tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-92295492011-07-14T17:31:15.764-04:00selections and headlines from TIA Daily--pro-individualist news and analysis.TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comBlogger1801100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1141686811519727642006-03-06T18:09:00.000-05:002006-03-06T18:13:31.553-05:00

by Robert TracinskiRobert Tracinski is the editor of TIADaily.com and The Intellectual Activist.The central issue of the "cartoon jihad"—the Muslim riots and death threats against a Danish newspaper that printed 12 cartoons depicting Mohammed—is obvious. The issue is freedom of speech: whether our freedom to think, write, and draw is to be subjugated to the "religious sensitivities" of anyone who

TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1135204240508002642005-12-21T17:26:00.000-05:002006-02-09T02:10:29.803-05:00

The anti-immigration House Republicans who just pushed through a massive assault on immigration stand for a giant fraud. They claim to be patriots, acting out of a desire to protect America from an "invasion" of illegal immigrants. In reality, they are promoting an agenda that is thoroughly un-American, both in its goal and in its methods.It has often been said that America is a nation of

TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1125538454422550692005-08-31T21:30:00.000-04:002005-08-31T22:08:36.336-04:00

Welcome to TIA Daily Blog. You will find a few samples from TIA Daily on this website. Currently, we are publishing new content on our main website. Please be sure to visit TIADaily.com.

TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1117722202020632422005-06-01T22:09:00.000-04:002006-01-15T16:37:17.990-05:00

Why the European Constitution Had to Failby Robert TracinskiThe European constitution has just been destroyed by a one-two punch from the two European countries whose leaders pushed hardest for its creation. I doubt there will be any way to salvage the document now: it was too thoroughly repudiated by French and Dutch voters.Why?The motives of the voters were highly mixed, especially in France.

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115867458221348932005-05-11T23:07:00.000-04:002006-01-13T21:10:05.216-05:00

by Robert TracinskiObjectivists have frequently compared contemporary America to the last years of the Roman Empire, and the comparison provides many useful parallels to today's situation. The fall of Rome provides timeless lessons about the destructiveness of religious faith, the false alternative between religious traditionalism (at that time, the worship of the old Roman gods) and a new

TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115330495170742202005-05-05T17:59:00.000-04:002005-05-05T18:01:35.176-04:00

Intellectuals on the right seem to be taking a moment to ponder whether they really want to back the religious conservatives. Unfortunately, the not-so-religious conservatives tend to be pragmatists who want to "balance" religion and secularism.Top News Stories• A "Freedom Tower" Worthy of the Name?• The Empire of Fashion Shows• America No Longer a Terror-Sponsoring State?• Creationism Returns "

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115330345981525292005-05-05T17:33:00.000-04:002005-05-05T17:59:06.206-04:00

The awful design for the "Freedom Tower" at the World Trade Center site has been scrapped because of "security concerns"—and if you believe that, you also believed that Dan Rather retired because he wanted to work on his golf swing. The column below speculates on the real reason for the change, but doesn't quite get to what I think is most important: everyone wanted to jettison postmodern

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115079445534967502005-05-02T20:14:00.000-04:002005-05-02T20:17:25.536-04:00

Over the past few years, the awful plan for a "postmodern" building to replace the twin towers of the World Trade Center has sunk under a wave of non-enthusiasm. What is being advocated to replace that plan—and what will it say about the spirit of New York City and the spirit of America?Top News Stories• PBS Death Watch• The Spirit of New York City• The Fourth Referendum on the War• It Reaches

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115079107811006282005-05-02T20:06:00.000-04:002005-05-02T20:13:55.290-04:00

There have been a lot of reports recently about how President Bush has "lost" his election mandate (see the latest from today's Washington Post). But his election mandate is just fine. It was a mandate to fight the war—a mandate that wiped out domestic opposition to the war, allowing the subjugation of Fallujah and the Iraqi election, and the continuing shock waves that followed, from Lebanon to

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1114834509117913752005-04-30T00:12:00.000-04:002005-04-30T00:22:14.113-04:00

TIA invites you to attend a teleconference lecture series, "The Empire of the Pursuit of Happiness," by Robert Tracinski.Lecture 1 - "19th-Century 'Globalization': A Brief History of the British Empire"June 2, 8:30pm-10:00pm Eastern time, 5:30pm-7:00pm Pacific (including Q&A).To understand the nature of America's global influence, it is important to understand its predecessor: the British Empire-

TIADaily.comnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115053385859499882005-04-29T12:58:00.000-04:002005-05-02T13:03:05.860-04:00

Robert Tracinski expands on TIA's thesis about America's influence on the world in a series of live teleconference lectures offered through TIA.Top News Stories• The Bush Press Conference: Phasing Out Social Security—Over 70 Years• The Bush Press Conference: In the Long Run, We'll All Be Dead• The Bush Press Conference: Putting Religious Politics to Rest?• The Bush Press Conference: What I

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1115052974822360992005-04-29T12:48:00.000-04:002006-01-16T12:54:12.736-05:00

The reason President Bush's push for a partial quasi-privatization of Social Security is faltering is that he has not challenged the altruist morality behind the system—indeed, he has embraced that morality. So the only hope of passing his plan will be if he can make headway on a new theme he has been emphasizing recently: the metaphysics of Social Security.He certainly doesn't put it that way,

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1114642524572788342005-04-27T18:52:00.000-04:002006-01-13T06:01:20.950-05:00

