December 21, 2006
While searching on Google for something completely unrelated, I casually came upon this article:
Societies worse off ‘when they have God on their side’
RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, according to research published today.
I’m not particularly religious, but I never thought religious – and particularly Christian belief – could lead to high murder and abortion. Just how the researcher (a certain Gregory Paul) arrived at this conclusion?
The study counters the view of believers that religion is necessary to provide the moral and ethical foundations of a healthy society.
It compares the social peformance of relatively secular countries, such as Britain, with the US, where the majority believes in a creator rather than the theory of evolution. Many conservative evangelicals in the US consider Darwinism to be a social evil, believing that it inspires atheism and amorality.
So, basically, casting aside all possible explanations, all other differences between the US and the UK, ignoring other religions such as Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, Bhuddism, and lumping together religious and non-religious people in each country, the researcher comes to the conclusion that religion is the root of all evil. Seems sloppy research to me.
Mr Paul delayed releasing the study until now because of Hurricane Katrina.
Why? He lives in Baltimore!
He said that most Western nations would become more religious only if the theory of evolution could be overturned and the existence of God scientifically proven. Likewise, the theory of evolution would not enjoy majority support in the US unless there was a marked decline in religious belief, Mr Paul said.
The existence of God scientifically proven? Tough chance. Well, there’s Gödel’s argument.
December 20, 2006
Sandmonkey asks what an “Iranian moderate conservative” means, referring to the way Hashemi Rafsanjani, victorious in the latest Iranian polls, is called by the media.
I don’t know about the “conservative”, but considering that this guy has (already in 2001) called for the nuclear destruction of Israel and has an arrest warrant by the Argentine government for cumplicity in the 1994 bombings in Buenos Aires, he doesn’t seem very “moderate”.
Iran, meanwhile, menaces Argentina (with new bombings?):
Otra amenaza de Irán contra la Argentina « El Rejunte.il
UPDATE:
Danish students place ad with “secret message” in Tehran newspaper (read initials vertically for full apreciation)
December 20, 2006
An interesting interview with André Comte-Speville (in Spanish). Can’t say I agree with it all, but his views are interesting and dispell many myths of the radical left:
-¿En quién recae la responsabilidad moral de una sociedad?
-En el individuo. La moral sólo existe en primera persona. ¿Por qué siempre acusar al sistema capitalista? El sistema capitalista no es nadie. ¿Cuánta gente conoce usted que es egoísta -como usted y yo- y echa pestes contra el egoísmo del sistema? El sistema no tiene por qué ser generoso; son ellos los que deberían serlo. Como no lo son, se excusan condenando el sistema.
(The morality of a society lies in the individual. Morality only exists in first person. Why accuse always the capitalist system? The capitalist system is not a person. How many people do you know who are selfish – like me and you – and yet complain about the “selfishness of the system”? The system doesn’t have to be generous; each one of us should be. Since most people are not generous, they excuse themselves accusing the system.)
-No, la globalización no es responsable de la pobreza del Tercer Mundo; más bien es lo contrario. Si los países ricos aceptaran abrir un poco más sus mercados a los productos africanos o sudamericanos, las economías de esas regiones irían infinitamente mejor.
(No, globalization is not responsible for the poverty of the Tird World; it’s actually the opposite. If rich countries opened their markets to African and South American countries, the economies of such regions would improve much.)
December 20, 2006
The dangers of applying postmodern theories to old masterpieces.
December 20, 2006
Wretchard from the Belmont Club attends a conference in Israel and discovers the oddities of air travel to the little Middle Eastern country.
The reason direct flights to Israel from Asia were so expensive lay in the simple fact that airliners could not transit Pakistan nor the Arabian Peninsula and essentially had to fly around them. That explained why it was easier to fly through Europe then backtrack than to take the Silk Road express.
Lesson number one. Israel is not a normal country and what international friends it has is very important. If the route through China, Russia and Turkey were closed the trip would be even more of a hassle.
December 20, 2006
Now in Venezuela under Chavez, everyone will be forced to do volunteer work.
As William Rattlif from El Instituto Independiente puts it:
Chavez y la nueva izquierda fascista latinoamericana
(…) Chavez y Morales, mientras sostienen representar al pueblo, están en verdad a la vanguardia de promover un pasado fallido que lesionará adicionalmente a las ya débiles economías y a sus pueblos. Un ejemplo de retrasar el reloj es obligar a las empresas de energía a renegociar los contratos en base a términos que otorgan mucho más control y dinero a los gobiernos latinoamericanos. Eso puede parecer lo suficientemente justo, ya que si los gigantes energéticos están deseosos de obtener menos ganancias, de eso se trata la negociación. Pero forzar a renegociaciones de acuerdos anteriores abre las puertas a todavía más de lo mismo más adelante, y el no respeto por los contratos puede reducir criticas inversiones extranjeras futuras, sin las cuales las fuentes energéticas latinoamericanas seguirán siendo solo reservas.
Sin embargo, los líderes con buenas intenciones inclinados al chavismo, han sido hasta ahora mayormente demagogos improvisados que manipulan las legítimas necesidades y aspiraciones populares con dádivas (principalmente Chavez), la inclinación populista y la búsqueda del chivo expiatorio antiestadounidense. Han surgido o prosperado de masivas protestas públicas que derrocaron a gobiernos electos desde Argentina a Bolivia o hecho campaña para lograr ser ellos mismos presidentes legalmente electos. La cultura latinoamérica de siglos de la actualidad sigue siendo paternalista en la superficie, con líderes “dictatoriales” que cultivan las expectativas de que son padres cuidadosos. Casi nunca lo son.
Los chavistas, como la mayoría de sus predecesores, están manipulando frustraciones que se remontan a un milenio. Son el producto de los líderes y gobiernos de “derecha”, “centro” e “izquierda” de los indios pre-coloniales, los españoles, los portugueses y los latinoamericanos posteriores a la independencia, de regímenes autoritarios, democráticos, civiles y militares. Casi ninguno ha mejorado de manera permanente el acceso a la comida, los buenos empleos, la educación seria, la igualdad ante la ley o las oportunidades personales para el pueblo como un todo En diciembre de 2006, según la encuesta de Latinobarometro realizada en 18 países, un 69% de los latinoamericanos dijo que sus países se encuentran principalmente gobernados por grupos poderosos en sus propios intereses. Esa es, en resumidas cuentas, la historia latinoamericana.
December 20, 2006
Everybody knows that China’s economy is growing exponentially. But perhaps a more interesting proof of its greater importance in the world is its growing cultural relevance. Chinese film-makers and actors (and actresses!) are becoming worldwide famous. I already loved Gong Li and Maggie Cheung. Now the one to watch is Zhang Ziyi:
December 20, 2006
My team won the FIFA World Championship. Go Inter!
