Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Butterfly effect

2009-02-09T03:11:54Z

AbnerY: add wiki links, reference to global warming debate

The '''Butterfly effect''' is the essence of [[chaos theory]]. It holds that a system can be sensitive to initial conditions. Systems, such as the [[weather]], can become unstable over time, giving rise to the notion that a [[butterfly]] flapping its wings in [[New York]] can cause a [[hurricane]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/beffect.html</ref> This argument has been used by proponents on both sides of the [[global warming]] [[debate]].

==In popular culture==
The butterfly effect is usually found in [[science fiction]] stories and [[movies]]. It describes the possibility of a person traveling back in time, and inadvertently changing some minuscule thing in the past — such as [[murder|killing]] a [[butterfly]] — that has momentous consequences as time goes by, so that the he returns to a radically altered [[future]].

Most agree that this scenario is not only patently absurd, but harmful to the development and upbringing of [[children]] and other like-minded individuals. The [[Bible]] describes only [[Jesus]]<ref>"Before [[Abraham]] was born, I am", [[John]] 8:58</ref> and [[God]]<ref>"I the LORD do not change", [[Malachi]] 3:6</ref> as capable of [[time travel]]. Despite this assertion, the Butterfly Effect makes appearances in many [[Hollywood values|Hollywood]] films (most of which have been condemned by the [[Vatican]]). Movies of this type include:

*''[[It's A Wonderful Life]]''
*''[[Back To The Future]]''
*''[[Frequency]]''
*''[[The Butterfly Effect]]''

The [[butterfly]] effect was also a central theme of [[Isaac Asimov]]'s [[short story]] "A Sound of Thunder", in which a man travels back in time to hunt [[dinosaur]]s, and inadvertently shoots a [[butterfly]] by mistake. This scenario, while plausible enough as a [[science fiction]] story, could certainly never happen in real life.

==See also==
*[[Time travel]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Fiction]]

Butterfly effect

2009-02-09T03:09:31Z

AbnerY: Undo revision 482170 by Daphnea (Talk)

The '''Butterfly effect''' is the essence of [[Chaos Theory]]. It holds that a system can be sensitive to initial conditions. Systems, such as the [[weather]], can become unstable over time, giving rise to the notion that a [[butterfly]] flapping its wings in [[New York]] can cause a [[hurricane]] in the [[Pacific Ocean]].<ref>http://www.fortunecity.com/emachines/e11/86/beffect.html</ref>

==In Popular Culture==
The butterfly effect is usually found in [[science fiction]] stories and [[movies]]. It describes the possibility of a person traveling back in time, and inadvertently changing some minuscule thing in the past — such as [[murder|killing]] a [[butterfly]] — that has momentous consequences as time goes by, so that the he returns to a radically altered [[future]].

Most agree that this scenario is not only patently absurd, but harmful to the development and upbringing of [[children]] and other like-minded individuals. The [[Bible]] describes only [[Jesus]]<ref>"Before [[Abraham]] was born, I am", [[John]] 8:58</ref> and [[God]]<ref>"I the LORD do not change", [[Malachi]] 3:6</ref> as capable of [[time travel]]. Despite this assertion, the Butterfly Effect makes appearances in many [[Hollywood values|Hollywood]] films (most of which have been condemned by the [[Vatican]]). Movies of this type include:

*''[[It's A Wonderful Life]]''
*''[[Back To The Future]]''
*''[[Frequency]]''
*''[[The Butterfly Effect]]''

The [[Butterfly]] effect was also a central theme of [[Isaac Asimov]]'s [[short story]] "A Sound of Thunder", in which a man travels back in time to hunt [[dinosaur]]s, and inadvertently shoots a [[butterfly]] by mistake. This scenario, while plausible enough as a [[science fiction]] story, could certainly never happen in real life.

==See also==
*[[Time travel]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Fiction]]

John C. Frémont

2009-02-09T03:04:05Z

AbnerY: add accomplishments

'''John Charles Frémont''' (January 21, 1813 – July 13, 1890), was the first candidate of the [[Republican Party]] for [[President of the United States]], in the [[United States presidential election, 1856|election of 1856]]. He lost to [[Democrat]] [[James Buchanan]]. He is best known as the "Man who Mapped the West."<ref>http://www.answers.com/topic/john-c-fremont</ref>

Fremont fought in the [[Mexican War]], served as the California territory's governor in 1847 and its [[Senate]] representative from 1850 to 1851, was a [[major general]] in the [[Civil War]], and was governor of [[Arizona]] from 1878 to 1881.

