Conservapedia - User contributions [en]

Essay:Best New Conservative Words

2009-01-11T15:47:26Z

AlbertW: /* New liberal words */

Each year the English language develops about a thousand new words. Over the course of a century, that amounts to 100,000 new words. Since the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] was published in 1611, perhaps a half a million new English words have been developed.

A small percentage of those new words are tremendously powerful. Here are some examples developed since the King James Version was published:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|accountability
|1794
|
|-
|affirmative action
|1965
|
|-
|American Dream
|1931
|
|-
|bailout
|1951
|
|-
|bureaucracy
|1818
|
|-
|byzantine
|1794<ref>The usage here -- in sense of complex governmental rules -- probably developed later.</ref>
|
|-
|competitive
|1829
|
|-
|conservative
|1831
|
|-
|deregulation
|1963
|Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this.
|-
|deterrence
|1861
|
|-
|dumb down
|1933
|
|-
|efficiency
|1633
|Ultimately from the Latin ''efficientem'', meaning ''"working out, or accomplishing"''<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=efficient Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
|-
|elitism
|1947
|
|-
|entitlement
|1944
|
|-
|entropy
|1875
|
|-
|filibuster
|1851
|
|-
|free enterprise
|1890
|
|-
|go-getter
|1919
|
|-
|Good Samaritan
|1846
|how genuine [[charity]] is the best approach;
|-
|grade inflation
|1975
|the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement.
|-
|grassroots
|1901
|
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980
|
|-
|hysteria
|1801
|From the Latin ''hystericus'', from Greek ''hystera '' meaning ''"womb"''<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria Meriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the [[womb]]).
|-
|[[meritocracy]]
|1958
|
|-
|me-too
|1926
|
|-
|media
|1923
|
|-
|milquetoast
|1935
|
|-
|normalcy
|1920
|related to the election of [[Warren G. Harding]] by the largest margin yet in history
|-
|phonics
|1684
|
|-
|politically correct
|1983
|This term originated with liberals at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], who meant it as a serious way to enforce their nutty ideas. It was so absurd that its usage quickly flipped to mockery of the liberals.
|-
|privatize
|1948
|to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize.
|-
|productive
|1612
|
|-
|pro-life
|1961
|
|-
|property right
|1903
|
|-
|radar
|1941
|Acronym of "Radio Detection and Ranging"; inclusion here being challenged on talk page
|-
|responsibility
|1737
|
|-
|scientism
|1870
|fool-hardy faith in the methods of science
|-
|self-defense
|1651
|
|-
|self-determination
|
|
|-
|self-discipline
|1838
|
|-
|self-indulgence
|1753
|
|-
|self-reliant
|1848
|
|-
|victimization
|1830
|
|-
|wannabee
|1981
|the second most recent entry; a word that criticizes liberal [[status worship]]
|-
|}

== Conservative Words Not Yet Developed ==

A thousand new words are developed in English each year. Here is a growing list of conservative concepts, each of which is not yet defined by a single word or two.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Not Yet Developed Terms
!Suggestions
!Comments
|-
|Unaffected by, or impervious to, the media
|
|
|-
|easily amused by [[deceit]]
|
|
|-
|the opposite of [[materialism]]
|spiritualism has been its philosophical opposite, historically
|[[dualism]] has been suggested, but it is not the ''opposite'' of [[materialism]]; "spiritualism" is not a common term and is the "opposite" of materialism
|-
|runaway jury
|
|The term has existed for decades, but Merriam-Webster has not recognized it yet.
|-
|second-generation atheist
|
|
|-
|[[deliberate ignorance]]
|
|the term exists; the dictionary does not yet include it
|-
|proven wrong, a refusal to admit it
|
|This refusal is what promoted the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]
|-
|term limits
|
|can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet?
|}

== New liberal words ==

New liberal words often have deceptive, or nonsensical, meanings. Here are some new words created by liberals to combat [[conservatism]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|atheist
|1571
|
|-
|"Big Bang"
|1948
|Made up atheistic word for a made up atheistic idea about how the universe could have been formed
|-
|communism
|1840
|
|-
|enlightenment
|1669
|
|-
|environmentalism
|1922
|a mixture of [[pseudo-science]] and neo-[[paganism]] used to justify the imposition of [[socialist]]ic controls.
|-
|fundamentalism
|1922
|"a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching"<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism</ref> From a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals" which outlined the movement. Perjorative usage started when the liberal [[Harry Emerson Fosdick]] began using the term in a straw man attack against [[Conservative Christianity]].
|-
|[[homophobia]]
|1969
|used by Liberals to describe a failure to subscribe 100% to the [[homosexual agenda]].
|-
|humanism
|1832
|
|-
|imperialism
|1851
|a clever term later used by liberals to interfere with Christian missionaries and stopping anti-Christian tyranny
|-
|isolationism
|1922
|a pejorative term that is critical of American politicians putting America first in priorities
|-
|Keynesianism
|1946
|advocacy of 'tax and spend' policies as elaborated by the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]]; a [[euphemism]] for back-door [[Socialism]].
|-
|undocumented immigrant
|2000
|a [[politically correct]] replacement for illegal alien.
|-
|politically correct
|1936
|According to some sources, the term originally comes from Chairman Mao
|-
|pro-choice
|1975
|a euphemism for insisting on taxpayer-funded [[abortion]]; people who claim to be pro-choice typically oppose ''informed'' choice, which makes the "choice" meaningless
|-
|progressivism
|1892
|the progressive movement was not entirely liberal; it was started by a Republican and shared some goals with conservatives, and still does
|-
|[[quote mining]]
|non-existent
|a term used by [[evolutionists]] without logical meaning
|
|-
|sexism
|1968
|
|-
|unfair
|1700
|
|-
|union shop
|1904
|
|-
|unitarian
|1687
|
|-
|}

== Sources ==

*[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Merriam-Webster dictionary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays]]

Essay:Best New Conservative Words

2009-01-11T15:45:17Z

AlbertW: /* New liberal words */

Each year the English language develops about a thousand new words. Over the course of a century, that amounts to 100,000 new words. Since the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] was published in 1611, perhaps a half a million new English words have been developed.

A small percentage of those new words are tremendously powerful. Here are some examples developed since the King James Version was published:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|accountability
|1794
|
|-
|affirmative action
|1965
|
|-
|American Dream
|1931
|
|-
|bailout
|1951
|
|-
|bureaucracy
|1818
|
|-
|byzantine
|1794<ref>The usage here -- in sense of complex governmental rules -- probably developed later.</ref>
|
|-
|competitive
|1829
|
|-
|conservative
|1831
|
|-
|deregulation
|1963
|Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this.
|-
|deterrence
|1861
|
|-
|dumb down
|1933
|
|-
|efficiency
|1633
|Ultimately from the Latin ''efficientem'', meaning ''"working out, or accomplishing"''<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=efficient Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
|-
|elitism
|1947
|
|-
|entitlement
|1944
|
|-
|entropy
|1875
|
|-
|filibuster
|1851
|
|-
|free enterprise
|1890
|
|-
|go-getter
|1919
|
|-
|Good Samaritan
|1846
|how genuine [[charity]] is the best approach;
|-
|grade inflation
|1975
|the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement.
|-
|grassroots
|1901
|
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980
|
|-
|hysteria
|1801
|From the Latin ''hystericus'', from Greek ''hystera '' meaning ''"womb"''<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria Meriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the [[womb]]).
|-
|[[meritocracy]]
|1958
|
|-
|me-too
|1926
|
|-
|media
|1923
|
|-
|milquetoast
|1935
|
|-
|normalcy
|1920
|related to the election of [[Warren G. Harding]] by the largest margin yet in history
|-
|phonics
|1684
|
|-
|politically correct
|1983
|This term originated with liberals at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], who meant it as a serious way to enforce their nutty ideas. It was so absurd that its usage quickly flipped to mockery of the liberals.
|-
|privatize
|1948
|to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize.
|-
|productive
|1612
|
|-
|pro-life
|1961
|
|-
|property right
|1903
|
|-
|radar
|1941
|Acronym of "Radio Detection and Ranging"; inclusion here being challenged on talk page
|-
|responsibility
|1737
|
|-
|scientism
|1870
|fool-hardy faith in the methods of science
|-
|self-defense
|1651
|
|-
|self-determination
|
|
|-
|self-discipline
|1838
|
|-
|self-indulgence
|1753
|
|-
|self-reliant
|1848
|
|-
|victimization
|1830
|
|-
|wannabee
|1981
|the second most recent entry; a word that criticizes liberal [[status worship]]
|-
|}

== Conservative Words Not Yet Developed ==

A thousand new words are developed in English each year. Here is a growing list of conservative concepts, each of which is not yet defined by a single word or two.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Not Yet Developed Terms
!Suggestions
!Comments
|-
|Unaffected by, or impervious to, the media
|
|
|-
|easily amused by [[deceit]]
|
|
|-
|the opposite of [[materialism]]
|spiritualism has been its philosophical opposite, historically
|[[dualism]] has been suggested, but it is not the ''opposite'' of [[materialism]]; "spiritualism" is not a common term and is the "opposite" of materialism
|-
|runaway jury
|
|The term has existed for decades, but Merriam-Webster has not recognized it yet.
|-
|second-generation atheist
|
|
|-
|[[deliberate ignorance]]
|
|the term exists; the dictionary does not yet include it
|-
|proven wrong, a refusal to admit it
|
|This refusal is what promoted the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]
|-
|term limits
|
|can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet?
|}

== New liberal words ==

New liberal words often have deceptive, or nonsensical, meanings. Here are some new words created by liberals to combat [[conservatism]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|atheist
|1571
|
|-
|"Big Bang"
|1948
|Made up atheistic word for a made up atheistic idea about how the universe could have been formed
|-
|enlightenment
|1669
|
|-
|environmentalism
|1922
|a mixture of [[pseudo-science]] and neo-[[paganism]] used to justify the imposition of [[socialist]]ic controls.
|-
|fundamentalism
|1922
|"a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching"<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism</ref> From a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals" which outlined the movement. Perjorative usage started when the liberal [[Harry Emerson Fosdick]] began using the term in a straw man attack against [[Conservative Christianity]].
|-
|[[homophobia]]
|1969
|used by Liberals to describe a failure to subscribe 100% to the [[homosexual agenda]].
|-
|humanism
|1832
|
|-
|imperialism
|1851
|a clever term later used by liberals to interfere with Christian missionaries and stopping anti-Christian tyranny
|-
|isolationism
|1922
|a pejorative term that is critical of American politicians putting America first in priorities
|-
|Keynesianism
|1946
|advocacy of 'tax and spend' policies as elaborated by the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]]; a [[euphemism]] for back-door [[Socialism]].
|-
|undocumented immigrant
|2000
|a [[politically correct]] replacement for illegal alien.
|-
|politically correct
|1936
|According to some sources, the term originally comes from Chairman Mao
|-
|pro-choice
|1975
|a euphemism for insisting on taxpayer-funded [[abortion]]; people who claim to be pro-choice typically oppose ''informed'' choice, which makes the "choice" meaningless
|-
|progressivism
|1892
|the progressive movement was not entirely liberal; it was started by a Republican and shared some goals with conservatives, and still does
|-
|[[quote mining]]
|non-existent
|a term used by [[evolutionists]] without logical meaning
|
|-
|sexism
|1968
|
|-
|unfair
|1700
|
|-
|union shop
|1904
|
|-
|unitarian
|1687
|
|-
|}

== Sources ==

*[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Merriam-Webster dictionary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays]]

Essay:Best New Conservative Words

2009-01-11T15:36:25Z

AlbertW: /* New liberal words */

Each year the English language develops about a thousand new words. Over the course of a century, that amounts to 100,000 new words. Since the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] was published in 1611, perhaps a half a million new English words have been developed.

