Batman predicts 2008 Election…
The Tytler Cycle
I was reading something a friend wrote about the rise and fall of empires. Most of it revolved around a quote attributed to Alexandar Fraser Tytler. I thought we would all do well to meditate on it a bit:
07.11.08A democracy is always temporary in nature; it simply cannot exist as a permanent form of government. A democracy will continue to exist up until the time that voters discover that they can vote themselves generous gifts from the public treasury. From that moment on, the majority always votes for the candidates who promise the most benefits from the public treasury, with the result that every democracy will finally collapse due to loose fiscal policy, which is always followed by a dictatorship.
Iranian Missile Tests
The Great Firewall of China
China has a long history of censoring all media outlets, including the Internet. Provide this simple website with a web address and it will tell you if the good people in China are permitted to read it.
09.29.06A Brief History of Divorce
Divorce is so prevalent these days, it seems everyone I’ve met this past year has been involved in one. Many of those that have wrestled this topic are active Christians, which implies they value marriage. I wanted to know why they failed, how are they justified, and could they have been prevented …but these topics seem too sensitive to breach with most divorcees. Rather I did a little thinking on my own, mixed with a little reading. Most of it is still tumbling about my noggin’, but I thought I’d share what I learned about the history of divorce…
Until recently issues like birth, death, welfare and marriage were all within the church’s domain. Within the past century or so authority of these issues has passed to the state. The church was reluctant to issue divorces. The state took a similar stance, denying divorces unless one spouse had significantly violated the marriage agreement. Couples determined to separate would do so by any means nessesary, which often meant perjury …or worse!