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Repairman

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  1. Like
    Repairman reacted to DavidOdden in What are some counter-cultural rules you live by?   
    I suppose first there has to be a “rule”. In my culture (the US), very few people use hanh phi in cooking and they don’t eat ugali, but that isn’t a “rule”, it’s a cultural accident that it isn’t a commonly-known option. It’s not really a “cultural rule” that people don’t have a Ph D or that you aren’t an accountant. There are cultural prohibitions against incest, theft, loud noises in the middle of the night. public nudity, using the N word, and so on. Any legal prohibition is a cultural rule against doing that thing. One other thing: norms for children are not the same as norms for adults, so we ought to limit the context to adult behavior.
    It is a cultural rule that a man stands up when a lady enters the room, however the vast majority of (male) adults do not follow this rule. Now, I’m old enough that I am aware of this rule, but I suspect that this rule was quietly repealed by the cultural legislators in the early 70’s. So it’s not entirely clear that there is any such a rule, and maybe we should say that it is a former rule.
    There is a new cultural rule of language that every adjective must be preceded by the adverb “super”. I refuse to abide by that rule. I know a number of people who don’t abide by that rule, but I don’t know if they are aware that there is this rule – in a few cases, I know that they are aware and they refuse, for the majority, they may be unaware that this is a rule.
    There is also a cultural rule regarding copying intellectual property without the permission of the owner. A considerable percentage of those who violate this rule do so willfully i.e. they refuse to follow the rule, but an even bigger percentage don’t follow the rule because they misunderstand the rule (usually thinking it only applies to copying for profit but not copying for personal use or the use of friends and family).
    In short, there are zillions of rules that most people don’t follow, mostly because they don’t know that there is such a rule, or believe that the rule has been repealed.
  2. Like
    Repairman reacted to HowardRoarkSpaceDetective in Reblogged:Cult Member Escapes; Finds Cultish Zeitgeist   
    Came across this post while searching “cult” after watching the Netflix documentary series on cult leaders. I started noticing how difficult it is to give “cult” a definition. You allude above to idea that the difference between a religion and a cult is popularity. This reminds me of Rand’s calling “extremism” an anti-concept. Intentional or not, there’s a good bit of allusion to/dancing around the notion that cults are just religions founded by conmen, with the content being the same.
    But they mention in the documentary how the ridicule Heaven’s Gate received after the mass suicide was excessively reductive. (Incidentally, I have a friend who is very familiar with Heaven’s Gate and he had the same thing to say about the “monkeys on shrooms” theory of religious experience.) I think a better definition for cults would be “collectivism writ small”.
    On a personal note, I began to lean left after becoming disillusioned with Christianity and soon after found myself getting precisely the same negative feelings with social justice warriors that I did with my friends who had engaged in healings and speaking in tongues. The “rebels without a cause” that I had encountered in college suddenly appeared to have a cause but had also maintained their airs of defiance and “individuality”. Nowadays, I can’t help but see them as leftist-bots following a pretty well-tuned formula for going against the grain, down to the uniforms. The cult of skepticism, at the end of the day, can’t function without its dogmas.
    I’m happy to stick with the “cult of individualism”, or ideally, a “cult of one”.
     
  3. Like
    Repairman reacted to Boydstun in Ayn Rand aritcle on Fox News   
    Pretty nice.
    One misrepresentation: "But the core of her belief system is quite simple: Individuals are inherently "heroic," while governments only restrict human freedom, potential and happiness."
    No. The core of her philosophy, even the human-value part of it, is not anything political. And within the political, it is false that Rand held that all governments "only restrict human freedom, potential and happiness." That is someone else's political view, not Rand's. On this point the author was doing the usual of distorting Rand's views to suit his own or his boss.

  4. Like
    Repairman reacted to Boydstun in Is Donald Trump Dangerous?   
    Hear, hear! 
    Harry Binswanger on the money!
  5. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from The Laws of Biology in Ayn Rand never drove a car: Could there be philosophical significance to that fact?   
    Anyone who lives in a major city knows the agony of paying for parking and other additional urban expenses that come with the luxury of automobile ownership. For those who live beyond areas of population density, life is different. And, before the days of online services, a person could spend an entire day registering or licensing at your state DMV. You might say that there is a philosophy of economics involved, but I wouldn't look to deeply into it.
