[This is written in the context where "left" means somewhere along the continuum of Democrat-Socialist-Communist, while "right" means somewhere along the range of Libertarian-Republican. I do not buy the argument that Authoritarians are on the right. They are variants of leftists, all of whom gravitate towards more, rather than less, government. Anarchists are neither right nor left.]

The difference between leftists and rightists lies in their perceptions of...

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Basic tenets of my faith

I am revert to Catholicism. I was a cradle Catholic, then fell away from the Church during when the post-Vatican-II reform movement in the United States got well and truly out of hand during the late 1970s and early 1980s.

It also didn’t hurt that I was young, full of hormones, and not at all interested in any body telling me that I couldn’t have sex with my girlfriend unless I got married first. I live a terribly sinful life, and I know the...

Zapfenstreich

The whole concept of keeping people disarmed while flying is something that strikes me as being counter-intiuitive.



9/11 happened because... the terrorists were armed, apparently with knives, and took over airplanes filled with unarmed pilots, crew, and passengers. Nobody could fight effectively against them with their nail clippers, swiss army knives, corkscrews and knitting needles.


So our reaction to the above situation is to ban non-terrorists...

Zapfenstreich

This was originally written as part of a thread where people were commenting on a road rage incident in Arizona, where one genius in a monster truck had confronted another similar genius, jumping out of his truck to challenge the other driver to a smack down.

The one still in his truck had simply shot the would-be brawler, in a scene vaguely reminiscent of a modernized episode of Gunsmoke.

That story, building on top of my own decade of experiences in the hell that...

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Ted Kennedy’s Dead!

I wonder how long before the geniuses in Massachusetts elect/appoint/crown another Kennedy to take his place?

I can't believe you guys say things like "public service", as though he was doing something for people. Being in the Senate for that guy was all about power, perpetuating his royal Kennedy legacy, crusading against gun owners, and sucking as much pork out of the public trough for his state as possible.

Canonize him...

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