Many critics of Ayn Rand have a maddening tendency to take her to task for ideas she did not defend and in fact explicitly rejected. They would rather score cheap debating points, it seems, than actually think about her challenging vision of the possibilities of human life. Disagree with her all you want, but as Laurie Rice puts it in the introduction to Myths about Ayn Rand: Popular Errors and the Insights They Conceal, "If you value your argument, you do it a disservice by misrepresenting its opponent."
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The Ontario government has announced that it plans to restrict the use of neonicotinoid insecticides, blamed for increased bee deaths in recent years. Farmers in the province will be required to apply for permits if they want to plant seeds treated with the controversial pesticides. But as a Globe and Mail article finally gets around to mentioning in its 10th paragraph, buried on a back page in the print edition, “The connection between bee deaths and the pesticides is murky.” What if Canadian governments rigorously enforced all the laws of the land, regardless of any costs or complaints that might arise? In my latest Québécois Libre article, "The Police State Needed to Enforce Vice Laws," I argue not only that it might be literally impossible economically speaking, what with the costs of extra police and prisons and lost productivity, but also that it would require that we live under a police state. It's all well and good to know our nation’s monthly job vacancy numbers broken down by province and territory. However, as I argue in my latest Québécois Libre article, "Centrally Planning the Job Market: We Need More Data!" this is not sufficient. We also need to know which specific regions are experiencing labour shortages, and which specific skills are in short supply. If nothing is done to make sure we get this information, the very survival of our central plans may be in jeopardy. It is a truism that women are attracted to confident men. Well I, for one, have always been attracted to confident women. My life partner of twelve years is a successful entrepreneur who cofounded her own business sixteen years ago. As Margaret Wente writes in this Saturday's Globe and Mail, however, women tend to be less confident than men. And despite the gains of feminism, popular culture still by and large likes its damsels to be in distress, awaiting rescue from their dashing male heroes. The idea that First Nations should control First Nations education seems to make a lot of sense, especially given certain historical considerations, and it may in fact be a step in the right direction. But could we take the logic of devolving control a few steps further? In my latest Québécois Libre article, "Individual Control of Individual Education," I argue that we could do a much better job of educating our kids by handing the reins over to them and their parents. 10) … I'm usually stuck choosing between the lesser of two evils, not the greater of two goods. 9) … I try to vote out the party that expresses the most intolerance of my fellow human beings and their choice of headgear. 8) … I vote against the candidate I know to be a shallow blowhard, and for one whom I only suspect of being a shallow blowhard. Besides not believing anything you read on this day of pranks and hoaxes, what can you do to avoid being taken in by people who play fast and loose with facts and arguments? How can you reliably separate truth from falsehood, reality from illusion? There are of course many useful techniques for thinking logically and spotting verbal snake oil. But the most important thing to do when you're not sure what to believe is not to believe anything—that is, to suspend judgment and admit you don't know. Our Mother Earth
Who art in… the Earth Hallowed be Thy Name Thy kingdoms come Thy phylums are done And all because of one fallen species under the heavens A statue honouring Norman Borlaug was unveiled in DC earlier this week on what would have been the celebrated biologist's 100th birthday. Borlaug's work developing and promoting high-yield crop varieties is credited with averting the mass famines that were predicted in the 1960s and saving as many as a billion people in the developing world from starving to death. Yes, that's "billion" with a "b." In 1970, he was awarded the Nobel Peace Prize for his history-altering humanitarian efforts. |
Who Writes ThisBradley Doucet is a Montreal writer and the English Editor of Le Québécois Libre. More of This
June 2016
Even More of ThisThe Limits of Power: A review of Malcolm Gladwell's David and Goliath
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