Starvin Larry

Summa Theologica

Most of us have done something terribly wrong to another person. We realized it at the time or afterwards. For those with an intact conscience, there was overwhelming shame and a burning, seemingly inextinguishable guilt. Perhaps there was an admission, maybe to the victim, from whom forgiveness was asked. Perhaps there was only self-confession. If the shame overwhelmed and the guilt burned deeply, there may have been a redemptive pledge not to commit the same transgression and to improve a deficient character.

No one caught in throes of such a wrenching experience would characterize his emotional state as happiness. Indeed, depending on the transgression and the emotional reaction, happiness might have seemed forever out of reach.

If a tormented conscience makes one miserable, doesn’t that suggest that a clean conscience is necessary for more salutary emotions? Conscience is often thought of as an internal control system, allowing us to…

The views of Steven Cohen, one of the few Russia experts out there who’s brain is not plugged into the national security establishment. From Paul Craig Roberts at paulcraigroberts.org:

Throughout the long Cold War Stephen Cohen, professor of Russian studies at Princeton University and New York University was a voice of reason. He refused to allow his patriotism to blind him to Washington’s contribution to the confict and to criticize only the Soviet contribution. Cohen’s interest was not to blame the enemy but to work toward a mutual understanding that would remove the threat of nuclear war. Although a Democrat and left-leaning, Cohen would have been at home in the Reagan administration, as Reagan’s first priority was to end the Cold War. I know this because I was part of the effort. Pat Buchanan will tell you the same thing.

In 1974 a notorious cold warrior, Albert Wohlstetter, absurdly…

Decentralized manufacturing via 3D printing may render the gun control argument moot. People will just print up guns in their basements. From Doug Casey at internationalman.com:

Part I

Joel Bowman: G’day, Doug. Ready to talk guns again?

Doug Casey: It’s one of my favorite subjects.

JB: Great. Faithful International Man readers will, of course, recognize this discussion as part of our ongoing conversation titled: Doug Casey’s REAL State of the Union. The idea is to use the first ten amendments to the U.S. Constitution – also known as the Bill of Rights – as a kind of measuring tool to see just how present day America fairs in relation to its founding ideals.

DC: Of course, the Constitution is pretty much a dead letter these days, the Supreme Court having more or less interpreted it out of existence. The only parts that are strictly observed have to do with…

The money quote from the article: “Perhaps the question should not be why Western Europeans are rioting but why they did not start rioting a long time ago.” From Bruce Bawer at the gatestoneinstitute.org: