorer - yet they have things that people in other countries only dream about.
"Americans are fucked. They've been bought off. And they come real cheap: a few million dirt bikes, camcorders, microwaves, cordless phones, digital watches, answering machines, jet skis and sneakers with lights in 'em. You say you want a few items back from the Bill of Rights? Just promise the doofuses new gizmos." George Carlin
"The American Dream"
Video
(Foul-mouthed but brilliant.)
Video
(Foul-mouthed but brilliant.)
"There is just enough bullshit to hold things together in this country. Bullshit is the glue, that binds us as a nation. Where would we be without our safe, familiar, American bullshit? Land of the free, home of the brave, the American dream, all men are equal, justice is blind, the press is free, your vote counts, business is honest, the good guys win, the police are on your side, god is watching you, your standard of living will never decline… and everything is going to be just fine— The official national bullshit story. I call it the American okie doke." George Carlin
"We Like War"
Video
Video
6. They have things that people in other countries only dream about - yet they want America to be more like those other countries.
Think about it! And that, my friends, pretty much sums up the USA in the 21st Century. Makes you wonder who is doing the math.
These three, short sentences tell you a lot about the direction of our current government and cultural environment:
1. We are advised to NOT judge ALL Muslims by the actions of a few lunatics, but we are encouraged to judge ALL gun owners by the actions of a few lunatics.
Funny how that works. And here's another one worth considering…
2. Seems we constantly hear about how Social Security is going to run out of money. But we never hear about welfare or food stamps running out of money ! What's interesting is the first group "worked for" their money, but the second didn't.
Think about it.....and Last but not least :
3. Why are we cutting benefits for our veterans, no pay raises for our military and cutting our army to a level lower than before WWII, but we are not stopping the payments or benefits to illegal aliens.
Am I the only one missing something?
Alan - Re: #1 (above):
We are not encouraged to "judge gun owners" but to take reasonable measures to regulate firearms much as automobile purchase, automobile registration and automobile usage are regulated.
What Second Amendment Evangelists Fail To Understand About Their Opposition
"Gun Cartoons and Gun Violence Bibliography"
"Gun Cartoons and Gun Violence Bibliography"
Alan - Re: #2 (above):
Social Security is not going to run out of money.
It only seems that way because conservatives -- particularly Tea Party conservatives -- pretend that taxes will never be raised, when, in fact, "taxes go up and taxes go down." Ronald Reagan raised them eleven times.
Here is what will happen when conservatives finally realize the impossibility of their own imprudent position:
It only seems that way because conservatives -- particularly Tea Party conservatives -- pretend that taxes will never be raised, when, in fact, "taxes go up and taxes go down." Ronald Reagan raised them eleven times.
Here is what will happen when conservatives finally realize the impossibility of their own imprudent position:
Senate Committee: Small "Tweaks" Will Guarantee Social Security's Future Finances
Alan - Re: #3 (above):
Cost of Illegal Immigrants
Consider how much money illegal immigrants pay into Social Security with no prospect of ever collecting Social Security payments?
Illegal Immigrants Paid 100 Billion Into Social Security Over The Last Decade
The conservative on the left is calling to the plutocrat on the right:
"Here! Use my K-Y!"
Pax on both houses: Citizens United Enhances The ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../citizens-united-enhances-monstrosity....
Oct 31, 2014 - The so-called "outside groups" created by Citizens United are anything but. Campaigns coordinate openly with outside groups through ...
Pax on both houses: New Yorker Cartoon: Citizens United
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../new-yorker-cartoon-citizens-united.ht...
Pax on both houses. The best is enemy of the good. The profoundest truths are ... New Yorker Cartoon: Citizens United. Posted by Alan Archibald at 10:29 AM.
Pax on both houses: Citizens United: In The Fall, 54 U.S. ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../citizens-united-54-us-senators-voted.h...
Jan 25, 2015 - Five years after the Supreme Court's disastrous 5-4 decision in Citizens United, there's a lot to be angry about. With election spending out of ...
Pax on both houses: Cartoon: The Essence Of Citizens ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../cartoon-essence-of-citizens-united-an...
Apr 3, 2014 - Cartoon: The Essence Of Citizens United And McCutcheon. Posted by Alan Archibald at 11:08 AM · Email ThisBlogThis!Share to TwitterShare ...
Pax on both houses: The "Next Citizens United' Ruling May ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../the-next-citizens-united-ruling-may.ht...
Mar 12, 2014 - Given the Roberts court's track record, the biggestcampaign-finance decision since Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission is likely to ...
Pax on both houses: Sheldon Adelson, Citizens United and ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../citizens-united-and-nature-of-bribery....
Jul 17, 2012 - Sheldon Adelson, Citizens United and The Nature of Bribery ... The Supreme Court's Citizens United decision removed "limits" from campaign ...
Pax on both houses: Princeton Study: The United States Is ...
paxonbothhouses.blogspot.com/.../princeton-study-united-states-is-no.ht...
May 22, 2015 - Princeton Study: The United States Is No Longer A Democracy ... in politics, such as Citizens United or this month's ruling on McCutcheon v.
"Plutocracy Triumphant"
Cartoon Compendium
Compendium Of Best Pax Posts: Plutocracy, Economic Inequality & Collapse Of Conservatism
Compendium Of Best Pax Posts: Plutocracy, Economic Inequality & Collapse Of Conservatism
"Politics And Economics: The 101 Courses You Wish You Had"
"Politics And Economics: The 101 Courses You Wish You Had"
Pope Francis: Quotations On Finance, Economics, Capitalism And Inequality
Pope Francis: Quotations On Finance, Economics, Capitalism And Inequality
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