tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-51459422024-03-07T15:03:37.588-08:00Armchair IntellectualGideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.comBlogger321125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-49059721479528430622012-01-19T10:05:00.000-08:002012-01-19T10:05:28.733-08:00I cannot support Gary Johnson, LibertarianI spoke in support of Gary Johnson when he ran as a Republican but I cannot support his run within the Libertarian Party. In essence, I agree with Ari Armstrong recent post on The Objective Standard Blog, though of course my views on the Libertarian Party go back to the more detailed Peter Schwartz essay, which was reprinted in the excellent collection of essays The Voice of Reason. Of Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-74802396554239487842011-09-25T11:46:00.000-07:002011-09-25T11:46:07.019-07:00Why I support Gary Johnson for PresidentI have followed American presidential elections closely since 1988. I abstained in voting for a President in 1988 and 1992 because I wasn't a US citizen yet but I would have abstained even if I could vote. In 2000, I did think Al Gore deserved defeat and because I mistakenly trusted Bush on his no-nation building pledge, I voted for Bush in 2000. With considerably less excuse, but still thinking Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-46535122313551436822011-03-10T20:23:00.000-08:002011-03-10T20:59:08.835-08:00A Debate on Government (and the Nature of Man)I very much enjoyed watching today's First Principles debate between Ayn Rand Institute President Yaron Brook and Demos President Miles Rapoport on "Government: What is its proper role?". The event was announced, advertised, and livestreamed on Facebook, yet another example of the many benefits of this at times maligned forum.As an aside, it is interesting to recall that back in the 1980s John Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-21339316013591103982010-06-06T18:39:00.000-07:002010-06-06T19:16:41.440-07:00Activism: Israel Solidarity Rally in Los AngelesI attended the Israel Solidarity Rally in Los Angeles today wearing a "Who is John Galt?" t-shirt and handed out Ayn Rand Center literature in the form of a still relevant Elan Journo article. This was my first rally in recent memory and certainly the first one I remember where I handed out literature. I had about 100 copies of the article to hand out and had 8 left when I departed. Most people Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-9363317656152671442010-05-08T10:38:00.000-07:002010-05-08T11:48:20.902-07:00On the Failure of the Current US War StrategyBarry Rubin recently wrote a very important blog post entitled "What's Wrong--and Dangerously So--With U.S. Strategic Policy in the Middle East". In the post he praised two important articles highly critical of US strategy, which originated with the Bush administration and is now still substantially continued by the Obama administration. Echoing themes that are detailed in Elan Journo's WinningGideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-40974992289748529672010-04-30T07:59:00.000-07:002010-04-30T08:21:34.649-07:00ImmigrationBlogger Gus van Horn has published an excellent op-ed at Pajamas Media on the topic of the recent Arizona law on illegal immigration. Gus writes:SB 1070 deserves only one fundamental criticism: It would fail to protect the individual rights of American citizens –even if it hermetically sealed our borders and the police never touched a single American hair in the process of enforcing it. Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-55954427358534997552010-04-29T17:57:00.001-07:002010-04-29T18:11:26.503-07:00The Peikoff-Kelley DisputeThose new to Ayn Rand's philosophy of Objectivism are no doubt a bit mystified by the fact that there appear to be two rival "camps" that both claim to represent and promote Ayn Rand's ideas, namely the Ayn Rand Institute, still influenced by founder Leonard Peikoff, and what is now called The Atlas Society, whose senior intellectual is David Kelley. The dispute between the two sides is now over Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-32937762918223700792010-04-27T08:14:00.000-07:002010-04-27T08:18:05.740-07:00Everybody Draw Mohammed DayFor the record, I really hate South Park, but the producers of the show, like everybody else in this country have the right to express themselves without intimidation, including about the subject of the alleged prophet Mohamed. That is why I support Everybody Draw Mohammed Day. See also Ari Armstrong's arguments for a further defense. Above is my entry.Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-35463294008736145642010-03-24T15:58:00.000-07:002010-03-24T16:02:53.151-07:00Nothing Less Than VictoryLast night I finished reading John David Lewis's excellent book Nothing Less Than Victory. I posted the following review at amazon:John David Lewis takes the reader through the important steps of six separate wars in ancient and modern times ranging from the Greeks and Romans to the U.S. Civil War and World War II. In each case he illustrates in detail the importance of moral ideas as the Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-17022866007868139552010-03-17T14:26:00.000-07:002010-03-17T14:28:44.507-07:00Outrage of the DayGeneral Stanley McChrystal:The top U.S. commander in Afghanistan said Wednesday that it remains the goal of U.S. troops to capture Osama bin Laden alive and "bring him to justice."Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-84972342371616791412010-03-10T17:41:00.000-08:002010-03-10T17:48:32.261-08:00Repeal the Amazon Tax!It seem Colorado has decided to make life more difficult for online retailers such Amazon.com. Let's help fight this new injustice before other states begin to copy it. Details can be found in the following links:Repeal the Amazon Tax.At Diana Hsieh's Noodlefood:Colorado Screws Amazon and its Affiliates.And at Ari Armstrong's blog Free Colorado:Stop the 'Amazon Tax!Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-92135912871355592392010-02-12T15:26:00.000-08:002010-02-12T15:43:55.205-08:00Capitalism UnboundAndrew Bernstein has written a new book called Capitalism Unbound that, in his words:...offers a focused, essentialized, and condensed argument ideal for the layman who admires capitalism but lacking a succinct, accessible explanation of its moral and economic virtues.I have just finished reading it and I heartily agree. The book is an excellent shorter and updated presentation of Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-72323249504397843652010-01-02T17:04:00.000-08:002010-01-02T17:28:28.780-08:00A question on killing civilians in warSomeone identified as "Curious" has posted a comment asking for my comment on an article by Justin Raimondo which is entitled "The Objectivist Death Cult". I'm afraid the limits of my tolerance do not extend to analyzing articles that refer to Objectivists as a "cult," never mind a "death cult."However, I realize the specific issue that he asks about is not obvious. I recommend you take a look Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-37143427975322001812009-09-21T14:51:00.000-07:002009-09-21T14:55:11.215-07:00TwitterI'm on twitter:@gidreichI think I'll use twitter to point out any interesting links I come across. I see many of these and don't usually want to write a complete blog post on them. I have two tweets so far.Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-59822205273731266262009-09-19T09:36:00.000-07:002009-09-19T09:56:34.839-07:00Bill Whittle Redeems HimselfIt seems that I wasn't the only one challenging Bill Whittle's recent depictions of the false alternative of conservative cynicism vs. leftist idealism as they derive from "constrained" vs. "unconstrained" visions of human nature (following the views expressed in Thomas Sowell's A Conflict of Visions). As a result, Whittle, to his credit, invited Onkar Ghate of the Ayn Rand Institute (hat-tip AriGideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-25056861545892945472009-09-14T21:15:00.000-07:002009-09-14T21:22:50.277-07:00Elan Journo on Winning the Unwinnable WarIn a highly recommended two part interview by Reut Cohen on PJTV, Elan Journo discusses his new book Winning the Unwinnable War.Part 1Part 2Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-66146812922037554172009-09-10T10:19:00.000-07:002009-09-10T10:23:03.028-07:00Conservatives vs. IdealismDespite the vaguely united opposition to Obama, important fundamental differences remain between the various different groups. For a reminder that Objectivists have a lot less in common with Conservatives than it sometimes seems look no further than Bill Whittle's latest video essay:A Tale of Two Revolutions: The War of Ideas & the Tragedy of the Unconstrained VisionGideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com9tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-54218155658328261492009-08-25T21:05:00.000-07:002009-08-25T21:11:51.573-07:00Barry Rubin on IranLately Barry Rubin has been my favorite (non-Objectivist) political analyst. For a good example of why I thoroughly enjoy his analysis, see his blog entry on Iran in which he compares Iran to Stalinist Russia. Here's an educational excerpt:The post-election trials of opposition activists in Tehran resemble the Soviet purge trials of the 1930s. They are one more sign that Iran is entering a new Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-47830912364506766492009-08-25T20:58:00.000-07:002009-08-25T21:05:17.366-07:00Torture and InterrogationAm I the only one singularly unimpressed by the excerpts Salon posted of "enhanced interrogation" techniques (i.e., torture) and the fact that Cheney endorsed them? Here's a sample:Sometime between 28 December 2002 and 1 January 2003, the debriefer used an unloaded semi-automatic handgun as a prop to frighten Al-Nashiri into disclosing information. After discussing this plan with [blacked out] Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-20604573434464441602009-08-19T10:32:00.000-07:002009-08-19T10:49:32.943-07:00Robert Novak, the Late Terrorist LoverDiana West seems to be among the few Conservatives willing to openly speak ill of the recently deceased Robert Novak. That's a shame because his support for Hamas and his claim that they are "freedom fighters" shows quite clearly where his sympathies lay and what the relevant evaluation should be. Perhaps with the passage of time some of us forget what Hamas actually stands for. Let's remind Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-90438419626044111852009-08-17T20:43:00.000-07:002009-08-17T20:59:08.208-07:00Leadership in IraqMany people find the Middle East and its people difficult to understand (For an excellent introduction to the region listen to Scott Powell's The Islamist Entanglement). In particular one gets the sense that our former President George W. Bush was under the impression that there are no significant cultural differences between Iraqi Arabs and Americans (what our current President Barack H. Obama Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-40743463721660150092009-08-15T13:16:00.000-07:002009-08-15T13:20:05.821-07:00Peter Schiff on the Choice Americans FacePeter Schiff, as usual, gets it right when it comes to the economic and political choices that Americans face:...I believe that we must restore the conditions that led to our economic preeminence. We must once again become the leader in economic freedom. This entails dismantling a significant portion of our federal and state governments, repealing countless unnecessary regulations, significantly Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-4692297541838306462009-08-14T09:26:00.001-07:002009-08-14T09:35:19.727-07:00Caroline Glick on Fatah and ObamaJerusalem Post columnist Caroline Glick has written an excellent, detailed op-ed piece of the results of the recent Fatah conference in Bethlehem. She highlights the utter corruption of the policies of the Obama administration with respect to the region. Here's a brief excerpt:FOR THE Obama administration, Fatah was supposed to be the poster child for moderate terrorists. Fatah was supposed to beGideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-20874125447460508672009-08-14T08:16:00.000-07:002009-08-14T08:55:14.705-07:00What is the proper response to Climate Change?Keith Lockitch has announced the publication of an important paper by him in the journal Energy & Environment. The paper is entitled "CLIMATE VULNERABILITY AND THE INDISPENSABLE VALUE OF INDUSTRIAL CAPITALISM" and is available online. The abstract is as follows:It is widely believed that man-made greenhouse gas emissions are increasing overall vulnerability to climate-related disasters, and Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5145942.post-18155189406104479602009-08-12T17:26:00.000-07:002009-08-12T19:14:22.482-07:00Upcoming Books and Radio AppearancesIn a review of this summer's OCON conference in Boston, the August issue of the Ayn Rand Institute's Impact includes a list of books by prominent Objectivist intellectuals that are expected to be published in the near future:Dr. [Gregory] Salmieri is coeditor (with Allan Gotthelf) of the forthcoming Ayn Rand:A Companion to Her Life and Thought, and is a contributor to a book on Objectivist Gideonhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02806423185226885594noreply@blogger.com0