==Notes==
<references/>
{{DEFAULTSORT:Fremont, John C.}}
[[Category:Republican Party]]
[[Category:Explorers]]
[[Category:California Governors]]

Talk:Essay:Greatest Mysteries of World History

2009-02-09T02:51:47Z

AbnerY: /* Humor */

==Dark Ages==

I have to ask: does this really qualify as a "mystery?" Most people who have actually taken the time to study European history, I would suggest, would say that there's a clear and simple answer: "No, the so-called "Dark Ages" weren't really so backwards." Significant advances were made during the period generally termed the "Dark Ages" in many fields: music, agriculture, metallurgy, and philosophy spring to mind immediately. Historians today generally avoid using the term "Dark Ages" for precisely that reason.

Should it really be termed a "mystery" just because some people continue to hold misconceptions about it? --[[User:Benp|Benp]] 14:11, 28 December 2008 (EST)
: Yes, it's not a mystery at all. Renaissance humanists hated the "dark ages" with a passion. Now we know just how much science and culture were developed during those centuries. Not so much a mystery as a myth, really (liberals love to claim early Christian Europe was fruitless) [[User:RodWeathers|- Rod Weathers]] 14:14, 28 December 2008 (EST)

::Perhaps a better question would be "Why are the advances of the early Middle Ages frequently overlooked or dismissed?" --[[User:Benp|Benp]] 14:19, 28 December 2008 (EST)

==Humor==
Perhaps this entry could be clarified: is there a particular form of humor that the author had in mind? There are examples of jokes, riddles, puns, comic figurines/images, anthropoligical notes of humorous conversations, etc. from both pre-Christian times and from post-Christian 'first contacts' with cultures that had had no previous exposure to Christianity.--[[User:Brossa|Brossa]] 09:37, 8 February 2009 (EST)

:Brossa: Can you provide some? --[[User:AbnerY|AbnerY]] 21:51, 8 February 2009 (EST)

Tom Tinkerson

2009-02-09T02:26:50Z

AbnerY: New page: '''''Tom Tinkerson''''' is a picaresque novel by the American author John Bethel Camp. It was published in 1923. The novel takes its title from a contemporary [[nurser...

'''''Tom Tinkerson''''' is a [[picaresque]] [[novel]] by the [[American]] [[author]] [[John Bethel Camp]]. It was published in 1923.

The novel takes its title from a contemporary [[nursery rhyme]]: "''Tom, Tom, the tinker's son / Stole a pig and away did run / The pig they did eat and Tom they did beat / Till he went roaring down the street.''"

[[Category:Novels]]

John the Baptist

2009-02-09T02:17:56Z

AbnerY: /* Life and Ministry */ add wiki links

[[Image:John the Baptist.jpg|right|thumb|250px|St. John the Baptist by Leonardo Da Vinci]]
'''John the Baptist''' ([[Hebrew]]:'''יוחנן ''' ''Yochanon'' "The LORD is Merciful")
was born approximately six months<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/luke1.html#26 Luke 1:26]</ref> before [[Jesus Christ]] and holds the distinction of being the man chosen to baptize Him. He was of priestly descent through both parents: his father, Zacharias, was a priest of the line of Abia<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/1chr24.html#10 1 Chr. 24:10]</ref> and his mother, Elisabeth, was descended from [[Aaron]].<ref>[http://www.christiananswers.net/bible/luke1.html#5 Luke 1:5]</ref>

==Life and Ministry==
Zacharias had been granted the privilege of offering incense in the sanctuary, and it was as he stood before the altar that the angel [[Gabriel]] appeared and announced to him that he would have a son, who was to be called John. This son, the angel told him, would be a lifetime [[nazirite]] and "16...many of the children of Israel shall he turn to the Lord their God 17 And he shall go before him in the spirit and power of Elias, to turn the hearts of the fathers to the children, and the disobedient to the wisdom of the just; to make ready a people prepared for the Lord" ([[Luke]] 1:16-17).

When Zacharias expressed doubts, due to his and his wife's advanced age, the angel struck him dumb "until the day that these things shall be performed, because thou believest not my words, which shall be fulfilled in their season" (Luke 1:20). When Zacharias came out of the temple and was unable to speak with the people waiting outside, they realized he had seen a vision; speechless, he communicated afterwards with signs. When his period of temple service was complete, he returned home, and soon after Elisabeth conceived.

