Dignity and the UN Declaration

On 10 December 1948, the General Assembly of the United Nations adopted and proclaimed the Universal Declaration of Human Rights. It takes exactly five words of the Preamble to get to its first declaration, which is the "inherent dignity" of all members of the human family.

The fifth paragraph of the Preamble states: "Whereas the peoples of the United Nations have in the Charter reaffirmed their faith... in the dignity and worth of the human person...

The First Article states:  "All human beings are born... equal in dignity and rights."

Article 22 asserts: "the economic, social and cultural rights indispensable for [the individual's] dignity and the free development of his personality." This suggests a somewhat different meaning of the term dignity, perhaps the outworkings of what "inherent dignity"means in society.


Article 23 states: "...(3) Everyone who works has the right to just and favourable remuneration ensuring for himself and his family an existence worthy of human dignity, and supplemented, if necessary, by other means of social protection." The meaning is similar here -- the implications of dignity in the ordering of society and the just remuneration of workers.

* * *

Christians and theists have a strong grounding for belief in the dignity of all humans. It is founded and secured in being created by God and being endowed by God with characteristics that in some way reflect God himself -- we are, as the Hebrew sage wisely said, "created in His image".

Darwinists, on the other hand, have no deep grounding for human dignity, and admit as much. They insist that human dignity is a survival trick of mindless, amoral evolution, and nothing more.  They mock us for looking for or expecting something more, something deeper.

So, so much for human dignity. It ain't what it used to be. According to darwinian logic, if self-loathing or blind hatred for others had achieved the same results, we might have been been endued with these instead -- evolution has no goal, no purpose, and certainly no moral sense.

How an impersonal mindless, amoral process could produce something as sublime as a sense of dignity in human beings doesn't trouble the Darwinist -- not in the least, even though they take great pride in being the masters of mechanism. Nor does the sheer implausibility of it trouble them.

To the Darwinian, the fact that a sense of dignity [supposedly] improves our survival odds is, in and of itself, a sufficient explanation for its appearance.  You think I am kidding. I am not.  They exhibit the same amount of inquisitiveness as a gang mother whose delinquent sons keep showing up with stolen goods.  We needed a Mercedes, and... there it is, in the driveway!  We got the goods; let's not ask hard questions.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

Dignity and Darwin

A thoughtful blog response came in from Terrence.  I would like to up it in the blog food chain, select it if you will, for its survival value.

Terrence begins:

I hope you don't mind the intrusion, RkBall, but I'd like to respond to the argument (and without any references to "sky-friends.")

Let me first address the restatement of the argument you offered:

"...dignity as an abstract, non-material entity a) cannot actually exist if materialism is true, and b) that it is an absurd notion that there should be such a thing as dignity, or the lack thereof."

It seems tautological to me that a materialist would deny the existence of non-material entities. (I do think one can be an atheist without being a materialist, but let's set that aside.)

The question, I guess, is whether dignity is non-material in the relevant sense. If it's a feeling, then a materialist should only have trouble accounting for it to the extent he/she has trouble accounting for any feeling or sensation.

I could be wrong, but I think materialists can give plausible causal stories for most feelings. All of those stories would involve showing that particular sensations track actual states-of-the-world (hunger sensation tends to track an empty belly, etc.)

As I understand your argument, it's that the materialist cannot give a story like this one for the sensation of his own (or others') dignity. Dignity does not seem to track a state-of-the-world: we sense our own dignity regardless of physical state (empty belly, etc.) Dignity is simply felt, and its causal origin does not seem to lie in any particular world-state.

Is that about right? It's an interesting argument.

The Ball Bounces responds:


Terrence:  I'm going to respond. Please let me know where you think I am off or wrong.

T-man: "I do think one can be an atheist without being a materialist, but let's set that aside."

B-man: Definitely, yes. But 99.4% of atheism today is of the materialistic/darwinian variety.  It is possible that Darwin himself believed that Nature possessed something akin to a mind or will. In which case, he would be a soft-darwinian!