A small percentage of those new words are tremendously powerful. Here are some examples developed since the King James Version was published:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|accountability
|1794
|
|-
|affirmative action
|1965
|
|-
|American Dream
|1931
|
|-
|bailout
|1951
|
|-
|bureaucracy
|1818
|
|-
|byzantine
|1794<ref>The usage here -- in sense of complex governmental rules -- probably developed later.</ref>
|
|-
|competitive
|1829
|
|-
|conservative
|1831
|
|-
|deregulation
|1963
|Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this.
|-
|deterrence
|1861
|
|-
|dumb down
|1933
|
|-
|efficiency
|1633
|Ultimately from the Latin ''efficientem'', meaning ''"working out, or accomplishing"''<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=efficient Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
|-
|elitism
|1947
|
|-
|entitlement
|1944
|
|-
|entropy
|1875
|
|-
|filibuster
|1851
|
|-
|free enterprise
|1890
|
|-
|go-getter
|1919
|
|-
|Good Samaritan
|1846
|how genuine [[charity]] is the best approach;
|-
|grade inflation
|1975
|the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement.
|-
|grassroots
|1901
|
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980
|
|-
|hysteria
|1801
|From the Latin ''hystericus'', from Greek ''hystera '' meaning ''"womb"''<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria Meriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the [[womb]]).
|-
|[[meritocracy]]
|1958
|
|-
|me-too
|1926
|
|-
|media
|1923
|
|-
|milquetoast
|1935
|
|-
|normalcy
|1920
|related to the election of [[Warren G. Harding]] by the largest margin yet in history
|-
|phonics
|1684
|
|-
|politically correct
|1983
|This term originated with liberals at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], who meant it as a serious way to enforce their nutty ideas. It was so absurd that its usage quickly flipped to mockery of the liberals.
|-
|privatize
|1948
|to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize.
|-
|productive
|1612
|
|-
|pro-life
|1961
|
|-
|property right
|1903
|
|-
|radar
|1941
|Acronym of "Radio Detection and Ranging"; inclusion here being challenged on talk page
|-
|responsibility
|1737
|
|-
|scientism
|1870
|fool-hardy faith in the methods of science
|-
|self-defense
|1651
|
|-
|self-determination
|
|
|-
|self-discipline
|1838
|
|-
|self-indulgence
|1753
|
|-
|self-reliant
|1848
|
|-
|victimization
|1830
|
|-
|wannabee
|1981
|the second most recent entry; a word that criticizes liberal [[status worship]]
|-
|}

== Conservative Words Not Yet Developed ==

A thousand new words are developed in English each year. Here is a growing list of conservative concepts, each of which is not yet defined by a single word or two.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Not Yet Developed Terms
!Suggestions
!Comments
|-
|Unaffected by, or impervious to, the media
|
|
|-
|easily amused by [[deceit]]
|
|
|-
|the opposite of [[materialism]]
|spiritualism has been its philosophical opposite, historically
|[[dualism]] has been suggested, but it is not the ''opposite'' of [[materialism]]; "spiritualism" is not a common term and is the "opposite" of materialism
|-
|runaway jury
|
|The term has existed for decades, but Merriam-Webster has not recognized it yet.
|-
|second-generation atheist
|
|
|-
|[[deliberate ignorance]]
|
|the term exists; the dictionary does not yet include it
|-
|proven wrong, a refusal to admit it
|
|This refusal is what promoted the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]
|-
|term limits
|
|can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet?
|}

== New liberal words ==

New liberal words often have deceptive, or nonsensical, meanings. Here are some new words created by liberals to combat [[conservatism]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|atheist
|1571
|
|-
|"Big Bang"
|1948
|Made up atheistic word for a made up atheistic idea about how the universe could have been formed
|-
|enlightenment
|1669
|
|-
|environmentalism
|1922
|a mixture of [[pseudo-science]] and neo-[[paganism]] used to justify the imposition of [[socialist]]ic controls.
|-
|fundamentalism
|1922
|"a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching"<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism</ref> From a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals" which outlined the movement. Perjorative usage started when the liberal [[Harry Emerson Fosdick]] began using the term in a straw man attack against [[Conservative Christianity]].
|-
|[[homophobia]]
|1969
|used by Liberals to describe a failure to subscribe 100% to the [[homosexual agenda]].
|-
|humanism
|1832
|
|-
|imperialism
|1851
|a clever term later used by liberals to interfere with Christian missionaries and stopping anti-Christian tyranny
|-
|isolationism
|1922
|a pejorative term that is critical of American politicians putting America first in priorities
|-
|Keynesianism
|1946
|advocacy of 'tax and spend' policies as elaborated by the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]]; a [[euphemism]] for back-door [[Socialism]].
|-
|undocumented immigrant
|2000
|a [[politically correct]] replacement for illegal alien.
|-
|-
|pro-choice
|1975
|a euphemism for insisting on taxpayer-funded [[abortion]]; people who claim to be pro-choice typically oppose ''informed'' choice, which makes the "choice" meaningless
|-
|progressivism
|1892
|the progressive movement was not entirely liberal; it was started by a Republican and shared some goals with conservatives, and still does
|-
|[[quote mining]]
|non-existent
|a term used by [[evolutionists]] without logical meaning
|
|-
|sexism
|1968
|
|-
|unfair
|1700
|
|-
|union shop
|1904
|
|-
|unitarian
|1687
|
|-
|}

== Sources ==

*[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Merriam-Webster dictionary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays]]

Essay:Best New Conservative Words

2009-01-11T15:33:46Z

AlbertW: /* New liberal words */

Each year the English language develops about a thousand new words. Over the course of a century, that amounts to 100,000 new words. Since the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] was published in 1611, perhaps a half a million new English words have been developed.

A small percentage of those new words are tremendously powerful. Here are some examples developed since the King James Version was published:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|accountability
|1794
|
|-
|affirmative action
|1965
|
|-
|American Dream
|1931
|
|-
|bailout
|1951
|
|-
|bureaucracy
|1818
|
|-
|byzantine
|1794<ref>The usage here -- in sense of complex governmental rules -- probably developed later.</ref>
|
|-
|competitive
|1829
|
|-
|conservative
|1831
|
|-
|deregulation
|1963
|Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this.
|-
|deterrence
|1861
|
|-
|dumb down
|1933
|
|-
|efficiency
|1633
|Ultimately from the Latin ''efficientem'', meaning ''"working out, or accomplishing"''<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=efficient Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
|-
|elitism
|1947
|
|-
|entitlement
|1944
|
|-
|entropy
|1875
|
|-
|filibuster
|1851
|
|-
|free enterprise
|1890
|
|-
|go-getter
|1919
|
|-
|Good Samaritan
|1846
|how genuine [[charity]] is the best approach;
|-
|grade inflation
|1975
|the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement.
|-
|grassroots
|1901
|
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980
|
|-
|hysteria
|1801
|From the Latin ''hystericus'', from Greek ''hystera '' meaning ''"womb"''<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria Meriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the [[womb]]).
|-
|[[meritocracy]]
|1958
|
|-
|me-too
|1926
|
|-
|media
|1923
|
|-
|milquetoast
|1935
|
|-
|normalcy
|1920
|related to the election of [[Warren G. Harding]] by the largest margin yet in history
|-
|phonics
|1684
|
|-
|politically correct
|1983
|This term originated with liberals at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], who meant it as a serious way to enforce their nutty ideas. It was so absurd that its usage quickly flipped to mockery of the liberals.
|-
|privatize
|1948
|to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize.
|-
|productive
|1612
|
|-
|pro-life
|1961
|
|-
|property right
|1903
|
|-
|radar
|1941
|Acronym of "Radio Detection and Ranging"; inclusion here being challenged on talk page
|-
|responsibility
|1737
|
|-
|scientism
|1870
|fool-hardy faith in the methods of science
|-
|self-defense
|1651
|
|-
|self-determination
|
|
|-
|self-discipline
|1838
|
|-
|self-indulgence
|1753
|
|-
|self-reliant
|1848
|
|-
|victimization
|1830
|
|-
|wannabee
|1981
|the second most recent entry; a word that criticizes liberal [[status worship]]
|-
|}

== Conservative Words Not Yet Developed ==

A thousand new words are developed in English each year. Here is a growing list of conservative concepts, each of which is not yet defined by a single word or two.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Not Yet Developed Terms
!Suggestions
!Comments
|-
|Unaffected by, or impervious to, the media
|
|
|-
|easily amused by [[deceit]]
|
|
|-
|the opposite of [[materialism]]
|spiritualism has been its philosophical opposite, historically
|[[dualism]] has been suggested, but it is not the ''opposite'' of [[materialism]]; "spiritualism" is not a common term and is the "opposite" of materialism
|-
|runaway jury
|
|The term has existed for decades, but Merriam-Webster has not recognized it yet.
|-
|second-generation atheist
|
|
|-
|[[deliberate ignorance]]
|
|the term exists; the dictionary does not yet include it
|-
|proven wrong, a refusal to admit it
|
|This refusal is what promoted the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]
|-
|term limits
|
|can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet?
|}

== New liberal words ==

New liberal words often have deceptive, or nonsensical, meanings. Here are some new words created by liberals to combat [[conservatism]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|atheist
|1571
|
|-
|enlightenment
|1669
|
|-
|environmentalism
|1922
|a mixture of [[pseudo-science]] and neo-[[paganism]] used to justify the imposition of [[socialist]]ic controls.
|-
|fundamentalism
|1922
|"a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching"<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism</ref> From a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals" which outlined the movement. Perjorative usage started when the liberal [[Harry Emerson Fosdick]] began using the term in a straw man attack against [[Conservative Christianity]].
|-
|[[homophobia]]
|1969
|used by Liberals to describe a failure to subscribe 100% to the [[homosexual agenda]].
|-
|humanism
|1832
|
|-
|imperialism
|1851
|a clever term later used by liberals to interfere with Christian missionaries and stopping anti-Christian tyranny
|-
|isolationism
|1922
|a pejorative term that is critical of American politicians putting America first in priorities
|-
|Keynesianism
|1946
|advocacy of 'tax and spend' policies as elaborated by the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]]; a [[euphemism]] for back-door [[Socialism]].
|-
|undocumented immigrant
|2000
|a [[politically correct]] replacement for illegal alien.
|-
|-
|pro-choice
|1975
|a euphemism for insisting on taxpayer-funded [[abortion]]; people who claim to be pro-choice typically oppose ''informed'' choice, which makes the "choice" meaningless
|-
|progressivism
|1892
|the progressive movement was not entirely liberal; it was started by a Republican and shared some goals with conservatives, and still does
|-
|[[quote mining]]
|non-existent
|a term used by [[evolutionists]] without logical meaning
|
|-
|sexism
|1968
|
|-
|unfair
|1700
|
|-
|union shop
|1904
|
|-
|unitarian
|1687
|
|-
|}

== Sources ==

*[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Merriam-Webster dictionary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays]]

Essay:Best New Conservative Words

2009-01-11T15:33:01Z

AlbertW: will look for date

Each year the English language develops about a thousand new words. Over the course of a century, that amounts to 100,000 new words. Since the [[King James Version]] of the [[Bible]] was published in 1611, perhaps a half a million new English words have been developed.