Social Security privatization is failing because no one wants to face the real issues. Democrats want to pretend that there is nothing wrong with the Ponzi scheme, while Republicans are being sunk by "free lunch" advocates who want to reduce payroll taxes without reducing Social Security handouts.Top News Stories• The Social Security Charade• Syria's Charade• Annan's Charade• The "Virginia Jihad"

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1114642332685345602005-04-27T18:48:00.000-04:002005-04-27T18:52:12.686-04:00

Here's another important story no one is covering: the 25th anniversary of a crucial event on the road to September 11: the failure of a tiny, timid rescue operation mounted by the Carter administration during the Iran hostage crisis. Our soldiers took the failure like men, vowing to improve their skills and resolve so that such an embarrassment would never happen again. Our political leaders,

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1114203809745133692005-04-22T17:01:00.000-04:002005-04-22T17:03:29.746-04:00

The lackluster response to this year's "Earth Day" indicates how, thirty-five years on, the environmentalist movement is in disarray.Top News Stories• The Jihad on the Judiciary• Another Small Victory in Lebanon• Earth Day Fades Away• Fingering a Con Artist• Commentary: The Real Quagmire in Iraq• Commentary: The Budget Crisis Is a Moral CrisisDepartments• Human Achievements: The Giant of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1114203458763479582005-04-22T16:47:00.000-04:002005-04-22T17:05:16.870-04:00

Whom Is Our UN Ambassador Supposed to Serve?by Robert TracinskiJust when we thought Colin Powell was safely eased out of the decision making process for America's foreign policy, we find out that his malignant influence is still having an effect. According to an article in today's Washington Post:"Former secretary of state Colin L. Powell is emerging as a behind-the-scenes player in the battle

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113945275658756752005-04-19T17:10:00.000-04:002005-04-19T17:14:35.660-04:00

The American system has survived because each side is occasionally forced to invoke its best traditions in its own defense. It is dying because each side seeks to destroy the system when it goes on the offensive, as demonstrated by the conservative jihad on the judiciary—and by a leftist conference on using the "living constitution" to impose socialism.Top News Stories• Lebanon's Next Turning

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113944990696334292005-04-19T17:05:00.000-04:002005-04-19T17:09:50.696-04:00

I have been asking recently why our newspapers and television reporters aren't presenting more articles on the many war heroes who are proving their mettle in Iraq, so I was very happy when I saw the article below. This article is great for another reason: it focuses, not on heroes who died, but on those who lived, primarily courageous and fast-thinking Marine Lance Cpl. Joshua Butler.Those war

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113860945628893102005-04-18T17:46:00.000-04:002005-04-18T17:49:05.630-04:00

America's indirect role in the spread of liberty and representative government across the world is indicated by a fascinating report on how a Lebanese executive with a Western advertising firm, fresh from working on campaign ads for the Iraqi election, helped "brand" the street demonstrations against Syrian rule.Top News Stories• The Revolution Will Be Advertised• China's New Enemy• The Death of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113860771891914102005-04-18T17:43:00.000-04:002006-01-23T15:48:56.776-05:00

The American religious right—largely a Protestant bunch—has somewhat incongruously spent the last month heaping praise on John Paul II and the Catholic Church. That is partly because John Paul II provided a philosophic foundation for anti-abortion doctrines, but it is also, perhaps, a psychological confession that American Protestants secretly envy the political power that the Catholic Church has

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113860585544709602005-04-14T17:39:00.000-04:002005-04-18T17:43:05.546-04:00

The post-election threat to liberty has taken its full shape: a holy war against the independent judiciary, fought more or less openly as an attempt to give the Christian religion veto power over American government.Top News Stories• Frist Joins the Jihad on the Judiciary• Spitzer's Lawlessness• The Return of "Bracket Creep"• Assad's Last Stand• Empire and Anglosphere• Commentary: The Jihad on

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113860272857842762005-04-14T17:33:00.000-04:002005-04-18T17:39:20.173-04:00

The closest anyone has gotten to identifying the phenomenon that we call the Empire of the Pursuit of Happiness is the thesis, popularized by James C. Bennett, of the "Anglosphere"—the civilizational sympathy among those nations influenced by the English language and Anglo-American ideas. Bennett has now written a book on the topic, reviewed here by Australia's Keith Windschuttle.From what I have

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113445941007323112005-04-13T22:29:00.000-04:002006-01-28T01:49:14.410-05:00

In the fight to kill the filibuster, Republicans are arguing for unlimited democracy--while Democrats are upholding the republican principle of institutional checks on the tyranny of the majority.Top News Stories• The Filibuster Fight• The Pendulum of the Arbitrary• Iraq's Assembly of Women• America Garrisons the Middle East• China Inherits the Wind• Commentary: How to Topple the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113445727560622592005-04-13T22:24:00.000-04:002005-04-13T22:28:47.563-04:00

The fundamental issue behind the Republican attempt to eliminate the filibuster is whether the American system was intended to be run on the principle of mob rule, or whether it was meant to include checks on the tyranny of the majority. Ironically, Republicans and Democrats have, for the moment, switched sides on this issue, with the Democrats now defending checks on unlimited majority rule.As

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113446565327116752005-04-12T22:39:00.000-04:002005-04-13T22:42:45.326-04:00

As part of our celebration of TIA Daily's first year, we give our readers a look at the first prototype for TIA Daily, which we e-mailed out to a test audience one year ago today.Top News Stories• The Democrats' Plan for Social Security• The Fourth Election• Canada's Watergate• Detente Between India and China• The Coming Russian Collapse• Commentary: How Conservatives Are Losing the Privatization

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113446347921608182005-04-12T22:33:00.000-04:002006-01-28T01:44:18.803-05:00

