The Objective Standard Blog
Topics: The Arts
Monday, June 28, 2010
The Summer Issue of TOS
The print edition of the Summer issue has been mailed; the online and e-book versions have been posted to our website; and the audio version will be posted on Wednesday, June 30. (Due to production setbacks, the print edition mailed a few days late. I apologize for the delay.)
The contents of the Summer issue are:
ARTICLES
Israel and America’s Flotilla Follies (and How To Avoid Them in the Future)
by Craig BiddleWhy Anthony Daniels Smears Ayn Rand
by Alan GermaniHow to Protect Yourself Against ObamaCare
by Paul HsiehThe Montessori Method: Educating Children for a Lifetime of Learning and Happiness
by Heike LarsonA Review of the Korean Television Series Dae Jang Geum
by Sarah BiddleAn Interview with Philosopher of Science David Harriman
Objective Moral Virtues: Principled Actions
by Craig BiddleBOOKS REVIEWED
Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism, by Susan Jacoby
Reviewed by Daniel WahlThe Beginnings of Western Science: The European Scientific Tradition in Philosophical, Religious, and Institutional Context, Prehistory to A.D. 1450, 2nd ed., by David C. Lindberg
Reviewed by Frederick SeilerThe Greatest Trade Ever: The Behind-the-Scenes Story of How John Paulson Defied Wall Street and Made Financial History, by Gregory Zuckerman
Reviewed by Daniel WahlThat First Season, by John Eisenberg
Reviewed by Joseph Kellard
If you have not yet subscribed to TOS, you can do so now and achieve instant access to this new issue and all back issues. Subscriptions start as low as $29. Subscribe online or by calling 800-423-6151.
Enjoy!
Posted in: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Business and Economics, Education, Foreign Policy and War, Healthcare, History, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Science and Technology, The Arts
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Drawings of Mohammed, in Defense of Life: Last Call
“Everybody Draw Mohammed Day” is tomorrow, May 20. If you’d like to participate and help defend the requirements of human life and civilized society, please email your drawings to blog@TheObjectiveStandard.com by midnight tonight (May 19).
Posted in: Announcements, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, The Arts
Wednesday, May 12, 2010
Drawings of Mohammed, in Defense of Life—Batch #3
Here’s another set of drawings of Mohammed, in defense of human life. If you wish to contribute a drawing, please email it to blog@TheObjectiveStandard.com.
Drawing of Mohammed by Sharon Armstrong
Drawing of Mohammed by Mary Barbour
Drawing of Mohammed by Jason McCurdy
Drawing of Mohammed by Michael Garrett
Drawing of Mohammed by Steve Miller
Drawing of Mohammed by Alan Germani
Drawings of Mohammed by David Weatherell
Posted in: Announcements, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, The Arts
Monday, May 3, 2010
More Drawings of Mohammed, in Defense of Life
Here is another batch of drawings of Mohammed, in defense of human life. If you wish to contribute a drawing, please email it to blog@TheObjectiveStandard.com.
Drawing of Mohammed by Nick Stanley
Drawing of Mohammed by Jason Crawford
“A New America? No thanks!”
Drawing of Mohammed by Hannah Krening
Drawing of Mohammed by Charise Mirabal
Drawing of Mohammed by Nicholas Provenzo
Drawing of Mohammed by Ken Andrews
Drawing of Mohammed by Stephen Bourque
Drawing of Mohammed by Stella Daily
Posted in: Announcements, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, The Arts
Wednesday, April 28, 2010
Drawings of Mohammed, in Defense of Human Life
Islamists have called for the murder of Salman Rushdie, and have attempted to assassinate him, for his “blasphemous” depiction of Mohammed in his novel The Satanic Verses . . . Islamists slit the throat of Theo van Gogh and stuck a knife in his chest for directing the film Submission, which depicted Islamic violence against women . . . Islamists have threatened to murder Ayaan Hirsi Ali for writing the script and doing the voiceover for Submission . . . Islamists have attempted to assassinate Kurt Westergaard for drawing a cartoon of Mohammed . . . Islamists have attempted to assassinate Geert Wilders for producing the film Fitna, which showed that the Koran calls for violence against infidels . . . Islamists have threatened to murder Matt Stone and Trey Parker for depicting Mohammed dressed as a bear in a South Park cartoon . . .
When will this end? Certainly not before those of us who recognize the vital nature of the freedom of speech speak up against such evil.
How can we speak up and be heard? One way is by participating in “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day,” which is May 20.
Why should you participate? Because freedom of speech is a requirement of your life and the lives of your loved ones.
