Politics & Rights
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
An Islamist 'Declaration Against Terrorism'
John David Lewis March 23, 2008
In the "question" period of my recent talk at Georgia Tech, a student's fifteen-minute monologue included the claim that a recent Islamic conference in India had condemned terrorism—and that the western press had ignored this conference. MEMRI covered the conference, which was attended by some ten thousand clerics, scholars and…
Politics & Rights
Free Speech vs. McCain and Company
Craig Biddle March 21, 2008
Yaron Brook, director of the Ayn Rand Institute, has a timely and important op-ed in today’s Forbes.com titled “War On Free Political Speech,” in which he answers common arguments for campaign finance restrictions. Here are the opening paragraphs: This presidential campaign will be, by far, the most expensive in U.S.…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Memoirs of a 'Criminal Mind': Georgia Tech, March 13, 2008
John David Lewis March 18, 2008
On March 13, I gave my talk “‘No Substitute for Victory’: The Defeat of Islamic Totalitarianism” to an audience of about forty at Georgia Institute of Technology. In the talk, based on my article in The Objective Standard, I rejected all forms of theocracy, but emphasized the danger posed by…
Politics & Rights, Science & Technology
Remarkable Activism—Addendum
Craig Biddle March 9, 2008
It occurs to me that in my last post I should have acknowledged not only Lin Zinser—the founder and director of FIRM—but also all the writers and activists who have embraced the organization’s mission and contributed to its success: Ari Armstrong, Linn Armstrong, Martin Buchanan, Betty Evans, Linda Gorman, Diana…
Politics & Rights, Science & Technology
Remarkable Activism
Craig Biddle March 7, 2008
Lin Zinser, founder of Freedom and Individual Rights in Medicine (FIRM) and contributor to TOS, has set an outstanding example of how to engage in principled activism. I’ll let her accomplishments speak for themselves—and add only this: Thank you, Lin, for defending man’s right to life. FIRM: Year End Results…
Politics & Rights
Immigration and Individual Rights
Craig Biddle February 20, 2008
Zeros in on the basic principle of America and demonstrates that this principle mandates a policy of open immigration, debunks several common arguments for prohibiting or limiting immigration, shows why all such arguments are necessarily invalid, and indicates what Americans must do if we are to reestablish and maintain the kind of moral, rights-respecting immigration policy that was advocated by the Founders.
Politics & Rights
Brook Takes Force to Mat, Wins
Craig Biddle February 18, 2008
Yaron Brook’s latest commentary at Forbes.com, “To Stimulate the Economy, Liberate It,” is an excellent lesson in how government coercion, by violating individual rights, cripples the economy. Don’t miss it—and do pass it along to all your active-minded friends and relatives. This is the rare kind of short essay that…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Hippies + Guns = Banned Marines
Craig Biddle February 1, 2008
Nick Provenzo of the Center for the Advancement of Capitalism reports that members of the City Council of Berkeley have decided to use their guns to keep U.S. Marine Corps recruiters out of the commune. Would that the U.S. military could cease defending Berkeley. It would make for a great…
Philosophy, Politics & Rights
Menahem Milson on the Meaning of Jihad
John David Lewis December 22, 2007
The Middle East Media Research Institute (MEMRI) has published a first-rate piece on the meaning of jihad: “Jihad Today” by Menahem Milson (Inquiry and Analysis Series, No. 411 , December 20, 2007). The topic of this piece is the concept of jihad—but the author’s abstract theme is that ideas matter. He…
Politics & Rights
Predatory Legislating
Craig Biddle December 5, 2007
Yaron Brook has an excellent article at Forbes.com titled “Predatory Legislating.” Here’s an excerpt: After months of deliberating over what, if anything, to do about the large number of defaults in the subprime industry and the lax lending and borrowing standards that led to them—the House has passed its answer:…