TTF Staff
Thomas Sowell, Creators Syndicate
‘Lofty talk about "social justice" or "fairness" boils down to greatly expanded powers for politicians, since those pretty words have no concrete definition. They are a blank check for creating disparities in power that dwarf disparities in income—and are far more dangerous.’ First in an important five-part series of columns starting December 26, 2006.
Faiths and Worldviews, Philanthropy, Society, Tue 02 Jan 2007
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It is one of Wilberforce’s most powerful insights—as it was of St Augustine many centuries earlier—that injustice damages the oppressor spiritually as much as it damages the oppressed materially.
Rowan Williams, April 2007
New Approach to Muslim States?
Electoral Politics: The Possibility of a ‘Perfect Storm’
Conservatism and Individualism
Prayers for People under Pressure by Jonathan Aitken.
A practical spiritual handbook.
Stephen Fry in America: “Such Britons hug themselves with the thought that they are more cosmopolitan and sophisticated than Americans because they think they know more about geography and world culture, as if firstly being cosmopolitan and sophisticated can be scored in a quiz and as if secondly (and much more importantly) being cosmopolitan and sophisticated is in any way desirable or admirable to begin with. Sophistication is not a moral quality, nor is it a criterion by which one would choose one’s friends. Why do we like people? Because they are knowledgeable, cosmopolitan and sophisticated? No, because they are charming, kind, considerate, exciting to be with, amusing … there is a long list, but knowing what the capital of Kazakhstan is will not be on it.” (Stephen Fry’s blog post about his new book and BBC series. • 2008 10 10)
Give Me Liberty and Give Me Death: ‘I still cursed God, as we all do when we get bad news and pain. Not even the most faith-impaired among us shouts, “Damn quantum mechanics!” “Damn organic chemistry!” “Damn chaos and coincidence!”’ (P J O’Rourke, Search Magazine • 2008 09 30)
Give Me That Old-Time Religion: ‘This week revealed that when real money is on the line, even the left starts screaming for old-fashioned standards. Thus rose a shout for regulatory “oversight” of markets, and they don’t mean some vague, Googlie “don’t be evil.” They want tough, punishing rules. This won’t wash. You can’t claim, as holier-than-thou politics is now, that sending an army of regulatory storm-troopers into Wall Street will ensure integrity in mere bankers who themselves come from a broader, anything-goes culture.’ (Daniel Henninger, The Wall Street Journal • 2008 09 29)
The Real Digital Revolution: Social networking is changing the marketing landscape: “Brand advertising can’t stretch the truth anymore or try and gild the lily. Because if it does, we’re going to find out about it, find out that you’ve been lying to us all along about extras that don’t work and specials that aren’t special. And our reaction is not going to be pretty.” (Alan Wolk, AdWeek; h/t: Ryan Moede • 2008 08 27)
• Après Lewis (2008 08 15)
• Alexander Solzhenitsyn: the line within (2008 08 11)
• Atheism and Evil (2008 07 29)
• Christopher Nolan’s Achievement: The Dark Knight (2008 07 22)
• Unplanned Parenthood (2008 07 21)
Politics, Morality, and Civility by Václav Havel, Foreword by Alonzo L. McDonald.
An essay by Czech playwright and former President Václav Havel.