When and to the extent that individuals are forbidden to express their views, whether by force or the threat thereof, they are unable to function in a manner fully conducive to human life; they are unable to act fully on their basic means of living, the judgment of their mind; thus, they are unable to live fully as human beings. They might not be murdered (as van Gogh was). They might not have to go into hiding or have 24/7 security (as Rushdie, Ali, and Wilders have had to do). But, to the extent that individuals are forbidden to express their views, their lives are throttled (as Stone and Parker’s have been).
Recognition of this fact is what gives rise to the moral right to freedom of speech: the truth that people morally must be left free to express their views regardless of what others think or feel about those views. This right is not an opinion, nor a gift from “God,” nor a permission from government; it is the recognition of an immutable fact—the fact that a fully human life requires the freedom of expression.
Freedom of speech is also the last leg of civilized society. If we lose it, our only means of returning to a state in which we can live as human beings is to take up arms against those who have forbidden us to speak.
For these reasons, The Objective Standard will participate in “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” And in order to advertise this vital new holiday, we will post in advance, on this blog, batches of the drawings of Mohammed that we receive between now and May 20. Then, on May 20, we will post all of the drawings together in a unified defense of the requirements of human life and civilized society.
I hope you will join us.
The drawings received to date are posted below. If you wish to contribute a drawing, please email it to blog@TheObjectiveStandard.com.
Drawing of Mohammed by Ari Armstrong
Drawing of Mohammed by Jennifer Armstrong
Drawing of Mohammed by Bosch Fawstin
Drawing of Mohammed by Gideon Reich
Drawing of Mohammed by Martin Lundqvist
Drawing of Mohammed by Barbara Herndon
Drawing of Mohammed by Adam Reed
Drawing of Mohammed by Daniel Wahl
Drawing of Mohammed by Kelly Valenzuela
Drawing of Mohammed by Jenna Becker
Drawing of Mohammed by Francisco Gutierrez
Drawing of Mohammed by Ed Cline
Posted in: Announcements, Events, Foreign Policy and War, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, The Arts
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
Everybody Draw Mohammed Day
In response to death threats by a Muslim group against Trey Parker and Matt Stone for portraying Mohammed dressed as a bear in a South Park cartoon—and in defense of the freedom of speech, on which civilized society depends—Dan Savage of The Stranger has pronounced May 20, 2010 “Everybody Draw Mohammed Day.” This is an excellent idea, and The Objective Standard will participate by posting on our blog drawings emailed to blog@theobjectivestandard.com. The images will be posted with the respective submitters’ names in batches as we receive them. Here is my contribution:
Drawing of Mohammed by Craig Biddle
Posted in: Announcements, Events, Individual Rights and Law, Religion, The Arts
Wednesday, March 24, 2010
The Spring 2010 Issue of TOS
The print edition of the Spring issue has been mailed, and the online version has been posted to our website. The contents are:
ARTICLES
Citizens United and the Battle for Free Speech in America
by Steve SimpsonGovernment-Run Health Care vs. the Hippocratic Oath
by Paul HsiehThe Virtue of Treating People Like Animals: Why Human Health Care Should Mirror Veterinary Health Care
by Sarah GelbergThe Practicality of Private Waterways
by J. Brian Phillips and Alan GermaniNorman Borlaug: The Man Who Taught People To Feed Themselves
by Audra HilseMaking Life Meaningful: Living Purposefully
by Craig BiddleBOOKS REVIEWED
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Reviewed by Heike LarsonWinning the Unwinnable War: America’s Self-Crippled Response to Islamic Totalitarianism edited by Elan Journo
Reviewed by Grant W. JonesWhy Are Jews Liberals? by Norman Podhoretz
Reviewed by Gideon ReichCapitalism Unbound: The Incontestable Moral Case for Individual Rights by Andrew Bernstein
Reviewed by Ari ArmstrongEssays on Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged, edited by Robert Mayhew
Reviewed by Daniel WahlThe Sparrowhawk Series, by Edward Cline
Reviewed by Dina Schein FedermanBorn to Run: A Hidden Tribe, Superathletes, and the Greatest Race the World Has Never Seen by Christopher McDougall
Reviewed by Daniel WahlYour Inner Fish: A Journey Into the 3.5-Billion-Year History of the Human Body by Neil Shubin
Reviewed by David H. MirmanNewton and the Counterfeiter: the Unknown Detective Career of the World’s Greatest Scientist by Thomas Levenson
Reviewed by Daniel Wahl
If you have not yet subscribed to TOS, you can do so now and achieve instant access to this new issue and all back issues. Subscribe online or by calling 800-423-6151.
Enjoy!
Posted in: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Business and Economics, Foreign Policy and War, Healthcare, History, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, Science and Technology, The Arts
Monday, March 22, 2010
Dr. Hendricks from Atlas Shrugged on Socialized Health Care
“Let them discover the kind of doctors that their system will now produce. Let them discover, in their operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled. It is not safe, if he is the sort of man who resents it—and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t.”