Well, a Democratic politician has finally come out and admitted it. Since they oppose private accounts, benefit cuts, means-testing, a raise in the retirement age, and just about every other plan to deal with Social Security's budget crisis—what do they plan to do? The solution is easy, says New Jersey Senator Jon Corzine: we'll just print money—and "solve" the crisis through massive, runaway

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113447044843551482005-04-11T22:47:00.000-04:002006-01-26T02:16:30.123-05:00

There is a tendency in political reporting to dwell only on the negative—i.e., only on the crisis that is the greatest emergency at the moment. But sometimes the story is "the dog that didn't bark."Top News Stories• The War on the Judiciary• America's "Exit Strategy": Victory• Rent Control Fades Away• The Old Regime of Class Action Looting• Gun Control Fades Away, Too• Commentary: Pies and

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113446836529707022005-04-11T22:44:00.000-04:002005-04-13T22:47:16.530-04:00

The left's love for theatrical street protests has given rise to an attempt to convince us that certain forms of physical assault are "non-violent"—a triumph of Orwellian double-speak. This Washington Times editorial identifies the danger of this trend, but not its deepest root: a malevolently anti-intellectual contempt for persuasion and public discussion by a political movement that no longer

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113447687249160662005-04-08T22:56:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:01:27.250-04:00

The religious right puts its real cards on the table, unveiling a sweeping attacking on the American judiciary, including a shocking proposal to exempt church-state issues from judicial review.Top News Stories• DeLay Targets Judges, Hits Senate Conservatives?• Church and L'Etat• Hillary and the Holy Rollers• In Praise of Partisanship• The Saudi Society of "Status"• Commentary: The Tipping Point

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113447314161190812005-04-08T22:51:00.000-04:002005-04-13T22:55:14.163-04:00

The bad news: the religious right apparently has been readying a war against the independent judiciary for some time now, and they have chosen the Terri Schiavo case as an opportunity to launch it. Note the worst proposal mentioned in this article: "to remove court jurisdiction from certain social issues or the place of God in public life," i.e., exempting religion from the constraints of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113448403961694112005-04-07T23:08:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:13:23.963-04:00

A lawmaker asks, about Social Security privatization, "If not now, when?" The Republicans' own timidity on the issue may be providing the answer: only when our leaders stop praising the moral premises on which Social Security was founded.Top News Stories• "If Not Now, When?"• The New Battle of Iraq• The Small Step from IRA to "Rafia"• The Real Tradition of the Church• Where Are the War Heroes?•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113448048862887372005-04-07T23:02:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:07:28.863-04:00

Tom Friedman somewhat belatedly catches on to the full scope and possibilities of the new global economy—which goes well beyond the liberal politicians' wailing about "outsourcing." But he still hasn't identified the deeper trend that promises an extraordinary liberation of human talent around the globe: the Empire of the Pursuit of Happiness."It's a Flat World, After All," Thomas L. Friedman,

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113448886900479952005-04-06T23:18:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:21:26.903-04:00

The selection of new leaders for Iraq marks the effective end of the battle against dictatorship and terrorism—and opens up a new, still unsettled contest over the role of religion in the new Iraq.Top News Stories• "Their Time Is Over"• Bush's Encirclement Strategy• The War on the Judiciary• Maryland Legislature Loots Wal-Mart Stores• What the Pope Did in Poland• Commentary: The Power of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113448629193000402005-04-06T23:14:00.000-04:002006-01-13T07:49:59.646-05:00

After Republicans in Congress embarrassed themselves by passing a bill that applies to only one person, Terri Schiavo, Democrats in the Maryland legislature match that lawlessness by passing a bill dedicated to the looting of one company: the "Wal-Mart Bill," which dictates the exact level of the company's health-care spending, allowing the state to grab money for its own welfare programs."Bill

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113449324971517242005-04-05T23:25:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:28:44.973-04:00

Conservative columnist David Brooks tries to argue that intellectual chaos is good for the right. But if he is correct that conservatism consists of a shifting combination of contradictory ideas—what does that actually imply for the future of the right?Top News Stories• At Last, New Iraqi Leaders• No Orange Revolution (Yet) for Zimbabwe• An Ounce of Prevention• Exploiting the Ultimate Resource• "

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113449114332272792005-04-05T23:22:00.000-04:002006-02-08T17:55:04.856-05:00

Public ownership of the airwaves—the ominous dictatorial idea that forms the legal basis for the FCC—is a premise so dangerous that it will spread if it is not repudiated. As an example, witness a new attempt to use the laws against undefined "indecency" by broadcasters as a precedent to impose censorship on cable television, which has historically been shielded from government controls. After

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113449799616296232005-04-04T23:34:00.000-04:002006-01-10T18:29:44.526-05:00

Pope John Paul II represented—and shaped—the basic intellectual trend of the late 20th and early 21st centuries: the attempt to fuse the ethics of religion with the politics of freedom.Top News Stories• The First of the War Heroes• The Kurds' Prize• Progress Toward New Iraqi Leaders• The Pope's Contradiction• The Test Ban Takes Its Toll• Commentary: The Decadence of the RightDepartments• Things

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113449612912064232005-04-04T23:29:00.000-04:002005-04-13T23:33:32.916-04:00

I have argued that the religious right overreached in the Terri Schiavo case—but that is just a symptom of a general smug complacency on the part of conservative politicians and commentators, who have been so emboldened by recent election victories that they are openly revealing the ugliest parts of their agenda. Worse, they are also devoting less energy toward the work of convincing those who

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113450404358094722005-04-01T23:43:00.000-05:002005-04-13T23:46:44.360-04:00

