Buscaraons

2.11.02

La cour suprême et le gouvernement irresposnable

La Cour suprême a statué que les membres de l'Assemblée national peuvent garder secret leur budgets de bureau. Ils ne sont pas obligés de divulger combien ils dépensent à l'embauche de consultants externes ainsi que du personnel. La cour a judgé que tels documents constitutent des information privilègées pour le bon fonctionnment interne du bureau du membre d l'Assemblée nationale.
Même si la decision a été très serée, la Cour a eu torte pusique elle rend un gouvernment progressivement irresponsable. Irresponsable dans le sense juridique par laquelle, les membres d'un législature qu'elle soit municipales, provinciiale et fédérale sont responsable pour leurs actes y compris ceux qui passent dans leurs bureaux.
La sentence expose une certaine insensibilisation envers les scandales qui ont éclatés précisement à la question des consultants externes et la gestion interne des bureaux de membres de la Legislature. La Cour suprême a donné peut-être sans vouloir un feu vert aux abus dans les dépenses des bureaux de nos réprésentants politiques.

The West ideological heritage isn't the Anglosphere's monopoly

I can't express enough my gratitude to the collective bloggers of Innocents Abroad for their chiding of David Brook's article on the origins of Ba'ath ideology

If there's one pet peeve I have against the Anglosphere is its monopolization of the history of ideas. As if the West's entire ideological, intellectual and philosophical tradition rests on Anglo-American philosphers, their works, their controversies and their reflections of past philosophical traditions, pro and contra. Frankly, I'm sick to death of Locke and Hobbes; I've never accepted them as authourities and I flatly disagree with their prescriptions (don't get me started on John Stuart Mills or on his dad's and Betham's utilitarianism).

The dominance of the Anglosphere has led to the neglect of other thinkers: such as the French physiocrats, Vitoria and the Salamanca school, Benjamin Constant and the French Liberals and so on. Indeed, as I read through the Innocents abroad's post it reminded me of a controversial conclusion I've had since my graduate days: that Anglo-American political philosophy has been arrested since Locke.

British philosophy, in particular, was consumed by intramural disagreements between the analytical philosophers and the empiricists. I always viewed that disagreement as rather lame in contrast to the more serious philosophical controversies shaking Europe (and I include the Russians). Yes no doubt, I'll be reminded that the Anglo-American philosophical controversies have been far less pernicious, noxious and toxic than the Europeans. Perhaps, but precisely because the Anglo-American political philosophy tradition has evolved differently, the rest of the world reacts with a mixture of bemusement and incredulity at its philosophers' sometimes maddening 'naivété.

We need to challenge the universities once again. The return to the Great books is a start; however, I argue that we must rehabilitate also long neglected political philosphers if we're to understand, to defeat unltimately, the antiliberal, anticapitalist, anti-freedom strains within Western political philosophy and philosophical traditions

¶ 23:16

1.11.02

With statements like this...

It becomes progressively harder to take Islam seriously. When religious leaders spour nonsensical stuff about the OtherJewsin this case, it becomes increasingly clear that a prominent sector is becomeing unhinged- if it's not there already.
It's tiresome to read such turgid crap that's a recycling of the most lurid lies about the Jews.
As you read on, soem clerics even try to discredit Peter vision of the table of 'unclean food' as an attempt to deny Christianity's universal appeal- that one doesn't need to follow the old Jewish rituals- to be Christian.
Reading through these sermons and articles, one can help ask the clerics a sharp question: does suicide bombings and deliberate targeting of civilians and other non-combatnats as well as the sacriliege done to the religious objects of other religions condemn Moselms to become pigs and other animals too?

Update: Mark Shea has posted his own sarcastic perspective

Joe Katzman: hopefully the sabbatical will be short

I read with dismay that Joe's taking a sabbatical but I do understand his decision. If it's no fun anymore why continue?
I consider him to be one of my mentors. He published my critique of the Anglopshere and when James Bennett wrote a defense, that's when I decided to create my own blog. Since then I've learnt so much and thoroughly enjoy the blog experience. Thanks to Joe's encouragement.
I've always enjoyed- and still do- his essays and commentaries about international affairs, science and technology and the Sufi wisdom stories every every Shabbat. Like others, there's a part of me that's selfish because I make it a habit to read his blog and my fix is sated. Now I'll have to look elsewhere.
Joe my very best wishes; that your sabbatical increases knowledge and joy in your life.

¶ 14:43

30.10.02

Divesting from Europe:American idiotarianism on the march

I visited Charles Johnson's site and came across this post for a petition advocating that American corporations divest from Europe due to its support of the Palestinean authourity. I want very much the Europeans to stop their love affairs with Arafat and the Palestinan Authourity as presently constituted. The Europeans are quite frankly engaged in idiotarian wishful thinking if they assume that financing Arafat and the authourity will pacify them to accept Israel's right to exist.
Nonetheless, I view American corporate disinvestiment of Europe as an equally idiotarian position to take. Once again, I have to ask the American sponsors of this petition if trashing the European economies and gratuitiously pissing off the Europeans will make them anymore amendable to assisting the Americans? Of course not.
Moreover, pan-European disinvestment is unfair because it would hurt allies like Portugual, Spain,Italy, Poland and the Czech republic which have robustly supported the American position.
Finally, disinvestment would once again highlight the islamojihadist strategic victory of 11 September, the division between the 2 major blocs of Western civilization.
We're all infidels and our splits just facilitate their divide and conquer. Better free than green.

¶ 19:14

29.10.02

Una bala al cap: Espanya no es territori musulman

Memri ha publicat un articel d'un cleric islamic de Londres que considera l'Espanya del sur com a territoris musulmans. Francament tince el pobrets plens d'aquesta gent que patallegen perque el món no els pertany. Si aquest islamojihadistes volen reprendre el territori espayol, els fotaré una bala al cap.
Els islamojishadites no saben res més que guerrejar i destruir. Abraçar la cultura de la
Quan a la dimmitude, menjaran porc abans que els someti a llur 'protecció'. Diguen que volguin, son un patetics que passen per a prepotents quan no son res que que marrul.les.

L'interdiction de taxistes étrangers ne solutionnera rein

Arabnew a publié un reportage dans lequel les étrangers n'auront plus droit d'être taxistes. Le but selon les autoritées saoudites c'est pour donner de l'emploi au citoyens d'où le taux de chômage pour les hommes est de 15%.
Je vous dira que cette politique ne résuissira pas. Primèrement, je ne vois pas les saoudites comme taxistes puisque la société à jusqu'à maintenant décourager les jeunes à travailler grâce aux programmes sociaux généreux et ce jeunes-là pesneront que tel emploi est au-dessous de leur 'dignité'
Deuxièmement, que passera-t-il avec les taxistes étrangers? Sans doute, dans le but de 'résoudre' le problème d'un surplus de travailleur dans ce domaines, ils seront explusés du pays. Joli façon de gagner la sympathie des musulmans pauvres qui se sont forgés une vie qui les permettent à verser des sommes à leurs familles. Ces familles pauvres peuvent toujours remercier les autourités saoudites de les appauvrer...de nouveau.

¶ 21:11