Fractal

2007-08-01T02:40:00Z

Jaques:

[[Image:SsFb.gif|A computer generated image of a leaf."]]
A '''fractal''' is a design which contains in detail a shape which looks like the whole.

The fractal nature of some plants has convinced many people that God must have designed the natural world (see [[fern]]s).{{fact}} The leaves of a fern are shaped very much like the frond.

*Fractals were first named and described by Benoit Mandelbrot, a mathematician at Yale University. He calls fractals the "geometry of nature." [http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/fractal.html]

Damien Jones wrote:
*A fractal is a shape that, when you look at a small part of it, has a similar (but not necessarily identical) appearance to the full shape. Take, for example, a rocky mountain. From a distance, you can see how rocky it is; up close, the surface is very similar. Little rocks have a similar bumpy surface to big rocks and to the overall mountain. [http://www.fractalus.com/info/layman.htm]

==External links==
*[http://www.wsu.edu/DrUniverse/fractal.html Ask Dr. Universe] - Washington State University
*[http://www.creativitysoftware.com/fractals-images/pages-hs/fern-fronds.htm Fractal fronds]
*[http://www.fractalus.com/info/layman.htm Fractals, in Layman's Terms]

File:SsFb.gif

2007-08-01T02:39:28Z

Jaques:

Libertarianism

2007-08-01T02:15:38Z

Jaques:

'''Libertarianism''' is a [[Political Philosophy|political philosophy]] emphasizing ''liberty'' and ''property''. A libertarian believes in minimizing or entirely eliminating government interventionism in all aspects of life; including economic, personal and in foreign policy matters. <ref>"Libertarians are neither. Unlike liberals or conservatives, Libertarians advocate a high degree of both personal and economic liberty. For example, Libertarians advocate freedom in economic matters, so we're in favor of lowering taxes, slashing bureaucratic regulation of business, and charitable -- rather than government -- welfare. But Libertarians are also socially tolerant. We won't demand laws or restrictions on other people who we may not agree because of personal actions or lifestyles.
Think of us as a group of people with a "live and let live" mentality and a balanced checkbook." [http://www.lp.org/article_85.shtml] </ref>
== Libertarian Philosophy ==
Libertarians in America tend to be [[liberal]] on social issues but [[conservative]] on economic issues. Libertarians generally support the legalization of drugs, prostitution, same-sex marriage and [[abortion]]. They oppose restrictions on pornography. However, they also oppose [[universal health care]], [[taxes]] and [[welfare state]]. They are strong supports of [[school choice]], and oppose continuing the [[public school]] system.

Libertarians support an expansive view of liberty as the proper basis for organizing civil society.<ref>Libertarianism is closely related to liberalism, if this word is interpreted according to its original meaning of '[[classical liberal|classical liberalism]]'.</ref> They tend to define liberty as the freedom to do whatever one wishes up to the point that one's behavior begins to interfere with another's person or property through coercive means. At the point of interference, each party would become subject to certain principled rules for adjudicating disputes, generally accepting that one who has demonstrated a proven lack of respect for the rights of others should be subject to sanctions, including possible constraints on their freedom. They believe that liberty is the right of every individual.

Libertarians generally defend the ideal of freedom from the perspective of how little one is constrained by authority, i.e., how much one is allowed to do (also referred to as negative liberty). This ideal is distinguished from a view of freedom focused on how much one is able to do (also called positive liberty).

== Libertarian Factions ==

Libertarians tend to use the word "libertarian" (small "l") to refer to the philosophy, and "Libertarian" (capital "L") to refer to the party. Thus, more libertarians exist than members of the [[Libertarian Party]]. Two general factions exist in the libertarian movement. The first are those libertarians who apply the principles of right to person and property to an absolute. They believe that no person, group, or government is above the right to violate these two things. They thus believe that government itself is illegitimate because it violates person and property. These libertarians subscribe to [[anarcho-capitalism]], as first named by [[Murray N. Rothbard]]. They believe that law and security can be handled by private means in the free market. The other faction believes in a very limited government. They are often referred to as [[minarchists]]. Libertarian minarchists want the state to only enforce law and order but generally nothing else.

Libertarians tend to view liberalism as a philosophy advocating less government interference in private morality and more government control of business, and view conservatism as a philosophy advocating more government interference in private morality and less government control of business, while they view libertarianism as advocating less government control in all areas. However, there have been fusionist attempts to mix libertarianism and with social conservatism. This is noted in particular by [[paleolibertarians]]. They believe that social conservatism is a natural entity in a free society, but do not believe that it can be enforced by state interventionism.