The aftermath of the Terri Schiavo case defines the main front in the religious right's war against liberty: its assault on the independence of the judiciary.Top News Stories• Religious Right "Declares War on the Judiciary"• Next Steps in Lebanon• The Jewel in the Crown• The Ultimate Resource• Commentary: "The Fear of Being Left Behind"• Commentary: A Voice for the Secular RightDepartments• Human

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1113449966938307452005-04-01T23:37:00.000-05:002005-04-13T23:41:43.426-04:00

Anyone who opposes immigration should read this astounding story from Wired magazine about four "undocumented" (i.e., illegal) Mexican immigrant kids at an Arizona high school who entered a national underwater robotics competition—and won, beating teams from MIT and other universities. This is an inspiring illustration of Julian Simon's point that the "ultimate resource" is human talent."La Vida

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1112297529783860632005-03-28T14:24:00.000-05:002005-03-31T14:32:09.786-05:00

The Terri Schiavo case is a wake-up call to secular people on the right who thought they could cooperate with the religious right to promote the cause of small government, constitutionalism, and the rule of law—only to have Florida governor Jeb Bush send state police to seize Terri Schiavo late last week, backing down only when threatened with resistance from local police.Top News Stories• Jeb's

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1112297054768924532005-03-28T14:15:00.000-05:002005-03-31T14:38:00.180-05:00

Aside from a few major papers, I don't usually send TIA Daily readers to websites that require registration. But this is an extremely important story that has not apparently been covered anywhere else—even though it ought to dominate the headlines. The Miami Herald reports that Florida Governor Jeb Bush sent state law enforcement officials to seize Terry Schiavo from her hospice in defiance of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111795324418959262005-03-25T18:55:00.000-05:002006-01-26T21:14:37.490-05:00

Seemingly out of nowhere, a mostly peaceful revolution overthrows an authoritarian government in Kyrgyzstan. But below the surface, this victory is the payoff for more than a decade of American investment in "civil society" in the former Soviet Republics.Top News Stories• The Tulip Revolution: A Sudden Victory• The Tulip Revolution: A Decade-Long Project• Anatomy of an Assassination• The Slow

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111794870803808762005-03-25T18:47:00.000-05:002005-03-25T18:54:30.806-05:00

This article by conservative columnist John Podhoretz is the most admirably exact, philosophical description I have yet seen of the central issues in the Terry Schiavo case. Podhoretz argues that the central issue is the mystical view that human life is a mysterious gift from God, versus the secular view of human life as "a natural phenomenon." And then Podhoretz takes the side of the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111967807914958212005-03-25T18:30:00.000-05:002006-01-29T12:18:29.773-05:00

The Terri Schiavo Case Exposes How the Mystics Exploit Secular Skepticismby Robert TracinskiI have received some compliments from TIA Daily readers on our coverage of the Terri Schiavo case, and I appreciate the expressions of support.I have also received a few criticisms from TIA Daily readers, and I also appreciate that, too. I don't expect all TIA Daily readers to agree with me, and part of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111704996922311162005-03-24T17:54:00.000-05:002006-01-25T01:51:12.090-05:00

In the fury surrounding the Terry Schiavo case, it is easy not to notice the most significant fact: the silence of the left. The only conceivable value offered by the left is its opposition to the religious right. So why have Democratic politicians gone mute?Top News Stories• The Judiciary Pushes Back• Faith-Based Science• It Reaches Kyrgyzstan!• Chirac: Freedom Is Slavery• British Foxes Hunt

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111704840584601792005-03-24T17:50:00.000-05:002005-03-24T18:10:34.376-05:00

Have you learned how to spell "Kyrgyzstan" yet? Admit it: you haven't even been trying. Well, now's a good time to start. It looks like the "Tulip Revolution" (first mentioned in TIA Daily as an aside on March 3, then again on March 8) has succeeded after all, with President Akayev fleeing the country, protesters seizing control of the seat of government, opposition politicians being sprung from

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111704596608655672005-03-23T17:47:00.000-05:002005-03-24T17:49:56.610-05:00

The Terry Schiavo case is the first attempt by the religious right to flex its muscle—and see how much of the structure of American government it can knock down. But that is making more and more Republicans uneasy, and it looks like the religionists are over-reaching.Top News Stories• Courts Won't Take Orders from Congress• Conservatives Caught in Contradictions• War on Filibuster Failing•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111704451289178332005-03-23T17:42:00.000-05:002005-03-24T17:47:31.293-05:00

The religious right has tried to take credit for President Bush's re-election and has been trying to demand political payback. But I predicted that if they tried to do so, they would be over-reaching. And it looks like that is what is happening, as some Republicans now disavow the unprincipled rush to exploit the Terry Schiavo case while jettisoning political principles like "federalism" that

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111553417173229142005-03-22T23:48:00.000-05:002005-03-22T23:50:17.173-05:00

The Terry Schiavo case is about only two things: is human life without the potential for reason a hideous living death—and how far are religious conservatives willing to go to impose such a living death on us?Top News Stories• Judge Whittemore Gets It Right • Of Living Death• The Campaign Finance Fraud• Europe Shrinks from China's Embrace• New Deck Chairs at Turtle Bay• Commentary: America's

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111553289123964872005-03-22T23:45:00.000-05:002005-03-22T23:48:09.126-05:00

After trying to use the power of the legislature to overrule a specific ruling in the state courts, Congress received the rebuke it was asking for: Judge Whittemore ruled, properly, that the case had already been "exhaustively litigated" by state courts and that there were no rational grounds for subjecting it to a new review by the federal courts.Remember that the legal issue here is not the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111452692055059722005-03-21T19:49:00.000-05:002005-03-21T19:56:32.130-05:00

