Elizabeth

Earl Grey tea is good, but I am a coffee drinker! Strong, black, no sugar please!

I prefer Guinness beer, but don't drink a lot of it. And a glass of Cabernet Sauvignon is nice with dinner.

My kids really like it. I think I get more of a kick out how much they laugh about it than anything. I particularly like how they talk about skills. Geeze!

We celebrate Christmas and call it Christmas. When our children were old enough to recognize the difference between how our family celebrates Christmas compared to friends and other family members who are religious - we explained we celebrate the tradition of Santa Claus, enjoy Christmas music and other holiday tunes, and love spending time with friends and family over the holiday season. Now that our children are older we've used the opportunity to explain the differences between altruism, egoism, egotism and so on. -Elizabeth

I read this topic a few days ago and didn't have time to reply, so please excuse me if you've already found the answers you're looking for in the numerous, well thought out replies already posted here. First of all, the jealosy you have described does not necessarily sound like an ethical dilemma. I think it's terrific that you are spending time being introspective and it tells me that perhaps you question whether you were having an irrational emotional reaction. Due to the fact that you have described your anticipation of spending time with your wife only to have been met with disappointment that she was not alone when you got home - may (only you would know) indicate that you chose to focus on the fact that a man was present - rather than your disappointment in not finding her alone. (Have you ever found that the smallest events will set you off, you know you're being unreasonable, and you really have to set yourself apart from everyone to figure out what is really bothering you? It's hard work, but usually you feel much better about having figured out what the problem is so that you can move forward with the corrections necessary to overcome it. That's normal and it's a part of growing.) Another question you may ask yourself is whether you believe men and women can be "just friends". Does your wife view such issues the same as you? In regard to your last question about jealosy and personal self interest - you don't want to be uncaring and apathetic, but jealousy in the denotative sense is strong and indicates negativity that could become quite unhealthy. I agree with others here that it's a good idea for you two to have a good heart to heart and keep the lines of communication up and going! It is possible to grow and change through life together and to be happy at the same time! Remember to be confident in yourself and these sort of hurdles can make you stronger as an individual and as a couple.

This is an excellent thread! I listen to Neal Boortz radio program on occasion and he has discussed a National Sales Tax proposal. So far I haven't come to a conclusion on how taxes should be restructured, but I am certain that a simplification of the tax code is an immediate concern. I've only read basics about the Objectivist views on the purpose of government and possiblities on how to finance it in The Virtue of Selfishness by Ayn Rand - Chapter 14 The Nature of Government, and Chapter 15 Government Financing in a Free Society - and it appears most of you have read this as well. I haven't anything to add here except to ask that the thread continue over time as more information and ideas become available. -Elizabeth

You sound kind of like my husband. He wanted to give our daughter a middle name of Demosthenes(?) or Thunder. We had to consider how the names work with our last name since it is so unusual and 3 syllables. So we ended up agreeing on traditional names for both children - Rachel and Nicholas, their middle names are family names. Try to picture your son as a little boy learning how to write his name, a teen, then a man. Congratulations to you and your family!

This is a pretty funny thread. Money does not always equal class, does it?

Law Enforcement is a noble profession, as is serving in the military. My children are probably close to your age, and I’ve always told them that education should come first! Check in to ROTC programs and also think about any of the academies like West Point, Air Force Academy, and the Naval Academy. If you would like to go in to Law Enforcement in the military, perhaps a recruiter can tell you more information on becoming a Warrant Officer. You might want to look in to obtaining a degree in Criminal Justice. After college you can decide whether you want to pursue a career as a civilian or in the military. Good luck! -Elizabeth

Precisely what I thought last week when we heard he was dead. Any hint of a conscience?. Any regrets?. He didn't die a martyr, really. At least not in a grand explosive manner. His death was long, drawn out and confused.