    Dominique Francon drove a car and Dagny Taggart also had pilot training.
  6. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from Boydstun in The Objectivist's Creed: Has anyone ever boiled Objectivism down to a short, memorizable statement? (compare: Apostle's Creed)   
    To The Laws of Biology and Monart,
    While I admire your attempt to reduce the concepts of Ayn Rand and Objectivism to as few words as possible, whether poetry, psalm, or song, I have to agree with the others, that is, Objectivism requires much mental gestation. Monart, you mentioned in your other post that you didn't exactly grasp Ayn Rand from the very beginning of your reading of Anthem. You understood more as you studied more. The crisis of our time may be reduced to the fact that people are not as introspective as you or I. Our society endures a deluge of information, evidenced by the continual assault from mass media, be it mainstream or social media. The message of most of the media is not helpful to mental health in a free society. For a society addicted to cell phones, it may be challenging enough to encourage people (especially young people) to set aside enough time to think of philosophic questions. Though some individuals may start their journey into Objecitivist enlightenment through your online posts, I believe the overwhelming majority will find their path as you did: friends sharing conversation, leading to the recommendation of a book or an author. Nonetheless, I wish for your success, as America and Western Civilization desperately need to be informed of Objectivism in a positive light.
  7. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from dream_weaver in The Objectivist's Creed: Has anyone ever boiled Objectivism down to a short, memorizable statement? (compare: Apostle's Creed)   
    To The Laws of Biology and Monart,
    While I admire your attempt to reduce the concepts of Ayn Rand and Objectivism to as few words as possible, whether poetry, psalm, or song, I have to agree with the others, that is, Objectivism requires much mental gestation. Monart, you mentioned in your other post that you didn't exactly grasp Ayn Rand from the very beginning of your reading of Anthem. You understood more as you studied more. The crisis of our time may be reduced to the fact that people are not as introspective as you or I. Our society endures a deluge of information, evidenced by the continual assault from mass media, be it mainstream or social media. The message of most of the media is not helpful to mental health in a free society. For a society addicted to cell phones, it may be challenging enough to encourage people (especially young people) to set aside enough time to think of philosophic questions. Though some individuals may start their journey into Objecitivist enlightenment through your online posts, I believe the overwhelming majority will find their path as you did: friends sharing conversation, leading to the recommendation of a book or an author. Nonetheless, I wish for your success, as America and Western Civilization desperately need to be informed of Objectivism in a positive light.
  8. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from MichaelNewberry in Does aesthetics really belong in philosophy?   
    Aesthetics, such as art or culture, is crucial to the survival of man's mind; the mind is crucial to man's physical existence. Personally, I find some appeal in certain nihilistic forms of art in their appropriate setting, or dissonant sounds within a musical composition. But consider the effects on a mind that ONLY consumes nihilistic art, loud irritating forms of music, and blood-sport as entertainment. I've met such people; they're not very rational, neither are they very good company in the long run.
    Artistic creations are nutrition for the conscience.
  9. Like
    Repairman reacted to Sebastien in Objectivists are working to save the world from tyranny--isn't that altruism?   
    As far as tyranny is concerned,
    I personally wish for the United States to never be tyrannical.
    This is primarily because I myself do not want to be a victim of tyranny.
    But I also value the freedom of others, not because I am an altruist,
    but because I think it is right and just for others to be happy and free.
    Why would we Objectivists want capitalism if it wasn't capitalism for everybody?
    Our interest in a free society comes from our adherence to the truth and beauty of the idea,
    not because we value other people's freedom more than our own.
  10. Like
    Repairman reacted to Sebastien in Objectivists are working to save the world from tyranny--isn't that altruism?   
    The Laws of Biology,
    Ayn Rand made a small fortune writing on her philosophy of Objectivism
    and integrating its principles and values in her fiction works.
    She personally had a lot to gain from speaking truth that she held dear.
    We Objectivists are not being altruists by wanting to promote her ideas.
    It is in our own interests for others to be happy and lead good lives.
    We take a sense of pride from promoting principles we deem to be sound.