Is Ayatollah Sistani a clone of the Ayatollah Khomeini—or an advocate of separation of church and state? Our research indicates that two of Sistani's distinctive doctrines may constitute a transition from Islamic fundamentalism to a more liberal outlook.Top News Stories• The Conservative Dictators• Tide May Be Turning at New York Times• Campaign Control Cancer Spreads• The Final Fall of the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111452877656613232005-03-21T19:35:00.000-05:002005-03-21T19:54:37.660-05:00

I have been skeptical at just how committed the religious right is to imposing its agenda by government force, undermining a free society for the sake of a theocratic agenda. Well, here's a case that shows how easily the religious right is willing to take on the role of a lawless dictator, overthrowing the entire structure and procedure of American government at a moment's notice.In its crazed

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111705471248358522005-03-21T17:56:00.000-05:002005-03-24T18:04:31.250-05:00

It looks like we're all going to have to learn how to spell "Kyrgyzstan" now. A "Tulip Revolution" is endangering the remote nation's Moscow-aligned authoritarian government after it attempted to rig parliamentary elections. It looks like this will be a bumpier ride than in Ukraine, and the reports on this obscure conflict are even less informative in describing what the opposition stands for.But

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111188076399011152005-03-18T18:19:00.000-05:002005-03-18T18:21:16.400-05:00

In a testament to the power of morality, six unarmed women have dealt a stronger blow to the Irish Republican Army than decades of action by the British police and military.Top News Stories• What Is Wrong with the Budget• Judge Dismisses Conservatives' Crusade for Living Death• Six Unarmed Women Wipe Out the IRA• The Rule of Lawyers• Commentary: The Iron Curtain Lifting in LebanonDepartments•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111029515101679362005-03-16T20:16:00.000-05:002005-03-16T22:18:35.106-05:00

In the war between Islam and the West, the enemy has problems of his own. Today's Washington Post reports on the problem faced by the Saudis: a new literary movement among young, educated, Westernized Arabs who chafe at the nation's strict religious censorship.Top News Stories• Senate Reverses ANWR Suicide• Bad News on Social Security Privatization• Good News on Social Security Privatization• "

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111029336823479732005-03-16T18:12:00.000-05:002006-01-13T18:24:12.960-05:00

selection and editing by Shrikant Rangnekar"As a tribute to modern society's ability to achieve the unachievable, reach unreachable heights, and scorn the notion of 'it can't be done,' in 1994 ASCE (American Society of Civil Engineers) sought nominations from across the globe for the Seven Wonders of the Modern World. The chosen projects pay tribute to the greatest civil engineering achievements

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110930604257273342005-03-15T18:47:00.000-05:002005-03-15T18:50:04.260-05:00

The potential of recent events in the Middle East poses a dilemma. Since our leaders have chosen not to wage war against the remaining terrorist regimes and their lackeys, what can we do—and what are we prepared to do?Top News Stories• America's New Iran Strategy• Syria on the Retreat• Mr. Mowen, Call Your Office• The North Korean Information Revolution• Democratic Party Death Watch• Commentary:

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110930445687855712005-03-15T18:43:00.000-05:002006-01-25T00:04:46.293-05:00

Just when you think the greatest threat to free speech come from the religious right, along comes John Kerry to articulate what many on the left have been edging toward. Traumatized by the fading power of the left-leaning "mainstream media" in the face of competition from right-leaning cable news, talk radio, and totally unregulated "blogs," Kerry proposes that government serve as an "arbitrator"

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110853997484117022005-03-14T21:11:00.000-05:002005-03-14T21:37:06.263-05:00

The top debate among environmentalists today: why their movement is dying. They need only consult an op-ed by one of their own supporters, who enumerates their long, dismal record of verifiably false doomsday predictions.Top News Stories• Lebanon's Answer to Hezbollah• "A Competition That Is Not Cosmetic"• James Madison Keeps Up the Good Work• The Extinction of Environmentalism?• The Real Ideal

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110854127789421852005-03-14T21:05:00.000-05:002005-03-14T21:35:27.793-05:00

The mainstream media propagandized for campaign controls before for McCain-Feingold was passed—and back before Internet "bloggers" were a force to be reckoned with. Now that the bloggers have been targeted by campaign controls, they are reopening the issue, digging into the law's real meaning and justifications—and what they are finding is that McCain-Feingold's real goal is the suppression of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110571849043937292005-03-11T15:09:00.000-05:002005-03-11T15:10:49.043-05:00

The Bush administration agrees to go along with European "carrots" for Iran—just when we need to be providing more "sticks" to keep the momentum rolling against the Axis of Evil.Top News Stories• Carrots for Sticks• Opposition Comes to Damascus• A Government for Iraq• Situation Better than Normal?• Rebellion Against Campaign Controls?• Rather's Reputation• Commentary: Ledeen: Faster

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110491774098150722005-03-10T16:54:00.000-05:002005-03-10T16:56:14.100-05:00

While events overseas have dominated the news, Congress has been moving on a relatively good legislative agenda, with reform of lenient class-action and bankruptcy rules and a budget that backs oil drilling and limits domestic discretionary spending. It's modest progress, but it's not bad.Top News Stories• Anti-Man Alliance• Democratic Party Death Watch• Legislative Muddling Through• Big Band Is

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110491612287551342005-03-10T16:50:00.000-05:002005-03-10T16:53:32.290-05:00

