March 29, 2017

Phil Beaver works to establish opinion when the-objective-truth has not been discovered. He seeks to refine his opinion by learning other people’s experiences and observations. The comment box below invites sharing facts, opinion, or concern. If you like the wok, share with people who may be interested.
Note:  I often connect words in a phrase with the dash in order to represent an idea. For example, frank-objectivity represents the idea of candidly expressing the-objective-truth without addressing possible error or attempting to balance the expression.

The Advocate:  See online at theadvocate.com/baton_rouge

Our Views. To JT McQuitty: I agree. Also, I agree with The Advocate both short term and long term: move “more quickly” to help school children rather than maintain adult satisfactions and rewards (your point, I think).

Today’s thought. Isaiah 59:14. I prefer NIV, and there found “honesty” rather than “equity.” Other interpretations are “uprightness” and “straightforwardness”. See biblehub.com/nasb/isaiah/59-14.htm.

But how can anyone expect these civic qualities when the attraction is mystery? Perhaps focus on the-objective-truth can help students rise above the confusion presented by Isaiah and others.

If writing about God’s wrath-toward-the-faithful who lived 2800 years ago “unfortunately reminds [Dean] of today,” what does that teach us regarding interim opinion we may read? Let's consider some opinions.

Sixteen-hundred years ago, Pelagius asserted that humans have free will. This "heresy" negates destiny due to "orignial sin." See newadvent.org/cathen/11604a.htm . For 2017, I’m interested in psychological power rather than free will.

Five-hundred years ago, in The Prince, Chapter XI, Machiavelli wrote, in irony IMO, that theists---believers---support the progressive-pocket-picking-partnership-by-priests-with-politicians and only a fool would object, because God is in charge. See constitution.org/mac/prince11.htm.

Over two-hundred, thirty years ago, perhaps erroneous James Madison (he was human) both 1) opined that Machiavelli advocated the priest-politician-partnership as necessary for government and 2) overlooked the-objective-truth as humankind’s promising relief from conflict to possess dominant religious-political-partnership opinion. Perhaps, advocating the freedom of theism that existed before the Bible was canonized, Madison wrote, “During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.” He was writing not against Christianity for individual pursuit of salvation but Christianity as a public institution. See fee.org/articles/madisons-answer-to-machiavelli/ for John Young’s excellent analysis leading to a different opinion than mine (I prefer my opinion).

Lastly, one-hundred, seventy-nine years ago, Ralph Waldo Emerson’s message to me: Phil, you have the psychological power to perfect your person. See emersoncentral.com/divaddr.htm .

Revised 3/30/2016.

Letters

Trump budget bad (Hummert). The Associated Press writers seem to speculate so as to ridicule President Trump, and Hummert seems qualified to write for them.

 

Trump acts to uuuuggglyyy increase America’s power to avoid enemy-attack because of superior military power through savings as well as investment. See cnbc.com/2017/01/30/trump-claims-lockheed-martin-cut-600-million-off-cost-of-f-35-joint-strike-fighter.html .

 

Opposing writers speculate while President Trump acts for the people. It is important for a civic people to not be fooled by speculative enemies.

A fix (Petit). To JT McQuitty: Petit: how does FICA fix help the uninsured and unemployed? And my plan is to take care of my well-being so as to live another 48 wonderful years—live with more reward and drop dead at 121. How much might my liver-transplant-insurance cost?

To JT McQuitty: A person, the family, and the doctor should be able to choose to terminate a life rather than end family viability.

 

I've had some major operations and treatments and done a lot of moaning and crying, always wanting to live. However, with some potentials I faced---insufferable pain, financial ruin and drag on loved ones, I would not want to continue.

 

Besides, I'm under my surgeon's orders: No more major operating-room episodes. Therefore, I must exercise, eat well, and take my meds with doctor-supervision.

Hyperpartisanism (Schumann). Schumann, I advocate iterative-collaboration rather than obstructionism, and people may together consider the-objective-truth to establish civic morality.

