tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.comments2023-05-06T06:44:28.990-07:00The Governance ImperativeKellyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comBlogger53125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-64912808549440310782017-03-11T04:47:15.293-08:002017-03-11T04:47:15.293-08:00With this in mind, there is a worldview that the S...With this in mind, there is a worldview that the Scriptures set forth, establishing patterns that are normative and governing. One might wonder about the why behind these, but they are regardless of our ponderings. One might wonder what the fifth (or Nth since we don't know) dimensional source / cause of gravity is, but our desire to understand does not change the effects of gravity as a Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-58615291438024879802017-03-11T04:34:57.670-08:002017-03-11T04:34:57.670-08:00Two years later, I presume it is as good a time as...Two years later, I presume it is as good a time as any to address some of the claims made in this post. :-)<br /><br />These are largely questions that should be informed by hermeneutics (the principles used to interpret the Bible). Inerrancy is largely a fundamentalist doctrine that conflates Christ and the Bible as the Word of God. Christianity is not Islam, where the Koran is literally the Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-63192945243553035312016-12-30T20:58:59.411-08:002016-12-30T20:58:59.411-08:00"To seal the case for this interpretation of ...<b>"To seal the case for this interpretation of the Constitution and the absence of a right to secession, Amar points to the “bookend” of the Preamble – Article V, the article which sets forth the process for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution.</b><br /> <b>"Dissolution of the Union must be a decision made by the whole (i.e., three-fourths of the States in accordanceSarahwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04126396767234924541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-38701482011033670932016-12-30T20:46:36.572-08:002016-12-30T20:46:36.572-08:00"To seal the case for this interpretation of ...<b>"To seal the case for this interpretation of the Constitution and the absence of a right to secession, Amar points to the “bookend” of the Preamble – Article V, the article which sets forth the process for proposing and ratifying amendments to the Constitution.</b><br /> <b>"Dissolution of the Union must be a decision made by the whole (i.e., three-fourths of the States in accordanceSarahwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04126396767234924541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-44854399735762560002016-12-30T20:28:52.943-08:002016-12-30T20:28:52.943-08:00Unfortunately for Amar, the Peoples of the states ...Unfortunately for Amar, the Peoples of the states who ratified the Constitution, were adamant that this was not the case, and that the Constitution formed a federal republic of sovereign nation just like the Articles of Confederation-- but they simply delegated powers differently, beginning with the <i>People</i> of every state being the final authority, rather than the state's <i>Sarahwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04126396767234924541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-22200456903568418252016-12-30T20:16:23.602-08:002016-12-30T20:16:23.602-08:00Too bad the states made their intentions clear whe...Too bad the states made their intentions clear when ratifying the Constitution, Amar's inferences to the contrary notwithstanding. <br />The "People" in question were those of the states <i>respectively</i>, not collectively. <br />Period. Sarahwitchhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/04126396767234924541noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-5952705210592556742016-10-16T09:27:35.522-07:002016-10-16T09:27:35.522-07:00This comment has been removed by a blog administrator.Anonymoushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07944619791252663807noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-69263806633839217872010-05-07T05:35:53.517-07:002010-05-07T05:35:53.517-07:00I did a search on "welfare" this morning...I did a search on "welfare" this morning to look for a different post, but I ran across this one. Now that the <a href="http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-503544_162-20000846-503544.html" rel="nofollow">health care reform bill</a> has become the law of the land (a process that witnessed the messy business of American politics somehow churning out an answer - even if it is imperfect - to an Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-29562649252416212942010-02-15T15:13:38.632-08:002010-02-15T15:13:38.632-08:00And say what we want about Iraq, but it was a war ...And say what we want about Iraq, but it was a war duly authorized by Congress. So invading Iraq was not illegal or immoral.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-72736277672144510622010-02-15T15:12:57.295-08:002010-02-15T15:12:57.295-08:00Not only do we not ask these questions (or infrequ...Not only do we not ask these questions (or infrequently ask them) about some events, but we only ask them about situations that we have a natural inclination to not support in the first place (how many liberals questioned the Clinton Administration's bombing campaign against Yugoslavia?). But we also don't ask them about autrocities our nation committed in the past. How much do we really Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-53520433442641513812010-02-15T08:57:52.576-08:002010-02-15T08:57:52.576-08:00It's a political issue. Fixing a rusty old br...It's a political issue. Fixing a rusty old bridge doesn't attract the attention of voters like a promise of new jobs or breaking new ground for a commercial building complex. The followup question would be, is there a structural problem of our political system or is this evidence of democracies tendencies towards "Bread and circuses"?Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-76581541465525983832009-12-22T11:45:33.760-08:002009-12-22T11:45:33.760-08:00The monster will be resurrected from the depths of...The monster will be resurrected from the depths of Hades, to walk the Earth and sow fear and hatred in those it was brought forth to help, assuming a will of its own beyond the control of the mastermind creators.<br /><br />Our only hope will be the wisdom of the Nine to do battle with the black-magic Constitutionality at the beasts heart.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-36193077057918189232009-12-08T11:17:25.980-08:002009-12-08T11:17:25.980-08:00"What is so onerous about it that we need a n..."What is so onerous about it that we need a new status. This has nothing to do with civil courts or Miranda rights."