In its loyalty to the Marxist outlook that man's values and interests are determined by his economic "class interests"—eventually expanded to the trinity of "race, class, and gender"—the Democratic Party long ago ceased to be a party of universal principles, depending instead on the loyalty of a few narrow interest groups: unions, single women (who want to preserve abortion rights), and blacks

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110422513675262362005-03-09T21:39:00.000-05:002006-01-12T11:19:14.796-05:00

In a speech yesterday, President Bush invoked "the universal claim of individual rights." That moral claim is indeed universal—which is why American action in Iraq is having an impact far beyond the Middle East, from Saigon to Belfast.Top News Stories• Backsliding in Beirut• Bush: I Told You So• Democrats: Yeah, We Guess You Did• "Will Vietnam Be the Next Iraq?"• Iraq and the IRA• Commentary:

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110422339111531992005-03-09T20:36:00.000-05:002005-03-09T21:38:59.113-05:00

President Bush's speech yesterday made a prominent reference to "the universal claim of individual rights." The principle of individual rights is indeed universal—which means that a policy engineered to support freedom in the Middle East cannot help but to have effects elsewhere, a point made in this column on a pro-freedom dissident in Vietnam. And if the "forward strategy of freedom" effects

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110422144707241062005-03-08T21:32:00.000-05:002006-01-23T16:02:09.370-05:00

A decade or two ago, Syria would have answered dissent with mass murder. Today, it answers protests in Lebanon by having its Hezbollah proxies stage a copycat protest—but one that cedes the basic premises of the Lebanese opposition.Top News Stories• Syria's "Me-Too" Demonstrations• It Reaches Kyrgyzstan• It Reaches Moldova• The Enemy Retreats to the Far East• The Democrats' Social Security

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110421918042854042005-03-08T18:26:00.000-05:002006-02-03T14:06:15.510-05:00

The Axis of Evil strikes back, though in a tame, weakened form. A decade or two ago, anti-Syrian demonstrations would have been put down by brute force. Now, the Syrians try to play by the rules of a whole new game, trying to show that they have broad popular support by getting their Hezbollah lackeys to stage a pro-Syria street rally—in awkward, self-conscious imitation of the recent anti-Syria

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1110244308445716942005-03-07T20:08:00.000-05:002005-03-07T20:11:48.446-05:00

The most surprising story to emerge from recent events in the Middle East—especially the Cedar Revolution in Lebanon—is that the best people in the region seem to have been emboldened, as they throng into the streets of Beirut and assume some of the positions of power in Iraq.Top News Stories• "Truth, Liberty, and National Unity"• Bush's Diplomatic Priorities• "There Are a Lot of Good People Out

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109981785180402442005-03-04T19:13:00.000-05:002005-03-04T19:16:25.183-05:00

The crisis in Lebanon has opened new possibilities—and so our leaders are looking at ways to open a new front to destabilize the terrorist regime in Syria.Top News Stories• Iraq's Shiite Coalition Crumbles• Opening Up the Syrian Front• Opening Up the Iranian Front?• Dutch Jihad Update• China's Dangers• Commentary: Who Killed Atheism?Departments• Things of Beauty: Martha's FlowersLetter to the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109981533621362302005-03-04T19:07:00.000-05:002005-03-04T19:12:13.626-05:00

This article is presented by the Washington Times as a piece of news reporting, but it is so horribly slanted that it really qualifies as an editorial. (It is also proof that the conservatives are willing to commit the same journalistic crimes as the liberal mainstream press.) But it is indisputable that atheism is losing influence today, and this article does touch (though inaccurately) on the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109903520304751572005-03-03T21:29:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:36:24.453-05:00

The past two weeks' events in the Middle East have startled even the optimists. But why is the enemy collapsing so quickly?Top News Stories• Iran's "Pink Revolution"• More Pressure on Syria• Tipping Point for the Daily Show• The Spirit of Israel• Another Triumph for Aerospace Capitalism• Commentary: How Bush Sabotaged Social Security PrivatizationDepartments• Things of Beauty: Enchanted

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109903693079707932005-03-03T21:03:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:34:53.080-05:00

This article sums up all of things I've always admired about the Israelis. The life of legendary Israeli secret agent Peter Z. Malkin—the man who captured Adolf Eichmann and brought him back to Israel for trial—highlights the best aspects of the Israeli character: a bold, enterprising, intelligent, can-do spirit."Better than Bond," Eric Fettman, New York Post, March 3"Zvi Malchin was not only the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1111030424936247072005-03-03T16:21:00.000-05:002006-01-14T23:55:05.716-05:00

Why the Enemies of Freedom Are Always Weakby Robert TracinskiThe events of the past month—the Iraqi elections (with a non-victory by Islamist parties), followed by the uprising in Lebanon, Syria's continuing retreat under domestic and international pressure, and the first glimmers of a new political freedom in Egypt—do not yet constitute the collapse of America's enemy in the War on Terrorism.

