Gene Edward Veith Jr.'s Blog, page 426
February 27, 2013
Why conspiracy theories are unlikely
Many on the left just know that the Christian right is scheming with big corporations to take over the country and eliminate our freedoms. Many on the right just know that the United Nations is scheming with the liberal media to take over the country and eliminate our freedoms. Ezra Klein, in a piece on [...]
Chuck Hagel confirmed as Secretary of Defense
The Senate confirmed Chuck Hagel as our new Secretary of Defense. Though Hagel, a former Senator from Nebraska, is a Republican, most Republicans opposed him for his criticism of Israel, his rejection of sanctions against Iran, his opposition to nuclear weapons, and other “dovish positions.” Hagel will join John Kerry, confirmed as the new Secretary [...]
February 25, 2013
C. Everett Koop dies
C. Everett Koop, the Surgeon General under President Reagan, has died at age 96. The mainstream obituaries are hailing his work to battle smoking and the AIDS epidemic. But he was also a devout Christian and a crusader against abortion. Koop collaborated with Francis Schaeffer on the book and video series Whatever Happened to the [...]
Friday’s spending cut apocalypse
We are facing another financial deadline in Washington in three days. Not a fiscal cliff, nor a debt ceiling crisis. On Friday, March 1, if nothing happens, federal spending will automatically be cut by $85.4 billion. This so-called “sequester” was part of the deal to raise the debt ceiling. Republicans put in cuts for domestic [...]
What pastors do
Last Sunday at church, in addition to receiving Holy Communion as we do every week, we baptized a child and sent off one of our members to seminary. Our pastor gave a sermon on the readings for the day–Jeremiah 16, Luke 13, and Philippians 3–and tied them into all of those events. You should read [...]
Society has little defense
Not too long ago, both liberals and conservatives were oriented to some kind of common social good. Liberals pushed for what they considered to be “social justice.” Conservatives emphasized patriotism and worked for cultural stability. Today, both sides frame their arguments in terms of personal liberty and individual rights (gay rights, abortion rights, reproductive freedom, [...]
How Dutch legalizing of prostitution, drugs, & euthanasia is working out
The Netherlands, that once-Calvinist land, has gone farther than just about any other country in legalizing “victimless crimes,” such as prostitution, drug use, and euthanasia. Now that country is facing the unintended consequences, including an upsurge in organized crime, social squalor, and a deluge of sex tourists, drug tourists, and death tourists (who only buy [...]
How to dodge a drone
Al-Qaeda is circulating a list of 22 techniques to thwart drone attacks–ones experts say are effective–showing how terrorists keep adapting to efforts to counter them. I give the list after the jump. Al-Qaeda’s 22 tips for dodging drone attacks: the list in full – Telegraph: 1. It is possible to know the intention and the [...]
February 23, 2013
What to call Washington’s football team?
I usually cast a jaundiced eye at efforts to change the name of sports teams that refer to Native Americans. After all, I reason, fans love their teams, so there can hardly be anything demeaning in what they call them. I do understand tribal sensitivities in regard to mascots–misusing tribal symbols such as eagle feathers [...]
February 22, 2013
Evangelicals among biggest moviegoers
A new Barna survey has found that evangelicals go to more movies than just about anybody. From The Barna Group – Superheroes, Presidents and a Girl on Fire: 2012 at the Movies: If you’re a moviegoer, you might assume everyone goes to the movies. If 1.36 billion movie tickets sold in 2012, that means there [...]