T-man: "If it's a feeling, then a materialist should only have trouble accounting for it to the extent he/she has trouble accounting for any feeling or sensation."

True.

The question is, is that all dignity is -- a feeling rooted completely in biochemistry.  If so, what exists is not dignity, but biochemical actions, which, perhaps, are interpreted by the brain as "dignity".

So, right off for starters, where does dignity reside -- in the sensation (biochemistry) or in sense, i.e.,  the brain's processing of the sensation?  Does the brain manufacture the concept of dignity, or does it recognize dignity, e.g., "when it sees it"!? (This gets us into Kantian categories.)

The next question is whether dignity (what we might call the concept of dignity, or dignity itself) exists outside of biochemical actions (sensation) and biochemical reactions (the brain making sense of them).  This moves us into something like platonic idealism, where the concept of dignity exists in its own right.  A theist response would be that dignity exists in the mind of God, and is instantiated in the biochemical processes of the human brain.

The next question is how mindless, directionless, purposeless darwinian processes could have stumbled upon something as exquisite as dignity as both a sensation and a sensed sensation, and how it could have then decided it was worth keeping, i.e., implanting it into the fabric of the human brain.  This is beyond my feeble mind to contemplate, but I am assured by those who know much more than me that it is soley  the result of simple biochemical actions and nothing more.

[Before we get to your money-quote, let me be bad and deconstruct (not your argument but) the sensation of hunger.  There's a living organism. It needs energy to live. It has this need.  A mindless process, darwinism, "tries" various options. It makes food taste like nothing.  Organism dies. It makes food taste terrible. Organism dies. It makes food taste good. Now, the organism eats its little heart out (if it had one). But, organism explodes when it keeps eating. Organism dies. Darwinism comes up with a mechanism for feeling full -- so the organism stops eating! But, when to eat again?  Try, try again. Darwinism tries no sensation. Organism doesn't eat, and dies. Darwinism tries feeling wonderful when it needs energy (i.e., is hungry). Organism dies. Tries feeling hungry. But, brain doesn't track this sensation. Organism dies.  Darwinism coordinates the sensation with the sense made of it. Voila -- problem solved!

Isn't it lucky that the sensations and the sense-made-of-them coordinate so nicely.  And isn't it lucky that good, protective behaviours just happen to map to a sensation we call love?  I'm sure that evolution tried matching protective behaviors with a feeling of distaste or rage, but that was just another failed attempt.]

Back to the T-man: As I understand your argument, it's that the materialist cannot give a story like this one for the sensation of his own (or others') dignity. Dignity does not seem to track a state-of-the-world: we sense our own dignity regardless of physical state (empty belly, etc.) Dignity is simply felt, and its causal origin does not seem to lie in any particular world-state.

Is that about right? It's an interesting argument.

B-man:  And you're the one who actually articulated it, so I'm going to agree with it and give you the credit for it.  And whereas you think it's interesting, I think it's more than that.  In my thinking, I place dignity in the same category as other abstracts that are "good" -- virtue, honor, integrity, etc. -- and wonder about their origin, their sufficient reason [for being].  All these things that are, to my mind, the very essence of what it means to be human, are diminished, demeaned and trashed under darwinism materialism -- it cannot be otherwise.

I mean, darwinism can say, oh no, a sense of virtue [dignity... etc.]  has survival value, and so, poof! there it is. But, come on.  A mindless, amoral process coming up with dignity, virtue, honor, nobility, integrity, etc. etc. etc.?  And, if it does, what is left of REAL dignity, REAL honor, REAL nobility, etc. When these things are created by an amoral process and nothing more they lose their own integrity -- they become nothing more than odd burps of an indifferent evolutionary process.

Here's my money-quote: Abstracts such as dignity, honor, virtue, nobility to be authentic and to authentically exist, must be caused by something more than mere (mindless, purposeless, amoral) darwinian mechanisms. If dignity, honor, virtue, nobility exist solely as the result of darwinian processes, they are inauthentic.

