Welcome to Political Divide blog!
In this blog entry I would like to introduce what I hope will become a daily series, or at least near daily, ie whenever possible. In this series I will be posting videos, articles, and so on containing news stories about the goings on around the US and the world. I may sometimes update these Daily News posts throughout the day as news comes in, or perhaps make new posts for new information. I will see how things go.
I am going to try to cover what I think are the more important stories, and whatever I think is interesting. Whenever a major event happens, I will be separating it into it's own entry so that it gets the focus it needs, and can be discussed in its own thread.
So with out further ado, here are some of the stories of the day I think people should know about.
First up is a series of videos uploaded by Moxnews on current events in Egypt. Many protesters killed and injured, death toll rising.
Another video uploaded by Moxnews regarding the delaying of the opening of marijuana retail stores in Washington state.
Next up is a video uploaded by The Young Turks regarding a voter ID bill signed into law in the state of North Carolina.
Next up is a video uploaded by RT (Russia Today) US branch. This is a story about a 15 year old boy who has been taken off a heart transplant list due to his grades in school.
That is all for now. I am sure more will come as the day progresses. Be sure to subscribe to the channels featured in this entry.
Wednesday, August 14, 2013
Tuesday, August 13, 2013
Abortion: The debate
Welcome to Political Divide blog!
Abortion is one of the most divisive current hot button social issues, and as a result, I think it important to discuss the issues at hand. The intent of this article is to go over some of the arguments made by different sides of the debate. However, know that the arguments in this article are not necessarily reflective of any general consensus of the issues from any side of the debate. However I hope to cover it as thoroughly as I can in a single article.
As I am a liberal and am pro choice, I will take up the side of the liberal pro choice argument. I will post links to videos of various perspectives of the argument and offer my opinion about the arguments being made.
First I would just like to talk about what being pro-choice is and is not. I think the most important thing people should understand about what it means to be pro-choice is that it is NOT equal to pro-abortion. It is my opinion that whenever anybody who is pro-life suggests that pro-choice is equal to pro-abortion, and that these labels are interchangeable, are either being purposely deceptive, or are, quite frankly, ignorant of the pro-choice argument. Often times news networks and individuals who are pro-life, and know better, use this terminology to prop up a straw man argument, and to formulate an argument that is nothing more than an appeal to emotion. In fact, it is certainly possible for somebody to be pro-choice and against abortion. Choice, the very word itself, suggests that you have the option to make your own decision, to have or not to have an abortion.
I seriously doubt that anybody, or at least most pro-choicers, are going around suggesting that abortion is preferable to having a child. I personally have never met anybody who would say that women should get pregnant just to have an abortion because it is "cool," that women should be legally obligated to have abortions, or anything along those lines. And yet this is what seems to be implied whenever somebody suggests that people who are pro-choice are pro-abortion. If anybody advocates for this sort of thing then I would agree that they are pro-abortion, but I am certainly not suggesting that women have an abortion.
If you think the media, Obama, the government in general are acting in a manner that is dividing the country, then surely you can understand how using this "pro-abortion" straw man is not helping to unite anybody. When you make fallacious arguments about an opposing view, and refuse to drop it when shown to be fallacious, I think it is obvious that you have no interest in arguing honestly. And this is no way to further any discussion or come to any sort of agreement. If you find yourself arguing with somebody like this, from any side of any argument, I would suggest ending the discussion. The person you are arguing with clearly has no interest in arguing honestly, and the discussion becomes pointless.
The first video is by a relatively well known libertarian on Youtube who used to go by TokenLibertarianGirl, otherwise known as Julie Borowski. The following video is entitled "Why You Should Be Pro Life."
In this video Julie discusses her opinion about abortion and tries desperately to label herself pro-life. She goes over some of the worst abortion practices, and talks briefly about "abortion survivors." Later in the video she offers a question, "would you go up to an abortion survivor and say, 'Your mother chose abortion, her body her choice. You shouldn't be alive?'" No Julie, I wouldn't, because I am not a sociopath, nor are most pro-choicers. And again, pro-choice does NOT equal pro-abortion.
I can agree with her on most of her points, especially that educating people about what abortion is, and a decent sex education, is vital. However, I am pro-choice, and she claims to be pro-life. If you agree with everything in this video, including the part about government staying out of it, you ARE pro-choice. Welcome to the club Julie!
The next video is by StateofDaniel who takes a much more conservative stance than Julie. The following video is entitled "7 Questions for Pro-Choice / Abortion Supporters" by StateofDaniel.
