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Index for this page...(Be aware some links below may have expired.)
All The Following Items Were Posted On December 1, 2005 1. Josiah Royce (1855-1916) American Idealist philosopher
Read about Josiah Royce in The Radical Academy. 2. Plato (427-347 B.C.) Ancient Greek philosopher
Read about Plato in The Radical Academy. 3. Henri Poincaré (1854-1912) French philosopher of science
Read about Henri Poincaré in The Radical Academy. 4. Zeno of Elea (c. 490-430 B.C.) Ancient Greek philosopher
Read about Zeno of Elea in The Radical Academy. 5. Karl Jaspers (1883-1969) German Existentialist philosopher
Read about Karl Jaspers in The Radical Academy. 6. Albert Schweitzer (1875-1965) German philosopher, theologian, physician
Read about Albert Schweitzer in The Radical Academy. 7. Ludwig Wittgenstein (1889-1951) German Logical Positivist philosopher
Read about Ludwig Wittgenstein in The Radical Academy.
FOR THE RECORD 1. Support for Re-legalizing Marijuana Reaches All-time High Public support for legalizing marijuana has reached an all-time high. According to a new Gallup study:
Gallup's conclusion: "The data make it clear that despite the gender and age differences that still persist, all subgroups are more likely to support legalized marijuana today than three decades ago." References: 2. Identity Theft Going Hi-Tech Identity theft continues to ensnare Americans as thieves turn to increasingly sophisticated means of obtaining victims' personal information. Last year 9.3 million American adults became victims of identity fraud, according to a survey by the Better Business Bureau and Javelin Strategy & Research. Overall, the fraud cost $52.6 billion last year, the survey estimated. Crafty thieves are combining technology, such as computers that print bogus checks, with low-tech foraging through garbage for personal information they can use to steal money or fraudulently open accounts. Perpetrators sometimes use "skimming" devices they install on ATMs to read information from the magnetic stripe when a card is swiped, then transmit it to the thieves. At the same time, a small hidden camera installed near the ATM can record a victim's PIN number. Other thieves send e-mails that, when opened, embed "spyware" that can capture keystrokes and obtain information on online purchases, according to a report in The Tennessean. But the majority of identity theft cases still result from a victim losing a wallet or checkbook or having it stolen. The good news is that the time taken to resolve identity-theft crime is down to 28 hours last year compared to 33 hours the previous year. Don Phan, an analyst at Javelin, said financial institutions are setting up assistance centers and identity theft resolution teams to help victims resolve their cases. Reference: 3. Update from Dr. Rudy Rummel Regarding Democide (Government Genocide) [Note: Dr. Dolhenty has corresponded with Professor Rummel over the past few years regarding his research into government-initiated mass murder during the 20th century. This is a recent notice he received from Dr. Rummel.] Many scholars and commentators have referenced my total of 174,000,000 for the democide (genocide and mass murder) of the last century. I'm now trying to get word out that I've had to make a major revision in my total due to two books. One is Wild Swans: Two Daughters of China by Jung Chang, and the other is Mao: the Unknown Story that she wrote with her husband, Jon Halliday. I'm now convinced that that Stalin exceeded Hitler in monstrous evil, and Mao beat out Stalin. From the time I wrote my book on China's Bloody Century, I have held to these democide totals for Mao:
However, some other scholars and researchers had put the PRC total as from 60,000,000 to a high 70,000,000. Asked why my total is so low by comparison, I've responded that I did not include the China's Great Famine 1958-1961. From my study of what was written on this in English, I believed that:
Thus, I believed that Mao's policies were responsible for the famine, but he was mislead about it, and finally when he found out, he stopped it and changed his policies. Therefore, I argued, this was not a democide. Others, however, have so counted it, but I thought this was a sloppy application of the concepts of mass murder, genocide, or politicide (virtually no one used the concept of democide). They were right and I was wrong. From the biography of Mao, which I trust (for those who might question it, look at the hundreds of interviews Chang and Halliday conducted with communist cadre and former high officials, and the extensive bibliography) I can now say that yes, Mao's policies caused the famine. He knew about it from the beginning. He didn't care! Literally. And he tried to take more food from the people to pay for his lust for international power, but was overruled by a meeting of 7,000 top Communist Party members. So, the famine was intentional. What was its human cost? I had estimated that 27,000,000 Chinese starved to death or died from associated diseases. Others estimated the toll to be as high as 40,000,000. Chang and Halliday put it at 38,000,000, and given their sources, I will accept that. Now, I have to change all the world democide totals that populate my websites, blogs, and publications. The total for the communist democide before and after Mao took over the mainland is thus 3,446,000 + 35,226,000 + 38,000,000 = 76,692,000, or to round off, 77,000,000 murdered. This is now in line with the 65 million toll estimated for China in the Black Book of Communism, and Chang and Halliday's estimate of "well over 70 million." This exceeds the 61,911,000 murdered by the Soviet Union 1917-1987, with Hitler far behind at 20,946,000 wiped out 1933-1945. For perspective on Mao's most bloody rule, all wars 1900-1987 cost in combat dead 34,021,000 -- including WWI and II, Vietnam, Korea, and the Mexican and Russian Revolutions. Mao alone murdered over twice as many as were killed in combat in all these wars. Now, my overall totals for world democide 1900-1999 must also be changed. I have estimated it to be 174,000,000 murdered, of which communist regimes murdered about 148,000,000. Also, compare this to combat dead. Communists overall have murdered four times those killed in combat, while globally the democide toll was over six times that number. Let freedom ring. [Dr. Rudy Rummel is an emeritus professor of political science at the University of Hawaii.] References: 4. Michael Jackson Goes Muslim (We Just Thought You'd Like to Know!) He's changed his nose and skin. Why not his faith? According to Arab-Israeli newspaper Panorama, Michael Jackson is leaving the Jehovah's Witnesses behind to become a Muslim. Michael's brother Jermaine, who has already converted, purportedly gave Michael some books on Islam. Jermaine has relocated to the Gulf nation of Dubai while Michael is moving to Bahrain and has purchased some property on an artificial island there. The recently acquitted pop singer is in hot water over reports of a phone message to a former business partner where the singer allegedly made untoward remarks about Jewish people. Jackson was reportedly heard saying, "They're [Jews] like leeches...I'm so tired of it...They start out the most popular person in the world, make a lot of money, big house, cars and everything. End up penniless. It is a conspiracy. The Jews do it on purpose." Jackson noted that he plans to move his assets from the U.S. to Bahrain and expressed his hope to put his legal troubles behind him. He supposedly wants to enjoy the kind of freedom he says he does not have in America. "The amount of money and of legal energy being given to prosecute hundreds of thousands of Americans who are caught with a few ounces of marijuana in their jeans simply makes no sense -- the kindest way to put it. A sterner way to put it is that it is an outrage, an imposition on basic civil liberties and on the reasonable expenditure of social energy." -- Conservative icon William F. Buckley, "Legalization of Marijuana Long Overdue," June 8, 1993. 6. Acknowledgments Some of the information included in our "For the Record" section may come from one or more of the following sources or is referred to us by that source. The subject matter or any views expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of the Center for Applied Philosophy or any of its associates. It is simply presented for your information and thoughtful reflection. COUNSELING CORNER: SOMETHING TO THINK ABOUT One Sunday morning an old cowboy entered a church just before services were to begin. Although the old man and his clothes were spotlessly clean, he wore jeans, a denim shirt and boots that were very worn and ragged. In his hand he carried a worn out old hat and an equally worn out Bible. The church he entered was in a very upscale and exclusive part of the city. It was the largest and most beautiful church the old cowboy had ever seen. The people of the congregation were all dressed with expensive clothes and accessories. As the cowboy took a seat, the others moved away from him. No one greeted, spoke to, or welcomed him. They were all appalled at his appearance and did not attempt to hide it. As the old cowboy was leaving the church, the preacher approached him and asked the cowboy to do him a favor. "Before you come back in here again, have a talk with God and ask him what he thinks would be appropriate attire for worship." The old cowboy assured the preacher he would. The next Sunday, he showed back up for the services wearing the same ragged jeans, shirt, boots, and hat. Once again he was completely shunned and ignored. The preacher approached the man and said, "I thought I asked you to speak to God before you came back to our church." "I did," replied the old cowboy. "If you spoke to God, what did he tell you the proper attire should be for worshiping in here?" asked the preacher. "Well, sir, God told me that He didn't have a clue what I should wear. He said He'd never been in this church before."
A LITTLE OF THIS & A LITTLE OF THAT A Little Wisdom: The road to success is lined with many tempting parking spaces. A Little Advice: If at first you don't succeed, redefine success. A Little Question: Should the year 2000 VW Beetle be refered to as the "Y2K Bug"? A Little Put-Down: Gene Police - "YOU!! Out of the pool!" A Little Proverb: At work, the authority of a person is inversely proportional to the number of pens that person is carrying. A Little Reflection: I'm not a failure, I just started on the bottom and I like it there. A Little Observation: "Ironic isn't it? I no sooner get the closet of my dreams then my husband comes out of it!" A Little Quote: "The man who has no imagination has no wings." -- Muhammed Ali (Cassius Clay), American boxer. A Little One-Liner: There is no pleasure in having nothing to do; the fun is in having lots to do and not doing it. A Little Definition: Diplomacy - the art of saying "Nice doggie" 'til you can find a stick. A Little Quip: My kids are the reason for everything. the reason everything is out of place, broken and dirty. A Little Commandment: If we are to keep our democracy, there must be one commandment: Thou shalt not ration justice.
