February 23, 2012

President Obama Signs Law Allowing Indefinite Detention of Americans Citizens Without Constitutional Protections Such as a Trial By Jury

President Obama Signed His Own Version of the Alien Sedition Act

Stop what you are doing because this is one of the most important things you will ever read.  If you have any knowledge or sense of American history, you will understand why.  It doesn't matter if you are conservative, liberal, libertarian, or politically agnostic, this effects you. President Obama just signed his version of John Adam's Alien and Sedition Act.  It is now the law of the land.  It gives the government, under the authority of the President, the right to detain American … [Read more...]

Elizabeth Warren Running for Senate (and Talking About the Nation’s Debt)

Elizabeth Warren Running for Senate

Consumer protection advocate Elizabeth Warren, who has written bestselling financial books detailing how it is sometimes a mistake for both parents to work in a household due to what she called 'the two income trap' and how to manage your money for life, is hoping to unseat Scott Brown in Massachusetts. … [Read more...]

Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell Officially Repealed Today: Watch Active Duty Soldier Come Out to His Dad

Active Duty Soldier Comes Out to Dad After Repeal of Don't Ask Don't Tell

My younger brother, who as many of you know had a career in the United States military and now serves in the guard, will often talk in private to the family about how glad he was to see Senator John McCain defeated for President during the 2008 election cycle.  From education funding to military policy, gay rights to general life philosophy, it's safe to say that he was not a fan of anything that McCain said or did.  (The deal breaker for all of us was when McCain refused to support an … [Read more...]

The Kennon & Green Foundation Celebrates the Passage of Marriage Equality in New York

New York Marriage Equality Law Passed

The Kennon & Green Foundation is a big supporter of marriage equality and includes gay rights in one of the five categories to which it donates cash grants (the others being poverty reduction, education, supporting the Christian Church, and ecology, environmental, and species preservation; for more information, you can read the foundation's guidelines). As a result, the family was thrilled last night when, shortly before midnight, the New York State legislature passed the marriage … [Read more...]

Does God Reward Nations Economically Based Upon Their Religious Beliefs?

GDP Per Capita and Religion Ranking

A Look at GDP Per Capita and Religion By Nation One of my grandmothers, whom I love very much, insisted that the United States has only financially prospered because we are a Christian nation.  She insists that our adherence to Judeo-Christian ethics is the reason we have a higher standard of living than everyone else. Although I, myself, am religious and, personally, a Christian, the coldly rational economist in me immediately objected: Her statement could not be true because we are not … [Read more...]

The Curious Case of Neo-Paganism Witchcraft In the Christian Church

Hanging Gardens of Babylon

Ruby and I were having a conversation about religion in the United States today and I find it incredibly interesting that there is a small, cultish group of "Christians" that are really nothing more than the modern day resurrection of the ancient Babylonian pagan cults.  They are so ignorant they have no idea that they are literally taking some of the beliefs of these ancient cultures they condemn, slapping the symbol of a cross on them, and insisting that they are enlightened!  Previous … [Read more...]

Mail Bag – Is Heterosexuality More Moral Than Homosexuality? The Moral, Religious, and Political Question That Stumped Me for Two Weeks

gay-marriage-moral-martha

(Even if you don't care about the issue discussed in this mail bag edition, it might be useful to see how we approach problems around here because this is the same process we use for our investments.  It is probably the most revealing example of the thought process we bring to capital allocation than anything else I've written.) First, the usual caveat: I sincerely hate this issue (gay marriage) because I am so tired of talking about it or hearing about it on the news.  Marriage … [Read more...]

What Is Morality? Are Morals Relative to Circumstances?

What Is Moral and Morality

I often hear people throw around words like "moral" and "immoral".  What does this mean?  Does morality change or is morality something that is always true and unshifting through the sands of time? Words mean something so I have to identify what it is to be "moral".  That means we need to frame the parameters. Moral: From the Latin "moralitas" means, "manner, character, proper behavior". Immoral: The opposite of whatever is considered moral Amoral: Existing outside or unaware of … [Read more...]

Mail Bag – The Electoral College and the President of the United States

United States Electoral College Vote in 2008 Presidential Election

Today's mail bag letter comes from Sjberkely who writes: I was reading one of your blog entries and found it to be misleading.  I hope you are able to correct the problem.  Below are some facts that should help explain the system a bit more clearly. You should know that people are in a state election and a national election at the same time. Each state is afforded a certain amount of electoral votes based on the number of members in the House and Senate.  Also, the state legislatures do … [Read more...]

Jesus Christ vs. Captain Kirk: A Study of Mental Models (or “A Modern Example of Binary Beliefs and Cognitive Dissonance In Everyday Western Culture”)

Star Trek Captain Kirk

The odds are good you won't read this entire post.  The reason?  It has to do with confirmation bias.  If you think what I am going to say conflicts with your belief system - whether you are a scientist or a Christian - you won't finish it to avoid cognitive dissonance even though you aren't entirely sure what I will say. Ruby and I have been discussing Glenn Beck's week of "Islam is going to result in the rise of the Anti-Christ" television shows that have been all over the news lately. … [Read more...]