I argue from the position of sufficient reason (or cause).  Someone may come up with a naturalistic explanation for canvas and paint and paint on canvas.  But, when you're staring at the Mona Lisa, you're looking at more than mere paint on canvas.  And, even though you can deconstruct the effect by small, one-at-a-time incremental chance brushings of paint on the canvas, when you step back, you have to have an explanation for what C.S. Lewis calls "the whole show".

And when a human being looks into the mirror he can rightly say, "something greater than the Mona Lisa is here".

I await your thoughts.

And That's The Way The Ball Bounces!

And that's the way [Uh, huh, uh huh, I like it!] the Ball Bounces.

Who Needs Coffee in the Morning?

Who needs coffee in the morning -- I've got Mark Steyn - Extra Bold™!


"Ann Coulter is a mean-spirited, small-minded, foul-mouthed poltroon," Rock wrote to Houle in a March 18 email. "She is 'the loud mouth that bespeaks the vacant mind'."

"Poltroon" would seem to apply more to the shifty and dissembling Alan Rock. If he dislikes that characterization, I'd be happy to sponsor a debate between him and Miss Coulter in Ottawa...


Alan Rock debate Ann Coulter?

Bring. It. On!

Russia furious over Cold War-style spy arrests

It wasn't that long ago that a giddy-as-a-school-girl Hillary was happily hitting the Reset Button with Moscow.  All wash-our-hands-of-George-Bushiness.

Now, The Obamadmin™ is arresting Russians for being spys?!

My summer theme is that leftists are delusional, that they think of things the way they wish they were, rather than the way they actually are.  So far, my thesis is holding up quite nicely.  I might need a separate blog just for Leftists Are Delusional™.

Reset buttons vs. spies on the ground?

As the Honorable Margaret said, "the facts of life are conservative".

(Unless, unless... this is all just a George Bush plot to make Obama look bad??!!)

Procrastination 2009

I am just now sitting down to do our 2009 Income Tax Returns.  What I do in years like this is send Revenue Canada, 'scuse me, "The CRA" two whopping cheques. They get to play with our money*  for a few months, and then I claim all or most of it back -- and they owe me!  Bwaahhaaahahhhhaaaaaa!

The important thing if late is to get your payment in on time -- to avoid penalties and nasty threats of dark possibilities if you are late filing in subsequent tax years.

My goal is to get the returns done by Friday without screaming.  If you open your laptop some morning this week and it emits either a sharp, shrill cry, or a plaintive moan followed by indistinct gurgles, that will be me.

* Like paying Canada Post employees to mis-re-direct our re-mis-directed mail and G20 police to arrest innocents while watching the perps, you know, trash their police cars and vandalize and loot...

Canada Post -- Zero for Two

We've put a temporary re-direct on our mail twice in the past year. Both times we correctly filled in the Canada Post form. And both times Canada Post got it wrong.

First time,they entered it as a permanent address change. We tried to get them to fix this. It was a lot of trouble and the solution was almost worse than the problem.

Second time, we asked them to start a re-direct on June 15th. Instead, they started the re-direct immediately.  We learned our lesson first time -- better not to bother trying to get them to correct their error lest they make it worse.

So, right now, we're in a loop.  Because Canada Post's actions created an overlap of re-directs, we've got the first re-direct sending our mail from A to B, followed by the second overlap sending the mail back to A from B.

The worst part about it is there's really no easy way of asking them to correct this. Noone's really responsible or in charge.

Canada Post is a large, public-sector, unionized monopoly.

And there's nothing we can do about.

Most of the time they do a good job. Ask them to do something a wee it out of the ordinary -- don't count on it.