When Elisabeth was six months pregnant she was visited by her relative [[Mary]], who was then pregnant with the Holy Spirit; as soon as she heard her relative's greeting, Elisabeth's unborn child leaped in her womb, and she acknowledged the child to be born to Mary as her "Lord".

On the eighth day after John's birth, at his circumcision, neighbours and relatives wanted to name the child after his father, but Elisabeth refused, and Zacharias, who could still not speak, wrote down that he was to be named John. As soon as he had done this, as Gabriel had said, his power of speech returned.

According to Luke, John began his ministry in the fifteenth year of the reign of [[Tiberius]] Caesar;<ref>Tiberius began his rule as Roman emperor on August 19, 14 AD; his fifteenth year would run from August 19, 28 AD to August 18, 29 AD. Since Jesus Christ (also about aged thirty) presented Himself for baptism in the autumn, John at six months older must have commenced his ministry in the spring of 29 AD.</ref> John would then be about thirty years old. Though there is no record that John engaged in priestly service at the temple, this would have been the age for priests to commence full duties; his status as a lifetime nazirite would have probably overridden this.

John the Baptist's role, as ordained by God, was to be the precursor to the [[Messiah]]<blockquote>''And thou, child, shalt be called the prophet of the Highest, for thou shalt go before the face of the Lord to prepare His ways.''<ref>[Luke 1:17]</ref><ref>[Luke 1:75]</ref> </blockquote>

The [[Bible]] prophesies the role of John several times: <blockquote>''Behold, I will send my messenger, and he shall prepare the way before me: and the Lord, whom ye seek, shall suddenly come to his temple, even the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold, he shall come, saith the LORD of hosts.''<ref>Malachi 3:1</ref></blockquote>

John ate locusts and wild honey<ref>Mark 1:6</ref> and baptized at the [[Jordan River]] with the [[Baptism]] of [[Repentance]]. He was very popular with the Jewish people who considered him a prophet and is mentioned in sources outside of the Bible. Many came to be baptized by him. He baptized Jesus "in order to fulfill all righteousness". John spoke out against the [[Pharisee]]s and against [[Herod Antipas|King Herod]] marrying his brother Phillip's wife, [[Herodias]]. Because of this Herod had John imprisoned. According to [[Josephus]], John was kept in [[Macherus|Machaerus]] east of the Dead Sea.

Eventually John was executed by King Herod, although not by Herod's wishes. Herod was throwing a banquet and the daughter of his wife, named [[Salome]] was performing her dance of the seven veils which was meant to appeal to sensual desires. Herod was so overcome with her presentation that he publicly proclaimed she could have anything she wanted, up to half his kingdom. (The saying was not meant to be taken literally as being able to claim half his kingdom, but was understood in the ancient Mideast as making a vow to honor any one request). Salome went to her mother to find what to ask, and Herodias had her publicly ask for the head of John the Baptist. Herod didn't want to have John killed, but had no choice to save face in front of his dinner guests, and so John's head was brought on a platter and Salome then presented it to her mom. Herod was so spooked by what he had done that when Jesus started performing public miracles, Herod felt it was John who had come back from the dead.

==Mormon Beliefs==
Members of the [[Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints]] (Mormons) believe that on May 15, 1829 A.D., the resurrected John the Baptist appeared to [[Joseph Smith|Joseph Smith, Jr.]], the founder of the Mormon religion, and [[Oliver Cowdery]], who would become the second elder, and conferred upon them the [[Aaronic Priesthood]], which included the authority to baptize.<ref>[http://scriptures.lds.org/en/dc/13 Doctrine and Covenants 13]</ref>

== See also ==
*[[Nazirite]]
*[[Saint Andrew]]
*[[Saint Peter]]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Biblical Persons]]

Large Hadron Collider

2009-02-09T01:10:58Z

AbnerY: add wiki links

The '''Large Hadron Collider''' (LHC) is the largest and most ambitious piece of [[machinery]] ever conceived and built by man. The [[particle accelerator]], with a circumference of 27km, is located at the [[CERN]] facility with straddles the border of [[France]] and [[Switzerland]].

The LHC was powered up on Wednesday 10 September 2008, with the first beams being circulated through the collider. It reached full power in mid-November 2008, which is when scientists were supposed to begin smashing [[particle]]s into each other. This was hampered however as the LHC suffered a mechanical [[breakdown]] soon after it was switched on and will not be active again until early 2009.

