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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.

Sunday, October 07, 2012

Let's look at the facts

There are Democratic-leaning blogs and sites that are claiming that it was Romney that was lying in Wednesday's debate, and specifically about that “$5 trillion tax cut.” President Obama used that figure on four occasions during that debate. As can be seen here, what is really the case is that Romney's plan cuts taxes by about that (actually a bit less, $4.8 trillion) over a 10-year period, but in addition eliminates a number of deductions and loopholes, which would make up for those cuts. And while Romney has failed to be specific about these, the whole point is that a President has to negotiate with Congress. Mitt Romney, I am certain, understands this, and expects to talk to Mitch McConnell, Harry Reid, John Boehner, and Nancy Pelosi about these details, to find out what can pass Congress. He is not Barack Obama, who figures that Congress will accept whatever he proposes.

And even the Obama campaign concedes that this “$5 trillion tax cut” charge is not true. Yet, I've seen a number of blogs that charge Romney with having chutzpah for his comment: “Mr. President, you're entitled as the president to your own airplane and to your own house, but not to your own facts.” But the facts are there, as I've just stated. So who is lying, and who is displaying chutzpah, there?

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