    The fact that these principles are helpful to others does not constitute altruism.
    Ayn Rand always said it is not wrong to help people,
    as long as you know that you are not morally obligated to
    and that helping others is not the primary purpose of your existence.
    Most people on this forum and in the institutions promoting Objectivism
    work for a living,
    or if they are young, plan on working for a living.
    Sharing Objectivism with others is something that interests us on the side.
    It is in our interest. Each of us has a selfish interest in helping others learn.
    Otherwise, it would be impossible for an Objectivist to become a teacher.
    As soon as you choose helping others as a value, it is in your interest to help others.
    But that comes after your decision to live primarily for yourself.
  11. Like
    Repairman reacted to Easy Truth in The Statue of Liberty Shrugged?   
    Well, if that's the case, I can't participate in this thread.
  12. Like
    Repairman reacted to dream_weaver in In Today's Crazy - Vote with your wallet   
    On a slight tangent:
    Idiot of the Week: Quaker Oats
    "What’s next, that Coca-Cola might change its name because it is cocaine-based and could be accused of drug abuse? That Lacoste might be associated with animal cruelty because crocodile skin is used to make handbags and shoes? Or perhaps Quaker Oats itself should consider changing its name because it is related to the Quaker religious community, potentially offending other religions or atheists?
    "What is clear is that the dictatorship of political correctness, promoted and used by the left to silence its critics, only succeeds in sweeping history under the rug, trying to sweep away anything they find annoying, trivializing the underlying debate on issues such as, in this case, racism.
    Gotta love the rabbit holes.
  13. Like
    Repairman reacted to dream_weaver in In Today's Crazy - Vote with your wallet   
    Alas, the world stage draws back the curtains to rebrand a player whose true identity is to be grist into its new identity: The Pearl Milling Company.

    I suppose if a pearl necklace is to be formed, milling holes in them is a prerequisite to stringing them along. In this case, the pearls ought be judged by the company they keep. Meanwhile, I'll stick with adding grade a eggs and milk before whipping things up for a few stirring moments while the griddle heats up for the occasion.
  14. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from Harrison Danneskjold in In Today's Crazy - Vote with your wallet   
    "The famous image of Aunt Jemima was based on the real image of Nancy Green, who was known as a magnificent cook, an attractive woman of outgoing nature and friendly personality, an original painting of which sold for $9,030 at MastroNet. The painting was rendered by A. B. Frost, who is now well known as one of the great illustrators of the Golden Age of American Illustration.[13]"
    This quote is from the Wikipedia article covering the life of Nancy Green, the original celebrity personality representing the soon to be discontinued brand, known as, Aunt Jemima. 
    I hope there is common ground among the other contributors to this thread regarding the nature of the decision of the Quaker Oats company. Their decision is a meaningless gesture pandering to the Social Justice Warriors, who will, no doubt, glow with pride for their valiant campaign to retire poor Aunt Jemima. Quaker Oats can breathe easier now. But, I can't truly cooperate with any sort of boycott of Quaker Oats products, as I can't remember the last time I've purchased any. Pancakes and syrup are a little too rich for my breakfast diet.
    This has all been somewhat educational; I was unfamiliar with the story of Nancy Green, until yesterday. I have been aware of the very controversial "mammy stereotype," or archetype, which every you prefer. According to the available resources, Nancy Green made a success from her personality, as well as her apparent abundance of other virtues. Whether or not one might approve of her persona, it served her well, as it served the needs of industry marketing of a fine product. She was born a slave, but she chose to be the person she became, with the help of free enterprise. She was not forced to cook pancakes; she was a free woman. I don't know how much money she made, but she didn't die in poverty, as far too many other African-Americans of her generation did. I think it would be reasonable to promote awareness of her life story, as well as other early-twentieth century African-American celebrities and entrepreneurs. Regardless of the means of her success, Nancy Green deserves some credit for not only achieving the American dream, but for her efforts in promoting the dream to others.