The LHC has four giant detectors designed to probe new [[dimension]]s, search for the [[Higgs Boson]] (the so called "God Particle", which gives matter and other [[boson]]s mass) and hypothetically to investigate what the [[universe]] might have been like immediately after the [[Big Bang]] (assuming it actually happened).

Legal challenges have been made against the LHC as some believe it could open a microscopic [[black hole]] that would swallow the Earth. However scientists have effectively ruled out this scenario, pointing out - among other things - that such particle collisions take place quite often naturally.<ref>Steven B. Giddings, Michelangelo M. Mangano: [http://arxiv.org/abs/0806.3381 "Astrophysical implications of hypothetical stable TeV-scale black holes"]</ref><ref>Benjamin Koch, Marcus Bleicher, Horst Stoecker: [http://arxiv.org/abs/0807.3349 "Exclusion of black hole disaster scenarios at the LHC"]</ref> The LHC seeks to prove or disprove other important concepts and theories, including supersymmetry, [[antimatter]], as well as confirming the existence of many [[lepton]]s, such as the [[muon]] and [[gluon]]. [[Ethics|Ethical]] challenges have been raised as well, with many considering the search for the so-called "God particle" to be a sign of human hubris. An analogy can be made to the Biblical [[tower of Babel]].

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==
[http://lhc.web.cern.ch/lhc LHC] Homepage at CERN.

[[Category:Physics]]

Humor

2009-02-09T00:26:13Z

AbnerY: /* Puns, Limericks, And Spoonerisms */ there is nothing "hilarious" about a train boomer

'''Humor''' is an act, statement, or other form of communication done to invoke laughter, amusement, or happiness in the audience.

Everyone finds differing things funny; no two people can agree on exactly what makes something funny.

There are many kinds of humor. There are [[jokes]], which can be further broken down by kind of joke (knock-knock, one-liner, etc.); physical humor (slapstick, spit-takes); puns, limericks, and Spoonerisms; irony; and others.

== Jokes ==

A joke can be elaborate or simple. The simplest jokes consist of the "setup", usually a question, followed by the answer or "punchline". The punchline may be a pun, or it may not bear too much relation to the setup. A perfect example of this is the following joke:

<blockquote>
Q: Why did the chicken cross the road? 
A: To get to the other side! 
</blockquote>

This most likely does not strike you as funny (five-year-olds seem to respond best to this one), because the punchline does not seem to have too much to do with the setup. Consider, however, the progression of this joke:

<blockquote>
Q: Why did the hippopotomus cross the road? 
A: Because it was glued to the chicken! 
</blockquote>

You can continue in this vein until you're sick of the whole thing or your audience needs a nap, whichever comes first.

Also in the simple-joke category are knock-knock jokes. These usually consist of five lines and involve a [[Pun]]. An oldie but goodie goes like this:

<blockquote>
Person 1: Knock-knock. 
Person 2: Who's there? 
1: Annapolis. 
2: Annapolis who? 
1: Annapolis a fruit! 
</blockquote>

Then there is the infamous Banana Knock-Knock Joke:

<blockquote>
Person 1: Knock-knock. 
Person 2: Who's there? 
1: Banana. 
2: Banana who? 
1: Knock-knock 
2: Who's there? 
1: Banana. 
2: Banana who? 
1: Knock-knock 
2: Who's there? 
1: Banana. 
2: Banana who? 
1: Knock-knock 
2: Who's there? 
1: Banana. 
2: Banana who? 
1: Knock-knock 
2: Who's there? 
1: Orange. 
2: Orange who? 
1: Orange you glad I didn't say 'banana'? 
</blockquote>

It is recommended that you only tell this joke once or twice in your life (and never tell it to the same person twice, unless they have very very short memories.)

== Physical Humor ==

Physical humour is humour that stems from things happening to a person. The most common example of physical humour the nearly-ubiquitous Object Hitting Man In Crotch. Other common examples include but are not limited to Spilling Food Or Beverage On Person, Small Dog Clinging To Toy While Being Lifted Into The Air, and the classic Slipping On Stuff.

The U.S. cable television show 'Jackass' has elevated physical humour of the painful type into a successful show and two movies. For whatever reason, young men in the coveted 18-25 demographic find this to be the pinnacle of humour and often never grow out of it.

== Puns, Limericks, And Spoonerisms ==

Puns are plays on words, normally involving [[homonyms]] or similar-sounding phrases. "Annapolis a fruit!" is a perfect example of a pun.

A limerick is a short poem consisting of five lines of varying length. Generally speaking, the last line of the limerick should reprise the first part of the limerick. Most limericks are ribald in nature, but there are plenty of perfectly tame limericks.

An example:
<blockquote>
There once was a man from Nantucket 
Who kept all his cash in a bucket 
he had a daughter named Nan 
who ran off with a man 
and as for the bucket, Nan took it. 
</blockquote>

A Spoonerism is created by swapping the first letters or sounds of two words, named after [[Reverend Spooner|Rev. William Archibald Spooner]], Warden of New College, [[Oxford University|Oxford]], who had this unfortunate habit. (It is suspected that Spooner had a brain tumor.)

An example of a Spoonerism:

<blockquote>
A teacher, speaking to a student, says, "you've tasted two worms!" instead of 'you've wasted two terms!'.
</blockquote>

== Irony And Sarcasm ==

Irony is lost on most people, because they've only heard the Alanis Morissette song that equates irony with "rain on [your] wedding day" and "a black fly in [your] Chardonnay".

Irony is not this sort of occurrance. Irony is saying, "I hate hate HATE cats! I will never own a cat in my life!" and then finding a lost kitten shivering on your doorstep.

Sarcasm is a type of humor that depends heavily on tone of voice, though it's possible to use sarcasm in a text-based medium. It generally consists of making a statement that is not meant sincerely or not meant to reflect the actual views or attitudes of the person making the statement.

Sarcasm is exemplified by the following statement, made by someone who finds the Daytona 500 more boring than watching paint dry:

<blockquote>
NASCAR is the pinnacle of sporting excellence.
</blockquote>

== Satire ==
{{main|Satire}}

Satire is the use of sarcasm and Irony to mock or deride a subject.
===Political Satire===
{{main|Political Satire}}

[[category:Humor]]

American Government Lecture Seven

2009-02-09T00:22:11Z

AbnerY: /* Television in the 1960s through 1980s */ link to new article and fix missing [

'''American Government'''

'''Seventh Lecture – The Media'''

== Introduction ==

Today we address the biggest name in politics: “the [[media]].” Politicians often mention and complain about “the [[media]].” Many [[vote]]rs criticize the bias in “the [[media]].”

“The [[media]]” is probably the most important aspect of [[political strategy]]. [[Vote]]rs do not meet candidates personally, and must decide based on how the candidates reach them through the media. The winners of [[election]]s are often those who use the [[media]] more effectively than opponents.

It is also essential to understand how the influence of the [[media]] changes over time. History courses should spend more time on the [[media]] than they do; [[debate]]s about the future should also focus on ways that [[media]] influence will change.

== What is the Media? ==

“The [[media]]” is a general term for sources of [[information]]. It includes [[television]], [[newspaper]]s, [[magazine]]s, [[radio]] and, more recently, the [[internet]].

When you want to learn what top officials in the federal [[government]] have done recently, then you turn to “the [[media]]” for the answer. You are not able to call [[President]] [[Bush]] and ask him what he is doing. You have to rely on others telling you what he is up to.

Why doesn’t [[President]] [[Bush]] just tell us directly? He could go on [[television]] every day and give us information directly, so that we can avoid distortions (“[[spin]]”) when others relay the information. Some [[politician]]s act in this manner. [[Rudy Giuliani]], when he was mayor of New York, held news conferences every day to tell the [[public]] what he was doing.

However, there are drawbacks to [[Mayor]] [[Giuliani]]’s approach. First, it consumes a large percentage of time, when he could be doing more important things. If an official is talking to the [[press]], then it’s time away from accomplishing something more meaningful. [[Terrorism]] is an example where we might prefer less talk and more action. An official who spent every day talking about [[terrorism]] would probably be hurting our [[economy]] and encouraging more attacks. It would be preferable for an official to prevent [[terrorism]] rather than talk about it.

Second, no one expects an official to tell the [[public]] all that he is really doing. Some activities would relate to secret operations against [[foreign]] enemies, and few would favor full public disclosure of that. Nor would we expect a [[politician]] to admit all his mistakes, and give his opponent [[ammunition]] to criticize him. So even if an official spent all day on [[television]], we would still need to look to other sources of information to find the truth.

The [[media]] serves that need. When [[Pearl Harbor]] was attacked on [[December]] 7, 1941, [[newspaper]]s brought all the details to a shocked public. When [[John F. Kennedy]] was assassinated in [[November]] 22, 1963, [[television]] immediately broadcast the news to a distraught nation. JFK’s assassin was then himself [[murder]]ed on live television.

