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The principles that rule this blog

Principles that will govern my thoughts as I express them here (from my opening statement):


  • Freedom of the individual should be as total as possible, limited only by the fact that nobody should be free to cause physical injury to another, or to deprive another person of his freedoms.
  • Government is necessary primarily to provide those services that private enterprise won't, or won't at a price that people can afford.
  • No person has a right to have his own beliefs on religious, moral, political, or other controversial issues imposed on others who do not share those beliefs.

I believe that Abraham Lincoln expressed it very well:

“The legitimate object of government is to do for a community of people whatever they need to have done, but cannot do, at all, or cannot
so well do, for themselves — in their separate, individual capacities.”


Comments will be invited, and I will attempt to reply to any comments that are offered in a serious and non-abusive manner. However, I will not tolerate abusive or profane language (my reasoning is that this is my blog, and so I can control it; I wouldn't interfere with your using such language on your own!)

If anyone finds an opinion that I express to be contrary to my principles, they are welcome to point this out. I hope that I can make a rational case for my comments. Because, in fact, one label I'll happily accept is rationalist.

Friday, February 01, 2008

Romney's big blunder

In a recent debate, Mitt Romney pointed out that the US has generally chosen as its Presidents people with experience as state governors (executives who run things) rather than Senators (legislators). Of course, he failed to acknowledge that John McCain has been other things besides a Senator, and in particular a high officer in the Navy. And the US has often chosen high military officers for President. (In fact, from the very beginning, namely George Washington. But of course, one can add Andrew Jackson and Dwight Eisenhower, as well as a lot of others less highly regarded. True, they were all Army, not Navy, but it takes the same kind of leadership skills to be a high Naval officer as an equally-high Army officer.)
Isn't it obvious that such people as Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and Mayor Rudy Giuliani, who have served as chief executives of populous political subdivisions (after all, regarding Giuliani, New York City has more people than many states!) would not support someone they felt could not handle the job?

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