Putin's Self-Esteem Needs a Tune-Up

Putin has a real self-esteem problem (that I believe extends to Russia as a nation). In this story, he says about Stalin's butchering millions of people:

President Vladimir Putin said last month that although the 1937 purge was one of the most notorious episodes of the Stalin era, no one should try to make Russia feel guilty about it because "in other countries even worse things happened."

I'm not that familiar with anyone trying to make Russia "feel guilty" about the purges, because Russia isn't supposed to be synonymous any longer with the Soviet Union and Communism. Of course, Putin is doing everything to make them synonymous again, but that's fodder for a longer discussion.

And, one would have to delve deeply into his psychology to explain the notion that guilt shouldn't be felt because "in other countries even worse things happened."

Putin's Delusions of Grandeur

It's ironic that Putin--who is doing everything he can to suppress information, in particular by stifling anti-Putin sentiment in the press and via association--should tout Russia's intentions to become an information technology leader.

The money quote:

“Free exchange of technologies and information is an important factor to strengthen democratic institutions and democracy as a whole,” (Putin) said.

Chavez and Ahmadinejad: Bound by Collectivism

It would take an Objectivist, probably, to recognize that what unites Venezuela's Chavez and Iran's Imajihadi (or whatever his name is) is collectivism. For Iran, the collectivism is Islamic totalitarianism. For Venezuela, it's secular socialism. But fundamentally, they're essentially the same ideologies: the subservience of the individual to the group.

They just happen to worship different gods, Allah and "society." Otherwise, there's absolutely nothing surprising or odd about their alliance. Oh, and as this story suggests, anti-Americanism might also play a small part.

Digg Report

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 4095 Diggs, is a link to a graph that completely distorts the fundamental difference between accidental death and death by natural causes, and death by terrorism. Or, rather, it creates a false equivalence between them, and then makes the 3,000 people killed on 9/11 merely a drop in the bucket of people who've died since then.

In other words, why do we care that a terrorist group purposefully killed 3,000 Americans in a heinous act, when so many more Americans have died from other causes?

Daily Kos Says Democrats Should Tank the Stock Market

Here's my second post on the Daily Kos, but again, it's worth it. It's a Forbes story about a Daily Kos poster suggestion that Democrats should do everything they can to cause the market to drop before the elections, so that the tax increases that the Democrats plan to enact won't be blamed for the subsequent drop (which, of course, they would cause).

Truly bizarre. But worth a read.

Russia Building Military to Counter US "Threat"

Russia's building up its military in part because it sees the US as a threat. Now, in my book, when someone sees you as a threat, there's a real possibility that they're merely projecting their own hostilities. Russia is making power plays in so many areas it's impossible to presume any longer that they're just trying to restore some "strategic balance of power."

Digg Report

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 3466 Diggs, is a link to a picture of a cardboard box mod of a Linux desktop.

The main idea: Linux users are cheap.

Alrighty. As a social aggregator of important stories and ideas, Digg continues to impress.

Cox and Forkum on Chavez and His Hospitality

The immortal (we wish) Cox and Forkum on Chavez and his promise to expel foreigners who speak unkindly about him and his dictatorship. Go check it out and get a chuckle.

Frank Lloyd Wright's Genius on Display in the Desert

One of the advantages of living in Southern California is that Frank Lloyd Wright's Teliesin West home and architectural school are only a few hours drive away. I'm still kicking myself for not taking the time to stop by during my last trip to Arizona, but I was in a bit of a rush.

The linked story puts me in a serious mood for a road trip.

Ferarri 430 Scuderia Berlinetta

My, my, my, but this is a beauty. 2.45kg per HP. God, but that has to be fast. It's even sort of fuel efficient, when you consider that it's so light that it requires a smaller engine to achieve supercar performance.

Take a peek. She's purty.

Constitutional Right to Experimental Drugs? I Don't Think So

There are two things terribly wrong with the idea of a "Constitutional right" to experimental drugs. First, such a right is impossible, because one can't have a right to something that someone else must produce. Second, we should already have the right to access experimental drugs (at our own costs), but the FDA stands in the way. All that needs to happen is that the FDA is disbanded, or at the very least its restrictions on experimental drugs need to be lifted.

