The REAL political spectrum

The left-right political spectrum as it is generally understood today is essentially meaningless. However, if we define the left side as "absolute government control" and the right side as "Anarchy" (no government), it suddenly begins to make sense. The diagram below is a simple exercise that may make the world a little easier to understand. Just move the various words and concepts to their appropriate place on the spectrum.

Re: Recycle or go to Hell, warns Vatican

As usual, the mainstream media wrote some misleading headlines that were picked up by lazy journalists all over the world.
The real story is on the Catholic World News website.

Ethanol--the hoax

Walter E. Williams has posted a great article about the Big Corn and Ethanol Hoax on Townhall.com.

The whole concept of mortal sin may have just been dealt a mortal blow.

 

Recycle or go to Hell, warns Vatican

By Malcolm Moore in Rome

Last Updated: 12:01am GMT 10/03/2008

 

Failing to recycle plastic bags could find you spending eternity in Hell, the Vatican said after drawing up a list of seven deadly sins for our times.

The seven, which include polluting the environment, were announced by Monsignor Gianfranco Girotti, a close ally of the Pope and the head of the Apostolic Penitentiary, one of the Roman Curia's main court.

The "sins of yesteryear" - sloth, envy, gluttony, greed, lust, wrath and pride - have a "rather individualistic dimension", he told the Osservatore Romano, the official Vatican newspaper.

The new seven deadly, or mortal, sins are designed to make worshippers realise that their vices have an effect on others as well.

"The sins of today have a social resonance as well as an individual one," said Mgr Girotti. "In effect, it is more important than ever to pay attention to your sins."

According to Roman Catholic doctrine, mortal sins are a "grave violation of God's law" and bring about "eternal death" if unrepented by the act of confession.

They are far more serious than venial sins, which impede a soul's progress in the exercise of virtue and moral good.

Mgr Girotti said genetic modification, carrying out experiments on humans, polluting the environment, causing social injustice, causing poverty, becoming obscenely wealthy and taking drugs were all mortal sins.  [Link]

Vaclav (is not Santa) Klaus

You've probably never heard of Vaclav Klaus, but he's President of the Czech Republic. He grew up in Soviet communist-dominated Czechoslovakia, and his Wall Street Journal article (by BRIAN M. CARNEY, March 8, 2008; Page A9) offers a unique perspective to the "global warming crisis". Here's just one of several points he makes:

He likens global-warming alarmism to communism, which he experienced first-hand in Cold War Czechoslovakia, then a Soviet satellite. While the communists argued that we must all sacrifice some freedom in pursuit of "equality," the "warmists," as Mr. Klaus calls them, want us to sacrifice liberty -- especially economic liberty -- to prevent a change in climate. In both cases, in Mr. Klaus's view, the costs of achieving the goal, and the impossibility of truly doing so, argue strongly against paying a price of freedom.
Furthermore, the fact that there has been some warming over so many years does not, by itself, prove to him that this trend will continue indefinitely. "Undoubtedly there is some warming," Mr. Klaus allows. "But there has never been no change in climate, no change in global temperatures." [Italics mine.]

Here's another:

Cost-benefit analysis and the precautionary principle "are two different methodologies, two different approaches, two different ways of thinking," he says. The less desirable precautionary principle "as used by Al Gore and all his fellow travelers" says that "if you are afraid that there are risks to something, you may prohibit everything." He continues: "This is for me absolutely unacceptable to think about."

Some of his other opinions are a bit disconcerting but, as I said, he does have a different perspective. One very telling point he makes is that "Russia is more free now than in any time in its 2,000 years of history. So to speak about dictatorship is misusing the terminology, devaluing the terms that we use." I'm not sure I completely agree with that, but his is very definitely a non-American (but not anti-American) perspective. Interesting!
--Cliff