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109903928126021092005-03-02T21:36:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:38:48.126-05:00

The protests in Lebanon and new demands by dissidents in Damascus indicate a crisis of confidence within the Syrian dictatorship. Are the Syrian Baathists unwilling to launch the bloody crackdown required to preserve their regime?Top News Stories• Syria's Crisis of Confidence• The Real Significance of Saudi Elections• What Happened to the "Arab Street"?• "Winds of Change" Stir at the LA Times•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109904128859878182005-03-01T21:39:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:42:08.860-05:00

It's too early to say that Lebanon's "Cedar Revolution" is the "tipping point" for (relative) freedom in the Middle East—but it seems to be the tipping point among mainstream commentators at home, with the New York Times extending praise and credit to President Bush and his "forward strategy of freedom."Top News Stories• A Palestinian Civil War?• Bin Laden's Desperation• Putin's Brownshirts•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109904269313580822005-02-28T21:42:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:57:48.326-05:00

This week begins with a general scurrying of scared rats in Syria and Egypt. If this is the result of the Bush administration's mild assertiveness, then Middle Eastern tyranny is a smaller and more pathetic enemy than we thought.Top News Stories• Syria's Proxies Crumble• Where is Egypt Going?• Syria's Desperate Double Game• Tipping Point for the IRA?• The Soft Bigotry of Low Expectations•

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109904607868383972005-02-28T21:30:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:55:23.840-05:00

When the protests against Syrian control of Lebanon began, I wasn't sure how serious the protesters were—or how willing the Syrians would be to forcibly crush the dissidents. Finally getting a chance to see some footage of the protests on television convinced me: this rebellion has all the signs of the real deal. Even more convincing is the speed with which Syria's Lebanese puppets are giving up

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109903106705447732005-02-14T21:22:00.000-05:002006-01-15T15:06:19.386-05:00

The election results for Iraq are in, and the winner is: James Madison. With Shiite religionists forced to seek a coalition government with secular parties, this looks like a triumph for the Madisonian principle of protecting liberty by balancing factions against one another.Top News Stories• Muslims vs. Valentine's Day• Hindus vs. Valentine's Day• Feminists vs. Valentine's DayDepartments• Things

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109640744491151212005-02-14T20:26:00.000-05:002005-03-03T21:21:49.356-05:00

Republican Federalism Tames Iraq's Religious Factionsby Robert TracinskiThe Iraqi election posed a grave potential danger to American interests: the possibility that an overwhelming victory by Shiite religious parties would push Iraq toward a theocratic or quasi-theocratic government allied with Iran.The Iranians have certainly devoted a lot of money and effort to achieve that result by backing

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1108173738634253982005-02-11T20:51:00.000-05:002005-02-12T16:27:07.156-05:00

Sandra Shaw's Eye-Opening History of Artby Robert TracinskiA few months ago, we offered the first semester of Sandra Shaw's course on the history of art. From Ms. Shaw's previous work, I knew this new course would be excellent. But now that I am well into the first semester, I have discovered that it is eye-opening in ways that exceeded my expectations.At this point, I have listened to the first

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1109639244979229262005-02-11T20:00:00.000-05:002005-02-28T20:07:24.980-05:00

Sandra Shaw's lectures on the history of art show us the crucial and inspiring achievements of man's early intellectual development.Top News Stories• Attention Class-Action Shoppers• Republicans Backslide on Tax Cuts• Anti-Immigration Camouflage• Justice for Pro-Terror Lawyer• "The Ideals of the 1960s"• Commentary: The Anti-American LeftDepartments• Human Achievements: Looking Through the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1108172964044586592005-02-10T20:46:00.000-05:002005-02-11T20:49:24.046-05:00

Condoleezza Rice's much-discussed statements on Iran are not a new "hard line" policy. But in Congress, there is discussion of a new policy of support for internal opposition to Iran's theocracy.Top News Stories• No New Policy on Iran• Old Policy Reaches Rock Bottom in North Korea• The Actual New Policy on Iran?• The Iraqi Election: "If We Start With Such Behavior, We Will Lose the Country"• "

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1108172794012535772005-02-09T20:43:00.000-05:002005-02-11T20:51:37.463-05:00

Social Security is a welfare program that makes no sense, even as a welfare program. Why? Because its distorted design is meant to confuse and evade the central moral issue of the welfare state.Top News Stories• The Iraqi Election: Will James Madison Save Us?• The Iraqi Election: Chalabi's Return?• Justice Coming for Saddam• Bush and the "V-Word"• The Ballooning Bush Welfare State• Commentary: An

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1108172592620294772005-02-09T20:01:00.000-05:002005-02-11T20:43:12.623-05:00

As I remarked yesterday, our leaders seem to be relying on Ayatollah Sistani to save us from the creation of a theocracy in Iraq. This article reports one piece of good news: Sistani has vowed not to involve himself directly in the drafting of the Iraqi constitution. But Sistani also declared that the constitution "should respect the Islamic cultural identity of the Iraqi people"—whatever that

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107899948460296332005-02-08T16:56:00.000-05:002005-02-08T16:59:08.460-05:00

Remember the stories about despairing leftists applying for visas to Canada after the election? Well it turns out that as many as 20,000 have actually followed through—a telling admission that the left is no longer confident it has the ability to win a war of ideas. Top News Stories • Back to the Peace Process War • Columbia's Mid-East War • Why Europe Is Irrelevant • Leftist Loyalists Flee to

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107899756627771362005-02-08T16:52:00.000-05:002005-02-08T16:55:56.626-05:00

That the existence of evil can even be a subject for debate is an indictment of the current state of psychology. How can you study the mind without grasping the central fact of volition? How can you judge what is psychologically "healthy" when you believe, as one psychiatrist quoted here says, that everything is subjective and that good and evil are "in the eye of the beholder"? A few

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107822672698429452005-02-07T19:28:00.000-05:002005-02-07T19:31:12.696-05:00

Some leaders from Iraq's religious parties push for behind-the-scenes rule by clerics in Iraq, while the US hopes that Ayatollah Sistani will stand up for secular government. But where does Sistani really stand? Top News Stories • Iraq's Would-Be Theocrats Make Their Move • Cheney: Sistani Will Save Us • Phantom Budget Cuts • Rejuvenating America's Nuclear Arsenal • Venezuela Goes the Way of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107822507511238742005-02-07T19:25:00.000-05:002005-02-07T19:28:27.510-05:00