Rather than offer my own response to this video, I will provide a response video made by Zaunstar to Daniel's video specifically. The following video is called "StateOfDaniel In StateOfDenial On Abortion Rights."
I think Zaunstar covers each question/point quite well, and I would say that it is a well thought response to Daniel's video. So I will defer to his response.
In this next video we have a Youtuber who goes by the name of RockingMrE. The following video is entitled "Can Abortion be Justified?"
RockingMrE (RME) is a bit of a strange character in my opinion, and I believe he labels himself a libertarian of some sort. However, with RME, he attempts to analyse the question of abortion from an objectivist secular ethics perspective, a bit more of a philosophical approach if you will.
However more of an intellectual argument this may be, it really doesn't amount to much more than what Julie Borowski says in her video. RME makes a good case for why it is wrong, but in the end he is pro-choice, no matter how much he hates liberals. RME, near the end of the video, says "abortion should only ever occur if the mothers life is in serious jeopardy." And then several seconds later says "the only other time abortion should be permitted is if the baby is seriously deformed or disabled." I think he mistakenly thinks that all pro-choicers are evil baby killers, and condone and think that abortion in general is a good thing. I think I have already made the case for why that is not true, and why you can be pro-choice, anti-abortion, and pro education on the topic of sexual reproduction and abortion. I think the only major difference between RME and Julie is that RME would probably be in favor of arresting and trying mothers who have abortions for murder, no matter what stage the pregnancy is in. Though that is just speculation on my part, he never says this explicitly.
And that is all for this entry. If anybody would like to offer alternative arguments against pro-choice, be they your own argument or others arguments, I am all ears, and would enjoy discussing them. If you can link to any articles and or videos with alternative arguments against pro-choice, I may do a follow up responding to those arguments. However, I am not going to continue to respond to or make blog entries about the same arguments over and over.
Abortion is one of the most divisive current hot button social issues, and as a result, I think it important to discuss the issues at hand. The intent of this article is to go over some of the arguments made by different sides of the debate. However, know that the arguments in this article are not necessarily reflective of any general consensus of the issues from any side of the debate. However I hope to cover it as thoroughly as I can in a single article.
As I am a liberal and am pro choice, I will take up the side of the liberal pro choice argument. I will post links to videos of various perspectives of the argument and offer my opinion about the arguments being made.
I seriously doubt that anybody, or at least most pro-choicers, are going around suggesting that abortion is preferable to having a child. I personally have never met anybody who would say that women should get pregnant just to have an abortion because it is "cool," that women should be legally obligated to have abortions, or anything along those lines. And yet this is what seems to be implied whenever somebody suggests that people who are pro-choice are pro-abortion. If anybody advocates for this sort of thing then I would agree that they are pro-abortion, but I am certainly not suggesting that women have an abortion.
If you think the media, Obama, the government in general are acting in a manner that is dividing the country, then surely you can understand how using this "pro-abortion" straw man is not helping to unite anybody. When you make fallacious arguments about an opposing view, and refuse to drop it when shown to be fallacious, I think it is obvious that you have no interest in arguing honestly. And this is no way to further any discussion or come to any sort of agreement. If you find yourself arguing with somebody like this, from any side of any argument, I would suggest ending the discussion. The person you are arguing with clearly has no interest in arguing honestly, and the discussion becomes pointless.
The first video is by a relatively well known libertarian on Youtube who used to go by TokenLibertarianGirl, otherwise known as Julie Borowski. The following video is entitled "Why You Should Be Pro Life."
In this video Julie discusses her opinion about abortion and tries desperately to label herself pro-life. She goes over some of the worst abortion practices, and talks briefly about "abortion survivors." Later in the video she offers a question, "would you go up to an abortion survivor and say, 'Your mother chose abortion, her body her choice. You shouldn't be alive?'" No Julie, I wouldn't, because I am not a sociopath, nor are most pro-choicers. And again, pro-choice does NOT equal pro-abortion.
I can agree with her on most of her points, especially that educating people about what abortion is, and a decent sex education, is vital. However, I am pro-choice, and she claims to be pro-life. If you agree with everything in this video, including the part about government staying out of it, you ARE pro-choice. Welcome to the club Julie!
The next video is by StateofDaniel who takes a much more conservative stance than Julie. The following video is entitled "7 Questions for Pro-Choice / Abortion Supporters" by StateofDaniel.
Rather than offer my own response to this video, I will provide a response video made by Zaunstar to Daniel's video specifically. The following video is called "StateOfDaniel In StateOfDenial On Abortion Rights."
I think Zaunstar covers each question/point quite well, and I would say that it is a well thought response to Daniel's video. So I will defer to his response.
