Wednesday, April 14, 2010

weblog

Fugitive Draws Visitors to Africa; Two Views: 'Criminal' or 'Cool Grandparents'- Wall Street Journal
Ex-Black Panther Pete O'Neal fled the US after being convicted on gun charges decades ago. Now people come to Tanzania to see him. He's viewed by some as a living relic of the militant '60s.

Cash-strapped rust-belt mayors furious about expensive foreign wars - American Conservative
"It was in the context of this kind of local pain that Ryan was stunned to discover just how much of Binghamton’s [N.Y.] taxes were going to the military and to our distant wars, and how little was coming back to Binghamton in the form of aid and services."

Probably against her will though. You could go to prison for that stuff back then you see.
Scientists say free will probably doesn't exist, but urge: "Don't stop believing!" - Scientific American
"Believing" in what? This view has some troubling implications. If some people (or most people in general) can't truly choose how to respond to stimuli or situations, then we absolutely must have a wiser and all-powerful state to manage all aspects of our daily lives, no?