Rubber Bullets

(to the tune of Tiny Bubbles)


Rubber bullets
In the street
Make lawless looters
Go squeak-squeak

Rubber bullets 
Even up the score
Anarchy will lose if we
Have the guts to use them more

So arrest the looters
And make them pay
Hope the rubber bullets
Rub them the wrong way

Arrest the looters and vandals. And make them pay. They are a disgrace to Canada.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

Why I Believe in Darwinism 1: Junk DNA

I've converted to Darwinism. I know this will be a disappointment to many long-time, loyal followers of the Bouncing Ball.  But, P@J and Agnostic Joe and others have worn me out. Better to cave. Succumb. Join the club. I feel smarter, already! Bright, even! Ha! I've cast off the shackles of religious restraint -- I can do what I want and there are no (eternal) consequences -- flapjacks, anyone!!!!

I feel better already!

What turned the tide? Junk DNA, my friends junk DNA.

Read all about it:

1972: 98% of our DNA is junk -- just as we would expect if our bodies (and ourselves) are nothing more than the product of uncreated natural chemical processes + dumb luck!

Darwin is proved correct and creationists are sucky-pants!

And boy, are we dumb -- 98% dumb, dumb, dumb.  I'm a Darwinist, and I'm full of dumb!

From Wiki:

"Junk DNA, a term that was introduced in 1972 by Susumu Ohno, was a provisional label for the portions of a genome sequence for which no discernible function had been identified."

In other words, the term was the result of our epistemological limitations -- what we did not know, not what we did know.  And it was used to great propaganda effect by Darwinists.

"According to a 1980 review in Nature by Leslie Orgel and Francis Crick, junk DNA has "little specificity and conveys little or no selective advantage to the organism".

1980 still going strong!

2010: "The term is currently, however, a somewhat outdated concept, being used mainly in popular science and in a colloquial way in scientific publications...

Outdated concept? Outdated by what?  By discoveries that a lot of what was dismissed under darwinian assumptions as junk isn't junk -- and it's getting less junky by the day.

And what effect did labelling this stuff as junk have?

"... , and may have slowed research into the biological functions of noncoding DNA."

And that's a shame.

If intelligent design were the reigning scientific theory, it would have served the science community just as well -- better, even. And scientists would have declared their theory once again vindicated by directed effort that had demonstrated that discernible functions had indeed been found for this DNA -- as expected by the theory.

Darwinism is both lens and blinder.

But, fellow darwinists, this by no means undermines our darwinism -- based as it is, like Darwin, more on a preferred materialistic worldview than actual reality and our interaction with actual reality via the powerful but finite tool of science.

And that's the way the newly minted darwinian Ball bounces.

Toronto G20: "To serve and protect"

Apparently, not.

New motto: To Stand & Watch.

I suggest the good citizens of Toronto arm themselves with rubber bullets so that future rioter/anarchist/looter losers will have at least a chance of experiencing the thrill of real danger.

And that's the way the anti-anarchist Ball lawfully bounces.

Atheists' Reasons To Believe in God: #1: Dignity

Came across this at an atheist's site (Atheist Jew): "Are you purposely trying to strip me of the last shred of dignity I have left?"

Here's the problem. Since we are not created in the image of God, but in the image of pond slime, there is no room for such a thing as dignity. It's a nonsensical category. Abstracts cannot rationally be supposed to exist. And intrinsic characteristics such as dignity, in a Darwinian world, are absurdities.

Atheists want the benefits of theism without buying in to the obligations. Atheists want to have their cake and eat it too. They want to shout their independence and wave their rebellious fists from the housetops proclaiming "there ain't no god!" while preserving the attributes of being human that only make sense and can only exist if they were created by God and, as humans, are somehow special, different from animals.

Does pond scum have dignity? Molecules? Earth worms? Ducks?

Think about it.

And rejoice that you are human!

Saturday Morning Fun

I'm selling my life savings, (currently invested in BP shares because I wanted to stay away from petroleum, go "beyond petroleum") and getting into this: the HandSolo Mobile !!!!

You've got to hand it to these guys!

Two minutes of time well-wasted!

And that's the way the hand-wringing Ball bounces.

Those Lyin' Republicans

I now know, thanks to finally getting around to watching The West Wing set I bought at COSTCO two years ago, that Democrats are idealistic, honorable truth-tellers, while all Republicans are dirty-rotten liars.