    I stand by my position that it seems pathetic, silly, and wasteful to try to persuade others to believe in the heinous nature of a harmless logo. The heinous nature of racism will never be properly understood, when SJWs waste their 15 minutes of fame trying to harpoon red herrings such, "plausible" racism found in marketing logos. How will the conversation be taken seriously as this goes on? The mammy-image of Aunt Jemima had been revised for years, but some people will take offense at anything. You can remove the image of every human, anthropomorphic animal, vegetable and/or extraterrestrial alien from children's cereal boxes, and it won't make a damn bit of difference in progress toward changing the justice system. If you'll indulge me a slippery-slope argument, we may all be satisfied, if not thrilled, when the food products available arrive in plain beige containers, marked, Brands X, Y, and Z, after all mascots have been deemed unlawful. And the only place you'll find a representational image of slave-holder George Washington will be the statue on display in Trafalgar Square.
    And that's about all I have to say about that. Eioul, go ahead and pick all of the nits from my statement you want until your heart's content.
  15. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from Jonathan Weissberg in Does aesthetics really belong in philosophy?   
    Simply, dark moods happen. As with anyone experiencing periods of deep introspect, it's personal. But, as it relates to the arts, certain music is appropriate in such moments. Some authors are more appropriate. When I read Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, it is helpful to find a virtual friend in shared experience. Nietzsche, as I understand him, was a guide to those who recognize the more frustrating aspects of modern life. His "man going under" is the man who is only able to rise above man, to becoming the "superman." Well, if one is going to be exhausted or depressed as times, one may as well rise above it stronger for the experience. I think there is a great body of works in our times that channel the introspective individual downward, but not necessarily guide him back to focus on any constructive purpose. I'm too old to appreciate Goth culture, but I understand the appeal. I only hope for the sake of such individuals who stare into the abyss that they find the strength to rise again. That's why I read Ayn Rand.
  16. Like
    Repairman reacted to Harrison Danneskjold in John Galt Speaking   
    This is a (fairly abridged) YouTube playlist adaptation of John Galt's speech.  It only takes an hour and a half to listen to and it's full of extremely engaging visual effects that help to concretize all the points being made.  Beware that many of the visuals (particularly towards the end) are NOT for small children!  It does not pull its punches in how it portrays bad philosophies and if Marilyn Manson should give any of your kids nightmares I will take zero responsibility!
    I did not make this; I pirated it and burned it onto a DVD several years ago.  I don't know who made it.  But for the past few years, whenever I found myself feeling vaguely that I wasn't living up to my own ideals or had forgotten some important point, I'd watch this again (and quite often found that I had been forgetting some crucial point that'd suddenly reoccurred to me).  If whoever did make it should happen upon this - thank you.
     
  17. Like
    Repairman reacted to Tenderlysharp in Does aesthetics really belong in philosophy?   
    Look around your home.  Is there anything there that gives you energy?  Validates your consciousness?  Reminds you of the unique manifestations of your identity?  Any song, book, film, tactile object that resonates with the possibility of a goal worth aiming toward?  Is there something you could put on your wall that will add a spring to your step, or release the tense confusion of a recent argument because it resonates with a problem solving mindset? 
    As one works toward building a solid foundation in reality, aesthetics is where humanity has a chance to evolve creatively through the contribution of each individual.  It takes a great deal of personal resilience to create something that is true, to the epic depths of your mind, regardless of whether another person might recognize some universal appeal.  
  18. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from Boydstun in Does aesthetics really belong in philosophy?   
    Simply, dark moods happen. As with anyone experiencing periods of deep introspect, it's personal. But, as it relates to the arts, certain music is appropriate in such moments. Some authors are more appropriate. When I read Edgar Allen Poe's The Raven, it is helpful to find a virtual friend in shared experience. Nietzsche, as I understand him, was a guide to those who recognize the more frustrating aspects of modern life. His "man going under" is the man who is only able to rise above man, to becoming the "superman." Well, if one is going to be exhausted or depressed as times, one may as well rise above it stronger for the experience. I think there is a great body of works in our times that channel the introspective individual downward, but not necessarily guide him back to focus on any constructive purpose. I'm too old to appreciate Goth culture, but I understand the appeal. I only hope for the sake of such individuals who stare into the abyss that they find the strength to rise again. That's why I read Ayn Rand.
  19. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from Jonathan Weissberg in Does aesthetics really belong in philosophy?   