The Alinsky-Marxist organizers (AMO) who block sidewalks and streets care nothing about the emergencies they exacerbate. Same with legislation. The actual people who suffer don’t enter the minds of the obstructing lobbyists. Also, stonewalling a citizen who wants candid talk is a form of lying. A person once “informed” me that I am an atheist and then walked away, accepting an erroneous judgement she strangely does not expect higher power to resolve; I cannot judge me.

Civic citizens do not lie so that the response they receive will not be based on a lie. Dissenters can’t converse, and thereby take themselves out of the work for civic-morality, in other words, public-integrity.

These ideas are not new: They are expressed in the preamble to the constitution for the USA, which is suppressed by the lie that it’s civic agreement is secular rather than areligious. “Progressives” have been around long enough to have figured these ideas out, but have not.

To a Trump-voter like me (I said I give him three years to presidentially understand politics), what’s important is found early in his inaugural speech: “Together, we will determine the course of America and the world for years to come. We will face challenges. We will confront hardships. But we will get the job done.” Democrats who want civic morality will be in the “Together” part of those statements. So the three-years is really for us---2/3 of Trump voters and 2/3 of non-Trump voters who want civic morality.

After a sermon like that, I wait for interest in the ideas that were expressed.

Rich Lowry column. This column seems out of sink with events.

Lanny Keller column. Apparently, Keller would only be satisfied if Louisiana picks my pocket.

 

I want a roads-&-bridges-dedicated-gas-tax, because my neighbors who work suffer too much lost time. Otherwise, I want the state to stop abuse-spending, which is rampant.

Michael Barone column. I agree. Several ideas come to mind.

First, public policy does not spring from public opinion but rather from the long, deliberate march toward civic justice.

Second, most Americans don’t realize that democracy is the least possible, most demanding form of government when civic justice is the aim and purpose for governing. For that reason, America has a republic. For example, for California, there is one US Senator for 19.4 million inhabitants, whereas for Wyoming one US Senator serves 0.3 million inhabitants. Liberal democrats may not be as disturbed by federal election results if they do the work to appreciate republicanism (not the party, but the political theory).

Third, most writers who aspire to become journalists may realize that they work for a corporation that has no interest in journalism and only cares about its business plan. Nevertheless, if it’s journalism you want, achieving that goal is possible, difficult as it may be. And it’s no exceptional burden, because every profession has the same problem: The corporation must survive if not thrive, and the employees must establish and maintain integrity on their own. Rare is the corporation that behave like a person: With fidelity to the-objective-truth.

Finally, pole-taking is a social study (rather than science) that has the treble jeopardy of the student designing the erroneous pole and then interpreting the erroneous receipt of erroneous responses. In the scientific method, statistics is well known as one of the most suspect tools.

Roberts column.  Painfully for liberal democrats living in a republic the voters prevailed:  “the system is working.” How can people so long in the system be so clueless?

Low-emission vehicles (Page 1B). Please end this tax credit.

 

Liberal professors imposing on police (Page 1B). Please stop this travesty against the people who want civic morality---want a civil system that supports first responders. It is a travesty, because police have always drawn from every source for improvement, including liberal democrats when ideas are beneficial. What is missing is support from the system of judges and legislators. Thus, first responders, in defending the public, get undue pressure from both sides: crime and government.

Coal restoration (Page 4A). Restoring coal to competition for energy supply frees the market, the aim of free-enterprise rather than Marxism, socialism, and communism.

US Senator John Kennedy (Page 7A). Kennedy, like other Louisiana congressmen, needs the strength of a wise governor in order to compete with other Senators whose states have been wounded by disasters. 
 
Gov. Edwards has jeopardized Louisiana’s congressmen from the earliest days following the floods.
 
Kennedy's role cannot be fulfilled when Louisiana acts stupid.

Phil Beaver does not “know”. Phil trusts and is committed to the-objective-truth of which most is undiscovered and some is understood. Phil Beaver is agent for A Civic People of the United States, a Louisiana, an education non-profit. See online at promotethepreamble.blogspot.com.