Friday, October 21, 2005
"With Labour back, the financial community has to take more seriously the bevy of policy pronouncements served up just prior to the election campaign. That’s a nuisance, because a change of government would have seen the sillier of Michael Cullen’s intentions, simply trashed," says Gareth Morgan. "The government is so busy rearranging the chairs on the deck of the ship of savings and investment, that it's lost sight of the reality that if individuals don't take responsibility for the steerage of their savings and investment decisions they will more likely sink financially anyway."
The Economic Freedom of the World, 2005 Annual Report has just been published by Canada's Fraser Institute. This report has been authored for the last decade by Professors James Gwartney and Robert Lawson, with the cooperation of some 67 public policy organizations from around the world. This new report is important as it provides further empirical evidence of the importance of economic freedom to individual well-being and opportunity. The report's conclusions include the following: "Countries with more economic freedom have substantially higher per-capita incomes and higher growth rates." These findings show economic freedom is not just desirable from some philosophical viewpoint but is a necessary and absolute good. Countries that move from less economic freedom to more raise their citizens' well-being much faster than the more restrictive regimes.
"There is a difference between Soft Multiculturalism - the idea that minorities should not face discrimination and that the customs of different people should be tolerated, and which he describes as a 'benign force' - and Hard Multiculturalism, which insists no culture is better than another, and which believes society should not only tolerate difference but promote it. This leads some Western intellectuals into the perverse position of defending cultures that condone the killing of homosexuals and the virtual enslavement of women, whilst denigrating the culture of the free societies of the West, inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment."
The destruction of core values surrounding relationships and marriage are hurting society, argues William Duncan. "Modern litigation seeks to restructure the political environment of this country. This concept is described in another way by Richard Weaver as 'Striking at restraints without considering what they preserve.' ... The argument of those who want to see the family restructured focuses on the 'individual interests' in marriage and family relationships, while their opponents stress the "social interests" affected by such relationships. The wisest approach to these issues requires that we compare the institution of wedlock as it has existed within a long-established American tradition of family law with the proposed new institution that would result from the proposed restructuring of marriage. Only such an approach avoids the false, but often-propounded, notion that the fight over the definition of marriage is primarily a struggle between the legislative branch of government and the judicial. In reality, what is at stake in the fight over the definition of marriage is not the difference between the legislature and the court, but rather the difference between the state and society."
"When Nelson GP, Dr Joseph Hassan, sent a letter to his patients telling them he would no longer prescribe contraceptives, he made headlines. His actions have been praised in some quarters, while others have nothing positive to say. His letter has sparked debate all around the country. Many claim doctors should be forced to prescribe contraception and refer patients for abortions, no matter what their moral view regarding either issue. People suggesting such a course of action appear to be asking for a health system where the practitioners are required to obey the system without question. But isn't this the same modus operandi employed by despotic and tyrannical regimes? Where the system forces people to act without engaging their conscience, and the free will of the individual is removed to further the ends of the ideology? Such a system would be dangerous. It would require doctors to act solely according to the will of the state, and without thinking. Is this really what we want?"
Frustrated with the success of so-called "conservative" bioethicists in influencing public policy in the US, several "progressive" bioethicists have aligned themselves to the Democratic Party to shift public policy from right to left. Or, in the words of Dr Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania, from "religious fanaticism" and "narrow intuitionism" to "pragmatic principalism". At a seminar organised by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning Washington thinktank with close links to the Democratic Party, several "progressive" bioethicists described their initiative in terms which suggest that US bioethics has fissured into nearly irreconcilable camps operating with completely different philosophical frameworks. According to the speakers at the seminar, progressives believe that bioethics should concern itself with social justice issues, and that human dignity is best promoted by providing the necessities of life, like healthcare, food and education. Conservatives, on the other hand, want "government enforcement of majoritarian prejudices that are based on emotion and instinct and repugnance". To use the words of R. Alta Charo, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, its recent interest is "foetus fetishism".
~ Nature, Oct 13 (sorry, no link)
"It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn't. The pages coming out of your color printer may contain hidden information that could be used to track you down if you ever cross the U.S. government. Last year, an article in PC World magazine pointed out that printouts from many color laser printers contained yellow dots scattered across the page, viewable only with a special kind of flashlight. The article quoted a senior researcher at Xerox Corp. as saying the dots contain information useful to law-enforcement authorities, a secret digital "license tag" for tracking down criminals."