A small percentage of those new words are tremendously powerful. Here are some examples developed since the King James Version was published:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|accountability
|1794
|
|-
|affirmative action
|1965
|
|-
|American Dream
|1931
|
|-
|bailout
|1951
|
|-
|bureaucracy
|1818
|
|-
|byzantine
|1794<ref>The usage here -- in sense of complex governmental rules -- probably developed later.</ref>
|
|-
|competitive
|1829
|
|-
|conservative
|1831
|
|-
|deregulation
|1963
|Reagan won in 1980 by campaigning on this.
|-
|deterrence
|1861
|
|-
|dumb down
|1933
|
|-
|efficiency
|1633
|Ultimately from the Latin ''efficientem'', meaning ''"working out, or accomplishing"''<ref>[http://www.etymonline.com/index.php?term=efficient Online Etymological Dictionary]</ref>
|-
|elitism
|1947
|
|-
|entitlement
|1944
|
|-
|entropy
|1875
|
|-
|filibuster
|1851
|
|-
|free enterprise
|1890
|
|-
|go-getter
|1919
|
|-
|Good Samaritan
|1846
|how genuine [[charity]] is the best approach;
|-
|grade inflation
|1975
|the tendency by Liberal educationalists and public schools to increase marks, irrespective of merit or actual achievement.
|-
|grassroots
|1901
|
|-
|[[homeschool]]
|1980
|
|-
|hysteria
|1801
|From the Latin ''hystericus'', from Greek ''hystera '' meaning ''"womb"''<ref>[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/hysteria Meriam Webster Dictionary]</ref> (an old notion that hysteria was caused by the [[womb]]).
|-
|[[meritocracy]]
|1958
|
|-
|me-too
|1926
|
|-
|media
|1923
|
|-
|milquetoast
|1935
|
|-
|normalcy
|1920
|related to the election of [[Warren G. Harding]] by the largest margin yet in history
|-
|phonics
|1684
|
|-
|politically correct
|1983
|This term originated with liberals at the [[University of Wisconsin-Madison]], who meant it as a serious way to enforce their nutty ideas. It was so absurd that its usage quickly flipped to mockery of the liberals.
|-
|privatize
|1948
|to return a business or enterprise from state to private control; to de-nationalize.
|-
|productive
|1612
|
|-
|pro-life
|1961
|
|-
|property right
|1903
|
|-
|radar
|1941
|Acronym of "Radio Detection and Ranging"; inclusion here being challenged on talk page
|-
|responsibility
|1737
|
|-
|scientism
|1870
|fool-hardy faith in the methods of science
|-
|self-defense
|1651
|
|-
|self-determination
|
|
|-
|self-discipline
|1838
|
|-
|self-indulgence
|1753
|
|-
|self-reliant
|1848
|
|-
|victimization
|1830
|
|-
|wannabee
|1981
|the second most recent entry; a word that criticizes liberal [[status worship]]
|-
|}

== Conservative Words Not Yet Developed ==

A thousand new words are developed in English each year. Here is a growing list of conservative concepts, each of which is not yet defined by a single word or two.

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!Not Yet Developed Terms
!Suggestions
!Comments
|-
|Unaffected by, or impervious to, the media
|
|
|-
|easily amused by [[deceit]]
|
|
|-
|the opposite of [[materialism]]
|spiritualism has been its philosophical opposite, historically
|[[dualism]] has been suggested, but it is not the ''opposite'' of [[materialism]]; "spiritualism" is not a common term and is the "opposite" of materialism
|-
|runaway jury
|
|The term has existed for decades, but Merriam-Webster has not recognized it yet.
|-
|second-generation atheist
|
|
|-
|[[deliberate ignorance]]
|
|the term exists; the dictionary does not yet include it
|-
|proven wrong, a refusal to admit it
|
|This refusal is what promoted the [[Parable of the Good Samaritan]]
|-
|term limits
|
|can you believe this is not in the dictionary yet?
|}

== New liberal words ==

New liberal words often have deceptive, or nonsensical, meanings. Here are some new words created by liberals to combat [[conservatism]]:

{| class="wikitable"
|-
!New Term
!Origin date
!Comments
|-
|atheist
|1571
|
|-
|enlightenment
|1669
|
|-
|environmentalism
|1922
|a mixture of [[pseudo-science]] and neo-[[paganism]] used to justify the imposition of [[socialist]]ic controls.
|-
|fundamentalism
|1922
|"a movement in 20th century Protestantism emphasizing the literally interpreted Bible as fundamental to Christian life and teaching"<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/fundamentalism</ref> From a series of pamphlets called "The Fundamentals" which outlined the movement. Perjorative usage started when the liberal [[Harry Emerson Fosdick]] began using the term in a straw man attack against [[Conservative Christianity]].
|-
|[[homophobia]]
|1969
|used by Liberals to describe a failure to subscribe 100% to the [[homosexual agenda]].
|-
|humanism
|1832
|
|-
|imperialism
|1851
|a clever term later used by liberals to interfere with Christian missionaries and stopping anti-Christian tyranny
|-
|isolationism
|1922
|a pejorative term that is critical of American politicians putting America first in priorities
|-
|Keynesianism
|1946
|advocacy of 'tax and spend' policies as elaborated by the economist [[John Maynard Keynes]]; a [[euphemism]] for back-door [[Socialism]].
|-
|undocumented immigrant
|2000
|a [[politically correct]] replacement for illegal alien.
|-
|-
|pro-choice
|1975
|a euphemism for insisting on taxpayer-funded [[abortion]]; people who claim to be pro-choice typically oppose ''informed'' choice, which makes the "choice" meaningless
|-
|progressivism
|1892
|the progressive movement was not entirely liberal; it was started by a Republican and shared some goals with conservatives, and still does
|-
|[[quote mining]]
|non-existent
|a term used by [[evolutionists]] without logical meaning
|
|-
|sexism
|
|
|-
|unfair
|1700
|
|-
|union shop
|1904
|
|-
|unitarian
|1687
|
|-
|}

== Sources ==

*[http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/ Merriam-Webster dictionary]

==References==
<references/>

[[Category:Essays]]

Betweenness of Points Theorem

2009-01-09T16:14:48Z

AlbertW: Undo revision 605982 by DanielP (Talk)

The '''Betweenness of Points Theorem''' is a [[theorem]] which states that: If A-B-C, then AB + BC = AC.

[[Image:BPT.jpg|300px]]

==See also==
*[[Betweenness]]
*[[Betweenness of Rays Theorem]]

[[Category:Geometry]]

Soybean

2009-01-09T16:09:19Z

AlbertW: Undo revision 605967 by DanielP (Talk)

{{Taxonomy|kingdom = Plantae|phylum = Spermatophyta|subphylum = Magnoliophyta|class = Magnoliopsida|subclass Rosidae|order = Fabales|suborder = |family = Fabaceae|genus = Glycine|species = max}}

The '''soybean''', also known as the '''soya bean''' is a plant native to Eastern [[Asia]]. It is often used in the production of [[vegetarian]]-safe foods, such as soy milk or infant [[formula]]. It is also a source of [[vitamin E]]. Soy milk is used as a mild alternative for people suffering from [[lactose intolerance]] or chronic [[heartburn]], and soybeans are the primary ingredient in a foodstuff called [[tofu]], frequently used in East Asian cuisine. Soy sauce, made from [[fermentation|fermented]] soya beans, is important as a condiment and ingredient in East Asian cooking.

Raw soybeans (known as edamame) are also used as a feed for [[livestock]], especially [[pig]]s and [[poultry]]. Soy has become a major crop in the United States but is not as commonly cultivated in [[Africa]], [[Europe]] or [[South America]].

===Further reading===
* http://www.bats.ch/trace/?file5=coreforms/taxonomy.php&record_number=3
* [http://plants.usda.gov/java/profile?symbol=GLMA4 USDA » Natural Resources Conservation Service » PLANTS database]
* [http://www.iasoybeans.com/ Iowa Soybean Association]

[[Category:Plants]]

{{stub}}

King James Bible

2009-01-09T16:08:49Z

AlbertW: Undo revision 605965 by DanielP (Talk) vandal

[[Image:800px-Crop Book of Isaiah 2006-06-06.jpg|thumb|200px|right]]
The '''King James Version''' (or Authorized Version) of the [[Bible]] was the culmination of 7 years of work (1604-1611) by about 50 English scholars and around 20 [[Bishops]], authorized by King [[James I of England]]. The result was a poetic masterpiece that has profoundly influenced the [[English|English-speaking]] world ever since. It was not the first English translation ([[William Tyndale]] had previously [[translation|translated]] the Bible into English, and much of the Authorized Version was taken from Tyndale's version) or the most accurate (modern translations benefit from better sources). Some mistakes in the translation of the King James Bible exist in very important passages. But the King James Version of the Bible was the most majestic and it has inspired English literature from [[Herman Melville]] to [[Henry Wadsworth Longfellow]] to the [[Martin Luther King, Jr.|Rev. Martin Luther King, Jr.]]

For example, many cite Rev. Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech without acknowledging its source in the translation of ''[[Book of Isaiah|Isaiah]] 40:4'':

"I have a dream that one day every valley shall be exalted, every hill and mountain shall be made low, the rough places will be made plain, and the crooked places will be made straight, and the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together."

The King James translators described it as "Newly Translated out of the Original tongues."<ref>The actual title-page inscription is "The Holy Bible, Conteyning the Old Testament, and the New: Newly Translated out of the Originall tongues: & with the former Translations diligently compared and revised, by his Majesties Special Commandment. Appointed to be read in Churches. "</ref> The King James Version of the [[Old Testament]] was based on the Hebrew [[Masoretic text]], codified in the Middle Ages. The [[New Testament]] was primarily based on Greek texts predating the [[Latin Vulgate]]. The translators explicitly acknowledged making use of previous English translations, however, and the [[Catholic Encyclopedia]] describes it as being essentially the [[Bishops' Bible]], corrected by comparison with the Hebrew and Greek texts.<ref>[http://www.newadvent.org/cathen/02141a.htm The Authorized Version], Catholic Encyclopedia</ref>. F. H. A. Scrivener, however, notes many passages which correspond to the Latin Vulgate rather than the Greek.<ref>F. H. A. Scrivener, ''The New Testament in Greek according to the Text Followed in the Authorized Version''. Cambridge: University Press, 1881; The appendix on pages 655-6 gives a list of the passages corresponding exactly with the Latin version against the Greek.</ref> The King James Version is freely and fully available for searching online.<ref>http://www.bartleby.com/108/</ref>

The King James Version used italics to indicate words that had no exact equivalent in the original text, but had been supplied by the translators for various reasons, usually to make the text read properly in English. A modern reader is used to seeing italics used for emphasis; their use in the King James Version creates a strange impression. Many modern editions of the King James Version omit the italicization.

A recent attempt to "update" the King James Version was the New King James Version, which most notably modernized pronouns such as "thou" and verb forms such as "art".

Some Christians believe that the original 1611 Authorized Version of the King James Bible is the only acceptable English translation of the Bible.<ref>http://www.isitso.org/guide/kjvonly.html</ref> This is referred to by some Christians, especially those who do not hold to this viewpoint, as the "KJV-only movement". On the other side of the debate, many Christians avoid the King James Bible because of its archaic language, advances in scholarship's understanding of ancient languages, and discovery of more reliable manuscripts.

==References==
<references/>

==External Links==

*[http://www.ebible.org/bible/kjv/ An online version of the King James Bible]
*[http://www.biblicalproportions.com/modules/ol_bible/ Another online version of the King James Bible]
*[http://www.biblegateway.com/versions/index.php?action=getVersionInfo&vid=9&lang=2 King James version at BibleGateway]

== See also ==

*[[Disputed Biblical Translations]]

{{Bible Versions}}

[[Category:Bible Versions]]
[[Category:European History]]

Media bullying

2009-01-09T16:08:11Z

AlbertW: Undo revision 605966 by DanielP (Talk) revert vandalism

'''Media bullying''' is aggressive [[bias]] by the [[media]] in the attempt to influence a candidate, a politician, an institution, or even sports contestants.

Examples of '''media bullying''' include:

* trying to force [[Hillary Clinton]] to pull out of the [[Democratic]] primary
* forcing Queen Elizabeth to give a special public eulogy for the media favorite [[Princess Diana]], who had been estranged from the royal family
* imposing strict [[gun control]] in [[Britain]] and [[Australia]] by creating an hysteria from over-publicized and isolated incidents in the 1990s
* ridiculing Vice President [[Dan Quayle]] for his supposed gaffes, in contrast with downplaying gaffes by [[liberals]]
* forcing President [[Richard Nixon]] to resign for covering up a scandal, in contrast with defending President [[Bill Clinton]]'s covering up a scandal
* sex abuse in [[public schools]] is worse than in religious institutions, yet the media constantly bullies religious (especially [[Catholic]]) officials about it
* the media bullies the competitors of [[Tiger Woods]] in every major golf contest
* the media bullies [[Paris Hilton]] as dumb, but she's no dumber than other [[Hollywood]] figures
* the media bullied airships into terminating service by creating an unjustified hysteria based on the [[Hindenburg]] accident
[[category:media]]

Fake science

2009-01-08T21:04:24Z

AlbertW: /* See also */

{{merge|pseudoscience}}

'''Junk science''' is the promotion of a finding as "scientific" or "unscientific" based mainly upon whether its conclusions support the answers (or views) favored by the promoters; see [[propaganda]].