Some interesting & provocative articles on other websites: A Herd of Academic Minds, by Edwin J. Feulner: If there's one word any college student knows, it's "diversity." Every university, it seems, is "committed" to diversity -- or at least says it is. For example, Arizona State says on its Web site that it "champions diversity." But the reality is sometimes a bit different. Man is more than a beast - The primatologist Frans de Waal says we should get in touch with 'our inner ape'. Speak for yourself, by Helene Guldberg: These were the parting words of Frans de Waal, one of the world's foremost primatologists, when we met to discuss his new book Our Inner Ape: The Past and Future of Human Nature: 'I hope you don't portray me as pessimistic.' Our Inner Ape describes the behaviour of our two closest living relatives - the bonobo and the chimpanzee - exploring what they can tell us about ourselves. De Waal argues for human and ape equivalence, and, according to the world-renowned zoologist, Desmond Morris, 'he provides us with a revealing picture of the inner ape inside each and every one of us'. Eleanor Smeal - The Supreme Court and the rebirth of anti-Catholicism?, by Marion Edwyn Harrison: Eleanor SmealMs. Eleanor Smeal, President of an organization styling itself the Feminist Majority -- "majority," by whose mathematics? -- again manifests her anti-Catholicism and also subliminally (or at least subliminally by her standards) introduces an unprecedented representation test into the composition of the Supreme Court of the United States. Do We Really Care About Children?, by Walter Williams: I cringe with disgust when I hear politicians say, "We're doing it for the children." What's worse is so many Americans mindlessly fall hook, line and sinker for the hype. Judging by our actions, Americans could not care less for future generations, and future generations will curse us for it. Let's look at it. Objectivism still raises that ire: An explanation why, by Daniel Ryan: Anyone who is either a full Objectivist or a quasi-Objectivist knows that there is a lot of pressure put upon anyone who is both an Objectivist (if defined broadly to include quasi-Objectivists who do not also hold as true any principle which flatly contradicts any essential of Objectivism), and is also commonsensical, to renounce Objectivism. Police State! Coming? Or Already Here?, by Tom Rose: The orientation and underlying concept of police enforcement in America have, indeed, been changing, but changing so quietly as to be hardly noticeable except by a few careful observers. The traditional orientation of police enforcement has been local rather than national. It was the sheriff, the highest police official in the county, and his deputies who were unquestioningly in control of maintaining peace and apprehending law breakers. The Catholics versus the Thanatics, by Michael Moriarty: The heading of this article pretty much sums up what World War III will come down to. George W. Bush called our foes "the evil axis," although he neglected to include its entire membership, alongside Osama bin Laden, al-Qaida and Kim Jong Il of North Korea. There's quite a parcel, including his father George H.W. Bush, a brother of the Skull and Bones Society at Yale University - which automatically makes him a Thanatic. Warmongering Is the Health of Statism, by Anthony Gregory: As Murray Rothbard explained in "The Anatomy of the State," the state cannot persist and expand through force alone; it needs the tacit consent of the people. Nothing bamboozles the people out of their consent like a war. How someone else's meth habit leaves you with a runny nose, by Jacob Sullum: At my local drugstore, shelves of cold and allergy medicine have been replaced by merchandise cards hanging from metal rods. If I want to buy one of these remedies, I have to take the corresponding card to the pharmacist's counter, wait in line, show my ID and add my name to a register. Fast food justice isn't good justice, by John Stossel: Some lawyers say fast food is dangerous. It can make you fat. I say some lawyers are dangerous. They can make you poor and take away your choices. But special privileges for favored industries, such as the bill the House recently passed to protect the fast-food industry, are the wrong cure. A Discount Cornucopia of Gratitude - Giving thanks for Wal-Mart, by Carrie Lukas: Ultimately, the extreme anti-Wal-Mart campaign will fail because millions of people still will choose to shop there. The real danger is that damage to the company's image will leave it vulnerable to the kind of legislative theft now being practiced in Maryland. The eventual result will be higher prices, tighter family budgets, and fewer jobs. The cultural elitists might feel satisfaction, but America will be the poorer. Next Stop - Big Brother: One morning in late September 2005, Deb was riding the public bus to work. She was minding her own business, reading a book and planning for work, when a security guard got on this public bus and demanded that every passenger show their ID. Deb, having done nothing wrong, declined. The guard called in federal cops, and she was arrested and charged with federal criminal misdemeanors after refusing to show ID on demand. Airline Seating Policy 'Demonizes' Men, by Patrick Goodenough: Two airlines "down under" are under fire after acknowledging their policy of not allowing an unaccompanied child passenger to sit next to a man. The policy emerged when a New Zealand man said he was asked by airline staff to move because an unaccompanied minor had been assigned the seat next to him.
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