IntenseDebate - kirkpete

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Reaction to Obama's Sp... · 0 replies · +1 points

Trying to decipher PLU, I turned to Wikipedia and found this:

People Like Us, a gay slang denoting homosexual individuals, commonly used in Malaysia and Singapore

But I've never even been to Malaysia or Singapore!

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Reaction to Obama's Sp... · 0 replies · +1 points

I'm posting this on behalf of my friend Vicky Else, who somehow got caught in my spam filter and I can't seem to override it. She writes:

As someone on the fairly extreme left, I'm on record (among those who listen to me rant) on doubting Obama's cred all along. There are many on the left (including me) who prefer localized decision-making and authority over central government action, believe it or not. Every night when I watch Billy Nungesser on Anderson 360, I scream, "Just give him the boats! My God!". Inspection and regulation executed by honest officials could have prevented this disaster, of course. But in a crisis, bureaucracy is an insult to humanity.

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Some Contrarian Though... · 0 replies · +1 points

Vulcan, I just did a follow-up post on the limits of government power.

Thanks for the comment, but I gotta tell you you made me cringe with "drill, baby, drill." Because it was a repeated chant at the Republican convention, that phrase serves only to associate the disaster with the Republican Party -- which I don't think is what you want. I agree that there needs to be a lot of drilling for many years to come, but I don't think that phrase is helpful.

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Some Contrarian Though... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks Pat. There's so much transparent showmanship... now I see the Coast Guard has given BP a 72-hour deadline to come up with a new plan. Or what... they'll be kicked off the recovery team?

therealamerican, I don't think American oil is quite as plentiful as you suggest...

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Brush With "Greatness"... · 0 replies · +1 points

Lori, I've always thought the coat spoils it a bit -- shoulda hada beige trench coat like everyone else in the picture.

Don, you're welcome, and thanks for stopping by. If you like, I'll email you my resume -- then you'll "have" it :-)

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Islam May Not Be the E... · 0 replies · +1 points

David, I'm largely sympathetic to your point of view, but I resist saying that Islam itself is evil -- partly for strategic reasons. If Islam is evil, it follows that over a billion people are devoted to evil. I don't think the situation is that dire, and I don't think that's the appropriate perspective for a struggle against Islamism, or radical Islam -- which absolutely is evil. Rather than go to war against a billion people, I think it makes sense to support and encourage anti-Islamist Muslims like Zuhdi Jasser and Ayaan Hirsi Ali -- although of course Ayaan has renounced Islam, her position may actually be closer to yours.

I addressed at some length the issue of whether Islam itself is the problem in "What's the Matter With Islam?"

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Governor Christie Kick... · 0 replies · +1 points

Thanks for the comment, Don, but you're thinking of Florida Governor Charlie Crist who left the Republican party. Chris Christie was elected last year as a Republican in New Jersey.

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - ObamaCare, How Do We H... · 0 replies · +1 points

dano, the public "option" was a one-way ticket to a fully socialized, single-payer system -- which was always the unstated goal. No company can compete with the full resources of the federal government -- a public "option" quickly would become the only game in town. Even in the form it was passed, ObamaCare provides powerful incentives for major companies to get out of the insurance game altogether.

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - "Everybody Draw Mohamm... · 0 replies · +1 points

"Dundervatives"? How clever. Here's an overview of my views on one of my favorite whipping boys:http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2010/01/how-is-the-k...

And there IS NO "tradition of Muslim intellectual freedom, innovation, and peace." Here are some thoughts on that:http://blog.kirkpetersen.net/2010/05/my-hero-ayaa...

13 years ago @ All That Is Necessary... - Brush With Greatness: ... · 0 replies · +1 points

Solomon, I understand your concerns... but just think about how cool it would be to know someone on the Supreme Court!

Lori, my career arc has bent in the opposite direction -- but if it's any consolation, you knew me when I used to be reasonably successful :)

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