Junk science consists of giving poorly done scientific work the same authority as work which conforms to the [[scientific method]]. It is akin to [[politicized science]], i.e., the selective use of scientific evidence to reach predetermined conclusions and support extra-scientific political goals.<ref> [http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25458/pub_detail.asp Burying Evidence: The Union of Concerned Scientists' Unscientific Claims about Air Pollution and Health]</ref>

In some cases, junk science may result from a misinterpretation of previous sound scientific studies. An example of this is the misinterpretation of the research on eggs and cholesterol<ref>http://www.hhp.ufl.edu/faculty/pbird/keepingfit/ARTICLE/eggs.HTM</ref>. Studies had found that eggs contained cholesterol and that cholesterol in blood contributed to heart disease. So as a result of these studies, people were advised against eating eggs. What was missing, however, was a study showing that the cholesterol in blood is a direct result of cholesterol intake in diet. We know now that that is not the case, that saturated fat intake and overall body fat are the primary contributors to cholesterol production in blood.

A more recent example is the hoopla over [[secondhand smoke]], which liberals say has now been conclusively proven to cause nearly 20% of urban deaths{{Fact}}. Anti-smoking activists base this claim on small studies while ignoring larger studies; see [[cherry-picking]]. [http://www.junkscience.com/feb01/perske.htm]

All sides in scientific controversies say that they condemn junk science, so this leaves the lay reader with the task of determining who is telling the truth. The best way is to examine the facts and reasoning in scientific reports.

First, of course, the reader must penetrate the maze of confusing [[disinformation]] surrounding any controversy.

:The three great strategies for obscuring an issue are to introduce irrelevancies, to arouse prejudice, and to excite ridicule.... ---Bergen Evans, The Natural History of Nonsense <ref>[http://skepdic.com/iqrace.html IQ and race]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Politics of science]]
*[[Global warming]]

==References==
<references/>

==Further reading==
*Peter W. Huber, ''Galileo's Revenge: Junk Science in the Courtroom'', 1993. ISBN 0-465-02624-9.

==External links==
*[http://www.aei.org/publications/filter.all,pubID.25458/pub_detail.asp Burying Evidence: The Union of Concerned Scientists' Unscientific Claims about Air Pollution and Health] - Joel Schwartz - January 16, 2007

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome

2009-01-08T21:02:52Z

AlbertW: cover the controversy better

'''Acquired Immune Deficiency Syndrome''' (usually referred to as '''AIDS''') is a collection of uncurable diseases and symptoms often believed to be caused by long-term infection with the[[HIV| Human Immunodeficiency Virus]].

== Definition ==

According to the CDC's 1993 guidelines, <ref>http://www.cdc.gov</ref><ref>http://www.merckmedicus.com/ppdocs/us/hcp/content/merck/hiv/hivaids/aidsdefi.htmAIDS is defined </ref>as follows:
HIV infection ''plus'' any of the following:
*[[CD4]] count less than 200 or
*CD4 percentage less than 14% of total lymphocytes or
*Any of the following illnesses: pulmonary TB, recurrent pneumonia, invasive cervical cancer.
*Expanded definition including 23 clinical conditions published elsewhere<ref>http://www.cdc.gov/MMWR/preview/mmwrhtml/00018871.htm</ref>

The World Health Organization uses a different staging method for HIV disease. <ref>http://www.aids-ed.org/aetc/aetc?page=cm-105_disease</ref>

== History ==

The illness was first recognized in the early 1980s<ref>New England Journal of Medicine, Volume 344:1764-1772 June 7, 2001 Number 23</ref> as homosexual men presented to their doctors with a rare lung disease called ''Pneumocystis carinii'' pneumonia (PCP)<ref>Pneumocystis pneumonia -- Los Angeles. MMWR Morb Mortal Wkly Rep 1981;30:250-252)</ref>. Early on, the "[[gay disease]]" took on a variety of names, including "gay cancer" and "Gay-related immune deficiency" (GRID). The [[Centers for Disease Control]] noticed an increase in requests for drugs needed to treat this illness and launched an epidemiological investigation.

Although the first cases of the disease probably go back to the 1950s, the epidemic was not recognized until the early 1980s [http://www.avert.org/his81_86.htm]. The early epidemic occurred in two main branches; in the US and other developed countries, and in sub-Saharan Africa. In the US, the early epidemic was primarily spread by homosexual sex, intravenous drug use, and blood transfusions (prior to the introduction of testing). In Africa, transmission was almost exclusively by heterosexual sex. Currently, most new infections worldwide are spread by promiscuous heterosexual sex and prostitution.

== Natural History ==

After infection with [[HIV]], the virus quickly replicates in lymphatic tissue and travels through the blood to infect most areas of the body. The largest consequence of this is the "hijacking" of certain immune cells, especially so-called T-Helper, or CD-4, cells. Early in the infection, the immune system holds the infection at bay, often causing "Acute Retroviral Syndrome", a flu-like illness. Patients often have swollen lymph nodes. After approximately 8-10 years of infection, the immune system begins to lose its battle. This is primarily seen in the loss of numbers of CD4 cells, however the changes are somewhat more complex. When the CD4 cell level drops low enough, AIDS becomes apparent.
The first symptoms of the illness are generally night sweats, weight loss, and oral thrush.

== Opportunistic Infections (OIs) ==

The hallmark of AIDS is the appearance of ''opportunistic infections'', meaning infections with organisms that do not usually cause human disease, unless given the right "opportunity". This opportunity is the reduction in cell-mediated immunity, first seen in patients with certain cancers or on anti-rejection drugs for organ transplantation.
These infections include:

*Pneumocystis jiroveci, previously [[Pneumocystis carinii]]
*[[Candida albicans]] (the cause of thrush and vaginal yeast infections)
*Staphylococcus aureus (primarily causes skin infections)
*[[Toxoplasma gondii]]
*[[Cytomegalovirus]]
*Streptococcus pneumoniae (the primary cause of pneumonia in AIDS patients)
*[[Mycobacterium tuberculosis]] (TB)
*Mycobacterium avium complex (atypical mycobacterium)
*Cryptococcus neoformans (a cause of meningitis)
*Epstein Barr virus (leads to a type of lymphoma)
*Human herpesvirus-8 (causes Kaposi's sarcoma)

== Dissent ==
Among the world's medical professionals and biologists, there is general agreement that HIV causes AIDS. In this, Koch's postulates have been clearly fulfilled, and basic science research has shown the same. Specific drugs have been developed that treat HIV infection and AIDS, helping show the causal relationship. That being said, there is a vocal minority of people, scientists and non-scientists alike, who do not believe that HIV causes AIDS. Foremost among these is Dr. Peter Duesberg. Details about these "re-thinkers" and their arguments can be found at several websites, but not in any reliable peer-reviewed journals:

http://www.reviewingaids.org/awiki/index.php/Main_Page

==God's curse==

Various figures including prominant televangalist [[Jerry Falwell]] have asserted that AIDS is 'God's curse on homosexuals', however this fails to take into account that the syndrome can and does affect many other groups, including innocent children (who have contracted the HIV virus while in the womb or through contaminated blood transfusions).
==See also==
* [[Mortality]]
==Notes==
<references/>

==External Links==
*[http://newsbusters.org/blogs/robert-knight/2007/12/01/some-questions-media-wont-ask-today-about-aids Some Questions the Media Won't Ask Today About AIDS], Robert Knight, [[NewsBusters]], December 1, 2007

[[Category:Medicine]]
[[Category:Syndromes]]
[[Category:Demography]]

Essay:Differences Between Homeschoolers and Public Schoolers

2009-01-07T22:07:10Z

AlbertW:

There are some fundamental differences of significance between [[homeschoolers]] and [[public schoolers]]:

#[[Homeschoolers]] are consistently more proficient in mathematics, science, writing, and language.<ref>Dr. Brian Ray, A Nationwide Study of Home Education: Family Characteristics, Legal Matters, and Student Achievement, National Home Education Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 1990, p. 53-54.</ref>
#[[Homeschoolers]] do not stop learning upon receipt of a diploma; most [[public schoolers]] do not try to learn outside of school
#[[Homeschoolers]] vote at three times the rate of [[public schoolers]], when they become of voting age
#[[Homeschoolers]] engage in less [[deceit]] than [[public schoolers]], and are less easily amused by it
#[[Homeschoolers]] form fewer cliques and gangs than [[public schoolers]]
#[[Homeschoolers]] are less amused by profanity, and rarely have the [[compulsive profanity]] common to [[public schoolers]]
#[[Homeschoolers]] are more able to be self-employed or self-disciplined without requiring constant supervision.
#[[Homeschoolers]] are more likely to embrace faith and have a close relationship with God.
#[[Homeschoolers]] pray more often than students in public school, where prayer is censored.
#[[Homeschoolers]] perform better on average on all standardized test that are not infested with [[liberal bias]] (and even some that are)
#[[Homeschoolers]] attain higher literacy rates and reading competence, due to an absence of anti-intellectual peer pressure.<ref>Dr. Brian Ray, A Nationwide Study of Home Education: Family Characteristics, Legal Matters, and Student Achievement, National Home Education Research Institute, Seattle, WA, 1990, p. 53-54.</ref>
#[[Homeschoolers]] have much lower teen pregnancy rates, and abortion is almost unknown among [[homeschoolers]].
(a start; please improve)
[[Category:Essays]]

==References==

<references/>

Essay:Differences Between Homeschoolers and Public Schoolers

2009-01-07T20:31:43Z

AlbertW:

There are some fundamental differences of significance between [[homeschoolers]] and [[public schoolers]]:

#[[Homeschoolers]] do not stop learning upon receipt of a diploma; most [[public schoolers]] do not try to learn outside of school
#[[Homeschoolers]] vote at three times the rate of [[public schoolers]], when they become of voting age
#[[Homeschoolers]] engage in less [[deceit]] than [[public schoolers]], and are less easily amused by it
#[[Homeschoolers]] form fewer cliques and gangs than [[public schoolers]]
#[[Homeschoolers]] are less amused by profanity, and rarely have the [[obsessive profanity]] common to [[public schoolers]]
#[[Homeschoolers]] are more able to be self-employed or self-disciplined without requiring constant supervision.
#[[Homeschoolers]] are more likely to embrace faith and have a close relationship with God.
#[[Homeschoolers]] pray more often than students in public school, were prayer is censored.
#[[Homeschoolers]] perform better on average on all standardized test that are not infested with [[liberal bias]] (and even some that are)

(a start; please improve)
[[Category:Essays]]

Domestic violence

2009-01-07T19:55:57Z

AlbertW:

'''Domestic violence''' as a category of crime was originally applied to [[wife-beating]], but it grew to include any violent altercation between husband and wife. With the rise of unmarried couples living together, police began applying the term to boyfriends and girlfriends.
In recent decades, the new tolerance for homosexuality has prompted several organizations to broaden their definitions. The term can also be used for abuse of one's children, or anyone is the same household<ref>http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic%20violence</ref>

Domestic violence occurs least often in a marriage, more often with an unmarried heterosexual couple living together, and most often among homosexual couples. See [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence]].

==Links==
*[http://www.findcounseling.com/journal/domestic-violence/ Definitions of domestic violence]

Talk:Domestic violence

2009-01-07T19:39:06Z

AlbertW:

About the definition, doesn't the umbrella term "domestic violence" include people who beat their children? I always thought it did, but I could be wrong. [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 14:29, 7 January 2009 (EST)

Merriam Webster seems to indicate it does: [http://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/domestic%20violence]. [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 14:39, 7 January 2009 (EST)

Talk:Domestic violence

2009-01-07T19:29:27Z

AlbertW: New page: About the definition, doesn't the umbrella term "domestic violence" include people who beat their children? I always thought it did, but I could be wrong. ~~~~

Domestic violence

2009-01-07T19:23:07Z

AlbertW:

'''Domestic violence''' is physical violence between people who are related or in a relationship. While it is often used to refer to violence of a husband against his wife, it is more common among homosexual couples. See [[Homosexual Couples and Domestic Violence]].