== Libertarian Thought in America ==

Neither the [[Democratic]] or the [[Republican]] [[parties]] are particularly well aligned with libertarian thought. While the Republican Party sometimes adopts libertarian-sounding rhetoric of small government in economic affairs, many libertarians see it as being a force that has increased government interventionism in these affairs. Libertarians generally, for example, are opposed to the [[USA PATRIOT Act]], which they believe increases government power and removes protections on the liberty and privacy of the public. Most conservatives, on the other hand, view it as a necessary government program and believe security to be more important than personal liberty and privacy. Libertarians point out that such a view contradicts those of the founding fathers, such as Benjamin Franklin, who summarized it most eloquently, "Those who would give up Essential Liberty to purchase a little Temporary Safety, deserve neither Liberty nor Safety." Libertarians are also generally opposed to the [[Iraq War]], unlike the majority of conservatives.

While all libertarians agree in general on the principles of the desirability of maximizing individual liberty and avoiding excessive government interference with the operation of the free market, individual libertarians have opinions that differ wildly within these general principles.

The libertarian movement generally praises the [[United States Constitution]], regarding it as the proper scope of the national government. They believe that the Democratic and Republican parties have overstepped constitutional limits. Anarcho-capitalist libertarians, on the other hand, view the implementation of the constitution as the very reason the national government is the size it is today.

== Notable Libertarians ==
The Christian libertarian Lord Acton referred to the philosopher/theologian [[Thomas Aquinas]] as "the first Whig" or classical liberal. Other libertarian-oriented historic figures would include [[Adam Smith]], [[Thomas Jefferson]], [[Alexis de Tocqueville]], Thomas Paine, [[John Locke]], [[Patrick Henry]], George Mason, [[Carl Menger]], [[C.S. Lewis]], [[Ludwig von Mises]], [[James Madison]], H. L. Mencken, Rose Wilder Lane, Albert Jay Nock, [[Frédéric Bastiat]], [[Herbert Spencer]], Richard Cobden, [[Henry David Thoreau]], and [[Hugo Grotius]].

[[Ron Paul]], 1988 Libertarian Party and 2008 Republican Party presidential candidate.

The psychiatrist Thomas Szasz, opponent of the therapeutic state and compulsory mental institutionalization.

Nobel Laureate economists [[Milton Friedman]], [[F.A. Hayek]], [[Ronald Coase]], Gary Becker, James Buchanan, [[George Stigler]], and Vernon Smith.

The novelist [[Ayn Rand]] advocated a philosophy of ''Objectivism'', embodying some libertarian thought, although differing from libertarianism in many ways. Some of her novels, such as ''Atlas Shrugged'', have become icons of some people in the libertarian movement, while others find her materialism/atheism incompatible with moral ethics and natural rights and law.

[[Murray N. Rothbard]] was nicknamed "Mr. Libertarian." He brought life to the anarcho-capitalist movement. Rothbard was an economist of the [[Austrian School]].

[[Robert A. Heinlein]], science fiction author.

[[Penn and Teller]], stage magicians turned libertarian evangelicals preaching atheism and promoting libertarian philosophies, including controversial positions such as legalization of prostitution and drugs in their Showtime series, which sports a name that cannot for reasons of good taste be expressed here.

The Canadian rock band Rush, which has been together since 1968, often explores libertarian themes in their lyrics.

Humorist Dave Barry, actor/comedian Drew Carey, actor Denis Leary, former MTV VJ Lisa "Kennedy" Montgomery, actor Kurt Russell, investigative reporter [[John Stossel]], and the late rocker Frank Zappa have all referred to themselves as being aligned with or openly supporting the Libertarian Party.

== External links ==
* [http://www.faqs.org/faqs/libertarian/faq/ Libertarian FAQ]
* [http://dmoz.org/Society/Politics/Liberalism/Libertarianism/ Open Directory libertarian links ]
* [http://chelm.freeyellow.com/black_index.html Black Libertarians]
* [http://libertarianwiki.org/Main_Page Libertarian Wiki]
* [http://www.l4l.org/ Libertarians for Life]
* [http://www.independent.org/ The Independent Institute]
* [http://www.mises.org/ Ludwig von Mises Institute]
* [http://www.fee.org/ Foundation for Economic Education]
* [http://www.theadvocates.org/quiz.html World's Smallest Political Quiz]

== References ==
<references/>
[[Category:Politics]]

Political slang

2007-08-01T02:10:38Z

Jaques:

A derogatory term for someone (usually a politician or political commentator) who enthusiastically promotes a war that they do not personally intend to fight, and who has no military experience. Some argue that it's better to be a chickenhawk than just plain chicken.
[[category:politics]]

