more on first amendment

My friend Archy commented on my blog and I thought you'd like to see it as well. In part, he said

Indeed it might well be hardwired human nature to distort the truth or omit information in the pursuit of what one might claim as a "greater good" or something "noble", or just something "innocent" and well intentioned.

I think we are all guilty of this to some degree or another.

Thus, I wonder if the question we should ask ourselves might be whether in seeking our most sacred goals a Machiavellian approach, that is "the ends justify the means", is completely moral, absolutely immoral, or the line of right and wrong is out there in the gray somewhere.

In regard to free speech and our rights under the constitution, we could start by positing that honesty is not synonymous with truth, and that reason is often treated like a naive superstition.

End.

How true! How often do we use "fact" and "research" as a means of supporting our point of view, rather than using that information to increase our understanding of the issue, or challenge our own assumptions.

more on deregulation

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/08/25/AR2010082505965.html?wpisrc=nl_pmopinions

here's the article from the Washington Post I mentioned in previous blog.

When will the next oil rig explode?

Why doesn’t the Congress pass laws that effectively regulate the food/energy/banking industry?

The last two years provided ample proof that de-regulation does not work. The American people were not protected from fraud in the banking industry; if fact the congress/fed gave investment bankers the tools that allowed them to bankrupt investors while earning billions. The oil industry was granted drilling rights and regulatory agencies did not have the power to enforce adherence to safety regulations that were in place. In the last week, we’ve seen that the egg/chicken industry has also been allowed to ignore basic safety procedures. The agriculture department and the FDA did not have the power to shut any faciility down or force recalls of contaminated food .... it could only “recommend” . Big oil companies were allowed to drill without proving that they had adequate emergency plans in case of disastrous leaks. Drilling rigs were allowed to continue operations despite safety violations.

Why? The simple answer is that Congress seems to believe that private industry can be trusted to regulate themselves.

Polls indicate a majority of Americans think that private industry is “over” regulated. Concurrently, most Americans believe that current regulations adequately protect them. They don't. Most Americans were shocked to find out that the MMA trusted the major oil companies to have an effective plan to deal with any oil spill! Most Americans are shocked when they find out that major oil and gas companies are exempted from following many environmental regulations, or are simply not required to conduct environmental impact studies. When they are faced with these facts, most Americans support increased enforcement of safety regulations.

Yet, once the crisis has passed, most Americans resist the same regulations on big business that could prevent a future crisis because they are told it would cost too much.... increase unemployment.... lower profits. etc. etc. Congress neglects to protect us from future disasters, either through self interest (campaign contributions) or lack of interest.

What is the true cost of continuing this trend towards de-regulation? People are right to be concerned about the ballooning deficit and its’ effect on future generations; they should be equally concerned that our grandchildren will not have clean water to swim in, or safe fish to eat or safe bridges, levees, airplanes and buildings unless we invest in science and education and new infrastructure as well as enforcing compliance to basic safety standards, despite the immediate cost.


Note; check out this opinion piece from the Washington Post on this subject.

protect the first amendment

Here's my message to the Democrats, Republicans, Tea Party, Sarah Palin, Pelosi, McCain, Boehner, Limbaugh, Dr. Laura, NBC and Fox News..etc. etc. etc...............................not everyone who you disagree with is a demon, a Nazi, a bigot, or un American.

I don't mean that there are no monsters among us. McVee is a monster. Those who use their religion as an excuse to fly into the World Trade Center or blow up innocent people in Bagdad and Afghanistan are monsters. Hitler was a monster. Stalin too.

However, I think these people are monsters because of what they did..... not because of their beliefs!

I admire people who devote their lives to something they believe in .... this includes those who picket outside abortion clinics. However, I condemn the person who takes a gun into a church and murders a doctor! I was against our involvement in Vietnam and supported student activism.... but those who bombed buildings and killed innocent people are simply killers who should be punished by our legal system and not hide behind the First Amendment.These days, as in the past, there have been people who want to demonize the opposition. That is not the America that I want to live in.

Anyway, I wish that we all could stop the name calling. Why don't we try to tell the truth and condemn all those who lie and distort the truth?