Domestic violence

2009-01-07T19:21:53Z

AlbertW: New page: '''Domestic violence''' is physical violence between people who are related or in a relationship. While it is often used to refer to violence of a husband against his wife, it is more comm...

Scientific controversy over the cause of AIDS

2009-01-07T19:18:58Z

AlbertW:

The '''scientific controversy over the cause of AIDS''' largely hinges on whether [[HIV]] is the cause. In the 1990s, some doctors published research calling into question Dr. [[Gallo]]'s hypothesis. An alternative hypothesis is [[cell stress]].

==Sources saying the cause is HIV==

==Sources saying the cause is not HIV==
*[http://ourcivilisation.com/aids/cause/index.htm#Agents What Really Causes AIDS] - Mohammed Ali Al-Bayati, Ph.D., a Toxicologist with 5 letters to the editor published by ''The British Medical Journal''
*[http://rethinkingaids.com/ Rethinking AIDS] - The connection between HIV and AIDS is invented by pharmaceutical companies in an effort to make enormous profits selling drugs (see [[HPV Vaccine]])
[[category:Scientific controversies]]

Nobel Prize

2009-01-06T16:54:29Z

AlbertW: /* Robert Dicke */

[[Image:Nobel Jorn 111207.jpg|right]]
The '''Nobel Prize''' is a politicized award that is criticized for increasing evidence of bias and possibly even corruption. It has been ostensibly given for achievements in [[physics]], [[chemistry]], [[medicine]] or [[physiology]], [[literature]], and [[peace]]. Named in honor of [[Alfred Nobel]], the first prize was granted in 1901. The award for [[economics]], the "Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel," was added as a prize in 1969.<ref name="NobelHistory">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobelfoundation/history/lemmel/index.html History]</ref>

As an unwritten rule, the award is not given to a [[conservative]] (such as [[Ronald Reagan]] or [[Pope John Paul II]]), and it is not given to anyone who challenges the scientific establishment on the issues of the [[theory of evolution]] or [[theory of relativity]], such as standouts Raymond Damadian, [[Fred Hoyle]] and [[Robert Dicke]].

The award has repeatedly been granted in way to insult a disfavored scientist by honoring a less deserving person for the same achievement. The insult is enhanced by giving the typically three-person shared award to only two recipients, creating an embarrassing omission for the third, as in the case of the awards that should have gone to Fred Hoyle and Raymond Damadian.

Frequently the award is given as a reward to a liberal politician or diplomat, such as [[Al Gore]], given at a time to possibly boost his chances for becoming president. Most recently the award has been the subject of an investigation for corruption.

==Nomination and Selection==
To nominate somebody for a Nobel Prize, the nominating party must meet the requirements outlined for the specific category or has to be invited.<ref name="NobelNomination">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nomination/nomination_facts.html Nomination Facts]</ref>

The Nobel Prizes are represented externally by the Nobel Foundation, a private institution entrusted with protecting the common interests of the Prize Awarding Institutions. However, the Nobel Foundation is not involved with the selection process itself. The Prize-Awarding Institutes are independent of government agencies and the Nobel Foundation itself.<ref name="NobelHistory"/> The multiple Prize-Awarding Institutes are all located in [[Scandinavia]], the homeland of Alfred Nobel (a larger country at the time of prizes' founding, but which has since split).

== Bias Against Conservative and Nationalist Achievers ==

=== [[Ronald Reagan]] ===

[[Ronald Reagan]] is widely credited for causing the peaceful elimination of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the end of communist control over Eastern Europe. He lived for more than a decade after his achievement, yet Nobel Peace Prize was repeatedly given to liberal figures who accomplished far less, including even the person Reagan defeated, [[Jimmy Carter]].

=== [[Pope John Paul II]] ===

Frequently the Nobel Peace Prize is given to non-Christian or liberal Christian religious leaders, but it refused to honor [[Pope John Paul II]] for pivotal role in liberating his native [[Poland]] from [[communist]] control.

=== [[Edward Teller]] ===

Edward Teller was a brilliant physicist who became hated by [[liberals]] for developing the [[hydrogen bomb]], publicly criticizing the [[leftist]] [[icon]] [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]], and advocating a strong defense against [[communism]]. Teller won numerous prestigious scientific awards, but was denied the Nobel Prize and many felt it was for political reasons:<ref>http://www.stanfordu.edu/dept/news/news/2003/september24/tellerobit-924.html</ref>

:He blamed politics and the fact he was known as the "father of the hydrogen bomb." His protégé, Lowell Wood at Livermore, said that if it were not for the bomb "chances are two to three he'd get the Nobel Prize. He's commented to me that if he reared up on his hind legs and denounced the U.S. government, he'd be a good candidate."

=== [[Mahatma Gandhi]] ===
[[Mahatma Gandhi]] was a nationalist opposed to international law and a form of globalism, which the people controlling the Nobel Prize oppose. Gandhi was nominated 12 times for the Nobel Peace Prize but never granted it.<ref name="NobelNomination"/> The Nobel Foundation has an information page detailing his nominations and the potential reasons for his lack of success.<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/gandhi/index.html Mahatma Gandhi, the Missing Laureate]</ref> Among other things, these statements can be found on the page:
{{QuoteBox|The omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee; when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi".}}
{{QuoteBox|Up to 1960, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded almost exclusively to Europeans and Americans. In retrospect, the horizon of the Norwegian Nobel Committee may seem too narrow. Gandhi was very different from earlier Laureates. He was no real politician or proponent of international law, not primarily a humanitarian relief worker and not an organiser of international peace congresses. He would have belonged to a new breed of Laureates.}}

== Bias Against Scientists Who Criticize [[Liberal]] Theories ==

===Raymond Damadian===

Raymond Damadian developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a phenomenal medical innovation deserving of a Nobel Prize. But Damadian is reportedly a [[Young Earth Creationist]], and the Nobel committee never recognizes the achievements of someone who criticizes the theories of evolution and an old earth. Accordingly, the Nobel committee insulted Damadian by passing him over and giving the the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 to Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield "for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging".<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2003/index.html The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003]</ref><ref>Creation on the Web: [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/978/ Super-scientist slams society’s spiritual sickness!]</ref>

Damadian, who had outlined the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to detect tumors in 1971, protested against his omission from the Prize and said that his "life's work has been stricken." He then took out full-page ads in several newspapers, describing his omission as a "shameful wrong". The first wave of ads appeared in [[The Washington Post]], the [[Los Angeles Times]], Dagens Nyheter (daily newspaper in Stockholm), and [[The New York Times]].<ref>The Chronicle: [http://chronicle.com/free/v50/i11/11a01401.htm Prize Fight]</ref>

=== Fred Hoyle ===

The foremost [[British]] scientist of the 20th century, [[Fred Hoyle]], was inexplicably passed over for a Nobel Prize awarded for his work to an underling of his. This prize was awarded at a time when Fred Hoyle was embarrassing [[evolutionists]] by exposing the [[archaeopteryx]] at the British Museum of History as a fraud.<ref>http://www.cf.ac.uk/maths/wickramasinghe/hoyle.html</ref> The slight of Hoyle was an obvious punishment for his criticism of the [[theory of evolution]], which he rejected throughout his career.

=== Robert Dicke ===

Perhaps the foremost American physicist of the 20th century, [[Robert Dicke]] of Princeton University, was a prominent critic<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943324,00.html</ref> of the theory of relativity. Dicke supported an alternative theory that had "enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."<ref>"Initially a popular alternative to General Relativity, the Brans-Dicke theory lost favor as it became clear that omega must be very large-an artificial requirement in some views. Nevertheless, the theory has remained a paradigm for the introduction of scalar fields into gravitational theory, and as such has enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."[http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Glossary/Essay_bekenstein.html]</ref>

But despite being one of the most accomplished physicists having numerous contributions, Dicke was repeatedly passed over for the Nobel Prize. In one egregious case, the prediction and discovery of cosmic background radiation from the [[Big Bang]], the prize was embarrassingly given to less deserving scientists. The Nobel Prize committee has often given the award in this manner as away of punishing someone more deserving for criticizing a theory preferred by the committee.

== Controversial Awards ==

Equally there have been several instances where prizes were awarded to those whom many felt did not deserve the honor. Controversy in this regard has been especially acute in the award of the Peace Prize. When [[Henry Kissinger]] was awarded the prize in 1973 the American satirist, [[Tom Lehrer]], observed that this had rendered political satire 'obsolete'. Many were outraged by the award to [[Yasir Arafat]] in 1994 and others were equally appalled by the prize being awarded to [[Menachem Begin]] in 1978 especially in the light of his involvement with the terrorist group [[Irgun Zvai Leumi]]. The oddity culminated in 2007 when [[Al Gore]] was given the peace prize for writing about [[Global Warming]], a slap in the face to all other peace activists that year who truly tried to end conflicts to save lives.

One factor that may fan the flames of controversy is the speed of recognition with regard to The Peace Prize in relation to the prizes for science and literature which are often awarded decades after the work that is being recognized. In contrast The Peace Prize has often been awarded only a year or so after the political events that have merited the award, and often well before the long term consequences of those events have become clear (and Arafat's award is particularly controversial in this respect).

Whatever the controversies The Peace Prize has, on many occasions, provided much needed recognition for a struggle against oppression that might have otherwise been ignored. Particularly clear examples of this have been the award in 1991 to Aung San Suu Kyi for her heroic struggle against the brutal military dictatorship in [[Myanmar]] (Burma) and the award in 1996 to Jose Ramos Horta and Bishop Belo of [[East Timor]] in recognition of their struggle against the oppressive and, at times, genocidal occupation of that country by the [[Indonesia]]n government.

== Anti-American bias in Literature award ==
In 2008, Horace Engdahl, the head of the Swedish Academy, was reported to have said that American novelists would never win the Nobel Prize for Literature, as the American novel was "too isolated and insular."

It took 30 years for an American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, despite most of the best writing of the era coming from America. When an American finally won, it was the [[socialist]] [[Sinclair Lewis]] in 1930, whose writing often bears a strong resemblance to anti-American, socialist propaganda.

== External links ==

*[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/nobel_prizes/index.html Nobel Prizes]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Nobel Prize]]

Nobel Prize

2009-01-06T16:54:19Z

AlbertW: /* Fred Hoyle */

[[Image:Nobel Jorn 111207.jpg|right]]
The '''Nobel Prize''' is a politicized award that is criticized for increasing evidence of bias and possibly even corruption. It has been ostensibly given for achievements in [[physics]], [[chemistry]], [[medicine]] or [[physiology]], [[literature]], and [[peace]]. Named in honor of [[Alfred Nobel]], the first prize was granted in 1901. The award for [[economics]], the "Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel," was added as a prize in 1969.<ref name="NobelHistory">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobelfoundation/history/lemmel/index.html History]</ref>

As an unwritten rule, the award is not given to a [[conservative]] (such as [[Ronald Reagan]] or [[Pope John Paul II]]), and it is not given to anyone who challenges the scientific establishment on the issues of the [[theory of evolution]] or [[theory of relativity]], such as standouts Raymond Damadian, [[Fred Hoyle]] and [[Robert Dicke]].

The award has repeatedly been granted in way to insult a disfavored scientist by honoring a less deserving person for the same achievement. The insult is enhanced by giving the typically three-person shared award to only two recipients, creating an embarrassing omission for the third, as in the case of the awards that should have gone to Fred Hoyle and Raymond Damadian.

Frequently the award is given as a reward to a liberal politician or diplomat, such as [[Al Gore]], given at a time to possibly boost his chances for becoming president. Most recently the award has been the subject of an investigation for corruption.