Now, meet Peggy West. She's a Democrat, and she rocks my world. She's a Democrat, and she says that Arizona doesn't have an illegals problem worth worrying about, because, unlike Texas, Arizona has no border (or, at least, no border worth talking about) with Mexico.

Well does it or doesn't it? Arizona's state Governor, Jan Brewer, says it does.

But, and this is a Ball Bounces exclusive, I've Googled it and Jan Brewer is a Republican -- which means she a dirty-rotten liar.

Come clean, Jan Brewer. Are you or are you not a Republican? And, if you are, will you admit that you are a dirty-rotten liar and you made up the whole border-with-Mexico thing. And, when I stood in Nogales Arizona, and walked unmolested into Nogales Mexico, JUST WHAT KIND OF A SCAM WERE YOU PULLING OFF, JAN BREWER (if that's your real name)!!!!!

U.K. Doctors: Fetus Can't Feel Pain Before 24 Weeks

File this under politically-motivated, state-sponsored science propaganda.

I've got a question for the doctors who confidently assert that the 24-week fetus is at the Sgt. Shultz stage of human development ("I feel nothing, NOTHING!").

If it were possible, would you be willing to go back to being a 24-week-old fetus and submit to an abortion procedure to test out your hypothesis?

Because, even if you're right and you don't feel a thing, the procedure will, you know, kill you and remove all potential for you to enjoy your life on this planet.

David Weigel Stands By His Man

David Weigel stands by his man -- himself.

(While wishing, in the spirit of multicultural diversity, that Drudge would self-immolate.)

This Is What Public-Sector Unions and Socialism Gets You

Democratically-elected governments cannot resist caving to public sector union demands for big wages, bigger benefits, and even bigger pension entitlements. After all, it's not their money, it's not even their company's money, it's "the peoples" money -- and governments can simply tax, re-tax, and re-re-tax them without providing corresponding goods and services as in the private sector. So why not over-pay public sector employees and avoid messy show-downs?

Plus, left-wing governmentalists are soft-hearted and soft-headed when it comes to paying people more than they deserve. It's part of the mind of the delusional left -- viewing reality as they wish it were instead of how it really is.

So, how has it worked out for Greece?

"Greece starts putting island land up for sale to save economy"

"Selling off our future to pay for public sector union entitlements -- one tiny island at a time"™

That's how reality works out.

Great for this generation -- they're entitled to their entitlements, and paying for them is not their problem. But not so great for the generations to come. Conservatism has the opposite vision -- of living within our means, building for the future, and reality-based economics.

And that's the way the conservative Ball bounces.

Rebellion? Oh, Pul-eeze!

Here's a story about an Australian artist who has received an art foundation grant of $10,000 to fly 10,000 paper planes in Victoria's State Library.

The artist refers to this as "a playful act of rebellion".

Accepting a handout of $10,000 is an act of rebellion?

Oh, pul-eeze.

Best comment on the story: Matt F (a socially-concerned, environmentally-responsible guy): "Is it recycled paper?"

Next best: Toshi of Albury (enthusiastic capitalist): "I'll do it for $9,000."

Worst comment: Tommy of Melbourne (presumed layabout collecting the dole, but I could be wrong): "Did you even read this article? 'While there is simplicity in this artwork, there are logistical, organisation and creative challenges that will further my development as an artist,.

$10,000 worth, apparently.

Tommy of Melbourne then goes for the Armageddon scenario: "I would love to see what all you faceless commenter's would say if you lived in a society that didn't fund artistic development."

Oh, the humanity!

And that's the way the artistic Ball bounces.

Modern-Day Bible Scholars -- A Short-List From the Boston Bible Geeks

The boys over at Boston Bible Geeks ("A Cornucopia of Christian Geekery") have been busy making lists.

Check out Good Read Bible Scholars (for the non-academic).

I've met Craig Keener -- an awesome servant of the church. These research guys -- they are just phenomenal in their intake and output. I can only marvel.