In this next video we have a Youtuber who goes by the name of RockingMrE. The following video is entitled "Can Abortion be Justified?"
RockingMrE (RME) is a bit of a strange character in my opinion, and I believe he labels himself a libertarian of some sort. However, with RME, he attempts to analyse the question of abortion from an objectivist secular ethics perspective, a bit more of a philosophical approach if you will.
However more of an intellectual argument this may be, it really doesn't amount to much more than what Julie Borowski says in her video. RME makes a good case for why it is wrong, but in the end he is pro-choice, no matter how much he hates liberals. RME, near the end of the video, says "abortion should only ever occur if the mothers life is in serious jeopardy." And then several seconds later says "the only other time abortion should be permitted is if the baby is seriously deformed or disabled." I think he mistakenly thinks that all pro-choicers are evil baby killers, and condone and think that abortion in general is a good thing. I think I have already made the case for why that is not true, and why you can be pro-choice, anti-abortion, and pro education on the topic of sexual reproduction and abortion. I think the only major difference between RME and Julie is that RME would probably be in favor of arresting and trying mothers who have abortions for murder, no matter what stage the pregnancy is in. Though that is just speculation on my part, he never says this explicitly.
And that is all for this entry. If anybody would like to offer alternative arguments against pro-choice, be they your own argument or others arguments, I am all ears, and would enjoy discussing them. If you can link to any articles and or videos with alternative arguments against pro-choice, I may do a follow up responding to those arguments. However, I am not going to continue to respond to or make blog entries about the same arguments over and over.
Sunday, August 11, 2013
Weed -Sanjay Gupta
Welcome to Political Divide blog!
Our next feature is Weed, and not just marijuana in general, but the documentary entitled Weed by Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay is a medical doctor (not practicing as far as I know) and medical consultant commonly seen on CNN discussing all things related to the medical field. In this documentary Sanjay travels around the US and the world visiting medical users, recreational users, and scientist and medical professionals who are studying the medicinal and general effects of marijuana on the brain.
I personally think it is a fair documentary that looks honestly at the evidence acquired through scientific research and anecdotal evidence from both medicinal and recreational users, and comes to what I think is a fair conclusion. However, I have been pro legalization for at least medicinal use for many years, so I have a bit of a biased opinion.
I am sure most people know that years ago Sanjay was a staunch opponent to the legalization of marijuana for any purpose, however has recently come out in support of it, at least medicinally. And that may not be the death nail to the marijuana debate, but I think it may have a strong affect on the way marijuana is generally viewed.
Even if you are a professed marijuana aficionado, I am sure there are some things to be learned about marijuana in this documentary.
Without further ado...
Weed
The video is provided by Moxnews on Youtube. Moxnews records and uploads news clips from many many different news networks, and his channel is well worth subscribing to.
Subscribe to Moxnews Channel Here
Our next feature is Weed, and not just marijuana in general, but the documentary entitled Weed by Sanjay Gupta. Sanjay is a medical doctor (not practicing as far as I know) and medical consultant commonly seen on CNN discussing all things related to the medical field. In this documentary Sanjay travels around the US and the world visiting medical users, recreational users, and scientist and medical professionals who are studying the medicinal and general effects of marijuana on the brain.
I personally think it is a fair documentary that looks honestly at the evidence acquired through scientific research and anecdotal evidence from both medicinal and recreational users, and comes to what I think is a fair conclusion. However, I have been pro legalization for at least medicinal use for many years, so I have a bit of a biased opinion.
I am sure most people know that years ago Sanjay was a staunch opponent to the legalization of marijuana for any purpose, however has recently come out in support of it, at least medicinally. And that may not be the death nail to the marijuana debate, but I think it may have a strong affect on the way marijuana is generally viewed.
Even if you are a professed marijuana aficionado, I am sure there are some things to be learned about marijuana in this documentary.
Without further ado...
Weed
The video is provided by Moxnews on Youtube. Moxnews records and uploads news clips from many many different news networks, and his channel is well worth subscribing to.
Subscribe to Moxnews Channel Here
Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do? -Michael Sandel
Welcome to Political Divide blog!
The next series to be featured is essential viewing for any armchair ethical philosopher. This is a bit of an old series, but is certainly worth watching again if you have already seen it. And if you haven't, well get your ass in gear. Probably the only better way to get an intro to ethical philosophy is to enroll in an actual university course. The series is called "Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?" which is a live recording of a 13 part series of lectures held at Harvard Law School lead by Michael Sandel. The series covers ethical theory from many philosophical perspectives based on the works of some of the brightest philosophical minds in human history.