Of all the channels of [[media]], [[television]] has been the most powerful.

== Television in the 1960s through 1980s ==

[[Radio]] had been very important during the [[Great Depression]] and [[World War II]], but it faded in importance as [[television]] rose to popularity. By the late 1960s and through the 1980s, [[television]] enjoyed more power in influencing the public than all other [[media]] combined. Most [[American]]s felt that if something was on [[TV]], then it must be true.

With its enormous power, however, came gradual bias. Network [[television]] was not content simply to report to the public. It increasingly wanted to influence the public, and shape its views. It wanted to become more powerful than even the [[president]].

By the late 1960s, the [[Vietnam War]] was raging in Southeast [[Asia]] and college protests were prominent in [[America]]. The [[media]] began covering the [[war]] as no other [[war]] had been seen before. Goring and disturbing pictures of violence and [[death]] on the battlefield were piped into millions of [[American]] homes. Public opinion shifted because of it.

[[Lyndon B. Johnson|President Johnson]] lost his popularity and could not be reelected in 1968, and [[Richard Nixon]] won the [[White House]]. He knew the power of [[television]], having used it to his advantage in addressing allegations against him in his Checkers speech in 1952. In 1960, [[Richard Nixon]] lost his [[president]]ial race to [[John F. Kennedy|JFK]] largely because [[John F. Kennedy|JFK]] looked better in the [[Kitchen Debates|televised presidential debates]].

By 1973, it was time for [[television]] to beat [[Richard Nixon]] again. [[Congress]] instituted hearings about the [[Watergate scandal]], and daily televised coverage gradually turned the public against [[Richard Nixon]]. Hours and hours of televised coverage featuring critics of [[Richard Nixon|President Nixon]] eventually forced him to resign. [[Television]] proved that it had the power to cause the first presidential resignation in [[history]].

But from the ashes rose a politician who was masterful at communicating his message over [[television]]: [[Ronald Reagan]]. A former [[actor]], he perfected the art of using short statements (“[[sound bite]]s”) that could be easily understood in a televised broadcast. He also looked youthful and sincere on [[television]], and his years of experience before cameras served him well. He rode [[television]] to the [[White House]] 1980 and a landslide reelection in 1984.

While [[Richard Nixon]] had been beaten by [[television]] in the presidential debates in 1960, [[Ronald Reagan]] delivered an unforgivable performance in the final televised [[president]]ial debate against his 1984 opponent, [[Walter Mondale]]. [[Ronald Reagan]] turned every tough question, like a difficult [[baseball]] pitch, into his own home run. Asked how he could expect to serve as [[president]] at such an old age, [[Ronald Reagan]] simply joked that he would not use his opponent’s youthful inexperience against him. Told that he more time to add to his answer, [[Ronald Reagan]] said he had nothing further to add to his quip.

Even when [[Ronald Reagan]] misjudged his time in his closing remarks, causing the moderator to interrupt him and tell him to stop, [[Ronald Reagan]] even used his gaffe in his favor. When another [[president]] would likely have insisted on continuing to talk, [[Ronald Reagan]] politely thanked the moderator and abided by the rules. Here was a [[president]] who was not greedy for control, and played by the rules.

[[Walter Mondale]], like [[Richard Nixon]] in 1960, blamed [[television]] itself for his loss. [[Walter Mondale]] said he never liked the [[television]] camera, and never related well to it. In 2002, [[Walter Mondale]] was beaten again as he attempted a comeback to become [[senator]] of [[Minnesota]].

Some in [[television]] still hold a grudge against [[Ronald Reagan]], however. In about a month, [[CBS]] will air a “docu-drama” designed to embarrass him with distortions and outright lies. Protests and perhaps a boycott of advertisers are expected from those who support him.

== [[Newspaper]]s ==

As important as [[television]] has been, [[newspaper]]s remain enormously influential. They were a big cause for the [[Spanish-American War]], and have played a key role in every [[war]] ever since. [[Television]] news producers look at [[newspaper]]s to decide what stories to cover and run.

The major [[newspaper]]s are overwhelming liberal. The only [[conservative]] papers in the country are the [[New York Post]], the [[New York Sun]], the [[Washington Times]], and small-town papers. In [[New Jersey]], every single major newspaper endorsed [[Democrat]] [[Jim McGreevey]] for governor. And he used those endorsements to his great advantage in his [[campaign]] ads.