<br /><br />It has everything to do with civil courts since the Obama Administration is trying terrorists in... er, civil courts. <br /><br />There has to be a new status of detainee because al-Qaeda and the affiliated terrorist organizations we are battling are non-State Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-36230451473824490532009-12-08T10:50:10.089-08:002009-12-08T10:50:10.089-08:00We agree that the military should not be trying to...We agree that the military should not be trying to follow the same rules as is required for a criminal case. We also agree that the Bush administration erred. <br /><br />We can even agree that there needs to be a new designation of detainment. It turns out signatories are bound even if their opponent are not. (Wikipedia) "The Conventions apply to a signatory nation even if the opposing Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-84684762922128993712009-12-07T19:20:45.743-08:002009-12-07T19:20:45.743-08:00I forgot to add: this was partly the philosophy be...I forgot to add: this was partly the philosophy behind having Senators selected by sate legislatures, rather than eleced directly by the People. Different modes of selection between the House and Senate meant a different constituency that each chamber answered to, resulting in different motivations and modes of operation.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-11244491941566905322009-12-07T19:04:31.164-08:002009-12-07T19:04:31.164-08:00The political tradition in England had developed t...The political tradition in England had developed this line of thought and fashioned it's political institutions accordingly - the one in the king, the few in the aristocracy / House of Lords and the many in the House of Commons. The Founders were aware of this distinction and worked to bake it into the Constitution,as detailed by John Adams: <br /><br />http://www.constitution.org/jadams/Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-68539904217261181622009-12-07T18:28:24.848-08:002009-12-07T18:28:24.848-08:00The reason you cannot have the military reading Mi...The reason you cannot have the military reading Miranda rights is precisely the difference between apprehending criminal suspects and capturing combatants on the battlefield. Holding the military to criminal enforcement standards would compromise the ability of the military to prosecute war. Soldiers are not police officers and you can not possibly expect to hold them to that standard. Bringing Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-34168204296827942902009-12-07T12:34:03.701-08:002009-12-07T12:34:03.701-08:00Ok, we both agree that torture is bad. We also agr...Ok, we both agree that torture is bad. We also agree that it is a curious course the current administration takes with KSM.<br /><br />It is understandable to not want to burden the military during an ongoing operation, but it can be said that following the Geneva Convention, even for detainees that do not fit the definition of a prisoner of war, would have been far less onerous that what is Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-785508001380193862009-12-07T11:32:20.802-08:002009-12-07T11:32:20.802-08:00Admiitedly, the above reflects more recent opinion...Admiitedly, the above reflects more recent opinion on what I think is the core issue in this debate. I didn't see it this way earlier this year, as I too got caught up in what I now think was an unhelpful strawman.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-4492750601635239672009-12-07T11:19:08.849-08:002009-12-07T11:19:08.849-08:00This is somewhat of a tangential direction, but I ...This is somewhat of a tangential direction, but I don't think the issue with the Gitmo detainees has ever been whether to torture. Everyone agrees that torture is bad, even if there has been a difference of opinion on whether particular "interrogation procedures" (e.g., sleep deprivation) constitute torture.<br /><br />I think the more fundamental disagreement is over the status of Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-7076265275417813612009-11-20T14:00:58.917-08:002009-11-20T14:00:58.917-08:00Kelly and I engaged in a conversation related to t...Kelly and I engaged in a conversation related to this post via email. It follows:<br /><br /><br />-----------------------------<br />Kelly to Craig<br /> <br />Nov 17<br /> <br />I would really like to see your research/analysis on the section/clause/reading which would prohibit the Federal government from forcing individuals into buying insurance.<br /><br />Another question would be why the Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-2554295113451819402009-11-16T17:54:10.469-08:002009-11-16T17:54:10.469-08:00I've thought about it and I really do have a p...I've thought about it and I really do have a problem with forcing everybody to buy insurance. Good call on that one.Kellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-27538689827729124002009-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:002009-04-08T13:37:00.000-07:00Thanks for the clarification. I think asking the q...Thanks for the clarification. I think asking the question more forthrightly in the post would be more effective. People will react less emotionally if they do not perceive any attempts at moral relativism if they understand the intent is to examine ourselves so we don't end up where Nazi Germany allowed itself to go. <BR/><BR/>The thing that has historically scared us about Nazi Germany is that Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-43609936503287928112009-04-08T13:15:00.000-07:002009-04-08T13:15:00.000-07:00The idea of Bonhoeffer on Bush is more about being...The idea of Bonhoeffer on Bush is more about being aware of what evil may come at the hands of a State willing to play fast and loose with the definitions of "good" and "evil". If it is wrong for a person to waterboard someone else, doing that same thing under the aegis of the State does not suddenly make it right or 'good'. Am I comparing two governments? No. I am asking questions to allow usKellyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08846371280799024151noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-32526257.post-52142585103794060432009-04-08T13:07:00.000-07:002009-04-08T13:07:00.000-07:00I think even the OTC became skeptical of Yoo's mem...I think even the OTC became skeptical of Yoo's memos towards the end of the Bush Administration. Last year, the OTC published memos disavowing the legal theories on which Yoo based his opinions.Craighttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11727689682452973822noreply@blogger.com