Holding Pattern

Professor J,

We'll bring them all in for a landing...eventually.

In my effort to simplify and clarify I have confused and complicated (perhaps I missed my calling as a politician). LOL Busy making lists of future discussions, are you? Don't make it so hard on yourself. We'll bring them all in for a landing in good time.  Probably when some event or politician's speech brings about the need for further discussion. 

To me, the theme of Sowell's article was that financial aid fosters dependency and that the Democratic Party is fine with that, in fact he gives them credit for instituting policy with the end of dependence in mind.  Since you had been so thorough I didn't feel the NEED to address each point in turn. I merely wanted to point out that it's easy to see how at attitude of dependence can come to be, even if it ISN'T the intent. So yes, you chose wisely; your assumption was correct.

As for the abortion issue, which we can tackle in depth at some later date, I was trying to boil something thorny with more gray areas than most people are willing to think about, down into something with a reasonable answer for you so we could move on. You don't like shortcuts do you? I think for a lot of people, it is hard to understand guaranteeing citizens of a country all the resplendent benefits of citizenship without making provision for protecting them when they are the most vulnerable. This topic however has layers and layers that need peeling back. The primacy of one party or the other is just the tip of the iceberg. But again, a discussion for another time...No chance this one will run out of fuel before we get around to it.

When asked how he defines Libertarianism, Penn Jillette says  "Take a left on sex and a right on money."  Well, that clears it up! LOL The problem with defining it too precisely is that the people who consider themselves libertarians refuse to be neatly placed in any other category. I suspect the moment there is a hard and fast definition, they'll flee and create the Contrarian Party.  A party that, while attempting to nail down a platform, would use the planks to beat each other to death. It could be the first Pay Per View convention.

Please notice my obvious effort to put our editorial train back on the track after so masterfully derailing it last time! :) Trying not to introduce anything new into the dialogue this week so that you have time to give our new friend, JC, the answers he has requested.

Note to the reader: You can read JC's most recent comments and his questions for the Prof. here: