AFF's Doublethink

We can all agree, of course, that war is bad. This point has never been in question in the discussions over what to do about Iraq. Libertarians can point to the tendency of government to bloat during war; conservatives can decry social and economic disruption; liberals can bemoan that war diverts spending from worthy and [...]

< p>Inscribed on the base of the Statue of Liberty are these words of Benjamin Franklin: “They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety deserve neither liberty nor safety.” Americans would surely do well to heed these words as the war against terrorism proceeds, both abroad and at home. < [...]

< p>To honor military conquest, the Romans held games, organized ceremonial processions, and built triumphal arches. Today, we have films. To be sure, memorials crowd our capital. As important as these are, however, only film has the capacity both to reach a vast audience and to arouse the emotions most appropriate to the remembrance of [...]

< p>All this talk of human cloning, genetic enhancements, and the like is threatening the uneasy partnership between the two major elements of conservatism. The libertarian strain, generally in support of the “new eugenics”, and the social strain, generally opposed to it, have engaged in virulent debates that unfortunately have generated more heat than light, [...]

The mapping of the human genome came upon us amidst pronouncements of its incalculable impact on, and potential benefit to, human life. Comparisons to the manned missions to the moon, even the quest for the Holy Grail, were quickly trotted out in an attempt to illustrate the import of the occasion. Thus, Dr. Michael Dexter, [...]

Old people have always been afraid of change, especially when it comes to technology. My dad, for instance, still refers to the family computer as “the machine.” The poor sap probably thinks that the Internet is the tool of Satan. Having spent twelve hours a day for the past eight months enlightening myself online, I [...]