Talk:Christopher Hitchens

2007-08-01T01:54:52Z

Jaques: /* Quote */

Is there any reason why Hitchens is described as "conservative"? previous unsigned comment added by [[User:The Four Deuces |The Four Deuces]]
:Variously the article has described him as "conservative", "neo-conservative" and not at all. Hitchens is very much a paradox, and I for one wouldn't like to try to pin down exactly which part of the political spectrum he fits into. Several areas at once, probably. I'm not convinced that conservative or neo-conservative are accurate. Perhaps we should discuss here exactly who thinks he's what and why [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 09:09, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

Egads! Perhaps it's even possible that one cannot be neatly placed into a category of conservative or liberal? Whatever shall we do!? [[User:QNA|QNA]] 15:32, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

:Thankyou for your constructive and intelligent contribution to the discussion.[[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 15:38, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

You want constructive and intelligent, you're in the wrong place. If you don't see the futility in trying to categorize someone into a neat little box, then I'm not sure what more I can say... Hitchens is a lovely example of a real person who can not be categorized so easily, and who will drive most of the people on this site insane. You'll gladly use his quotes that are critical of Michael Moore, yet you'll marginalize and condemn him because he is an outspoken atheist... he openly contradicts the fiction that this site is trying to perpetuate which is that conservative and young earth creationist (or at the very least fundamentalist Christian) are synonymous. That a little more constructive for you, skippy? [[User:QNA|QNA]] 15:46, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

:LoL, you should get out more :) [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 15:56, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

Hitchens is certainly not a conservative--or if he is, not one of very old vintage. He is a supporter of the Iraq war, but that does not a conservative make. He's also a staunch critic of Reagan, Kissinger, etc., etc. I would put him as an iconoclast, an image he's worked very hard to maintain. As for the article, I would simply delete "conservative" and leave it at that.[[User:Reaganetics|Reaganetics]] 16:43, 22 June 2007 (EDT)

::My 2 cents - I agree with the above. He doesn't fit comfortably into liberal, conservative, or neocon, particularly as those labels have been defined here on CP. Labels ought to be deleted from the article; describe the stances he has taken and let readers decide what they think of him, free of preconceptions. [[User:Aziraphale|Aziraphale]] 00:39, 25 June 2007 (EDT) ''<- needs change for a nickel...''

*Hitchens' self-describes as "Social-Conservative". --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:45, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

Maybe we could say "Hitchens is a self-described conservative". [[User:DanH|DanH]] 00:49, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

:*ROFL! He's a bit of an ass. Self-described human might be more accurate. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:52, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

:Hitchens is an interesting character; like many so-called "leftists" who one day grow up, Hitchens has become something of a neo-con, if "neocon" is defined a liberal mugged by reality. Hitchens mugging by reality apparantly even bagan prior to 9/11, but was even more solidified by that historic event. Hitchens does have one problem though, he went way to far out on a limb with ''Trial of Henry Kissinger'', the matter was even pursued litigously, so while he'd like to say publicly, "I was an idiot, as is typical of youngsters and loud mouth liberals. I didn't really beleive any of that garbage, in fact, I didn't really even understand the issues. I just thought my job as a young loud mouth liberal was to slander people with outrageous accusations, and didn't think anybody would really be hurt by it. But now I'm grown up and see the world differently."

:Unfortunately Hitchens can't say this, cause that would be an admission what he wrote and what he said decades ago was false and malicious, hence he'd get his butt sued bigtime, and loose in court bigtime. Soooo, he's married to the sins of his youth and has to carry all that contradictary baggage, and try to make half-hearted attempts to say now that he still really meant it and beleives it.

:This could be a lesson for students wishing to make a career in journalism. [[User:RobS|RobS]] 00:50, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

::*This is a lesson for all young people in general. We are all married to our pasts. One cannot wipe your past statements from reality like a hard drive. ;-) --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:54, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

It's patent nonsense to describe Hitchens as a conservative. In [http://www.slate.com/id/2161171/ this] article he implies that he is a member of the ACLU ("In ACLU circles, we often refer to ourselves as "First Amendment Absolutists"). In [http://www.slate.com/id/2093620/ another], he debates the Iraq War with other Slate contributors, referring to themselves as "Liberal hawks". And, of course, Slate is a liberal publication--[[User:Afi|Afi]] 16:43, 17 July 2007 (EDT)

*Ah, so his saracasm is lost on you too... --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 18:27, 17 July 2007 (EDT)

