Mindblown: a blog about philosophy.

I’m hanging over at Belmont Club and found a comment I rather liked. 121. sgi If there is one thing and one thing only that will alienate other American voters from tea party candidates it is their social conservatism. Personal freedom must be extended to all Americans, even if their personal choices are offensive to…

I spent all morning at the vet with Coco. She was tweaked, prodded, poked, punctured, infused and X-rayed for the second time in a month, and they seem to be getting closer to figuring out what was wrong with her. I can’t blog while waiting at the vet, and while I am not a Twitterer,…

While I felt like a dupe of the social conservative agenda yesterday (not a new feeling, unfortunately), I was very encouraged to see M. Simon’s earlier post. If what Eric Dondero reports is accurate, Christine O’Donnell disapproves of the federal war on drugs, and thinks such matters should rest with the state: Libertarian Republican has…

Goverment spending does not help the economy. Here’s how we can cut government spending. That is all. (Please forward this message on to the unenlightened and Paul Krugman.)

One of my e-mail correspondents sent me an e-mail bemoaning the turn to hard social conservatism of the Republican Party. He was also regretting that he supported so many Republicans who have now turned on the Tea Party (he also worries that the Tea Party may be turning into a socon movement rather than sticking…

If you disagree with me, it’s not so much that you’re wrong, it’s that you’re in denial! As we all know, denial consists of disagreeing with someone after the debate is “settled.” Or “over.” Denial is a treatable disease. What you think is a disagreement is actually a symptom.

H/T Legal Insurrection Also watch this: Biggest Trust Deficit Since 1776 Cross Posted at Power and Control

Today’s Philadelphia Inquirer features an editorial about the Tea Party movement which made me feel oddly optimistic. Asks the Inky, what would the Tea Party movement do? The unanswered question is what the tea party movement would do if its candidates arrive in Congress in January. Since they perceive cooperating with Democrats as treasonous, would…

I am still the same small-l libertarian I was when I started writing this blog. I think it’s fair to say that there have been many major issues, and many more “latest outrages” over the years. Yet I haven’t changed my mind about a single major issue I can think of. To some of the…

Cross Posted at Power and Control

At Hot Air there is quite a discussion going on about what the O’Donnell victory in the Republican Primary means. As a Navy man I liked this comment: Murkowski: Hit to bridge. Bennett: Hit to aft, rudder destroyed, propulsion damaged. Castle: Direct hit to the magazine. You sunk my Battleship Yacht! WHAAAAAAAA! Tea party/Conservative base:…

Speaking of constitutional rights that can’t be taken for granted, via an email I learned that Supreme Court Justice Stephen Breyer has made an analogy between burning the Koran in protest, and shouting fire in a crowded theater: We… saw Democrats and Republicans alike assume that Pastor Jones had a Constitutional right to burn those…

The lyrics are most apropos. Cross Posted at Power and Control

Yesterday, Glenn Reynolds linked a very thoughtful discussion of the Fourth Amendment by Julian Sanchez, which I think everyone who cares about the topic should read. It’s an eloquent reminder that the Fourth Amendment is not merely a remedy for accused criminal suspects seeking to get the results of illegal searches suppressed and their charges…

Another commenter decries the rush to purity of the Republican Party/Tea Party Movement. The focus is on the recent Delaware Primary Where O’Donnell (the Tea Party insurgent) beat Castle – a noted Republican squish. (I have another take on this race at No Quarter) Many conservatives feel empowered in the current environment. This empowerment hurt…

Instapundit is taking a lot of looks at the just concluded Delaware Republican Primary. He has after action reports (O’Donnell won). I also like this before action report he linked. The question addressed is: can O’Donnell win the general election. You couldn’t ask for a more vexing political conundrum than the Delaware Senate primary. It’s…

This used to be the theme music for WFMT in Chicago. It may still be. I was an engineer there when I went to UChicago. Cross Posted at Power and Control

To show you how behind I am on some of the more earthshaking news events in today’s world, I just got an email from a friend expressing surprise that I hadn’t said anything about an incident I’d never heard of until the email: Eric: I am surprised that you haven’t said anything about PETA’s condemnation…

The SEIU has come out in favor of pot legalization. A ballot measure to make California the first state to legalize the sale and use of marijuana has won the support of one of the state’s most powerful union, officials said Monday, offering the proposition a shot of mainstream legitimacy as well as a potential…