    I don't think it's necessary to repress yourself in the pursuit of anything rational. If there is a "function of nihilistic" art, I'm not entirely sure I can answer that; I can only speak for myself. Nihilism and/or realism in bold artistic statements of human imperfect gives me a sense of connection with the outraged and frustrated others, as so many of us feel in moments of alienation. I find it's something that can help me to explore or sink to the depths of my own darker moods with music or other "culture for misfits" that reflects some sort of macabre aesthetic, or noir realism. Dark moods are a part of life. Dark moods won't guide your life, unless you allow them. Rationality can be inspired through art as well, however, art that inspires rationality and heroism is rare in these desperate times, so you have to seek it. My observations have been that some people only consume the sort of culture that inspires darkness and meaninglessness. They immerse themselves in it. It's always a matter of choice. Rising from out of the depth of darkness, to live again, is very rational.
  20. Like
    Repairman reacted to whYNOT in National Conservatism   
    Repairman, Undoubtedly much truth in what you say. Looking into this, I see there has been a greater insistence lately on 'diversity' of personal beliefs in the armed forces by the US Department of Defense.
    "Christ's Army" once made its mark on the overseas actions by the US, exporting Democracy but more insidiously, Christian Democracy, I think. But not at all, lately.
    There is one over-riding factor one can't forget, as shown here:
    "More recent DoD administrative data focused on active duty personnel show that as of January 2019, approximately 70 percent were recorded as Christian (about 32% no denomination, 20% Catholic, 18% Protestant, 1% Mormon), 2 percent as Atheist or Agnostic, 1 percent as affiliated with an Eastern religion, 0.4 percent .."
    As I thought, the military is composed of a majority of Christians.
    Without the voluntarism of the self-identified religious, could there exist a US military in sufficient strength?
    And who other perceives the great value in the protection of that free nation, but those "National Conservatives"?
    Apparently - not many of the agnostic/atheists.
    (This paradox is not exclusive to America but is more evident there).
    You can see the same pattern repeat itself, that those who hold intrinsic value (in the Constitution, the Nation) constitute the last line of defense for ¬objective¬ values (in the case of the USA).
    Whereas, the new order believing in skeptical-subjective 'values' provide little to nothing, shifting with the winds. Lacking that individual fortitude of those many Christians' choice and character** to defend the nation, they have not and cannot replace the old with ¬anything¬ of rational value.
    It is not as if objectivity and ¬objective values¬, the only substitute for both, are going to catch on any time soon.
    One can see the glaring appeasement of the actions by those skeptics, intellectuals and political leaders, who'd rather come to a cynical 'accommodation' with avowed enemies, present and long-term, of the country, than be in readiness one day to take arms to defend against them - if it should come to that. By their weakness inviting an enemy attack. "Peace in our time" is the limit of their conceptual range. After "our time" who cares what comes?
    **the quality which Rand in an address to cadets at West Point or other military academy, called their "earnestness". I know what she meant.
     
  21. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from dream_weaver in National Conservatism   
    whYNot,
    I thought it worth the time to further explain my earlier statements regarding the "radical Christian conservative agenda," and the reasons why I believe their position of power in mainstream politics gives them an advantage. The position of power, of which I write, is the armed forces of the United States. Ultimately, in any violent power struggle, the ones with the greater might decide what is right. The American armed forces are an institution that has grown, shrank, repeated this cycle following every war, and, since December 7th, 1941, emerged to become the most dominant and potentially destructive force the world has ever known. I am grateful for this fact, grateful that random probability permits me to live within these borders, secure from external threats, and grateful to the men and women who service in my nation's uniform. However, I find it troubling to learn of the aggressive indoctrination of American servicemen and women, pressured by dominion theology. Dominion theology is supported by Christian leaders with designs to establish biblical law. There is historical context that explains the indoctrination of US servicemen and women. I'll try to be brief:
    The shaping of American military force in the aftermath of 1945 has radically changed, as it has taken on the role of securing more than our national borders. It secures an American empire. Presidents Truman and Eisenhower, along with the Department of Defense perceived a lack of cohesion, a unifying ideology that would fire the imagination of men to fight to ultimate victory against the atheistic communists. It was also a time of racial integration. Spiritual leaders, such as Rev Billy Graham and Bishop Fulton Sheen, were rising stars of a religious awakening in the 1950s. The solution was to draft new codes of behavior for US servicemen, based on Bible-teachings. As this newly created ideology of Bible-based nationalism spread into the civilian realm of public schools, a minority of parents objected to religious indoctrination of their children at the expense of their tax dollars. This and the many other political movements of the 1960s ignited our present-day culture war. American service men and women come from every diverse identity group you can think of, and the transition to full integration of some of these "people of diversity" has been problematic, to say the least. Without exception, everyone either in or formerly in the Service I've spoken to in recent years is Christian. Parents of men serving tend to be Christian. I've not spoken with any who are completely comfortable with the cultural changes imposed by civilian leaders upon men in service. Herein, I believe, is the compression-point of a major problem.