I think part of the reason Kerry lost the election may have been due to the very loud extremist views from a few on the left. That element seems to be the same who act out violently. If Democrats were to try to reflect honestly among themselves, I think they would see that the negativity and emphatic hatred by a few toward "mainstream" America has ultimately done damage to their political party. I've seen e-mail forwards already from some of them suggesting they become more tolerant of religion (Christians) again. So they will either continue with their Michael Moore approach or to try to appear more politically moderate. (not that I advocate either party or any of their approaches) While scrolling through Instapundit today I found a quote belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte that is quite suitable (at least for me today), I looked up the actual quote online - as it is worded slightly different: "Never interrupt your enemy when he is making a mistake." - Napoleon Bonaparte In life you will come across people who will drive you absolutely crazy because they have no ethics, make stupid life choices and then holler about consequence and sometimes even try to draw you in to their drama. I have found satisfaction watching those people self destruct over time. I don't think we need to worry about a civil war at this time. -Elizabeth

I wonder if he's done self reflection upon his life. IMO he looked as though he's had dementia - for quite a while, so I'm not sure if he were capable. I wonder if he was afraid to die.

At the moment my favorite film is: The Count of Monte Cristo #2 Eternal Sunshine of the Spotless Mind #3 Finding Forrester -Elizabeth

This morning I watched BookNotes on C-Span as Daniel J. Flynn discussed his book Intellectual Morons. Daniel Flynn - Intellectual Morons He said he has an entire chapter describing the cult of Ayn Rand. He basically describes Objectivism as a "right" idealogy and he seemed to describe Objectivists as dogmatic. It would be interesting to learn more about his interactions with Objectivists. The way I understand Objectivism, it is not necessary to attempt to conform or rationalize in order to become a student of Objectivism and evolve as an individual. But I have heard others repeat the same ... don't know the right word for it ... fear ? of Objectivism. -Elizabeth

I don't have access to an unedited version. I'd be interested in reading the entire transcript of the latest release as well. editing my reply... transcript on aljazeera... Al jazeera (I'm not use to this type of format - hopefully I added the link)

There is a lot of speculation today about the purpose for the release of the last 2 tapes from al Qaeda. For a few moments I was inclined to think that of course bin Laden would know Americans would automatically oppose his "opinions". However, after giving the transcripts more consideration - I think their purpose is obvious. They're right. Americans do not have the stomach for bloodshed or to fight for who we are (were or could be). Right now I am going to guess that likely - Americans want to forget about the bombing of the WTC in 1993, the Cole, the 2 embassies in Africa and so on. It's much easier for Americans to blame the current administration for international terrorism aimed at the US - here, the Middle East (including Iraq), and elsewhere.

Recently I saw a bumper sticker - "Christians for Kerry". On my local news last week I saw a person at a rally for Kerry holding up a sign that said - "Christians hate Bush" - and they showed someone else saying - "Jesus doesn't hate anybody". In my opinion their religious debates are without value.

Tom, My brother is also active duty and served in Iraq as well as Africa over this last year or so. The Marines and soldiers (as well as their families) that I have talked to support President Bush. I worry (and I wonder if this could be part of the concern of your father) that part of being disillusioned (to a remarkably small degree) is with our politicians and election year rhetoric over the war in Iraq - not just the war on terrorism. Just a quick thought... -Elizabeth

My point is that the Marxist belief "from each according to his ability, to each according to his need" is more blatantly a threat to the US at this time than the religious right. Which religion do I find more repellent ... worship of the state or mysticism? My answer is both. Which is more of an immediate threat - to me - the answer is obvious and I am unwilling to compromise my principles by voting for Kerry. I see there is another thread regarding this issue and perhaps more articles by Objectivists to examine and will take my attention to that line.

Thanks Janet! It's good to try to gather as much information as possible from a variety of sources and I'd not heard of Little Green Footballs or MEMRI before. -Elizabeth