What Will Heaven Be Like? Peter Kreeft doesn't shy away from the tough ones when he provides his thoughts on 35 frequently asked questions about eternity. This is one of the best brief expositions I have seen; challenging and yet comforting.
The Economic Freedom of the World, 2005 Annual Report has just been published by Canada's Fraser Institute. This report has been authored for the last decade by Professors James Gwartney and Robert Lawson, with the cooperation of some 67 public policy organizations from around the world. This new report is important as it provides further empirical evidence of the importance of economic freedom to individual well-being and opportunity. The report's conclusions include the following: "Countries with more economic freedom have substantially higher per-capita incomes and higher growth rates." These findings show economic freedom is not just desirable from some philosophical viewpoint but is a necessary and absolute good. Countries that move from less economic freedom to more raise their citizens' well-being much faster than the more restrictive regimes.
"There is a difference between Soft Multiculturalism - the idea that minorities should not face discrimination and that the customs of different people should be tolerated, and which he describes as a 'benign force' - and Hard Multiculturalism, which insists no culture is better than another, and which believes society should not only tolerate difference but promote it. This leads some Western intellectuals into the perverse position of defending cultures that condone the killing of homosexuals and the virtual enslavement of women, whilst denigrating the culture of the free societies of the West, inspired by the ideals of the Enlightenment."
The destruction of core values surrounding relationships and marriage are hurting society, argues William Duncan. "Modern litigation seeks to restructure the political environment of this country. This concept is described in another way by Richard Weaver as 'Striking at restraints without considering what they preserve.' ... The argument of those who want to see the family restructured focuses on the 'individual interests' in marriage and family relationships, while their opponents stress the "social interests" affected by such relationships. The wisest approach to these issues requires that we compare the institution of wedlock as it has existed within a long-established American tradition of family law with the proposed new institution that would result from the proposed restructuring of marriage. Only such an approach avoids the false, but often-propounded, notion that the fight over the definition of marriage is primarily a struggle between the legislative branch of government and the judicial. In reality, what is at stake in the fight over the definition of marriage is not the difference between the legislature and the court, but rather the difference between the state and society."
"When Nelson GP, Dr Joseph Hassan, sent a letter to his patients telling them he would no longer prescribe contraceptives, he made headlines. His actions have been praised in some quarters, while others have nothing positive to say. His letter has sparked debate all around the country. Many claim doctors should be forced to prescribe contraception and refer patients for abortions, no matter what their moral view regarding either issue. People suggesting such a course of action appear to be asking for a health system where the practitioners are required to obey the system without question. But isn't this the same modus operandi employed by despotic and tyrannical regimes? Where the system forces people to act without engaging their conscience, and the free will of the individual is removed to further the ends of the ideology? Such a system would be dangerous. It would require doctors to act solely according to the will of the state, and without thinking. Is this really what we want?"
Frustrated with the success of so-called "conservative" bioethicists in influencing public policy in the US, several "progressive" bioethicists have aligned themselves to the Democratic Party to shift public policy from right to left. Or, in the words of Dr Arthur Caplan, of the University of Pennsylvania, from "religious fanaticism" and "narrow intuitionism" to "pragmatic principalism". At a seminar organised by the Center for American Progress, a left-leaning Washington thinktank with close links to the Democratic Party, several "progressive" bioethicists described their initiative in terms which suggest that US bioethics has fissured into nearly irreconcilable camps operating with completely different philosophical frameworks. According to the speakers at the seminar, progressives believe that bioethics should concern itself with social justice issues, and that human dignity is best promoted by providing the necessities of life, like healthcare, food and education. Conservatives, on the other hand, want "government enforcement of majoritarian prejudices that are based on emotion and instinct and repugnance". To use the words of R. Alta Charo, of the University of Wisconsin, Madison, its recent interest is "foetus fetishism".
~ Nature, Oct 13 (sorry, no link)
"It sounds like a conspiracy theory, but it isn't. The pages coming out of your color printer may contain hidden information that could be used to track you down if you ever cross the U.S. government. Last year, an article in PC World magazine pointed out that printouts from many color laser printers contained yellow dots scattered across the page, viewable only with a special kind of flashlight. The article quoted a senior researcher at Xerox Corp. as saying the dots contain information useful to law-enforcement authorities, a secret digital "license tag" for tracking down criminals."
What Will Heaven Be Like? Peter Kreeft doesn't shy away from the tough ones when he provides his thoughts on 35 frequently asked questions about eternity. This is one of the best brief expositions I have seen; challenging and yet comforting.
