Reasonality

[Originally published Friday, June 15, 2006, at https://reasonality.blogspot.com/]

Selective compliance, Socrates warned, would undermine the moral integrity of the legal system, ensuring anarchy. So, as Plato tells us, the philosopher accepted the court’s death sentence and drank the deadly hemlock.

… what distinguishes the United States from nations in the Middle East, Africa and, yes, Mexico is the sanctity of our legal system.

…Socrates, 2,400 years ago, taught us that the deliberate violation of the rule of law would have been worse for ancient Athens even than losing its greatest philospher.
Victor Davis Hanson, Socrates on illegal immigration, SF Chronicle June 15, 2006.

I agree that Socrates’ sacrifice was for a noble and important principle and speaks to current issues surrounding illegal immigration. But I can only wish that the United States were distinguished by the sanctity of its legal system. It should come as no surprise that Read the rest of this entry »

[Originally published Friday, June 23, 2006, at https://reasonality.blogspot.com/]

We political junkies will be debating what happened to all those voters for years. But it seems clear that such a vast voter drop-off must be caused by far more than apathy. My working theory is that voters–particularly Democrats–were filled with disgust and irritation, gritting their teeth against Phil Angelides’ and Steve Westley’s ugly campaigns.

Jill Stewart, “Weirdos prevailed on election day,” SF Chronicle, June 9, 2006

For the first time in my life, I almost chose intentionally not to vote. The more I learn about government, the more Read the rest of this entry »