: Maybe there was in the Ayaan Hirsi Ali article, but I didn't detect any. There definitely wasn't in the "Liberal hawks" article because, well, how can you insert sarcasm in the title of the article you co-wrote? With seven other people? That's totally absurd and you know it. --[[User:Afi|Afi]] 10:12, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:: By the way, I've got the full quote here to demonstrate the total lack of sarcasm in the Ayaan Hirsi Ali article.
"Let me give another example of linguistic slippage. In ACLU circles, we often refer to ourselves as "First Amendment absolutists." By this we mean, ironically enough, that we prefer to interpret the words of the Founders, if you insist, literally. The literal meaning in this case seems (to us) to be that Congress cannot inhibit any speech or establish any state religion. This means that we defend all expressions of opinion including those that revolt us, and that we say that nobody can be forced to practice, or forced to foreswear, any faith. I suppose I would say that this is an inflexible principle, or even a dogma, with me. But who dares to say that's the same as the belief that criticism of religion should be censored or the belief that faith should be imposed?"

He was using his membership as an example. If he was being super-subtle and injecting sarcasm into his article, he'd be purposefully sabotaging his point. Why? --[[User:Afi|Afi]] 10:22, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:If you think he's a conservative because he supports the War on Terror, you're being absolutely ridiculous. I know you enjoy the credibility of having the fifth most famous public intellectual in your camp, so to speak, but does that mean the other left-wing supporters of the War on Terror are conservative? What about Nick Cohen?--[[User:Afi|Afi]] 14:12, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

::He is more accurately, a [[neoconservative]]. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 16:02, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*Good point. Done. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 16:11, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

As per [[Nick Cohen]], merely being a critic of various elements of the Left does not make you of the Right. Hitchens is no 'neo-conservative', not at all. I would edit the article to remove it, but for some reason this article is locked. Actually, the more I look around here, I see a lot of locked articles? Why is that? [[User:BritLibDem|BritLibDem]] 21:22, 18 July 2007 (EDT)
::[http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2007/477/index.html?id=mp46.htm It's generally left-wingers who call Nick Cohen "right wing"]. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 09:38, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

:::[http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles-new/?p=181 Here's another article on how some former liberals are being labeled right-wing].[[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 10:12, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

::Articles get locked due to vandalism. [[User:Bohdan|Bohdan]] 21:23, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*And here at CP, POV pushing and constant argument is another. Being contentious is another reason people are blocked. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 21:56, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

But isn't the point of a Wiki encyclopedia to reach some kind of CONSENSUS of opinion? Even if here on CP you'd prefer that to come from a small section of the population? Anyway, an illustration of this point is that I doubt you'll find anyone British - no matter how conservative (with a small 'c', of course) - who would call Hitchens a 'neocon'. And although it does indeed seem many have posted in agreement on this matter here, the article remains locked and thus the information cannot be added. I certainly support your ability to have the content as it agrees with you, but I doubt a public wiki is the right way for you to go about this if you're not prepared to allow public edits. My best to you all. [[User:BritLibDem|BritLibDem]] 22:04, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:::It's generally lefties who call Hitchen a neoconservative. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 09:26, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

::I'll stay out of this, as I don't know my British politics. I just wanted to answer your question about protecting articles. [[User:Bohdan|Bohdan]] 22:06, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*Enjoy Houston, and your new firm! --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 22:21, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

==Links==
:[http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j082602.html CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, NEOCON]
:[http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_10_10/article3.html The Purest Neocon]
:[http://www.slate.com/id/2124500/ Cindy Sheehan's Sinister Piffle]

==Hitchen Quote==
"George Bush may subjectively be a Christian, but he -- and the US armed forces -- have objectively done more for secularism than the whole of the American agnostic community combined and doubled." [http://slate.com/id/2109377/]

Talk:Christopher Hitchens

2007-08-01T01:54:40Z

Jaques: /* Links */

Is there any reason why Hitchens is described as "conservative"? previous unsigned comment added by [[User:The Four Deuces |The Four Deuces]]
:Variously the article has described him as "conservative", "neo-conservative" and not at all. Hitchens is very much a paradox, and I for one wouldn't like to try to pin down exactly which part of the political spectrum he fits into. Several areas at once, probably. I'm not convinced that conservative or neo-conservative are accurate. Perhaps we should discuss here exactly who thinks he's what and why [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 09:09, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

Egads! Perhaps it's even possible that one cannot be neatly placed into a category of conservative or liberal? Whatever shall we do!? [[User:QNA|QNA]] 15:32, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

:Thankyou for your constructive and intelligent contribution to the discussion.[[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 15:38, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