Michael engages the audience/students by posing ethical dilemmas and having them respond and interact with one another by arguing their perspectives. Not to mention, the setting in which the lectures are being held are extremely comfortable and does not feel like you are listening to some boring college professor. Of all of the recordings of university lectures available on Youtube or elsewhere online, this is easily the least boring I have ever come across.
It is a long series, each part being about an hour long, but it is well worth watching.
Episode 01 "THE MORAL SIDE OF MURDER"
Link to a playlist containing all parts of the series below
What's The Right Thing To Do - Playlist
Please feel free to engage in discussions about this series and ethical theory in general.
The next series to be featured is essential viewing for any armchair ethical philosopher. This is a bit of an old series, but is certainly worth watching again if you have already seen it. And if you haven't, well get your ass in gear. Probably the only better way to get an intro to ethical philosophy is to enroll in an actual university course. The series is called "Justice: What's The Right Thing To Do?" which is a live recording of a 13 part series of lectures held at Harvard Law School lead by Michael Sandel. The series covers ethical theory from many philosophical perspectives based on the works of some of the brightest philosophical minds in human history.
Michael engages the audience/students by posing ethical dilemmas and having them respond and interact with one another by arguing their perspectives. Not to mention, the setting in which the lectures are being held are extremely comfortable and does not feel like you are listening to some boring college professor. Of all of the recordings of university lectures available on Youtube or elsewhere online, this is easily the least boring I have ever come across.
It is a long series, each part being about an hour long, but it is well worth watching.
Episode 01 "THE MORAL SIDE OF MURDER"
Link to a playlist containing all parts of the series below
What's The Right Thing To Do - Playlist
Please feel free to engage in discussions about this series and ethical theory in general.
Saturday, August 10, 2013
Economics in One Lesson -Amanda BillyRock (Henry Hazlitt)
Welcome to Political Divide blog!
Our first feature for the blog will be, as the title suggests, Amanda BillyRock's series "Economics in One Lesson." Amanda is, from my understanding, a libertarian/anarcho-capitalist and provides commentary on topics from this perspective on her Youtube channel, website, and other mediums. If you wish to learn more about libertarian and anarcho-capitalist ideas, I personally think her content is a good place to start. And since I think libertarian ideologies are rarely understood by most people, I feel that featuring a libertarian in the first article is a good way to get this blog rolling. Even if you are not a libertarian, I am not, it will prove advantageous to yourself when discussing politics with a libertarian (anarcho-capitalist in this case) to actually know what you are talking about.
Wise words for anybody wishing to engage in debate with the opposition, no matter your political persuasion.
In this series Amanda illustrates and provides commentary about economics from the perspective of Henry Hazlitt.
Chapter 1
Follow the links below to watch the entire playlist and visit her website and youtube channel
Economics in One Lesson - Playlist
Amanda's Youtube Channel
Amanda's Website
Feel free to discuss what you think about the series, a particular chapter, or what is being proposed at any point in the videos. I am not an economist so I would be curious to read what people have to say.
Our first feature for the blog will be, as the title suggests, Amanda BillyRock's series "Economics in One Lesson." Amanda is, from my understanding, a libertarian/anarcho-capitalist and provides commentary on topics from this perspective on her Youtube channel, website, and other mediums. If you wish to learn more about libertarian and anarcho-capitalist ideas, I personally think her content is a good place to start. And since I think libertarian ideologies are rarely understood by most people, I feel that featuring a libertarian in the first article is a good way to get this blog rolling. Even if you are not a libertarian, I am not, it will prove advantageous to yourself when discussing politics with a libertarian (anarcho-capitalist in this case) to actually know what you are talking about.
It is said that if you know your enemies and know yourself, you will not be imperiled in a hundred battles; if you do not know your enemies but do know yourself, you will win one and lose one; if you do not know your enemies nor yourself, you will be imperiled in every single battle.
~Sun Tzu
Wise words for anybody wishing to engage in debate with the opposition, no matter your political persuasion.
In this series Amanda illustrates and provides commentary about economics from the perspective of Henry Hazlitt.
Henry Stuart Hazlitt was an American journalist who specialized in economic topics for such leading publications as The Wall Street Journal, The Nation, The American Mercury, Newsweek, and The New York Times.
~Wikipedia
Chapter 1
Follow the links below to watch the entire playlist and visit her website and youtube channel
Economics in One Lesson - Playlist
Amanda's Youtube Channel
Amanda's Website
Feel free to discuss what you think about the series, a particular chapter, or what is being proposed at any point in the videos. I am not an economist so I would be curious to read what people have to say.
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