Steamboy is a masterpiece!

"There is no gene for the human spirit."

That's from a posting by Sarah Hintz on THE FORUM for Ayn Rand Fans. The posting discusses the film Gattaca.

Thank you, Muskogee!

This story has just made my day: voters in Muskogee have rejected a new sales tax that would fund a city "economic development" group!

Muskogee shoots down tax - Muskogee Phoenix

"It's sending a loud-and-clear message that Muskogee is closed for business," said Lisa Clark, executive director of Muskogee Development. "It has a definite negative impact. We'll be unable to attract businesses. It kind of immobilizes us."

But some voters said they didn't see it that way.

"The reason why I disagree with it is that every time one of those temporary sales taxes come to an end, they put it back on the ballot," said Chris Williams. "They aren't ever temporary."

The article doesn't say this, but maybe one of the reasons Muskogee voters rejected the tax is because these "economic development" groups are notorious for their cronyism and abuse of eminent domain.

Hey Muskogee! I've got a suggestion for you! Want more business? Why not try laissez-faire Capitalism!

I think I'll write a letter and send it to the Muskogee Phoenix!

The New Populism

I don't believe that the Religious Right really is all that popular. I think that whatever popularity it does have is being blown out of proportion by scare-mongers seeking to cash in on the Religious Right's attempts to grab power.

But to the extent that the Religious Right does have any popularity, what is its real source? It is human beings' need of a code of morality. The self-destruction of modern philosophy has rendered it unable and unwilling to fill this need. But if modern philosophers don't want to teach people how to find their own answers to moral questions anymore, by teaching that Reason is impotent to provide those answers - it's not, but modern philosophers are - human beings will turn to whoever offers them "answers", however illusory and inaccurate those answers may be - even if those answers include being told not to ask questions: in other words, to rely on faith.

For the power of morality in human existence is a truly awesome one: it is such that human beings would rather be good than right. The "ideal" will always trump the "practical".

If it sounds like what I'm trying to say is that it is modern philosophy that is leading people to religion, it's because that's exactly what I'm saying.

Fortunately, there is one philosophy that stands a chance of reversing this trend: by upholding Reason, identifying its true nature - including the actual nature of its relation to emotion (without Reason there would be no emotions as human beings experience them) - and its power to fill human beings' need for morality - which includes the power to integrate the ideal and the practical. That philosophy is Objectivism.

And I think the Ayn Rand Institute is doing an excellent job of "popularizing" it.

What's wrong with the world

This, to me, is what's wrong with the world today in a nutshell. It's from a description of a course being offered at this summer's Objectivist Conference, "The Rise and Fall of Ancient Greek Justice: Homer to the Sermon on the Mount" to be taught by Robert Mayhew.

The traditional ancient Greek conception of justice is best captured by the idea of helping friends and harming enemies. This conception of justice is improved by later thinkers (like Aeschylus), reaches its climax in Aristotle's moral philosophy—and is utterly rejected by Jesus, who told the pagan world: "Ye have heard that it hath been said, Thou shalt love thy neighbour and hate thine enemy. But I say unto you, Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you."

The latter, of course, is the prevailing view of morality today - summed up, in both religious and secular versions, by the word "altruism".