You want constructive and intelligent, you're in the wrong place. If you don't see the futility in trying to categorize someone into a neat little box, then I'm not sure what more I can say... Hitchens is a lovely example of a real person who can not be categorized so easily, and who will drive most of the people on this site insane. You'll gladly use his quotes that are critical of Michael Moore, yet you'll marginalize and condemn him because he is an outspoken atheist... he openly contradicts the fiction that this site is trying to perpetuate which is that conservative and young earth creationist (or at the very least fundamentalist Christian) are synonymous. That a little more constructive for you, skippy? [[User:QNA|QNA]] 15:46, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

:LoL, you should get out more :) [[Image:User Fox.png]] [[User:Fox|Fox]] ([[User talk:Fox|talk]]|[[Special:Contributions/Fox|contribs]]) 15:56, 20 June 2007 (EDT)

Hitchens is certainly not a conservative--or if he is, not one of very old vintage. He is a supporter of the Iraq war, but that does not a conservative make. He's also a staunch critic of Reagan, Kissinger, etc., etc. I would put him as an iconoclast, an image he's worked very hard to maintain. As for the article, I would simply delete "conservative" and leave it at that.[[User:Reaganetics|Reaganetics]] 16:43, 22 June 2007 (EDT)

::My 2 cents - I agree with the above. He doesn't fit comfortably into liberal, conservative, or neocon, particularly as those labels have been defined here on CP. Labels ought to be deleted from the article; describe the stances he has taken and let readers decide what they think of him, free of preconceptions. [[User:Aziraphale|Aziraphale]] 00:39, 25 June 2007 (EDT) ''<- needs change for a nickel...''

*Hitchens' self-describes as "Social-Conservative". --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:45, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

Maybe we could say "Hitchens is a self-described conservative". [[User:DanH|DanH]] 00:49, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

:*ROFL! He's a bit of an ass. Self-described human might be more accurate. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:52, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

:Hitchens is an interesting character; like many so-called "leftists" who one day grow up, Hitchens has become something of a neo-con, if "neocon" is defined a liberal mugged by reality. Hitchens mugging by reality apparantly even bagan prior to 9/11, but was even more solidified by that historic event. Hitchens does have one problem though, he went way to far out on a limb with ''Trial of Henry Kissinger'', the matter was even pursued litigously, so while he'd like to say publicly, "I was an idiot, as is typical of youngsters and loud mouth liberals. I didn't really beleive any of that garbage, in fact, I didn't really even understand the issues. I just thought my job as a young loud mouth liberal was to slander people with outrageous accusations, and didn't think anybody would really be hurt by it. But now I'm grown up and see the world differently."

:Unfortunately Hitchens can't say this, cause that would be an admission what he wrote and what he said decades ago was false and malicious, hence he'd get his butt sued bigtime, and loose in court bigtime. Soooo, he's married to the sins of his youth and has to carry all that contradictary baggage, and try to make half-hearted attempts to say now that he still really meant it and beleives it.

:This could be a lesson for students wishing to make a career in journalism. [[User:RobS|RobS]] 00:50, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

::*This is a lesson for all young people in general. We are all married to our pasts. One cannot wipe your past statements from reality like a hard drive. ;-) --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 00:54, 25 June 2007 (EDT)

It's patent nonsense to describe Hitchens as a conservative. In [http://www.slate.com/id/2161171/ this] article he implies that he is a member of the ACLU ("In ACLU circles, we often refer to ourselves as "First Amendment Absolutists"). In [http://www.slate.com/id/2093620/ another], he debates the Iraq War with other Slate contributors, referring to themselves as "Liberal hawks". And, of course, Slate is a liberal publication--[[User:Afi|Afi]] 16:43, 17 July 2007 (EDT)

*Ah, so his saracasm is lost on you too... --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 18:27, 17 July 2007 (EDT)

: Maybe there was in the Ayaan Hirsi Ali article, but I didn't detect any. There definitely wasn't in the "Liberal hawks" article because, well, how can you insert sarcasm in the title of the article you co-wrote? With seven other people? That's totally absurd and you know it. --[[User:Afi|Afi]] 10:12, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:: By the way, I've got the full quote here to demonstrate the total lack of sarcasm in the Ayaan Hirsi Ali article.
"Let me give another example of linguistic slippage. In ACLU circles, we often refer to ourselves as "First Amendment absolutists." By this we mean, ironically enough, that we prefer to interpret the words of the Founders, if you insist, literally. The literal meaning in this case seems (to us) to be that Congress cannot inhibit any speech or establish any state religion. This means that we defend all expressions of opinion including those that revolt us, and that we say that nobody can be forced to practice, or forced to foreswear, any faith. I suppose I would say that this is an inflexible principle, or even a dogma, with me. But who dares to say that's the same as the belief that criticism of religion should be censored or the belief that faith should be imposed?"