    Whether civilian or those sworn to protect civilians, these inductees to Christ's army are very likely to turn on any collective their commanders identify as the "Army of Satan." I support my local police. But one day, they may not be sufficient to suppress the sort of uprisings we saw last summer, and many summer prior. In a Christian police state, under martial law, with all of the myriad of digital surveillance methods at our government's disposal, a free-thinker would be as welcomed as a rattlesnake. And likely to be disposed of with equal haste.
    Luke 19:27, "But those mine enemies, which would not that I reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me."
  22. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from JASKN in National Conservatism   
    The numbers suggest a trend of fewer people identifying themselves as religious in America. However, those with strong Christian faith (mainly Protestant), are reacting to the decline of Christianity. They are in rebellion. They have good reason to distrust the mainstream media. They are mostly white working families with children, longing for the security that their parents promised them, if only they would study hard in school and work hard. I share their sentiments, although I can be realistic enough to see that we are witnessing the decline of white Christian America. At the risk of seeming deterministic, I stop short of any fatalism.
    Mine was one of those towns that caught fire this past summer. Jacob Blake was shot less than two miles from my home. I've seen first hand the results of these "peaceful protests," the social justice warriors, chanting, "No Justice; No Peace!" Eleven million dollars of municipal property damage later, the only thing that's changed is that otherwise sensible local merchants have particleboard covering the windows of their businesses, adorned with "BLM," and other platitudes of "unity," (presumed unity with the marauders who pillaged and, in some cases, looted their livelihoods.) A life-long student of history, I had to wonder if the Jews would have adorned their broken windows with swastikas and posters of Hitler after the Kristal Nacht. Both Trump and Biden visited for photo-ops, as if that made any difference. But Biden struck me the most, by pandering to the delusional Left, clearly sympathizing with the mob, those "peaceful protesters," and a man wanted for sexual assault charges, shot seven times after the police failed to subdue him by other means. I talked with shop-owners who defended their property from behind the glass doors of their stores, bearing arms, while another evacuated his inventory of used cars to safe locations. If it can happen in my town, it can happen in any town in America. And the mainstream media will respond by promoting the idea that the answer is to "de-fund the police."
    As for the national conservative movement, their position of power in mainstream politics gives them an advantage, while their lack of authentic ideological argument erodes their "moral high-ground." So well stated in the article you presented, blind fealty to God and country have drown out any well-reasoned argument for reviving the founding values of liberty in America. I have no statistics to support the causes of right-wing mob violence, but it is evidently happening. I suspect that it's in part related to economic changes happening over the past forty years. Many have been stripped of their security, and someone has to be held to blame. When frightened ignorant people are desperate, the pitch-forks and torches come out. Trump used those pitch-forks and torches in an extremely cynical way, and told them, "We love you." I don't know who is included in his show of love, but it ain't me. I am among those caught in between the crossfire. I refuse to take sides with either irrational collectives, and remain steadfast to my individualism. Damn them all, and if I'm martyred for my isolated position, then, "give me liberty, or give me death." 
  23. Like
    Repairman reacted to whYNOT in National Conservatism   
    Repairman, I think yours is the healthiest, realist attitude I've heard for a while. Which in effect is to keep a close eye on leaders and their predominant positions and acts, without expecting 'perfection' from any. By nature of their profession, they after all are compromisers who couldn't succeed to high office without a majority electorate behind them and many backroom deals made. The best and most principled of them couldn't rise as high.