Posted in: Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Healthcare, Individual Rights and Law, The Arts
Thursday, March 11, 2010
The Spring Issue of TOS
The print edition of the Spring issue of TOS is at press and will be mailed shortly; the online version will be accessible to subscribers beginning March 20; and the Kindle edition will be delivered to Kindle subscribers on March 30. For promotional purposes, we are making Steve Simpson’s article “Citizens United and the Battle for Free Speech in America” available on our website early and for free.
The contents of the Spring issue are:
ARTICLES
Citizens United and the Battle for Free Speech in America by Steve Simpson
Government-Run Health Care vs. the Hippocratic Oath
by Paul HsiehThe Virtue of Treating People Like Animals: Why Human Health Care Should Mirror Veterinary Health Care
by Sarah GelbergThe Practicality of Private Waterways
by J. Brian Phillips and Alan GermaniNorman Borlaug: The Man Who Taught People To Feed Themselves
by Audra HilseMaking Life Meaningful: Living Purposefully
by Craig BiddleBOOKS REVIEWED
Infidel by Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Reviewed by Heike LarsonWinning the Unwinnable War edited by Elan Journo
Reviewed by Grant W. JonesWhy Are Jews Liberals? by Norman Podhoretz
Reviewed by Gideon ReichCapitalism Unbound by Andrew Bernstein
Reviewed by Ari ArmstrongEssays on Ayn Rand’s Atlas Shrugged edited by Robert Mayhew
Reviewed by Daniel WahlThe Sparrowhawk Series by Edward Cline
Reviewed by Dina Schein FedermanBorn to Run by Christopher McDougall
Reviewed by Daniel WahlYour Inner Fish by Neil Shubin
Reviewed by David H. MirmanNewton and the Counterfeiter by Thomas Levenson
Reviewed by Daniel Wahl
If you have not yet subscribed to TOS, why not do so today? You can subscribe online or by calling 800-423-6151.
Posted in: Announcements, Ayn Rand and Objectivism, Business and Economics, Foreign Policy and War, Healthcare, History, Individual Rights and Law, Philosophy, Religion, Science and Technology, The Arts
Tuesday, November 17, 2009
Don’t Say Grace, Say Justice
The religious tradition of saying grace before meals becomes especially popular around the holidays, when we all are reminded of how fortunate we are to have an abundance of life-sustaining goods and services at our disposal. But there is a grave injustice involved in this tradition. It is the injustice of thanking an alleged God for the productive accomplishments of actual men.
Where do the ideas, principles, constitutions, governments, and laws that protect our rights to life, liberty, property, and the pursuit of happiness come from? What is the source of the meals, medicines, homes, automobiles, and fighter jets that keep us alive and enable us to flourish? Who is responsible for our freedom, prosperity, and well-being?
Is freedom a gift from God? It is not. Freedom, the absence of physical coercion, is a political condition resulting from the rational, principled thought and action of men—men such as Aristotle, John Locke, the Founding Fathers, Frederick Douglass, and American soldiers.
Did God make the ambrosia that melts in your mouth, or the asthma medicine that keeps your child alive, or the plush recliner in which you relax, or the big-screen TV on which you watch your favorite show? Did God create the jetliners that bring friends and family from afar, or the stealth bombers that keep the barbarians at bay, or the music that warms your heart and fuels your soul?
Since God is responsible for none of the goods on which human life and happiness depend, why thank him for any such goods? More to the point: Why not thank those who actually are responsible for them? What would a just man do?
Justice is the virtue of judging people rationally—according to what they say, do, and produce—and treating them accordingly, granting to each man that which he deserves. If someone spends the day preparing a wonderful meal, justice demands that he, not God, be thanked for doing so. If someone provides his family with a warm, safe, comfortable home, justice demands that he, not God, be thanked for providing it. If a policeman or fireman or doctor saves someone’s life, justice demands that he, not God, be thanked. If a loving spouse or child or parent or friend provides you with great joy, justice demands that he, not God, be acknowledged accordingly. If a philosopher discovers the principles on which freedom depends—and if others put those principles into practice—justice demands that they, not God, be given credit.
To say grace is to give credit where none is due—and, worse, it is to withhold credit where it is due. To say grace is to commit an act of injustice.
Rational, productive people—whether philosophers, scientists, inventors, artists, businessmen, military strategists, friends, family, or yourself—are who deserve to be thanked for the goods on which your life, liberty, and happiness depend. This holiday season—and from now on—don’t say grace; say justice. Thank or acknowledge the people who actually provide the goods. Some of them may be sitting right there at the table with you. And if you find yourself at a table where people insist on saying grace, politely insist on saying justice when they’re through. It’s the right thing to do.
Posted in: Business and Economics, Foreign Policy and War, Philosophy, Religion, Science and Technology, The Arts
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