What happens if the military shrugs?
If you’ve read Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged you know the theme of her magnus opus is the role of the mind in man’s life. The plot describes what happens when men and women of the mind go on strike. Or as the novel puts it, what happens when the Atlas’, those who Rand believes are holding the world on their shoulders like the mythical Greek Titan through the productive work of their minds, shrug.
Putting aside the issue of whether Rand is right or wrong for now, I’ve got another question: what would happen if our military forces (all volunteer right now) shrugged? Read more
The 3 Pillars of Modern Civilization
I live in New Orleans and having witnessed Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath, I was struck by how quickly modern civilization can come to a screeching halt.
Take away the following three pillars and a modern city will be brought to its knees within days: running water, electricity, and gasoline. Read more
Is America the greatest country in the entire world?
I say: yes it is.
Why?
Because our nation is founded on the philosophical premise that the life of each individual is crucial. Individuals do not exist to serve the government (or any other institution) but rather, as Jefferson put so succinctly, “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed” in order to protect individual rights (namely, the inalienable rights of life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness).
The word inalienable is defined by Merriam-Webster as an adjective meaning “incapable of being alienated, surrendered, or transferred.” No where else on this Earth will you find a place where the whole country is founded on the principle of the individual’s intrinsic right to his or her life (no one else owns it; its yours). Read more