Thoughts of a Republican 26 Aug 2009 A majority held in restraint by constitutional checks and limitations, and always changing easily with deliberate changes of popular opinions and sentiments, is the only true sovereign of a free people. Whoever rejects it does of necessity fly to anarchy or to despotism. Unanimity is impossible. The rule of a minority, as a permanent arrangement, is wholly inadmissible; so that, rejecting the majority principle, anarchy or despotism in some form is all that is left. [Abraham Lincoln, first Inaugural Address, 1861] Politics Quotes Quotes
Philosophy On philosophical practice 8 Aug 2009 One might well want to ask how seriously this doctrine is intended, just how strictly and literally the philosophers who propound it mean their words to be taken. … It is, as a matter of fact, not at all easy to answer, for strange though the doctrine looks, we are… Read More
Ecology and Biodiversity Rudd does too little on climate change 14 Dec 2008 I received this from GetUp today. I wonder if the politicians recognise that no amount of economic manoeuvring or political RealPolitik will avoid the laws of nature? If we do too little, then our children – not even our grandchildren but the very next generation – will suffer and badly…. Read More
Politics Tone wars 31 Oct 2010 There are a group of critics of religion, of pseudoscience, of regressive politics – all excellent targets for criticism – who think that if you in any way seek polite, civil or reasoned discourse with the targets of your criticisms, you are weak and accommodationist. I call these “tone warriors”… Read More
Sadly the modern Republicans are pretty much the inverse of the 19th century Republicans. If Lincoln had been running in 2007-2008 for the Republican nomination, he would have been drummed out as a radical.