And I LOVE "Richard Bauckham's Jesus and the Eyewitnesses: The Gospels As Eyewitness Testimony". The BBG Boys characterize it as quasi-ground-breaking. I would call it a paradigm realignment. Like when your back is "out", and you need to pop it back into the right groove.

With one whack he refutes about 20 years of unwarranted scholarly assumption and probably 100 books and countless dissertations.

Worth reading.

And that's the way the New-England-bound Ball bounces.

Entitled To Their Entitlements

"Living within our means is not some right-wing agenda."

Problem is, there are too many who think that's exactly what it is -- Spain, anyone?

Big union, government, public sector, entitlements. Paying for it is not their problem.

Foist it off on Big Business, private-sector taxpayers, or the next generation after we're dead -- we don't care.

Ya gotta love socialism's altruism.

Conservatism: rooted in the silly, antiquated notion that 2+2 always equals four and never equals 6 just because that's the amount you had in mind.

H/t The Great One.

Lamarckism: "The Renaissance of Heresy"

"Water fleas pop out helmets immediately if mom lived in a world of predators; by Darwin's lights, a population of helmeted fleas would take many generations to emerge through random variation and natural selection."

Darwin posited a slow, incremental, unintelligent, step-by-step evolution of species.

Clearly, this is not what happened. There's more going on than meets the random-wobbles Darwinian eye.

Newsweek: A Creationist Shill?

So what's the inference to the best explanation if Darwin is wrong?

And that's the way the puncturing-your-equilibrium Ball bounces.

I've Been Everywhere, Man UPDATED

Updated: I'm going to San Antonio, TX.

I've been everywhere, man.

I've been everywhere, man.

Crossed the deserts bare, man.

I've breathed the mountain air, man.

Of travel I've had my share, man.

I've been everywhere.

I've been to:

Reno, yes

Chicago, yes

Fargo, yes

Minnesota, yes

Buffalo, yes

Toronto, yes

Winslow, yes

Sarasota,

Wichita,

Tulsa, yes

Ottawa, yes

Oklahoma, yes

Tampa, yes

Panama, yes

Mattawa,

La Paloma,

Bangor, yes

Baltimore, yes

Salvador,

Amarillo, yes

Tocapillo, Chile? no

Baranquilla, yes

and Perdilla,

I'm a killer.

[Chorus]

I've been to:

Boston, yes

Charleston, yes

Dayton, yes

Louisiana, yes

Washington, yes

Houston, yes

Kingston, yes

Texarkana,

Monterey, yes

Faraday,

Santa Fe, yes

Tallapoosa,

Glen Rock,

Black Rock,

Little Rock, yes

Oskaloosa,

Tennessee, yes

Hennessey,

Chicopee,

Spirit Lake,

Grand Lake,

Devils Lake,

Crater Lake, yes

for Pete's sake.

[Chorus]

I've been to:

Louisville, yes

Nashville, yes

Knoxville, yes

Ombabika,

Schefferville,

Jacksonville, yes

Waterville,

Costa Rica, yes

Pittsfield,

Springfield, yes

Bakersfield, yes

Shreveport,

Hackensack,

Cadillac,

Fond du Lac,

Davenport,

Idaho, yes

Jellico,

Argentina,

Diamantina,

Pasadena, yes

Catalina,

see what I mean-a.

[Chorus]

I've been to:

Pittsburgh, yes

Parkersburg,

Gravelbourg,

Colorado, yes

Ellensburg,

Rexburg,

Vicksburg, yes

Eldorado,

Larimore,

Admore,

Haverstraw,

Chatanika,

Chaska,

Nebraska, yes

Alaska,

Opelika,

Baraboo,

Waterloo, yes

Kalamazoo, yes

Kansas City, yes

Sioux City,

Cedar City,

Dodge City,

what a pity.

Forty-Four.

I think I'll try for Fifty.

Why I Am Not A Multiculturalist: Eve Teasing

Multiculturalism: Canada's state-sponsored activity of importing foreign cultures and encouraging them to exist alongside of (or to supplant) the native culture. The anti-melting-pot; designed to secure ethnic loyalty votes and supplant the Christian cultural legacy.

