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L-C

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Posts posted by L-C

  1. There's surely no serious question as to whether the perceivable universe exists; I mean, you can see it and and touch it. You can't even ask the question without presupposing that it is true that the external world exists.

    Could a person that has been sedated (unconscionable experiment, but for the sake of argument) all their life and never recieved sensory input have the ability to dream?

  2. So according to this argument, we are forced to give people something that is ours (our wealth) in exchange for something else that is also already ours

    I've heard Leftists describe setting the rent (as a landlord/property owner) higher than some people can afford as "force", whereas taxation is not.

    Many would dispute the bolded words in your quote. They're delusional.

  3. "It is research that is guaranteed to delight men - and infuriate the women in their lives."

    The first sentence is quite telling. Why would someone be delighted or infuriated at a given fact, one that has been in effect all along whether or not we've known about it so far?

  4. I could be wrong but i've always looked at it more like a "it's too late... to save your soul". So it's not so much about making a career change late in life, i'm sure there are alot of people who have managed that successfully, but rather that Peter had lived his whole life as a second-hander and would lack the ability to become a first-hander(he could not hold values strongly and deeply enough).

    That was my impression as well. It wasn't about Peter not being able to become a skilled painter, but to change his entire outlook on life.

  5. In a truly capitalist society no one would be in prison for these things (taxes,drug use,etc)so that part of your question is moot.

    Disorderly conduct, while an arrestable offense wouldn't land one in federal prison.

    Good point, especially given my remark that separate prison cells (meaning no physical contact between prisoners) would solve this. Johnfrey mentioned the prison system being overloaded, but without the hordes of marijuana smokers et al being locked up, maybe this wouldn't be an issue.

  6. Rand was dissecting Watchmen and Kick-Ass decades before they were written in her reviews of such "tongue-in-cheek thrillers" like The Avengers and the James Bond movie franchise, calling their creators out on their "bootleg Romanticism." Rand calls such tongue-in-cheek thrillers cowardice: "What are such thrillers laughing at? At values, at man's struggles for values, at man's capacity to achieve his values...at man the hero."

    Interesting, though I once read a CapMag article that explained the Bond franchise's enduring popularity as having to do with Bond's confidence, competence and triumph, an explanation similar to the one given about why sports are so popular.

  7. Taxation is forced appropriation of property, i.e. robbery. It really is as simple as that. There are several suggestions as to how the government would be funded without taxation. Rand also mentioned that, in a transition from the current state to laissez-faire, it would be one of the last things to be abolished.

    As far as open immigration goes, there's no justification for barring peaceful men from entry to one's country. "Open" doesn't mean indiscriminate, as criminals, terrorists, bearers of contagious diseases etc would naturally be subject to restrictions. But as of today, the US, for no good reason, makes it difficult or impossible for a lot of independent, productive people to immigrate.

  8. ...most of their criticisms were nothing more than ad hominem statements.

    Does "she sucks" even qualify as ad hominem? Doesn't it have to be an argument in the form of "she's wrong because she's X"?

    On the other hand, this only makes me realize how difficult it is to attack a philosophy founded on reason.

    Difficult as in impossible, yes.

  9. Why not camp out in Delaware or New Hampshire? Is there some horrible aspect to those states that I've missed, since I never see anyone suggest them even though their laws (taxes and guns, mostly) seem top notch?

    Oh, and for some perspective, I'm working on moving into the US. You ARE the "other world" so many people hope for. Don't be so quick to think there might be another one waiting for you.

  10. You have to agree with him that there is massive injustice going on in South Africa. But he's placing the blame on European, Asian and South American soccer fans for it, instead of on the South African leadership.

    Yep, as if the differences between Western and other civilizations are accidental.

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