==Nomination and Selection==
To nominate somebody for a Nobel Prize, the nominating party must meet the requirements outlined for the specific category or has to be invited.<ref name="NobelNomination">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nomination/nomination_facts.html Nomination Facts]</ref>

The Nobel Prizes are represented externally by the Nobel Foundation, a private institution entrusted with protecting the common interests of the Prize Awarding Institutions. However, the Nobel Foundation is not involved with the selection process itself. The Prize-Awarding Institutes are independent of government agencies and the Nobel Foundation itself.<ref name="NobelHistory"/> The multiple Prize-Awarding Institutes are all located in [[Scandinavia]], the homeland of Alfred Nobel (a larger country at the time of prizes' founding, but which has since split).

== Bias Against Conservative and Nationalist Achievers ==

=== [[Ronald Reagan]] ===

[[Ronald Reagan]] is widely credited for causing the peaceful elimination of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the end of communist control over Eastern Europe. He lived for more than a decade after his achievement, yet Nobel Peace Prize was repeatedly given to liberal figures who accomplished far less, including even the person Reagan defeated, [[Jimmy Carter]].

=== [[Pope John Paul II]] ===

Frequently the Nobel Peace Prize is given to non-Christian or liberal Christian religious leaders, but it refused to honor [[Pope John Paul II]] for pivotal role in liberating his native [[Poland]] from [[communist]] control.

=== [[Edward Teller]] ===

Edward Teller was a brilliant physicist who became hated by [[liberals]] for developing the [[hydrogen bomb]], publicly criticizing the [[leftist]] [[icon]] [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]], and advocating a strong defense against [[communism]]. Teller won numerous prestigious scientific awards, but was denied the Nobel Prize and many felt it was for political reasons:<ref>http://www.stanfordu.edu/dept/news/news/2003/september24/tellerobit-924.html</ref>

:He blamed politics and the fact he was known as the "father of the hydrogen bomb." His protégé, Lowell Wood at Livermore, said that if it were not for the bomb "chances are two to three he'd get the Nobel Prize. He's commented to me that if he reared up on his hind legs and denounced the U.S. government, he'd be a good candidate."

=== [[Mahatma Gandhi]] ===
[[Mahatma Gandhi]] was a nationalist opposed to international law and a form of globalism, which the people controlling the Nobel Prize oppose. Gandhi was nominated 12 times for the Nobel Peace Prize but never granted it.<ref name="NobelNomination"/> The Nobel Foundation has an information page detailing his nominations and the potential reasons for his lack of success.<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/gandhi/index.html Mahatma Gandhi, the Missing Laureate]</ref> Among other things, these statements can be found on the page:
{{QuoteBox|The omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee; when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi".}}
{{QuoteBox|Up to 1960, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded almost exclusively to Europeans and Americans. In retrospect, the horizon of the Norwegian Nobel Committee may seem too narrow. Gandhi was very different from earlier Laureates. He was no real politician or proponent of international law, not primarily a humanitarian relief worker and not an organiser of international peace congresses. He would have belonged to a new breed of Laureates.}}

== Bias Against Scientists Who Criticize [[Liberal]] Theories ==

===Raymond Damadian===

Raymond Damadian developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a phenomenal medical innovation deserving of a Nobel Prize. But Damadian is reportedly a [[Young Earth Creationist]], and the Nobel committee never recognizes the achievements of someone who criticizes the theories of evolution and an old earth. Accordingly, the Nobel committee insulted Damadian by passing him over and giving the the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 to Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield "for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging".<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2003/index.html The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003]</ref><ref>Creation on the Web: [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/978/ Super-scientist slams society’s spiritual sickness!]</ref>

Damadian, who had outlined the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to detect tumors in 1971, protested against his omission from the Prize and said that his "life's work has been stricken." He then took out full-page ads in several newspapers, describing his omission as a "shameful wrong". The first wave of ads appeared in [[The Washington Post]], the [[Los Angeles Times]], Dagens Nyheter (daily newspaper in Stockholm), and [[The New York Times]].<ref>The Chronicle: [http://chronicle.com/free/v50/i11/11a01401.htm Prize Fight]</ref>

=== Fred Hoyle ===

The foremost [[British]] scientist of the 20th century, [[Fred Hoyle]], was inexplicably passed over for a Nobel Prize awarded for his work to an underling of his. This prize was awarded at a time when Fred Hoyle was embarrassing [[evolutionists]] by exposing the [[archaeopteryx]] at the British Museum of History as a fraud.<ref>http://www.cf.ac.uk/maths/wickramasinghe/hoyle.html</ref> The slight of Hoyle was an obvious punishment for his criticism of the [[theory of evolution]], which he rejected throughout his career.

== Robert Dicke ==

Perhaps the foremost American physicist of the 20th century, [[Robert Dicke]] of Princeton University, was a prominent critic<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943324,00.html</ref> of the theory of relativity. Dicke supported an alternative theory that had "enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."<ref>"Initially a popular alternative to General Relativity, the Brans-Dicke theory lost favor as it became clear that omega must be very large-an artificial requirement in some views. Nevertheless, the theory has remained a paradigm for the introduction of scalar fields into gravitational theory, and as such has enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."[http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Glossary/Essay_bekenstein.html]</ref>

But despite being one of the most accomplished physicists having numerous contributions, Dicke was repeatedly passed over for the Nobel Prize. In one egregious case, the prediction and discovery of cosmic background radiation from the [[Big Bang]], the prize was embarrassingly given to less deserving scientists. The Nobel Prize committee has often given the award in this manner as away of punishing someone more deserving for criticizing a theory preferred by the committee.

== Controversial Awards ==

Equally there have been several instances where prizes were awarded to those whom many felt did not deserve the honor. Controversy in this regard has been especially acute in the award of the Peace Prize. When [[Henry Kissinger]] was awarded the prize in 1973 the American satirist, [[Tom Lehrer]], observed that this had rendered political satire 'obsolete'. Many were outraged by the award to [[Yasir Arafat]] in 1994 and others were equally appalled by the prize being awarded to [[Menachem Begin]] in 1978 especially in the light of his involvement with the terrorist group [[Irgun Zvai Leumi]]. The oddity culminated in 2007 when [[Al Gore]] was given the peace prize for writing about [[Global Warming]], a slap in the face to all other peace activists that year who truly tried to end conflicts to save lives.

One factor that may fan the flames of controversy is the speed of recognition with regard to The Peace Prize in relation to the prizes for science and literature which are often awarded decades after the work that is being recognized. In contrast The Peace Prize has often been awarded only a year or so after the political events that have merited the award, and often well before the long term consequences of those events have become clear (and Arafat's award is particularly controversial in this respect).

Whatever the controversies The Peace Prize has, on many occasions, provided much needed recognition for a struggle against oppression that might have otherwise been ignored. Particularly clear examples of this have been the award in 1991 to Aung San Suu Kyi for her heroic struggle against the brutal military dictatorship in [[Myanmar]] (Burma) and the award in 1996 to Jose Ramos Horta and Bishop Belo of [[East Timor]] in recognition of their struggle against the oppressive and, at times, genocidal occupation of that country by the [[Indonesia]]n government.

== Anti-American bias in Literature award ==
In 2008, Horace Engdahl, the head of the Swedish Academy, was reported to have said that American novelists would never win the Nobel Prize for Literature, as the American novel was "too isolated and insular."

It took 30 years for an American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, despite most of the best writing of the era coming from America. When an American finally won, it was the [[socialist]] [[Sinclair Lewis]] in 1930, whose writing often bears a strong resemblance to anti-American, socialist propaganda.

== External links ==

*[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/nobel_prizes/index.html Nobel Prizes]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Nobel Prize]]

Kwanzaa

2009-01-06T02:21:56Z

AlbertW: /* Criticism */

[[Category:Observances]][[Kwanzaa]] is an [[African-American]] [[holiday]] created in 1966 by radical Black activist [[Ron Karenga]], and consisiting of one week of celebrating, in honor of African-American heritage. The most well known-symbol of Kwanzaa is the Kinara, a candle holder with seven candles, which bears a similar, though not necessarily intentional, appearance to the [[Jewish]][[Category:Holidays]] [[menorah]] used during [[Hanukkah]].

Its purpose is both to honor African-American heritage and to provide a holiday especially for African-Americans, so that they don't have to accept existing traditions. Dr. Karenga explains in his following quote: "...it was chosen to give a Black alternative to the existing holiday and give Blacks an opportunity to celebrate themselves and history, rather than simply imitate the practice of the dominant society." <ref>http://www.believersweb.org/view.cfm?ID=917</ref>

==Seven Principles of Kwanzaa==

Each day of the week-long celebration is dedicated to one of Dr. Karenga's "Seven Principles of Kwanzaa":

*Umoja (Unity) To strive for and to maintain unity in the family, community, nation and race.
*Kujichagulia (Self-Determination) To define ourselves, name ourselves, create for ourselves and speak for ourselves.
*Ujima (Collective Work and Responsibility) To build and maintain our community together and make our brothers' and sisters' problems our problems and to solve them together.
*Ujamaa (Cooperative Economics) To build and maintain our own stores, shops and other businesses and to profit from them together.
*Nia (Purpose) To make our collective vocation the building and developing of our community in order to restore our people to their traditional greatness.
*Kuumba (Creativity) To do always as much as we can, in the way we can, in order to leave our community more beautiful and beneficial than we inherited it.
*Imani (Faith) To believe with all our heart in our people, our parents, our teachers, our leaders and the righteousness and victory of our struggle. <ref>http://www.holidays.net/kwanzaa/principles.htm</ref>

==Criticism==

Some criticize Kwanzaa as being a [[secular]] celebration, a major purpose of which is to detract from the [[religious]] meaning of [[Christmas]] and [[Hanukkah]]. One article questions why Dr. Karenga popularized Kwanzaa in winter if it is a harvest festival, the proper celebration time of which is Fall. Some people use the proximity of Kwanzaa to Christmas as an excuse to replace the greeting of "Merry Christmas" with the atheist-inspired "Happy Holidays". <ref>
http://www.helium.com/items/353256-why-people-criticize-kwanzaa
</ref>

==References==
<references/>

Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov

2009-01-06T02:08:02Z

AlbertW:

[[Image:Rimski - Korsakov.jpg|left]]
'''Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov''' (1844 - 1908) was a [[Russian]] composer and professor. He is noted for his predilection for folk and fairy-tale subjects. Rimsky-Korsakov, with [[Mili Balakirev]], [[Aleksandr Borodín]], [[Modest Músorgski]] and [[César Cui]] formed the group known as ''The Five'', or "The Mighty Handful". In 1868, he met [[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]. Rimsky-Korsakov taught several students who achieved fame as composers, including [[Sergei Prokofiev]] and [[Igor Stravinsky]].

<blockquote>
''His symphonic suite Scheherazade (1888) ranks as one of the most popular orchestral works ever written.'' [http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3606/bio.html]
</blockquote>

In July 1872, Rimsky-Korsakov married Nadezhda Purgold.

== Some works ==
[[Image:Scheherazade.jpg|right]]
* The Maid of Pskov
* Mlada
* '''Capriccio espagnol'''
* The Tsar's Bride
* May Night
* Snowmaiden ('''The Dance of the Tumblers''')
* The Barber of Baghdad
* Mozart and Salieri
* The Tale of Tsar Saltan ('''Flight of the Bumblebee''')
* Kashchei the Immortal
* '''Scheherazade''' (symphonic suite)
* The Legend of the Invisible City of Kitezh and the Maiden Fevroniya
* Christmas Eve
* Heaven and Earth
* The Tempest
* Saul and David
* Russian Easter Overture

== See also ==

*[[Claude Debussy]]
*[[Maurice Ravel]]
*[[Romantic period (music)]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.epdlp.com/compclasico.php?id=1105 Rimsky-Korsakov] In Spanish.
*[http://www.geocities.com/Vienna/3606/start.html The Rimsky-Korsakov Home Page]

[[Category:Composers|Rimsky-Korsakov, Nikolai]]

Prokofiev

2009-01-06T02:01:51Z

AlbertW: Redirecting to Sergei Prokofiev

#REDIRECT [[Sergei Prokofiev]]

Seamus Heaney

2009-01-06T02:00:41Z

AlbertW: add fact. i notice that the rest of this is word for word from wikipedia. is that a problem?