He was using his membership as an example. If he was being super-subtle and injecting sarcasm into his article, he'd be purposefully sabotaging his point. Why? --[[User:Afi|Afi]] 10:22, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:If you think he's a conservative because he supports the War on Terror, you're being absolutely ridiculous. I know you enjoy the credibility of having the fifth most famous public intellectual in your camp, so to speak, but does that mean the other left-wing supporters of the War on Terror are conservative? What about Nick Cohen?--[[User:Afi|Afi]] 14:12, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

::He is more accurately, a [[neoconservative]]. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 16:02, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*Good point. Done. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 16:11, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

As per [[Nick Cohen]], merely being a critic of various elements of the Left does not make you of the Right. Hitchens is no 'neo-conservative', not at all. I would edit the article to remove it, but for some reason this article is locked. Actually, the more I look around here, I see a lot of locked articles? Why is that? [[User:BritLibDem|BritLibDem]] 21:22, 18 July 2007 (EDT)
::[http://www.socialistparty.org.uk/2007/477/index.html?id=mp46.htm It's generally left-wingers who call Nick Cohen "right wing"]. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 09:38, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

:::[http://www.melaniephillips.com/articles-new/?p=181 Here's another article on how some former liberals are being labeled right-wing].[[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 10:12, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

::Articles get locked due to vandalism. [[User:Bohdan|Bohdan]] 21:23, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*And here at CP, POV pushing and constant argument is another. Being contentious is another reason people are blocked. --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 21:56, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

But isn't the point of a Wiki encyclopedia to reach some kind of CONSENSUS of opinion? Even if here on CP you'd prefer that to come from a small section of the population? Anyway, an illustration of this point is that I doubt you'll find anyone British - no matter how conservative (with a small 'c', of course) - who would call Hitchens a 'neocon'. And although it does indeed seem many have posted in agreement on this matter here, the article remains locked and thus the information cannot be added. I certainly support your ability to have the content as it agrees with you, but I doubt a public wiki is the right way for you to go about this if you're not prepared to allow public edits. My best to you all. [[User:BritLibDem|BritLibDem]] 22:04, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

:::It's generally lefties who call Hitchen a neoconservative. [[User:Jaques|Jaques]] 09:26, 19 July 2007 (EDT)

::I'll stay out of this, as I don't know my British politics. I just wanted to answer your question about protecting articles. [[User:Bohdan|Bohdan]] 22:06, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

*Enjoy Houston, and your new firm! --[[User:TK|Sysop-TK]] [[User_talk:TK|/MyTalk]] 22:21, 18 July 2007 (EDT)

==Links==
:[http://www.antiwar.com/justin/j082602.html CHRISTOPHER HITCHENS, NEOCON]
:[http://www.amconmag.com/2005/2005_10_10/article3.html The Purest Neocon]
:[http://www.slate.com/id/2124500/ Cindy Sheehan's Sinister Piffle]

==Quote==
George Bush may subjectively be a Christian, but he -- and the US armed forces -- have objectively done more for secularism than the whole of the American agnostic community combined and doubled.[http://slate.com/id/2109377/]

Universal Health Care

2007-07-29T05:54:45Z

Jaques: /* Types of health care */

'''Universal health care''' (UHC) is any system in which every citizen of a country has access to affordable health care <ref>http://www.amsa.org/uhc/</ref>. This could refer to several different types of health care systems, including [[single payer]] [[health insurance]] or [[health savings accounts]].

While [[socialized medicine]] is often used synonymously for universal health care, this is incorrect <ref>Chua, Kao-Ping. ''Framing Universal Health Care'' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/FramingUniversalHealthCare.pdf]</ref>. Socialized medicine could be a form of universal health care, but UHC itself is an umbrella term which includes any form of universally affordable health care.

==Types of Universal health care==

There are many different types of care which fall under the term universal health care <ref>American Medical Student Association, ''Theoretical Models for Delivering Health Care'' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/theories.cfm]</ref>. Some of these systems are highlighted here:

*'''Single-payer''' health care is a system in which one entity pays for the health care of the entire population. This entity is traditionally the federal government, and the system is paid for through taxes. [[Canada]], [[Cuba]] and [[North Korea]] are the only three countries using this system.
*'''Multi-payer''' health care is similar to the single-payer system, except that individuals may also choose to purchase private insurance.
*'''Tax Credits''' can be used to provide uninsured individuals with a discount in their taxes to use towards paying for health care.
*'''Managed competition''' is a system which allows employers to join health care purchasing cooperatives. These cooperatives negotiate with private insurance providers to provide employees with a number of health options. The premiums are paid for in large part by the employer, and all purchasers pay the same price, regardless of their current health situation.