I am still debating whether to vote for George Bush or writing in John Galt. I will not vote for John Kerry and here are a couple of reasons why: 1) Kerry says he only wants to raise taxes on individuals who earn over $200,000 per year. He sets a national standard on what he considers individuals deserve. I’m surprised Republicans have not responded in a clear manner which includes cost of living. You could earn $200,000 per year in Alabama and your standard of living would be vastly different to an individual earning the same income in New York or San Francisco. 2) He advocates a national healthcare plan. I found humor in his response to a question during the second debate to a question about affordable healthcare and choice. He responded something on the lines of –oh yes, you will still have a choice. You can either choose to pay higher premiums or go with my plan-. He is a very good politician. With all due respect for other Objectivists who will vote for Kerry, I do not agree that the Christians are only influential to the Republican Party. Just last night on the way home from a school function my husband pointed out a bumper sticker on the truck in front of us that said “Christians for Kerry”. I see both parties catering to religious institutions. Currently I live in a county that I would consider very conservative which voted Democratic during the last Presidential election. It is best for me to decide what my priorities are. I greatly appreciate Mr. Laughlin’s discussion about methodology. (As well, the most comprehensive book I have read so far about Aristotle – which I discovered on an ad on the Ego blog.) -Elizabeth

I understand there is a division between Wahhabism and Shiism. However, I am still looking for the answer as to which group within Iran Osama bin Laden has ties to - and am wondering whether there are any indirect ties from certain groups in Saudi Arabia to the same connections. The part of the article I find more telling about what a Kerry Presidency would look like is his view on "the dark side of globalization". It appears somewhat correct to look at connections between various terrorist organizations - not just Islamic. But I do not read anything in the article about how Kerry would address state sponsors of terror other than through attempted diplomacy. He essentially says that democracy in the Middle East needs to come from within. Since there are now generations of anti-American/anti-western thought in the Middle East (as well as an -acceptable- rationalization of why it is okay to use violence against innocents in order to achieve political/religious goals) - the type of thinking that has led to extreme violence against societies world-over - I am attempting to understand the thinking behind recognizing an enemy but not dealing with them offensively rather than defensively. And that is my interpretation of what I read in that article about how Kerry would handle terrorism. -Elizabeth

I read the 15 page article from the NYT as well, as I wanted to read the quotes in context. It appears to me that Kerry would like handle terrorism much the same as Clinton. I think that the author of the article is correct in that Kerry is very careful about his wording about his ideas. The stories I find interesting that should go along with this would be about the Oil for Food Program and various members of the UN and private companies profiting from briberies by Saddam - as well as nuclear materials missing from Iraq. Plus - there was an article about a week ago from a German paper in regard to Syrians testing chemicals weapons in Sudan - story not present in the media - perhaps it was not substantiated? Another question I am currently researching is Saudi interactions with Iran.

Chechnya is a region in the northern Caucasus made up from a variety of clans. They are predominantly Sunni Muslim, though the spread of Saudi funded Wahhabism has been noted since the mid 1990’s. I have found the book Hatred’s Kingdom by Dore Gold helpful in regard to finding more avenues to research religious backed terrorism/terrorist connections in Chechnya. (See pages 137-143) Also, according to Bill Gertz book, Breakdown, US authorities had information prior to September 11, 2001 that Moussaui (the supposed 20th hijacker) was linked to a Chechen terrorist organization. It appears to me that at one time there may have been a “just cause” for Chechen independence, which could have been similar to other previous Soviet territories. However, the “cause” has become similar to what occurred in Afghanistan. Islamic law was established in Chechnya in the late 1990’s and since then the targets for terrorist activities against civilian populations in Chechnya as well as Russian on behalf of a “Chechen independence cause” has increased. If Russia were to grant Chechen independence – I think it would be likely they would see another Taliban type driven government as their neighbor – operating freely with a degree of legitimacy. Such a move would be counter to their national security. The question about discovering a method of deciding which peoples have a right to seek independence reminds me of a chapter I recently reviewed while researching the split in American society in Return of the Primitive. (See Global Balkanization – pages 189-204) At this point I am not sure how to answer your question. The answer may in fact be simple, but the situation is complex. Is it possible to apply reasoned, attainable goals in situations and areas where freedom and capitalism are not necessarily full factors? Along with that question – there needs to be absolutes defining terrorism by established governments internationally. I see the world split in 3 ways – reason/understood free-will/capitalism vs. determinism/Marxism/collectivism vs. religious fanaticism/fascism - and in some areas – a combination of some of the above.

Jack, You were able to hit the nail on the head answering a question I wasn't even sure how to word. Thank you very much for your well thought out response! Elizabeth