Thursday, October 20, 2005
It appears that attempts by the government to violate the property rights of landowners is off the agenda. "Federated Farmers has welcomed some key policy announcements by the new government. The good news is that the government has finally abandoned the legislated right to impose access over private land. It will instead pursue non-statutory proposals that will involve negotiation with land owners to improve access," said Charlie Pedersen, President of Federated Farmers of New Zealand.
"Though ignored in the US press, this past week saw the culmination of more than a decade of negotiations on a document that could prove one of the keys to the human future...This past week, UNESCO's General Conference unanimously approved the Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. While the details of the document are mostly unexciting...the very fact of its endorsement shows that every nation now has the biopolicy agenda on its radar screen. And while for the US statements of this kind may not be very influential, for many smaller countries and most of the developing world they have huge significance. Many nations will use the declaration as the basis of national policies...
There are some very good things in the statement. For example, there is a near-perfect clause on the question of cultural relativism, which is an issue that often dogs our discussions. People claim that because the world is diverse, because it has many religions and cultures, who are we to criticize others? Here is Article 12: The importance of cultural diversity and pluralism should be given due regard. However, such considerations are not to be invoked to infringe upon human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, nor upon the principles set out in this declaration, nor to limit their scope. In other words, no one doubts that the world is full of diverse and plural approaches, but "human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms" are the bottom line.
And what about the "freedom of science"? We hear a lot from the boosters of "therapeutic cloning" that science should be left to the scientists; you are welcome to ethics, but keep it to yourself. Listen to one of the aims of the declaration: To recognize the importance of freedom of scientific research and the benefits derived from scientific and technological developments, while stressing the need that such research and developments occur within the framework of ethical principles set out in this declaration and that they respect human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. And this, from Article 3 on human dignity: The interests and welfare of the individual should have priority over the sole interest of science or society.
Rising real estate prices have created a circus-like atmosphere in parts of China. Real estate fairs are mobbed, land speculation is rampant and some poor farmers dream about converting their wheat fields into the next Beverly Hills. Indeed, prices have risen so fast over the last few years and the pace of building has been so furious here and in other large cities that the government and some leading economists have been warning about a huge property bubble in China.
The Netherlands has a reputation for tolerance, with its liberal laws on drug use, euthanasia and gay marriage. However, it is now set to become the first country in Europe to ban the burkha. Interior Minister Rita Verdonk reportedly said that the "time for cosy tea-drinking" with Muslim groups is over. The government says that the ban is a security measure.
If school's have holidays for Christian festivals, should other religions get their special days recognised? Several schools in the US are going the other direction to avoid the problem - they are taking away all religious holidays.
In a new book, "The Criminalization of Christianity", author and radio host Janet Folger makes a bold prediction: If Christians don't stand up for their First Amendment rights, it won't be long before speaking out becomes a crime. "We know that Christianity is criminalized in Muslim countries all over the globe. And in communist countries, we expect that. In fact, we know that research shows there's approximately 160,000 Christians that are killed every year for their faith. What you don't expect is for it to be in free countries. You don't expect it to be in Europe and in America. But yet it is."
The likely appointment of a lesbian as the new head of one of New Zealand's largest churches is threatening to tear it apart. The Rev Diana Tana, who has publicly stated she is in a lesbian relationship, looks set to be appointed president of the Methodist Church next month, as no other nominations have been received. But some conservatives say thousands of members will quit the church if her induction goes ahead. The church is already believed to have lost several thousand members after it decided in 1997 to allow gay priests to be ordained.
"Though ignored in the US press, this past week saw the culmination of more than a decade of negotiations on a document that could prove one of the keys to the human future...This past week, UNESCO's General Conference unanimously approved the Declaration on Bioethics and Human Rights. While the details of the document are mostly unexciting...the very fact of its endorsement shows that every nation now has the biopolicy agenda on its radar screen. And while for the US statements of this kind may not be very influential, for many smaller countries and most of the developing world they have huge significance. Many nations will use the declaration as the basis of national policies...
There are some very good things in the statement. For example, there is a near-perfect clause on the question of cultural relativism, which is an issue that often dogs our discussions. People claim that because the world is diverse, because it has many religions and cultures, who are we to criticize others? Here is Article 12: The importance of cultural diversity and pluralism should be given due regard. However, such considerations are not to be invoked to infringe upon human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms, nor upon the principles set out in this declaration, nor to limit their scope. In other words, no one doubts that the world is full of diverse and plural approaches, but "human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms" are the bottom line.
And what about the "freedom of science"? We hear a lot from the boosters of "therapeutic cloning" that science should be left to the scientists; you are welcome to ethics, but keep it to yourself. Listen to one of the aims of the declaration: To recognize the importance of freedom of scientific research and the benefits derived from scientific and technological developments, while stressing the need that such research and developments occur within the framework of ethical principles set out in this declaration and that they respect human dignity, human rights, and fundamental freedoms. And this, from Article 3 on human dignity: The interests and welfare of the individual should have priority over the sole interest of science or society.
Rising real estate prices have created a circus-like atmosphere in parts of China. Real estate fairs are mobbed, land speculation is rampant and some poor farmers dream about converting their wheat fields into the next Beverly Hills. Indeed, prices have risen so fast over the last few years and the pace of building has been so furious here and in other large cities that the government and some leading economists have been warning about a huge property bubble in China.
The Netherlands has a reputation for tolerance, with its liberal laws on drug use, euthanasia and gay marriage. However, it is now set to become the first country in Europe to ban the burkha. Interior Minister Rita Verdonk reportedly said that the "time for cosy tea-drinking" with Muslim groups is over. The government says that the ban is a security measure.
If school's have holidays for Christian festivals, should other religions get their special days recognised? Several schools in the US are going the other direction to avoid the problem - they are taking away all religious holidays.
In a new book, "The Criminalization of Christianity", author and radio host Janet Folger makes a bold prediction: If Christians don't stand up for their First Amendment rights, it won't be long before speaking out becomes a crime. "We know that Christianity is criminalized in Muslim countries all over the globe. And in communist countries, we expect that. In fact, we know that research shows there's approximately 160,000 Christians that are killed every year for their faith. What you don't expect is for it to be in free countries. You don't expect it to be in Europe and in America. But yet it is."
The likely appointment of a lesbian as the new head of one of New Zealand's largest churches is threatening to tear it apart. The Rev Diana Tana, who has publicly stated she is in a lesbian relationship, looks set to be appointed president of the Methodist Church next month, as no other nominations have been received. But some conservatives say thousands of members will quit the church if her induction goes ahead. The church is already believed to have lost several thousand members after it decided in 1997 to allow gay priests to be ordained.
Tuesday, October 18, 2005
A new school of parenting is arising that is bringing back boundaries, standards and discipline. A permissively raised "me" generation that was brought up to think only of itself is bringing back the rule book now that it has children of its own. Maggie Mamen, a Canadian psychologist exhorts parents to "believe in the importance of the family with its traditions and rituals".
Parents who worry that video games are teaching kids to settle conflicts with blasters and bloodshed can take heart: A new generation of video games wants to save the world through peace and democracy. A team at Carnegie Mellon University is working on an educational computer game that explores the Mideast conflict -- you win by negotiating peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This spring, the United Nations' World Food Programme released an online game in which players must figure out how to feed thousands of people on a fictitious island. This weekend, the University of Southern California is kicking off a competition to develop a game that promotes international goodwill toward the United States, a kind of Voice of America for the gamer set. And lest anyone think only professors and policy wonks are involved, a unit of MTV this week announced a contest to come up with a video game that fights genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Internet-based computer games, in which players create characters in a virtual world and interact to solve problems or win battles, are branching out from fantasy into serious social issues.
The attempt to separate church and state in the US has got to the ludicrous situation where Air Force chaplains are now being told they are not allowed to share their faith.
If you would like to read the agreements between Labour and its new government partners, they can be found at:
Labour-NZ First
Labour-United Future
Labour-Greens
Parents who worry that video games are teaching kids to settle conflicts with blasters and bloodshed can take heart: A new generation of video games wants to save the world through peace and democracy. A team at Carnegie Mellon University is working on an educational computer game that explores the Mideast conflict -- you win by negotiating peace between Israelis and Palestinians. This spring, the United Nations' World Food Programme released an online game in which players must figure out how to feed thousands of people on a fictitious island. This weekend, the University of Southern California is kicking off a competition to develop a game that promotes international goodwill toward the United States, a kind of Voice of America for the gamer set. And lest anyone think only professors and policy wonks are involved, a unit of MTV this week announced a contest to come up with a video game that fights genocide in Darfur, Sudan. Internet-based computer games, in which players create characters in a virtual world and interact to solve problems or win battles, are branching out from fantasy into serious social issues.