'''Seamus Heaney''' (born 1939) is an [[Irish]] [[poet]], [[author]] and lecturer who was awarded the [[Nobel Prize in Literature]] in 1995. He lives in [[Dublin]]. He is well known for his highly regarded translation of [[Beowulf]].
{{DEFAULTSORT:Heaney, Seamus}}
[[Category:Irish People]]
[[Category:Nobel laureates in Literature]]

Antonio Vivaldi

2009-01-03T19:33:39Z

AlbertW:

'''Antonio Vivaldi''' was a [[Baroque]] [[composer]] more famous during his time as a [[violinist]].

He was a prolific composer of [[concertos]], [[opera]]s and [[chamber music]]. He suffered from a childhood disease, which was presumably [[asthma]]. This affected his life to a certain extent. His most famous work is the series of violin concertos ''The Four Seasons''. He wrote many concertos for [[violin]], [[cello]], [[mandolin]], and [[bassoon]].

His father who was a violinist trained Vivaldi in violin and compelled him to become a [[priest]], a position he moved away from after being ordained. His music was quickly forgotten after his death, the interest was revived only in the early 20th century.<ref>http://www.classicfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=251366&spid=9978 Classic FM Biography</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Tomaso Albinoni]]

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Composers]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vivaldi, Antonio}}

Antonio Vivaldi

2009-01-03T19:32:51Z

AlbertW:

'''Antonio Vivaldi''' was a [[Baroque]] [[composer]] more famous during his time as a [[violinist]].

He was a prolific composer of [[concertos]], [[opera]]s and [[chamber music]]. He suffered from a childhood disease, which was presumably [[asthma]]. This affected his life to a certain extent. His most famous work is the series of violin concertos ''The Four Seasons''. He wrote many concertos for violin, cello, mandolin, and bassoon.

His father who was a violinist trained Vivaldi in violin and compelled him to become a [[priest]], a position he moved away from after being ordained. His music was quickly forgotten after his death, the interest was revived only in the early 20th century.<ref>http://www.classicfm.co.uk/Article.asp?id=251366&spid=9978 Classic FM Biography</ref>

== See also ==

*[[Tomaso Albinoni]]

== References ==
<references/>

[[Category:Composers]]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Vivaldi, Antonio}}

Shostakovich

2009-01-03T19:31:27Z

AlbertW: Redirecting to Dmitri Shostakovich

#REDIRECT [[Dmitri Shostakovich]]

Sergei Prokofiev

2009-01-03T19:30:21Z

AlbertW:

[[Image:Sergei Prokofiev.jpg|left]]
'''Sergei Prokofiev''' (Sontsovka, 1891 - [[Moscow]], 1953) was a [[Russian]] composer, one of the greatest of the 20th century. He was also a [[pianist]] and conductor. Prokofiev was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize in 1957 for his Seventh Symphony. [http://www.prokofiev.org/biography/twilight.html]
{{Clear}}

==Works==
The following list of works is not complete. Much of Prokofiev’s work following his return to Russia in the mid 1930s is banal pap as required by the Soviet system.

*Operas - He wrote 6 operas, all of which have been performed or recorded in recent times and range in style and content from the surreal farce of ''The Love for Three Oranges'' (his most popular vocal stage work) to the brutality of ''The Gambler'', the fierce tragedy of ''The Fiery Angel'' and the epic ''War and Peace''.
*Ballets – Prokofiev ranks with Stravinsky as one of the two great ballet composers of the 20th century, and wrote 7. His last three are in the repertoire of many major companies. ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''Cinderella'' rank with Tchaikovsky’s as classical ballets of the first rank. His last, ''The Tale of the Stone Flower'', is not to that standard, but has charming music, carefully crafted not to upset the Soviet “style manual”.
*Symphonies – There are seven. The first, termed ''The Classical'', is a deliberate throw-back to an earlier time; a neo-classical romp which is performed frequently. His others are deep into the 20th century, and often dark, but melodic and always interesting. They show the two sides of Prokofiev's musical character - the brutal and the lyrical. The fifth and seventh are the most often performed.
*Other orchestral – he wrote 5 piano concertos, 2 violin concertos, a cello concerto (revised as a “Symphony-Concerto”) and a cello concertino - all powerful but frequently lyrical. The 2nd and 3rd piano concertos and the 2nd violin concerto are the most popular. He also wrote an interestingly scored series of dances invoking the Steppes called the ''Scythian Suite'', a reworking of an unsuccessful ballet project during his years in [[Paris]].
*"Film Scores – There are three: ''Lieutenant Kijé'' (with its famous troika) later arranged into an orchestral suite; a concert favourite - ''Alexander Nevsky'' (with the “battle on the ice” scene that has been borrowed in style and spirit for Hollywood) which became a cantata for mezzo-soprano, choir and orchestra - and ''Ivan the Terrible''.
*Incidental music – he wrote original music for stage productions of ''Egyptian Nights'', ''Boris Godunov'', ''Eugene Onegan'' (all by, or created from Pushkin) and Shakespeae’s ''Hamlet''; all in the years directly following his return to Russia, (and all have modern recordings to their name).
*Chamber music – He wrote a wind and string quintet, 2 string quartets, 2 violin sonatas (the second also transcribed for flute) and a cello sonata. The last is the most approachable.
*Piano music – There are 9 sonatas of varying intensity, including the three patriotically inspired ''War Sonatas'', written between 1940 and 1944. There are two series of short pieces with the interesting titles of “Visions fugitives” and “Sarcasms” and other short pieces from early in his career. Much of his piano music is not to be recommended to the unwary.
*''Peter and the Wolf'' – the popular “Fairy tale” (the story is also Prokofiev’s) for narrator and orchestra deserves its own spot – it has been narrated by everyone from rock stars to Shakespearian actors to cross-dressing comedians to Hollywood “icons”. The simple “motifs” for each character, each on a different instrument or section, are a delight.

''Like other great composers he mastered a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti, film music, operas, ballets, and program pieces. At the time, his works were considered both ultra-modern and innovative.'' [http://www.prokofiev.org/biography/index.html]

Outstanding works:

<blockquote>
* Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
* Romeo and Juliet (ballet)
* The Second Violin Concerto
* Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, "Classical" [3]
* Symphonic Suite, Op. 60, (includes the famous '''Troika''').
* The three War Sonatas
* Peter and the Wolf
* Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor
* The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118, (ballet)
* Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
</blockquote>

''Prokofiev also applied his superb scoring skills to the theatrical stage as well. He wrote music for several plays including Egyptian Nights (1934), Boris Godunov (1936), Eugene Onegin (1936), and Hamlet (1937).'' [[Ibidem]]

Prokofiev died March 5, 1953, the same day as [[Josef Stalin]].

== See also ==

*[[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]
*[[Igor Stravinsky]]
*[[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.prokofiev.org/ Sergei Prokofiev]
*[http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/Prokofiev.html Sergei Prokofiev] Ballet Notes.

[[Category:Composers|Prokofiev, Sergei]]

Sergei Prokofiev

2009-01-03T19:28:23Z

AlbertW:

[[Image:Sergei Prokofiev.jpg|left]]
'''Sergei Prokofiev''' (Sontsovka, 1891 - [[Moscow]], 1953) was a [[Russian]] composer, one of the greatest of the 20th century. He was also a [[pianist]] and conductor. Prokofiev was posthumously awarded the Lenin Prize in 1957 for his Seventh Symphony. [http://www.prokofiev.org/biography/twilight.html]
{{Clear}}

==Works==
The following list of works is not complete. Much of Prokofiev’s work following his return to Russia in the mid 1930s is banal pap as required by the Soviet system.

*Operas - He wrote 6 operas, all of which have been performed or recorded in recent times and range in style and content from the surreal farce of ''The Love for Three Oranges'' (his most popular vocal stage work) to the brutality of ''The Gambler'', the fierce tragedy of ''The Fiery Angel'' and the epic ''War and Peace''.
*Ballets – Prokofiev ranks with Stravinsky as one of the two great ballet composers of the 20th century, and wrote 7. His last three are in the repertoire of many major companies. ''Romeo and Juliet'' and ''Cinderella'' rank with Tchaikovsky’s as classical ballets of the first rank. His last, ''The Tale of the Stone Flower'', is not to that standard, but has charming music, carefully crafted not to upset the Soviet “style manual”.
*Symphonies – There are seven. The first, termed ''The Classical'', is a deliberate throw-back to an earlier time; a neo-classical romp which is performed frequently. His others are deep into the 20th century, and often dark, but melodic and always interesting. They show the two sides of Prokofiev's musical character - the brutal and the lyrical. The fifth and seventh are the most often performed.
*Other orchestral – he wrote 5 piano concertos, 2 violin concertos, a cello concerto (revised as a “Symphony-Concerto”) and a cello concertino - all powerful but frequently lyrical. The 2nd and 3rd piano concertos and the 2nd violin concerto are the most popular. He also wrote an interestingly scored series of dances invoking the Steppes called the ''Scythian Suite'', a reworking of an unsuccessful ballet project during his years in [[Paris]].
*"Film Scores – There are three: ''Lieutenant Kijé'' (with its famous troika) later arranged into an orchestral suite; a concert favourite - ''Alexander Nevsky'' (with the “battle on the ice” scene that has been borrowed in style and spirit for Hollywood) which became a cantata for mezzo-soprano, choir and orchestra - and ''Ivan the Terrible''.
*Incidental music – he wrote original music for stage productions of ''Egyptian Nights'', ''Boris Godunov'', ''Eugene Onegan'' (all by, or created from Pushkin) and Shakespeae’s ''Hamlet''; all in the years directly following his return to Russia, (and all have modern recordings to their name).
*Chamber music – He wrote a wind and string quintet, 2 string quartets, 2 violin sonatas (the second also transcribed for flute) and a cello sonata. The last is the most approachable.
*Piano music – There are 9 sonatas of varying intensity, including the three patriotically inspired ''War Sonatas'', written between 1940 and 1944. There are two series of short pieces with the interesting titles of “Visions fugitives” and “Sarcasms” and other short pieces from early in his career. Much of his piano music is not to be recommended to the unwary.
*''Peter and the Wolf'' – the popular “Fairy tale” (the story is also Prokofiev’s) for narrator and orchestra deserves its own spot – it has been narrated by everyone from rock stars to Shakespearian actors to cross-dressing comedians to Hollywood “icons”. The simple “motifs” for each character, each on a different instrument or section, are a delight.

''Like other great composers he mastered a wide range of musical genres, including symphonies, concerti, film music, operas, ballets, and program pieces. At the time, his works were considered both ultra-modern and innovative.'' [http://www.prokofiev.org/biography/index.html]

Outstanding works:

<blockquote>
* Piano Concerto No. 2 in G minor, Op. 16
* Romeo and Juliet (ballet)
* The Second Violin Concerto
* Symphony No. 1 in D, Op. 25, "Classical" [3]
* Symphonic Suite, Op. 60, (includes the famous '''Troika''').
* The three War Sonatas
* Peter and the Wolf
* Sonata for Violin and Piano in F minor
* The Tale of the Stone Flower, Op. 118, (ballet)
* Symphony No. 7 in C-sharp minor, Op. 131
</blockquote>

''Prokofiev also applied his superb scoring skills to the theatrical stage as well. He wrote music for several plays including Egyptian Nights (1934), Boris Godunov (1936), Eugene Onegin (1936), and Hamlet (1937).'' [[Ibidem]]

== See also ==

*[[Nikolai Rimsky-Korsakov]]
*[[Igor Stravinsky]]
*[[Pyotr Ilyich Tchaikovsky]]

== External links ==

*[http://www.prokofiev.org/ Sergei Prokofiev]
*[http://www.balletmet.org/Notes/Prokofiev.html Sergei Prokofiev] Ballet Notes.