This is a nice identification about Britain's proposed "incitement to religious hatred" law—from an author who knows a thing or two about the subject: Salman Rushdie. Note that Rushdie characterizes this, accurately, as a battle to preserve the legacy of the Enlightenment. But notice also who the Enlightenment's main enemies are, at least in this case: the supposedly secular, "politically correct

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107554700036974562005-02-04T17:01:00.000-05:002005-02-04T17:05:00.036-05:00

A letter-writer shares his observations on how liberty and capitalism—the influences of American ideals—have transformed South Korea. Top News Stories • The Iraq Vote: First, the Bad News • The Iraq Vote: The Bad News and the Good News • The Iraq Vote: The Tipping Point? • Two Empires in Africa • Share the Wildlife • The New Fascists Departments • Human Achievements: Ayn Rand's Influence •

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107554475593562452005-02-04T16:57:00.000-05:002005-02-04T17:01:15.593-05:00

The best legacy of the British Empire is the presence of millions of educated English speakers around the globe. This is a rich, readily accessible deposit of the "ultimate resource"—human talent—that the global economy has just begun to develop and tap. The "outsourcing" of white-collar work to countries like India has already begun—and now this trend is reaching Africa. This is how the new

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107554172378217942005-02-03T16:54:00.000-05:002005-02-04T16:56:12.376-05:00

At last night's State of the Union address, it was Republicans who came across as the forward-looking idealists—and it was Democrats who, fully and finally abandoning their "progressive" facade, were the small-minded, carping reactionaries. Top News Stories • The Fellowship of Freedom • Progress Threatens to Ravage Andaman Islands • Europe Aids and Abets China • Martha Stewart's Comeback • CNN

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107554022297812212005-02-03T16:51:00.000-05:002005-02-04T16:57:21.480-05:00

The most interesting moment of last night's State of the Union address was a spontaneous connection between an Iraqi human rights activist and the mother of a Marine killed in Iraq. It's hard to tell whether this indicates any wider affection between Iraqis and Americans; the Iraqi woman at last night's speech is unusually pro-American. But purely on its own terms, it was a touching moment of

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107387010223467162005-02-02T18:28:00.000-05:002005-02-02T18:30:10.223-05:00

Ayn Rand "was man's great idealizer and defender." Top News Stories • State of the Union Preview • James Madison in Iraq • Physician-Assisted Suicide for the Democratic Party • Economic Progress Ravages Ireland • The Left Evades, Again • Commentary: A Liberal Thinks Departments • Things of Beauty: River in Autumn Feature Article • Reflections on Ayn Rand by Peter Schwartz Ayn Rand Taught the

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107386516609117542005-02-02T18:12:00.000-05:002005-02-02T18:27:28.433-05:00

Ayn Rand Taught the World How to Value Human Life by Peter Schwartz Editor's note: Today is the 100th anniversary of Ayn Rand's birth. This eloquent eulogy of Ayn Rand by TIA's founding editor, Peter Schwartz, was originally published in the March 15, 1982 issue of The Intellectual Activist. This article is part of the new bound volume of the back issues of TIA from the Peter Schwartz era,

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107385963083627662005-02-01T18:08:00.000-05:002005-02-02T18:12:43.083-05:00

I have described the occupation of Iraq as a new Cold War between America and Iran. Following last weekend's election, the main battle of Cold War II is under way: which country will the new Iraqi government choose as its ally? Top News Stories • The Great Game • Legal Chaos in Guantanamo • North Korea's Collapse? • The Suppression of Evolution • Whittaker Chambers and Abu Musab al-Zarqawi •

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107385527586956002005-02-01T17:58:00.000-05:002005-02-02T18:07:52.593-05:00

National Review Online recently republished Whittaker Chambers's scurrilous 1957 attack on Ayn Rand, in which his central complaint was that "Randian Man...is made the center of a godless world." (See my comments.) Now that complaint has been echoed—by Iraqi al-Qaeda leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi, in his screed against "democracy," translated by the Middle East Media Research Institute. It is

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107385121775655632005-01-31T17:55:00.000-05:002005-02-02T18:06:58.353-05:00

The key test of a terrorist insurgency is its ability to instill fear in a country's population. With voters showing up in large numbers—and terrorists powerless to stop them—the Iraqi election may be the moment that breaks the back of the insurgency. Top News Stories • "The Voters Were Completely Defiant" • The American Empire's Bridge to Iraq • The Heartless Welfare State • A Long-Term

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1107384893319212232005-01-31T17:49:00.000-05:002005-02-02T17:54:53.320-05:00

From Ukraine to Iraq, Never Underestimate the Power of Freedom's Example by Robert Tracinski Reports from the front lines (literally) of the Iraqi election have begun to solidify in my mind a new integration—one that makes me relatively optimistic about the outcome in Iraq, despite all of the problems and dangers. I have quietly been gathering evidence for this connection in the back of my

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-9229549.post-1106955450645831742005-01-28T18:34:00.000-05:002005-01-28T18:37:30.646-05:00

On the eve of this weekend's Iraqi elections, Jack Wakeland provides a detailed rundown of Iraq's electoral politics, including the most hopeful sign: the surprising strength of pro-American secularism. This long piece is the best overview I have seen of the meaning and potential of Sunday's historic vote. Top News Stories • Our New Iraqi Leaders: Bush's Confidence • Our New Iraqi Leaders: The

Robert Tracinskihttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08430983337191556650noreply@blogger.com