Just as it's wrong for government to try to create a "right" that requires expropriating the property of one person to give it to another, it's wrong for government to prohibit individuals from accessing any product they want to buy.

There's a grievous misconception regarding the Constitution and rights in this country, and it's not getting any better.

Turkey Votes Down the MIddle

Well, it looks like the Turkish election turned out lukewarm--the Islamists won, but not enough so that they could overturn the largely secular Turkish constitution. But, that's for now, and things certainly seem to be heading in the wrong direction.

So far, Turkey's been an example of a largely Muslim population living under secular rule. We should all hope that doesn't change any time soon.

Update: Cox and Forkum have a bit of a different take.

Putin Youth

This seems a lot like the Hitler Youth and the USSR's Pioneers. Putin's putting together his own little group of "Putin Youth," who, as in the previous examples, may very well represent the "shock troops" for, at the very least, spreading the propaganda he needs to continue grabbing power.

Things in Russia keep growing more and more ominous.

Chinese Spies Caught

I know, I know, we all have spies. But it's still news when they get caught. These Chinese spies were smuggling out CDs full of information from a US defense contractor, which is of concern for two reasons.

First, it seems that the Chinese might be a little more into industrial espionage than most, since they don't have the sort of socioeconomic system that by itself can create the sorts of inventions required by a truly first-world industrial nation.

Second, this is information from a defense contractor, which given China's already significant military build-up just gives more reason for alarm.

But, at least these two were caught, and I suppose that's some good news, after all.

Daily Kos Calls American Soldiers "Serial Killers"

I don't often write about the Daily Kos, because it's the worst of the Left all neatly arranged into one irrational, evil screed after another. But this post at the blog NW Republican points out a particularly nasty Daily Kos post that I think is worth knowing about.

I didn't follow the cached links that he talks about, because I really don't want to see into the mind of anti-American evil, but you can, if you want. But, as the poster says, be forewarned.

Sudan President Declares 2007 "Year of Peace" (because everyone's dead?)

The Sudanese President, Omer Al-Bashir, has declared 2007 the "Year of Peace." Now, by all accounts, one declares a year to be "of something" beforehand, because that's what everyone is going to try to make the year into, or, I think more often, afterwards, because that's what the year was.

Calling it the "Year of Peace" in Sudan toward the end of July, however, is either just plain stupid or it's the height of naivete. Or, perhaps, it's just another cruelty being played out on the people of the region. Sort of rubbing salt in some wounds, that sort of thing.

Celebrity Report (Not Really, Though)

Celebrity Report: This isn't the typical celebrity report, it's really more a bit of trivia. See, I have these Google alerts setup for a few celebrities about whom I've heard good things (politically and philsophically) and, each day, I'm delivered with a number of stories about said celebrities.

The trivia is this: by far the most prolific number of hits belong to John Malkovich. But, they're not mostly actually about the actor himself. Rather, they're some reference to some other actor or to some weird existentialist notion involved in some way or another with the movie "Being John Malkovich."

Which for whatever reason, I just find kind of odd.

Apple iPhone Hackable

Given Apple's "holier than thou" mentality, I think it's fair to point out that the iPhone was released with some serious security flaws. Essentially, it seems to eminently hackable, and so far Apple's mum on what they're going to do about it.

Chavez Insults One of God's Main Men

Chavez just gained himself a warm place in Hell, by calling a Honduran Cardinal a "clown." I don't think God looks kindly on such namecalling. I'm also sure he was none too pleased when Chavez called Bush "the Devil," since I'm sure God has someone else in mind for that lofty title.

Chavez might as well enjoy live here on Earth, because he's going to Hell in a handback.*

*This is an Objectivist blog, and so any references to "God" are intended as humor. Just in case you were wondering.

Digg Report

Digg Report: Today's #1 Digg, at 3258 Diggs, is a link to a comic about "Education in Kansas." Uh, hee hee?