Another reason why I am not a multiculturalist and why I believe evangelical Christianity has the best possible leavening effects on a society.

Eve Teasing in Bangladesh.

Eve Teasing in Pakistan -- bonus Muslim term "freewill couples".

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

Al Gore Was Married to Sammy Davis Jr.

"[Sammy's] earlier marriage to Swedish actress May Britt had slapped the Uncle Tom label on him, and in this new era of Black Power, the charge acquired so potent a sting that it threatened his career; hence the second marriage, to younger black dancer Altovise Gore."

I never knew Al Gore was once married to Sammy Davis Jr.

There's probably a global warming joke here somewhere.

Read all about it, here.

And that's the way the new-look black-and-white Ball bounces.

A Made-In-Canada Solution To The Gulf Spill

A made-in-Canada solution to the BP oil spill: two words, music to a Canadian's ears: Duct Tape.

That's it, duct tape. Miles and miles of industrial-grade, Canadian-made, duct tape.

The Process:

1. Wrap tape around and around and around the pipe.

2. Start criss-crossing back and forth across the opening while repeating the wrap-around step 1.

3. Continue until pipe is duct-taped and leak is contained.

Duct Tape. Canada's contribution to the world.

And that's the way the Canadian-made Ball of duct tape bounces.

Citizens of the world: Please help me get this post into the right hands.

Canada Juxtexposed

The perfect juxtaposition of two National Post headlines in the dysfunctional Dominion:

* Bilingualism a matter of pride and policy, Ignatieff says

* Language census may have been manipulated

Ponder them both. Ponder them deeply. Together they tell you you pretty much all you need to know about Canada.

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

The BP Oil Spill -- It's STILL Bush's Fault

Leftists are delusional. That's my latest conviction. And this article hasn't done anything to disavow me of the notion.

Leftists are annoyed that Obama is getting flak over the BP Spill when everyone knows that it's Bush's fault.

Here's my take on it.

When someone's qualifications for office included the stated ability to make the oceans recede, aren't we entitled to at least expect him to be able to take care of a little oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico?

I mean, come on. If someone says they can walk on the sea, shouldn't they at least be able to handle a puddle?

And that's the way the Ball bounces.

Sunday Thought For The Day

Spend more time listening to God, and less time listening to yourself.

See you in church.

John, Paul, George (Bush), and Ringo

                               Image via Wikipedia

"After the last eight years, it's great to have a President who knows what a library is".

Ouch! Ouch!!!

Paul, Paul, Paul. All you need is love, man. You know, "love, love, love"?

Try to see it my way, do I have to keep on talking till I can't go on?

While you see it your way, run the risk that all that "love" may soon be gone.

We can work it out, we can work it out.

Think of what you're saying, "Bush was dumb" and still you think that it's all right.

Think of what I'm saying, we can work it out and get it straight, or say good night.

We can work it out, We can work it out.

Life is very short, and there's no time for dissing and fighting, my friend.

I have always thought that it's a crime, So I will ask you once again.

Try to see it my way, only time will tell if I am right or I am wrong.

While you see it your way, there's a chance that love might fall apart before too long.

We can work it out, We can work it out.

All ya need is love, man.

Coo-coo-ka-choo!

UPDATE:

“Like millions of other Americans, I have always had a good impression of Paul McCartney and thought of him as a classy guy, but I was surprised and disappointed by the lack of grace and respect he displayed at the White House,” ....

... having earned no university degrees of his own, the Beatle may not know W. was the first American president to earn a master’s degree in business administration. (The fact the MBA is from Harvard really irks the left.) Not to mention Bush is married to a librarian."

(He also didn't know the difference between Newfoundland and PEI when he came to work things out with the seals -- perhaps he should have married a librarian!)

Beware of Leftists Bearing Rhetoric

If there is one theme that has been emerging lately it is that the left’s connection to reality is rather tenuous. Call this The Rhetoric vs. The Reality.

