GMcGath @gmcgath@liberdon.com

But I think they're realized facelessness is an even better tool to promote fear. Turning Tarrant into "he who must not be named" gives him a power he wouldn't have as a vicious killer with a particular identity. He becomes Terror, anthropomorphically personified, nameless. He becomes a justification for arbitrary power. He's something to fear but not understand. (2/2)

New Zealand's politicians are in full Lord Voldemort mode. The name of Brenton Harrison Tarrant must not be mentioned. Pictures of the murderous attacks must not be shown. This puzzled me. Usually politicians push these events in our faces in order to promote fear and let them pass outrageous laws.

https://www.concordmonitor.com/New-Zealand-leader-vows-to-deny-notoriety-to-mosque-gunman-24240261

(1/2)

@billblake2018 I'd say "self-gratification or impressing an audience." It appeals to the desire to bash an opponent. Maybe we should be glad they're doing their bashing only with words.

@billblake2018 I just noticed that the abuse has been happening at least since 2014 under Obama. So it could be politically embarrassing for Democrats to care.

@billblake2018 The worst is that that story is a couple of weeks old and the Democrats, who supposedly hate sexual abuse and mistreatment of brown-skinned people, haven't been screaming about it. "Trump tweeted something stupid yesterday" is of much more interest to them.

Recently I learned that Martin Luther was a fervent believer in slavery. He wrote that if you're enslaved by Muslim enemies and rebel, "you would be robbing and stealing your body from your master, which he bought or acquired by some other means, which is no longer your property but his, like an animal or other of his goods." (Roper, "Martin Luther: Renegade and Prophet")

@billblake2018 Or maybe she realized she'd written herself into a bleak ending and tried to make it a positive outcome.

@billblake2018 On the last page, Galt says, "The way is cleared. We are going back to the world." Rearden says Dagny is going to set up a New York-Philly railroad. Midas Mulligan is listing cities to invest in. That's what doesn't make sense to me. As you say, it would make more sense to stay with the Galt's Gulch community and build outward from there.

I've raised this question in other places but never really gotten an answer: What happens after the end of _Atlas Shrugged_? The country is in chaos. There's rioting in the streets. Local thugs have taken over regions. How will Galt's people rebuild from that mess?

Yesterday I created an account on a Microsoft site. It said the password had to be at least 8 character. I entered a 20-character password. It said it was too long. This is the first I've heard that "at least" has an upper bound.

Happy Pi Day! 3/14
Enjoy a piece of pie today.

Making things worse, the article refers to supporters of anti-boycott rules as "Israel's supporters." That's equivalent to referring to calling supporters of the Trump Wall as "America's supporters." That piece is thoroughly unworthy of Reason. (2/2)

This Reason article is bizarre. While supposedly focusing on bad argumentation, it doesn't even identify the underlying issue, which is laws & regs against boycotts of Israel and no other country.

It claims that Omar used ad hominem argumentation without even saying what position she argued for. I don't believe she was saying anti-boycott rules are bad *because* lobbyists financially support them.

https://reason.com/archives/2019/03/13/its-all-about-the-ad-hominems-baby (1/2)

@AtlasFreeman The first two words are unnecessary. :)

According to one report, 40% of Americans polled have no idea what the First Amendment says. Think about what this says about government schools. https://www.freedomforuminstitute.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/06/2018_FFI_SOFA_Report.pdf

The Democratic candidates showing up in New Hampshire are making it clear how far the party has moved in an authoritarian direction. We already knew that about the Republicans. The USA is moving into a dark period.

The media in "Live Free or Die" New Hampshire are gushing over the announcement of presidential candidacy by an avowed socialist and Fidel Castro admirer. Trump may well prove to be the lesser of two evils in 2020.