    I haven't quite understood the adoration for Trump exactly as I don't get why he should have been instantly loathed by others. (I will say favorably, that I think he was pragmatically smart at playing up or bluffing authoritarian leaders and showing plenty of carrot and just a little stick to any enemies which kept them guessing and quiet. Unprincipled, yes, but his term left the world a little safer and kept Americans out of foreign entanglements). Until his latest exploits he didn't do so badly for the US as a whole unless compared with impossibly ideal standards which no leader has come up to.
    In your "good doesn't outweigh the bad", that's where I see the rational hierarchy of values at work; that is, first off, one objectively assesses and evaluates each candidate/leader in isolation; only then draws a relational comparison versus the other alternative individual(s); then prioritizes what each personally had done well against what was poor and bad.
    I didn't know if the "radical Christian conservative agenda" has grown recently larger in the US. You'd know better. If so, contrary to the general world wide trend which sees Christianity lessening in numbers and influence and becoming far more passive. I have put the most recent Conservative revival in the USA down to being caused and preceded by a virulent Leftist onslaught against Christians, especially in the msm.
    Takes us back to Rand and the "two sides of the same fraudulent coin (primacy of consciousness):
    "Although skepticism and mysticism are ultimately interchangeable, and the dominance of one always leads to the resurgence of the other..."
    I think what is very clear, there's now a general resurgence by skepticism over mysticism, and the wave has not crested yet.
  24. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from JASKN in National Conservatism   
    I read the article. It's great. I've been witnessing this transition toward integrating Church and state for years. Back in the day, I was willing to ignore it. I considered the evil of a leftist/socialist agenda to be the greater threat to American prosperity and stability. The left-wing agenda continues to be a monstrous threat. In 1980 and 84, I cast my votes to Ronald Reagan, believing that his support from the Moral Majority would not escalate to the threat to individualism and reason that it is today. The radical Christian conservative agenda now stands as large and menacing as a rival monster, eye to eye with the mystic monster of the Left. For this reason, I have abandoned my support for nearly all Republicans who exploits Christian value voters. My rejection of Trump doesn't mean that I support Biden. I vote with my conscience, and any third party candidate that presents no threat to individual liberty is fine by me. I show up at the polls, the respectable candidates have not. The American crisis of confidence has only radicalized the semi-literate electorate, playing on their fear and other emotions. Obama was a perfect example. I think very important issues were addressed in the past four years; some of Trump's policies were helpful. Some of his suggestions, (particularly his muted criticism against revisionist history in public schools), may yet have long term positive results. But overall, the recklessness of his language and management, his open displays of intimidation, his preference for authoritarian world leaders, I think the good does not outweigh the bad. It's quite unfortunate. Some good might come from all of this. I can only wait and see.
  25. Like
    Repairman got a reaction from whYNOT in National Conservatism   
    I read the article. It's great. I've been witnessing this transition toward integrating Church and state for years. Back in the day, I was willing to ignore it. I considered the evil of a leftist/socialist agenda to be the greater threat to American prosperity and stability. The left-wing agenda continues to be a monstrous threat. In 1980 and 84, I cast my votes to Ronald Reagan, believing that his support from the Moral Majority would not escalate to the threat to individualism and reason that it is today. The radical Christian conservative agenda now stands as large and menacing as a rival monster, eye to eye with the mystic monster of the Left. For this reason, I have abandoned my support for nearly all Republicans who exploits Christian value voters. My rejection of Trump doesn't mean that I support Biden. I vote with my conscience, and any third party candidate that presents no threat to individual liberty is fine by me. I show up at the polls, the respectable candidates have not. The American crisis of confidence has only radicalized the semi-literate electorate, playing on their fear and other emotions. Obama was a perfect example. I think very important issues were addressed in the past four years; some of Trump's policies were helpful. Some of his suggestions, (particularly his muted criticism against revisionist history in public schools), may yet have long term positive results. But overall, the recklessness of his language and management, his open displays of intimidation, his preference for authoritarian world leaders, I think the good does not outweigh the bad. It's quite unfortunate. Some good might come from all of this. I can only wait and see.
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