The rhetoric of Liberal Hedy Fry's “I’ll debate anyone” vs. the reality that this woman has no intention of debating anyone.

The rhetoric of global warming vs. the reality of falsified data, politicized science, obfuscation, Big Environment, and weather patterns that, er, refuse to cooperate with climate prognostications.

The rhetoric of BP – Beyond Petroleum “we’re the greenest of green”, and, ‘it’s just a minor spill” (in the early days) vs. the reality.

The rhetoric of the State of Washington opposing Arizona’s law vs. the reality of high illegal immigrant crime in Washington State.

The rhetoric of Obama uniting the world, controlling the atmosphere and causing the oceans to recede vs. the current, ahem, tiny, localized problem with the ocean in and around the Gulf of Mexico.

The rhetoric of altruistic socialism vs. the reality of socialism’s inherent selfishness and de-moralizing effects on the human soul and psyche.

The rhetoric of principled abortion rights and reproductive choice vs. the reality of unwanted unborn humans chewed up like twigs under a lawn mower.

The rhetoric of gentle, dignified Islam hijacked by anomalous extremists vs. the reality of Islam an inherently violence-oriented religion from the get-go.

The rhetoric of gay equality vs. the reality that same-sex union at its "best" is morally, medically, socially, and psychologically unequal to the best union of a man and a woman resulting in children growing up to know the love of their father and their mother and having the deepest longings of their dear hearts fulfilled.

The rhetoric of multicultural equivalence and equality vs. the reality that cultures are not equally moral, just, functional, viable, or successful. (Just why does Mexico continue to be such a disfunctional failed-state that Mexican citizens believe they have the right — the right — to illegally emigrate into the US?)

The lesson?

Beware of leftists bearing rhetoric. Leftist rhetoric consists of how they would wish the world to be. It is delusional. The facts on the ground are conservative. And, within those facts, there is plenty of room to act with love, compassion, and mercy -- as we are called by God to do.

But compassion and delusion are mutually exclusive categories.

And that's the way the conservative Ball bounces.

Update1. For an example of past delusional thinking, visit Steyn.

Update2. For another example of leftist wishful thinking, try this.

Update3. More delusional thinking here.

Washington State Must Be Left and Liberal

* Washington State ranks 11th in the US in the number of illegal immigrants with an estimated 150,000.

* Illegals make up 2% of the state's population, but 4.5% of those in Washington prisons.

* In one county, 14% of the jail bookings are illegal immigrants.

* Currently, over half of the individuals on the Washington State Patrol's Most Wanted List are suspected illegal immigrants.

* There are about 50,000 felony warrants currently issued in Washington State; between 30-40 percent are believed to be illegal immigrants.

Meanwhile...

Last week, the city of Tacoma joined Seattle in admonishing Arizona for its immigration law.

With these kind of statistics Tacoma and Seattle aren't in a position to be lecturing anyone on anything.

Instead of Arizona threatening to deport illegals, why don't they just promise to give all caught illegals one-way tickets to Washington State (and other States whose cities have objected to the Arizona law) where the left-liberal welcome-wagon will be out for them?

And that's the way the problem-solving Ball bounces.

Source: FoxNews.

Flotilla Flotsam: "If Human Rights Were The Real Agenda"

This puts the botched Israeli interception of the "Aid Ships" into perspective.

Learn what Haibar Haibar ya Yahud – Jaish Muhammad Sa'ufa Ya'ud really means. (Hint: It's not Kumbaya.)

h/t Shaidle at Five Feet of Fury.

BP PLC: I'm Down

BP shares are being hammered, and rightly so.

But...

They are still trading higher than during the market melt-down of 2008-9. Just shows you how pessimistic the markets were back then.

BP has dug itself into a big, deep, hole. Still, somebody's still buying BP.

Too bad they can't use all those obnoxious "we're the Green energy company"; "we've moved 'way, 'way beyond petroleum", "we're so environmentally responsible it hurts" print ads to plug the leak.

And that's the way the oil Ball bounces.