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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.

Tuesday, April 28, 2009

Arlen Specter's party shift

The news is out that Arlen Specter has switched parties. I find it very painful to read.


If there is no place in the Republican Party for Specter, there is no place in either party for reasonability. The Democrats are socialists in fact if they won't admit it and the Republicans, who have been moving so far to the right that their best Senator felt he had to leave, are turning into a hard alternative to accept.


I could never become a Democrat, as Specter has. And if I were in Pennsylvania, I wonder how I'd vote next year. I still like most of Specter's positions, but I'd have difficulty voting for someone who will vote to give theDemocrats control of the Senate.


Fortunately, I don't have that problem. I don't live in Pennsylvania. But my heart goes out to those who do.
Posted by Opinionator at 5:12 PM Labels:

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