Quote of the Day
An eye for eye only ends up making the whole world blind.
Mahatma Gandhi
Romney Unofficially Clinches the Nomination
Given the fact all opponents had already dropped out or were mathematically eliminated weeks ago, most people probably didn't realize that Romney hadn't gotten the 1144 delegates needed. Obama forces have already been attacking Romney for weeks. Ron Paul forces have been arguing the WSJ/CNN/NYT counts have overstated delegate counts. The remaining 5 states (California, New Mexico, New Jersey, Montana, and South Dakota) have another 300 or so delegates up next Tuesday, but after tonight's Texas victory, Romney has clinched 1183.
The Houla Massacre
There is not a lot one needs to say when nearly 80% of 108 murder victims of the Syrian government or its shadow thug network include women and children. It's an incontrovertible crime against humanity, and I condemn Russia and/or any other nation standing in the way of international solidarity in dealing with an outlaw regime that has lost its moral authority to rule. However, for Senator Graham advocating no-fly zones and other such predictable tactics, thumbs down! You can't stop thugs by raining down bombs. We need to serve as catalysts for revolutionary change, but we no longer serve as the world's policeman.
Classical Liberalism: Dr. Ashford's Series #5
I think one of the interesting things in relevant Youtube videos is watching the give and take in the comments. For example, I knew as soon as he mentioned Ayn Rand, it was going to set off a squirmish because Objectivism is a very controversial subject., and you have the predictable battles between sources or interpretations, what the professor says or doesn't say, etc. Natural rights within our American system borrows from John Locke's concepts of life, liberty and property. I'm interested in Ashford's decision to focus his discussion on Rand and Nozick. I think the motive has to do with Ashford wanting to tie together natural rights, minimal government, capitalism, and morality. I would have approached the topic differently, but I like the nature of his discussion.
Musical Interlude: My Favorite Groups
The Rolling Stones, "Mixed Emotions"