However, the influence of [[newspaper]]s has been declining. With each passing year, fewer people subscribe to [[newspaper]]s. In old days, the family breakfast at home with the paper has been replaced with more a less structured schedule. The availability of instantaneous, in-depth news over the [[internet]] lessens the [[demand]] for [[newspapers]]. Why not obtain up-to-date news when you want it, rather than read stale news in the papers?

Prominent [[newspapers]], like the [[New York Times]], are also notorious in filtering news rather than reporting it. “All the News that’s Fit to Print” is the slogan of the NY Times, but in fact it carefully screens news from its subscribers. Its front page will feature stories that are days or weeks old, delayed or even rejected to created a political balance desired by the editors.

Stories about how [[gun]]s have stopped [[crime]] and saved lives, for example, are unlikely ever to appear in major [[newspaper]]s. [[Fallacy|Fallacies]] in theories of [[evolution]] or population control or other icons of [[humanism]] are screened from major [[newspaper]]s.

[[Abortion]] is an issue subjected to tremendous [[bias]] in [[newspaper]]s and most [[television]] [[program]]s. Nearly ever single study analyzing [[abortion]] has shown it to cause [[breast cancer]], yet that story is withheld by the [[media]]. Most in the [[public]], even people who think they are educated, are completely unaware of it.

[[Newspaper]]s print [[letter]]s to the [[editor]], though some are careful not to print anything too [[conservative]] or embarrassing to the [[paper]]. The NY Times is notorious for screening any letters that discredit its own views.

== The Rise of Radio ==

Television reigned supreme for several decades, and by the 1980s had completely eclipsed radio in influence. Most news radio stations had been replaced by sports or rock music. Many were losing money. Some Christian radio stations could be found in the South.

A fellow by the name of Rush Limbaugh, originally from Missouri, had a popular talk show in Florida. He advocated conservative principles in an entertaining manner, frequently mocking his liberal opponents.

Slowly he garnered national attention, and moved his show to New York City. From there, he began to “syndicate” by making his daily talk show available to any station nationwide. In some cities, stations signed up immediately, while others (like Washington, D.C.) initially did not have any stations willing to carry Limbaugh’s conservation message.

But he caught on like wildfire, and by 1992 had an enormous audience. He was considered influential in causing the conservative political victories in 1994, and again in 2000 and 2002. By now, he has many conservative imitators competing against him in certain cities. Sean Hannity and others have similar shows now.

In the process, radio grew immensely in popularity. It is, once again, a major political force.

Ronald Reagan, though a master of television, was pleased by the reemergence of radio. Much of Reagan’s early work was on radio. In fact, he began his career as a baseball announcer over radio. As president, he instituted the weekly Saturday radio address that has been imitated by every president since.

It was, in fact, President Reagan who abolished the fairness doctrine. At the time, many conservatives thought the fairness doctrine was necessary to force the media to give both sides of an issue. But abolishing it allowed the rise of conservative talk radio.

It was in a radio studio before one of Reagan’s weekly addresses that he jokingly said he was bombing the communist Soviet Union. “Testing ... the bombs will be dropping in 10 seconds. “10 ... 9 ... 8 ...” His political opponents obtained a copy of the tape and criticized him harshly for the joke. However, he never backed down from his political humor.

== The Internet ==

By the late 1990s, an entirely new media emerged: the internet. Matt Drudge was an early pioneer with his “www.drudgereport.com” website. It now receives 4 million visits per day, all hungry for news information.

The internet may still be in its infancy in terms of influence. But its impact has already been immense. The impeachment of President Clinton was due entirely to the internet, as Matt Drudge published the incriminating information to the world after it had been withheld for political reasons by newspapers and television.

By the presidential election in 2000, millions of Americans were obtaining their news from the internet. Even television began taking its cue from the internet, following and repeating stories that first appeared there. When Bush and Gore held their televised presidential debates, polls indicated that almost no voters were influenced by them. Indeed, Gore apparently won the first and last debates, yet lost the election. The internet has taken hold of voters.

While conservatives greatly expanded their influence through the internet in the late 1990s, President Bush appears to be uninterested or even slightly opposed to it. He has not used it to disseminate information or raise money. Rather, President Bush has felt that controlling and withholding information is a better approach for him. Everything from Vice President Cheney’s task force on energy to memoranda connected with 9/11 have been withheld from the public, and litigation is occurring to force disclosures of that information.

The Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) is an important tool for the public to force disclosure of government documents, which can then be posted on the internet. The photographs of Vincent Foster, a top aide to President Clinton who surprisingly died in 1993, are being withheld from the government and are the subject of a case before the Supreme Court now. I filed an amicus curiae brief in the case, and media organizations later filed a brief on our side (in favor of disclosure). Oral arguments in the case will be on December 3, 2003, in Washington, D.C.

The candidate who is using the internet the most in running for president is former Vermont Governor Howard Dean. He has amazingly leapt to the head of the pack of Democratic contenders, almost entirely on the strength of his internet-based campaign. He has raised far more campaign contributions than his Democratic competitors through the internet.

== Political Parties ==

Our Founders opposed political parties, feeling that they interfered with the proper operation of government. Congressmen should vote their consciences, not take orders from political bosses. Just as gangs in schools are undesirable, gangs in politics (political parties) were considered detrimental also.

Alexander Hamilton had to start a political party in the first Administration of President George Washington, in order to obtain passage of their economic program in Congress. Party organization seemed to be necessary to bring order to the chaos of many congressmen, senators, and other officials. If everyone thought for himself, then how can anything be accomplished?

Today, political parties are an antidote to the media, a check and balance against the power of the media. The media wanted John McCain to be the Republican nominee for president in 2000. But the Republican Party favored George W. Bush. Guess who won? The political party won.

Only rarely does a candidate win election when he is not favored by his own political party. Arnold Schwarzenegger took advantage of the recall system in California to bypass any party nomination process and win the governorship of California in his first run. The former Republican Party chairman had never even met him. Schwarzenegger simply listed his name with over 100 others, and put “Republican” next to it. That’s not how the system usually works.

Instead, candidates can typically become serious contenders for high public office only after winning the endorsement of a major political party, Democratic or Republican. Only very rarely does a third-party candidate, such as former Governor Jesse Ventura of Minnesota, win high office.

== Issues ==

# What role will the internet play in the 2008 election?
# Which part of the media is growing in strength?
# Is the overall influence of television on politics good or bad?
# Do you favor or oppose the power of political parties?

[[Category:American Government lectures]]
{{DEFAULTSORT:American Government Lecture 07}}

Debate

2009-02-09T00:15:13Z

AbnerY: add wiki links

A '''debate''' is an [[argument]] (friendly or unfriendly) between two opposite points of view. Debate has become a form of competition where the sides are affirmative or negative on a resolution. Debate is not only the only intellectually [[honest]] way of solving a problem (other than [[revelation]]), it also improves one's public speaking and [[critical thinking]] abilities.

Organized debate has become an organized [[sport]] in [[high school]]s and [[college]]. Different types of debate take place in these competitions, including Policy Debate, Lincoln-Douglass Debate, Parliamentary Debate, and Public Forum Debate.*

Policy Debate is the most common High School debate. It is set up into eight [[speech]]es, structured as followed.

1 Affirmative constructive(1ac) - in the 1ac, the affirmative team reads all of there affirmative evidence. There is an eight minute time limit.

1 Negative constructive(1nc) - in the 1nc, the negative team will read negative evidence. There is an eight minute time limit.

2 Affirmative constructive(2ac) - in the 2ac, the affirmative will attempt to counter all of the negative evidence. The 2ac is often considered the make or break moment for the affirmative. There is an eight minute time limit.

2 Negative constructive(2nc) - in the 2nc, the negative will argue half of there negative arguements, as the negative also has the next speech. There is an eight minute time limit.

1 Negative rebuttal(1nr) - in the 1nr, the negative will argue the other half of there arguements. There is a five minute time limit.

1 Affirmative rebuttal(1ar) - the 1ar is considered by many to be the hardest speech in policy debate, as the affirmative has five minutes to rebutt the thirteen minute neg block.

2 Negative rebuttal(2nr) - the 2nr is the negatives last speech and they will usually take half of there arguement against the affirmative. There is a [[five minute]] time limit.

2 Affirmative rebuttal(2ar) - The affirmative will take all advantages and attempt to win. There is a five minute time limit.

Due to the revealing nature of debate, [[ACORN|dishonest organization]]s will avoid engaging openly with their opponents in debate. Some sites who criticise Conservapedia, for example, have been known to refuse to engage in open debate out of fear that their stance would be exposed as hollow [[rhetoric]]. Conservapedia is a perfect example of [[democratic]] debate at work, with the views of all openly welcomed and debated without bias or prejudice. [[Wikipedia]] is well known to lack any decent standard of debate, and instead enforces [[liberal]] views on it's articles.

[[Category:Political Terms]]