The attempt to separate church and state in the US has got to the ludicrous situation where Air Force chaplains are now being told they are not allowed to share their faith.
If you would like to read the agreements between Labour and its new government partners, they can be found at:
Labour-NZ First
Labour-United Future
Labour-Greens
Monday, October 17, 2005
Spiralling personal debt is not just a problem in New Zealand. The average US household now has $8,600 of credit card debt.
However, there are ways to get you and your family out of the trap.
New Zealand will not be able to cut greenhouse gases without severe economic hardship, says a report that calls for carbon taxes to be dropped. The report, written by economist Alex Sundakov of consultancy Castalia, says it will be impossible for New Zealand to reduce emissions and expand the economy at the same time. "Almost half of the country's greenhouse gases come from agriculture and 20 per cent from vehicles. The remainder is from industry and manufacturing... Carbon taxes would have to be very high to suppress consumption of energy and that would be economically destructive." Unrealistic greenhouse gas emissions targets could push industries to quit New Zealand for non-Kyoto countries. Steel making, cement production, aluminium production, oil refining, and wood and food processing were likely to do this. That would harm the economy but not lead to any global emissions reductions. Mr Sundakov said present climate change policies recognised the impracticality of reducing agricultural methane emissions. But that meant all other sectors would have to double their reduction in emissions to reach set targets.
Here is a case of a double-edged sword: Faith schools should be shut down unless they agree to engage with pupils from other faiths, the work and pensions minister, Margaret Hodge, will say today. In a strongly worded speech to the Labour thinktank Progress, which Tony Blair will also attend, she will warn that overt racism is on the rise among Britain's white working class. As a result, she argues, tough measures must be taken to prevent race relations deteriorating. Immigrants to the UK must be given the absolute duty to integrate. They must learn to speak English, while cultural practices such as forced marriages that are unacceptable within Britain must be banned. Faith schools should be required to support tolerance and integration. "...We should insist on admissions policies that do not exclude those of other faiths from attending a particular school."
Joost Smiers and Marieke van Schijndel imagine a world without copyright, and believe it will actually increase creativity, not stifle it. "Copyright was once a means to guarantee artists a decent income. Aside from the question as to whether it ever actually functioned as such - most artists never made a penny from the copyright system - we have to admit that copyright serves an altogether different purpose in the contemporary world. It now is the tool that conglomerates in the music, publishing, imaging and movie industries use to control their markets."
However, there are ways to get you and your family out of the trap.
New Zealand will not be able to cut greenhouse gases without severe economic hardship, says a report that calls for carbon taxes to be dropped. The report, written by economist Alex Sundakov of consultancy Castalia, says it will be impossible for New Zealand to reduce emissions and expand the economy at the same time. "Almost half of the country's greenhouse gases come from agriculture and 20 per cent from vehicles. The remainder is from industry and manufacturing... Carbon taxes would have to be very high to suppress consumption of energy and that would be economically destructive." Unrealistic greenhouse gas emissions targets could push industries to quit New Zealand for non-Kyoto countries. Steel making, cement production, aluminium production, oil refining, and wood and food processing were likely to do this. That would harm the economy but not lead to any global emissions reductions. Mr Sundakov said present climate change policies recognised the impracticality of reducing agricultural methane emissions. But that meant all other sectors would have to double their reduction in emissions to reach set targets.
Here is a case of a double-edged sword: Faith schools should be shut down unless they agree to engage with pupils from other faiths, the work and pensions minister, Margaret Hodge, will say today. In a strongly worded speech to the Labour thinktank Progress, which Tony Blair will also attend, she will warn that overt racism is on the rise among Britain's white working class. As a result, she argues, tough measures must be taken to prevent race relations deteriorating. Immigrants to the UK must be given the absolute duty to integrate. They must learn to speak English, while cultural practices such as forced marriages that are unacceptable within Britain must be banned. Faith schools should be required to support tolerance and integration. "...We should insist on admissions policies that do not exclude those of other faiths from attending a particular school."
Joost Smiers and Marieke van Schijndel imagine a world without copyright, and believe it will actually increase creativity, not stifle it. "Copyright was once a means to guarantee artists a decent income. Aside from the question as to whether it ever actually functioned as such - most artists never made a penny from the copyright system - we have to admit that copyright serves an altogether different purpose in the contemporary world. It now is the tool that conglomerates in the music, publishing, imaging and movie industries use to control their markets."
