08.27.05
Outsourcing to … Fresno?
Forget outsourcing that project to Banglore. Send your work to “Small Town USA”.
ABC News: Small-Town USA May Offer Solution to Outsourcing
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08.15.05
Republicrats
As a student with fledgling political views, I remember being taught that a core difference existed between Democrats and Republicans. The former believed that government should seek to promote the public good through the expansion of government. The latter adhered to the view that the government should let the people promote the public good through a free market, and that the government should mostly stay out of the way. As far as I can tell, this distinction has completely eroded. There no longer exists a national party which believes in the principals of a limited federal government. The question is no longer should we expand government but instead, how should it be expanded? This is of great concern and the Cato Institute provides an overview of some recent abuses of power by the Republican government.
For years, Republicans argued that the Democratic majority in Congress was intruding the federal government into more and more matters best left to the states, the local communities, or the private sector. After 10 years in power, however, the Republicans have seen the Democrats’ intrusiveness and raised them.
Republicans Display the Arrogance of Power
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The Sins of our School System
While I am certain that a market based educational system would have unforseen pitfalls, this commentary from Cato points out some gaping wounds in the status quo.
The U.S. public school monopoly is guilty of seven deadly sins: It wastes resources, discourages good teaching, inhibits parental involvement, suppresses information, stifles innovation, creates conflict and harms the poor.
Just as the seven deadly sins correspond to weaknesses in human nature, the sins of public education are inherent in the nature of the existing system — that it is controlled, operated and funded by government. The politicians and bureaucrats who control government-owned schools do not have the strong incentives or the information necessary to satisfy consumers, control costs, innovate or encourage good teaching.
08.09.05
The Reliable Bible
During the 19th century “historical Jesus” movement, many critics arose who questioned the historical accuracy of the Bible. Claims were made that many (if not most) of the Biblically identified persons and places were fictitious constructs, conjured up to make theological points. During the 20th century, a renaissance of archaeology occurred (and continues to this day) which has instead shown the Bible to be incredibly historically accurate.
Great scrutiny has been placed especially on the Gospel of John. Thought to be the last of the four gospels written, this gospel has been critiqued as “too polemical” or for having more “developed theology.” The assumption of naturalists seems to be that if someone has a strong belief system, then they cannot be trusted for accuracy in matters-of-fact.
To this day, the Bible continues to stand up to this type of scrutiny. Just this week, workers repairing a sewage pipe in old Jerusalem discovered the Pool of Siloam (mentioned in the Gospel of John).
Vox Popoli sums it up well:
From Assyrians to Hittites, from obscure Greek honorifics to the Pool of Siloam, the Bible repeatedly proves to be more reliable than the conceit-filled opinions of modern archeologists.
08.03.05
Value Your Tap Water
Tom Standage weighs in on the bottled water craze and comes to some interesting conclusions: Bad to the Last Drop - New York Times
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