From the monthly archives:

December 2001

Dawson assures me that he’ll

December 4, 2001

Dawson assures me that he’ll be getting around to the cloning debate soon enough. Problem is, he’s got a life. No worries, dude. Good luck on those papers! You know where to find me.

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My Favorite Israeli — Great

December 3, 2001

My Favorite Israeli — Great little interview with Gene Simmons at the NYT. He has a number of sound insights about the relation of art and commerce. Responding to the point that KISS never won great ciritical acclaim, Gene says:
But that’s the great notion of America that appeals to me — of the people, for [...]

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It ain’t easy being Taliban-American

December 3, 2001

It ain’t easy being Taliban-American — Earlier this evening I saw John Walker’s dad, Frank Lindh, on CNN. He was barely composed. He said John was a good kid. He pleaded for Americans to be merciful. I wonder if we will be. He’s not the only Taliban-American. Apparently there are now three. (By the [...]

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I don’t feel like I

December 3, 2001

I don’t feel like I know enough about the history and details of the Israeli/Palestinian conflict to make strong, categorical moral judgments. I don’t think that most of the people making strong, categorical judgments know enough either. However morally complex you think it is, it’s probably more complex than that. I was helped a little [...]

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I find Sharon’s intention to

December 3, 2001

I find Sharon’s intention to conduct “a war on terror,” — implying Arafat to be the moral equivalent of bin Laden — disingenuous, dishonest and despair-inducing. Yes, some Palestinian radicals blew themselves up and took a fair number of Israelis with them. But many of these folks do have legitimate grievances, even if they’re expressing [...]

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Interesting piece in Reason by

December 2, 2001

Interesting piece in Reason by Shika Dalmia and Henry Payne reporting, against the CW on the left, that most blacks are against college admissions standards prejudiced in favor of blacks.

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The Fly Bottle has become

December 1, 2001

The Fly Bottle has become Cloning Debate Central the last couple days. Sorry if this bores you.

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John Weidner brings it again!

December 1, 2001

John Weidner brings it again! He writes:
Okay, It seems like you are rejecting all arguments based on future developements. (Seems a bit extreme, most legal or moral prohibitions are somewhat like that. One dose of heroin won’t hurt you at all. )
SO. just Wilk and mini-wilk. Hmmm.
1. Not good for Wilk morally and [...]

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Dawson has taken the de-bait!

December 1, 2001

Dawson has taken the de-bait! He writes:
While I’m not certain I have the requisite skills to engage Will, (not to mention that I have several papers on film theory and lit. crit. to write in the next two weeks), I accept the challenge with the following caveat: Abortion=killing a viable human being. The argument would [...]

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In response to my plea

December 1, 2001

In response to my plea for better anti-cloning arguments, John Weidner of Random Jottings offers this:
I don’t have a strong opinion on cloning people, but I can think of more arguments than your three that might be advanced against it.
4. Slippery Slope: Let ‘em do this and talking dogs are right around the corner
5. Slavery: [...]

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