==Proponents of universal health care==
*The '''American Medical Student Association''' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/] is a proponent of single-payer health insurance.
*The '''Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN)''' [http://www.uhcan.org/] is an organization which promotes universal health care in general.

==Opponents of universal health care==
*The '''[[The Cato Institute|Cato Institute]]''' [http://www.cato.org/healthcare/] is in favor of free market solutions to health care, and advocates health savings accounts in combination with high-deductible private insurance plans.

==See Also==
*[http://www.freemarketcure.com/ Free Market Cure], site criticizing universal health care.
*[[Health care]]
*[[Socialized medicine]]
*[[Free health care]]
*[[Single-payer health care]]
*[[Multi-payer health care]]
*[[Health savings accounts]]

==References==
<references />

[[category:medicine]]

Universal Health Care

2007-07-29T05:53:41Z

Jaques: /* See Also */

'''Universal health care''' (UHC) is any system in which every citizen of a country has access to affordable health care <ref>http://www.amsa.org/uhc/</ref>. This could refer to several different types of health care systems, including [[single payer]] [[health insurance]] or [[health savings accounts]].

While [[socialized medicine]] is often used synonymously for universal health care, this is incorrect <ref>Chua, Kao-Ping. ''Framing Universal Health Care'' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/FramingUniversalHealthCare.pdf]</ref>. Socialized medicine could be a form of universal health care, but UHC itself is an umbrella term which includes any form of universally affordable health care.

==Types of health care==

There are many different types of care which fall under the term universal health care <ref>American Medical Student Association, ''Theoretical Models for Delivering Health Care'' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/theories.cfm]</ref>. Some of these systems are highlighted here:

*'''Single-payer''' health care is a system in which one entity pays for the health care of the entire population. This entity is traditionally the federal government, and the system is paid for through taxes. [[Canada]], [[Cuba]] and [[North Korea]] are the only three countries using this system.
*'''Multi-payer''' health care is similar to the single-payer system, except that individuals may also choose to purchase private insurance.
*'''Tax Credits''' can be used to provide uninsured individuals with a discount in their taxes to use towards paying for health care.
*'''Managed competition''' is a system which allows employers to join health care purchasing cooperatives. These cooperatives negotiate with private insurance providers to provide employees with a number of health options. The premiums are paid for in large part by the employer, and all purchasers pay the same price, regardless of their current health situation.

==Proponents of universal health care==
*The '''American Medical Student Association''' [http://www.amsa.org/uhc/] is a proponent of single-payer health insurance.
*The '''Universal Health Care Action Network (UHCAN)''' [http://www.uhcan.org/] is an organization which promotes universal health care in general.

==Opponents of universal health care==
*The '''[[The Cato Institute|Cato Institute]]''' [http://www.cato.org/healthcare/] is in favor of free market solutions to health care, and advocates health savings accounts in combination with high-deductible private insurance plans.

==See Also==
*[http://www.freemarketcure.com/ Free Market Cure], site criticizing universal health care.
*[[Health care]]
*[[Socialized medicine]]
*[[Free health care]]
*[[Single-payer health care]]
*[[Multi-payer health care]]
*[[Health savings accounts]]

==References==
<references />

[[category:medicine]]

Leon Trotsky

2007-07-27T06:45:48Z

Jaques: /* See also */

[[Image:Trockiy2.jpg|right|thumb|Leon Trotsky]]

'''Leon Trotsky''', born '''Leon Davidovich Bronstein''' (1879-1940) was a participant with [[V. I. Lenin]] in the [[communist revolution]] in [[Russia]] in 1917. However, he had previously been a member of the [[Mensheviks]], a communist party that had once been aligned with the [[Bolsheviks]]. They did not believe in actively pursuing revolution, that it would happen when the people were ready, unlike the Bolsheviks who believed that the people needed to be led. From 1904 until 1917 Trotsky had a stormy relationship with Lenin, with him accusing Lenin of wanting to become a dictator. But the two of them resolved their differences in 1917, and after that point arguably Trotsky was totally loyal to Lenin.

Trotsky was the most powerful orator in the Bolshevik party, and due to his numerous spells in jail and his active role in the failed 1905 revolution he was much more famous than Lenin was to ordinary Russians. He was the actual organizer behind the [[October Revolution]], as Lenin was still in exile and so unable to participate.

Trotsky also helped build the [[Red Army]] that defeated the White Russian Army in the subsequent Civil War in Russia, despite having no military experience of any kind.

Trotsky was unpopular within the Bolshevik party due to his intellectual snobbery and small details; he dressed very well, he had only joined the party in 1917, previously he had made insulting remarks to Lenin between 1904 and 1917.

When Lenin died in 1924, a lengthy power struggle began between Trotsky and [[Stalin]]. Trotsky took the view that socialism in the Soviet Union must await a revolution in western Europe and even worldwide. Stalin wanted power immediately and offered a rival ideology, ''Socialism in one country''. To fend off accusations of becoming the new 'Napoleon', he gave up his command of the Red Army. However Stalin expelled Trotsky from the Bolshevik party in 1927 and exiled him from Russia in 1929.

Trotsky eventually settled in [[Mexico]] in 1937, where he gave up politics and writing in favor of a career as a gardener. He was hunted down and murdered by an assassin sent by Stalin in 1940.

Trotsky's famous command was this: "Those who do not obey, do not eat."

==Trotsky's Atheism==
Like most [[Marxism|Marxists]], Trotsky was an avowed [[atheism|atheist]]. During [[World War I]], a Russian pilot was flying through dense clouds above Ararat when he spotted what appeared to be the remains of a very large wooden structure. When he returned to base, he informed [[Czar Nicholas]] of his find, and Czar Nicholas ordered a scientific investigation which immediately resulted in promising archaeological evidence that [[Ark|Noah's Ark]] did indeed lie ruined on the sides of the mountain. Unfortunately, the Czar was soon disposed of by the Bolsheviks, and all of the evidence gathered by the expedition was given to Trotsky who either hid or disposed of it, knowing that the find would undermine the [[Dialectic Materialism]] from which [[Communism]] derived its social theories.<ref>http://www.chick.com/reading/tracts/0272/0272_01.asp</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Karl Marx]]
*[[Vladimir Ilyich Lenin]]
*[[Communist Party]]
*[[neoconservatism]]

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Political people|Trotsky, Leon]]

Talk:Christopher Hitchens

Jaques:

'''C''' is the name of a [[procedural programming|procedural]], [[imperative programming|imperative]] [[programming language]] developed in 1972 by Dennis Ritchie at Bell Laboratories. It was a major improvement over the earlier languages BCPL and B.

C is still a popular choice for projects where speed and small program size are important considerations, such as embedded firmware. A significant portion of the [[Linux]] [[kernel]] was written in C. The syntax of C inspired many later languages such as [[C++]], [[Java]] and [[C Sharp]]. Many C compilers also support low-level programming via integrated inline assemblers.

==See Also==
:[http://www.openwatcom.org/index.php/Main_Page Open Watcom C Compiler], high quality free C/C++ compiler.
:[http://www.c-compiler.com/ Miracle C compiler], free c/c++ compiler.
:[http://www.cs.virginia.edu/~lcc-win32/ lcc], portable C compiler, free for non-commercial use.
[[Category:Information technology]]

C (programming language)

2007-07-20T05:00:37Z

Jaques:

2007-07-19T15:15:22Z

Jaques:

[[Image:Jhyu65.jpg|right|thumb]]
'''Ayn Rand''', born '''Alisa Zinov'yevna Rosenbaum''' (1905-1982) was a Russian-born philosopher, screenwriter, and novelist, who used her novels to promote her philosophy, known as [[Objectivism]]. Her best-known novels are [[Atlas_Shrugged|''Atlas Shrugged'']] and [[The_Fountainhead|''The Fountainhead.'']] Although her philosophy differs in many respects from [[Libertarianism]], it also emphasized individual freedom, and her novels, particularly ''Atlas Shrugged,'' contain lectures that are considered touchstones for libertarian thinking.

While [[liberal]]s commonly associate Rand with [[conservative|conservatism]], she disagreed with social conservatives on key issues, most notably on the existence of [[God]] (as she was an [[atheism|atheist]]) and on traditional [[family]] values. Also, she was strongly pro-choice on the issue of [[abortion]], as are her followers.<ref>Page on abortion from the Ayn Rand Institute [http://www.aynrand.org/site/News2?page=NewsArticle&id=7893]</ref>

==Books Written==
*We the Living
*Anthem
*The Fountainhead
*Atlas Shrugged

==References==
Doherthy, Brian. 'Radicals for Capitalism a Freewheeling History of the Modern Libertarian Movement.' New York: Public Affairs, 2007.
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://www.aynrand.org/site/PageServer Ayn Rand Institute]
*[http://www.ios.org/ The Atlas Society -- home of The Objectivist Center]
*[http://wiki.objectivismonline.net/wiki/Main_Page Objectivism Wiki]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rand, Ayn}}
[[Category:Authors|Rand, Ayn]]
[[Category:philosophers]]