[[Category:Composers|Prokofiev, Sergei]]

Nobel Prize

2009-01-03T19:19:00Z

AlbertW: /* Anti-American bias in Literature award */

[[Image:Nobel Jorn 111207.jpg|right]]
The '''Nobel Prize''' is a politicized award that is criticized for increasing evidence of bias and possibly even corruption. It has been ostensibly given for achievements in [[physics]], [[chemistry]], [[medicine]] or [[physiology]], [[literature]], and [[peace]]. Named in honor of [[Alfred Nobel]], the first prize was granted in 1901. The award for [[economics]], the "Sveriges Riksbank Prize in Economic Sciences in Memory of Alfred Nobel," was added as a prize in 1969.<ref name="NobelHistory">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobelfoundation/history/lemmel/index.html History]</ref>

As an unwritten rule, the award is not given to a [[conservative]] (such as [[Ronald Reagan]] or [[Pope John Paul II]]), and it is not given to anyone who challenges the scientific establishment on the issues of the [[theory of evolution]] or [[theory of relativity]], such as standouts Raymond Damadian, [[Fred Hoyle]] and [[Robert Dicke]].

The award has repeatedly been granted in way to insult a disfavored scientist by honoring a less deserving person for the same achievement. The insult is enhanced by giving the typically three-person shared award to only two recipients, creating an embarrassing omission for the third, as in the case of the awards that should have gone to Fred Hoyle and Raymond Damadian.

Frequently the award is given as a reward to a liberal politician or diplomat, such as [[Al Gore]], given at a time to possibly boost his chances for becoming president. Most recently the award has been the subject of an investigation for corruption.

==Nomination and Selection==
To nominate somebody for a Nobel Prize, the nominating party must meet the requirements outlined for the specific category or has to be invited.<ref name="NobelNomination">The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nomination/nomination_facts.html Nomination Facts]</ref>

The Nobel Prizes are represented externally by the Nobel Foundation, a private institution entrusted with protecting the common interests of the Prize Awarding Institutions. However, the Nobel Foundation is not involved with the selection process itself. The Prize-Awarding Institutes are independent of government agencies and the Nobel Foundation itself.<ref name="NobelHistory"/> The multiple Prize-Awarding Institutes are all located in [[Scandinavia]], the homeland of Alfred Nobel (a larger country at the time of prizes' founding, but which has since split).

== Bias Against Conservative and Nationalist Achievers ==

=== [[Ronald Reagan]] ===

[[Ronald Reagan]] is widely credited for causing the peaceful elimination of the [[Berlin Wall]] and the end of communist control over Eastern Europe. He lived for more than a decade after his achievement, yet Nobel Peace Prize was repeatedly given to liberal figures who accomplished far less, including even the person Reagan defeated, [[Jimmy Carter]].

=== [[Pope John Paul II]] ===

Frequently the Nobel Peace Prize is given to non-Christian or liberal Christian religious leaders, but it refused to honor [[Pope John Paul II]] for pivotal role in liberating his native [[Poland]] from [[communist]] control.

=== [[Edward Teller]] ===

Edward Teller was a brilliant physicist who became hated by [[liberals]] for developing the [[hydrogen bomb]], publicly criticizing the [[leftist]] [[icon]] [[J. Robert Oppenheimer]], and advocating a strong defense against [[communism]]. Teller won numerous prestigious scientific awards, but was denied the Nobel Prize and many felt it was for political reasons:<ref>http://www.stanfordu.edu/dept/news/news/2003/september24/tellerobit-924.html</ref>

:He blamed politics and the fact he was known as the "father of the hydrogen bomb." His protégé, Lowell Wood at Livermore, said that if it were not for the bomb "chances are two to three he'd get the Nobel Prize. He's commented to me that if he reared up on his hind legs and denounced the U.S. government, he'd be a good candidate."

=== [[Mahatma Gandhi]] ===
[[Mahatma Gandhi]] was a nationalist opposed to international law and a form of globalism, which the people controlling the Nobel Prize oppose. Gandhi was nominated 12 times for the Nobel Peace Prize but never granted it.<ref name="NobelNomination"/> The Nobel Foundation has an information page detailing his nominations and the potential reasons for his lack of success.<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/peace/articles/gandhi/index.html Mahatma Gandhi, the Missing Laureate]</ref> Among other things, these statements can be found on the page:
{{QuoteBox|The omission has been publicly regretted by later members of the Nobel Committee; when the Dalai Lama was awarded the Peace Prize in 1989, the chairman of the committee said that this was "in part a tribute to the memory of Mahatma Gandhi".}}
{{QuoteBox|Up to 1960, the Nobel Peace Prize was awarded almost exclusively to Europeans and Americans. In retrospect, the horizon of the Norwegian Nobel Committee may seem too narrow. Gandhi was very different from earlier Laureates. He was no real politician or proponent of international law, not primarily a humanitarian relief worker and not an organiser of international peace congresses. He would have belonged to a new breed of Laureates.}}

== Bias Against Scientists Who Criticize [[Liberal]] Theories ==

===Raymond Damadian===

Raymond Damadian developed magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), a phenomenal medical innovation deserving of a Nobel Prize. But Damadian is reportedly a [[Young Earth Creationist]], and the Nobel committee never recognizes the achievements of someone who criticizes the theories of evolution and an old earth. Accordingly, the Nobel committee insulted Damadian by passing him over and giving the the Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine in 2003 to Paul Lauterbur and Peter Mansfield "for their discoveries concerning magnetic resonance imaging".<ref>The Nobel Foundation: [http://nobelprize.org/nobel_prizes/medicine/laureates/2003/index.html The Nobel Prize in Physiology or Medicine 2003]</ref><ref>Creation on the Web: [http://www.creationontheweb.com/content/view/978/ Super-scientist slams society’s spiritual sickness!]</ref>

Damadian, who had outlined the use of Nuclear Magnetic Resonance to detect tumors in 1971, protested against his omission from the Prize and said that his "life's work has been stricken." He then took out full-page ads in several newspapers, describing his omission as a "shameful wrong". The first wave of ads appeared in [[The Washington Post]], the [[Los Angeles Times]], Dagens Nyheter (daily newspaper in Stockholm), and [[The New York Times]].<ref>The Chronicle: [http://chronicle.com/free/v50/i11/11a01401.htm Prize Fight]</ref>

== Fred Hoyle ==

The foremost [[British]] scientist of the 20th century, [[Fred Hoyle]], was inexplicably passed over for a Nobel Prize awarded for his work to an underling of his. This prize was awarded at a time when Fred Hoyle was embarrassing [[evolutionists]] by exposing the [[archaeopteryx]] at the British Museum of History as a fraud.<ref>http://www.cf.ac.uk/maths/wickramasinghe/hoyle.html</ref> The slight of Hoyle was an obvious punishment for his criticism of the [[theory of evolution]], which he rejected throughout his career.

== Robert Dicke ==

Perhaps the foremost American physicist of the 20th century, [[Robert Dicke]] of Princeton University, was a prominent critic<ref>http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,943324,00.html</ref> of the theory of relativity. Dicke supported an alternative theory that had "enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."<ref>"Initially a popular alternative to General Relativity, the Brans-Dicke theory lost favor as it became clear that omega must be very large-an artificial requirement in some views. Nevertheless, the theory has remained a paradigm for the introduction of scalar fields into gravitational theory, and as such has enjoyed a renaissance in connection with theories of higher dimensional space-time."[http://nedwww.ipac.caltech.edu/level5/Glossary/Essay_bekenstein.html]</ref>

But despite being one of the most accomplished physicists having numerous contributions, Dicke was repeatedly passed over for the Nobel Prize. In one egregious case, the prediction and discovery of cosmic background radiation from the [[Big Bang]], the prize was embarrassingly given to less deserving scientists. The Nobel Prize committee has often given the award in this manner as away of punishing someone more deserving for criticizing a theory preferred by the committee.

== Controversial Awards ==

Equally there have been several instances where prizes were awarded to those whom many felt did not deserve the honor. Controversy in this regard has been especially acute in the award of the Peace Prize. When [[Henry Kissinger]] was awarded the prize in 1973 the American satirist, [[Tom Lehrer]], observed that this had rendered political satire 'obsolete'. Many were outraged by the award to [[Yasir Arafat]] in 1994 and others were equally appalled by the prize being awarded to [[Menachem Begin]] in 1978 especially in the light of his involvement with the terrorist group [[Irgun Zvai Leumi]]. The oddity culminated in 2007 when [[Al Gore]] was given the peace prize for writing about [[Global Warming]], a slap in the face to all other peace activists that year who truly tried to end conflicts to save lives.

One factor that may fan the flames of controversy is the speed of recognition with regard to The Peace Prize in relation to the prizes for science and literature which are often awarded decades after the work that is being recognized. In contrast The Peace Prize has often been awarded only a year or so after the political events that have merited the award, and often well before the long term consequences of those events have become clear (and Arafat's award is particularly controversial in this respect).

Whatever the controversies The Peace Prize has, on many occasions, provided much needed recognition for a struggle against oppression that might have otherwise been ignored. Particularly clear examples of this have been the award in 1991 to Aung San Suu Kyi for her heroic struggle against the brutal military dictatorship in [[Myanmar]] (Burma) and the award in 1996 to Jose Ramos Horta and Bishop Belo of [[East Timor]] in recognition of their struggle against the oppressive and, at times, genocidal occupation of that country by the [[Indonesia]]n government.

== Anti-American bias in Literature award ==
In 2008, Horace Engdahl, the head of the Swedish Academy, was reported to have said that American novelists would never win the Nobel Prize for Literature, as the American novel was "too isolated and insular."

It took 30 years for an American to be awarded the Nobel Prize for Literature, despite most of the best writing of the era coming from America. When an American finally won, it was the [[socialist]] [[Sinclair Lewis]] in 1930, whose writing often bears a strong resemblance to anti-American, socialist propaganda.

== External links ==

*[http://topics.nytimes.com/top/news/science/topics/nobel_prizes/index.html Nobel Prizes]

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:Nobel Prize laureates]]
[[Category:Awards]]

Financial Crisis of 2008

2009-01-03T19:13:02Z

AlbertW:

The '''Financial Crisis of 2008''', also known as the '''Obama Recession'''<ref>[http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/home/daily/site_110608/content/01125107.guest.html]</ref> is an ongoing worldwide financial crisis that many observers believe is the worst the world has seen since 1933 with the [[Great Depression]]. The National Bureau of Economic Research, a private organization that follows its own standards as set by eminent economists such as [[Milton Friedman]], has declared that the peak of the last expansion took place in December 2007, and the overall economy has been in decline ever since.<ref>See "Text of the NBER's statement on the recession and FAQ's" [http://www.usatoday.com/money/economy/2008-12-01-recession-nber-statement_N.htm ''USA Today'' Dec 1, 2008]. "The U.S. economy entered a recession in December 2007, a committee of economists at the private National Bureau of Economic Research said," at [http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/US-recession-began-December-2007/story.aspx?guid={7DCF90E4-D61A-4014-83CE-45E938CD632C} Rex Nutting] - MarketWatch</ref> It is believed the economic difficulties will meet the definition of a [[recession]] when the next quarterly data is released and a second quarter of negative growth will be seen. The first two quarters of the year showed positive growth, with the second quarter registering at 2.8% increase in GDP, but the third quarter saw a drop of -0.5% and it is widely believed that the fourth quarter will show a larger negative drop.

Negative economic news has spread outward from financial institutions to depress housing, construction, automobiles, retail sales, state and local government, and other sectors. In recent months governments across the world have spent huge sums of money to reverse the crisis, but thus far the results have been inconclusive and the declines continue. The U.S. government provided cash bailouts of several hundred billion dollars and long-term loan guarantees of over $7 trillion dollars (compared to a GDP of $15 trillion a year in the U.S.). Conservatives have been as dismayed and baffled by the crisis as everyone else.

Unlike crises in the mid 1970s and early 1980s, this one began in the financial sector with devastating effects on many very large financial companies worldwide. The negative effects by October began spreading to all other sectors of the economy, and forecasts for the next year show little likely of a quick recovery anywhere. For the effects on the broader economy (outside of finance and autos) see [[Recession of 2008]].

[[Image:CRASH08.JPG|thumb|300px|Oct 11, 2008 editorial; cartoon by Horsey stresses the global collapse]]

The crisis originated in the United States and Western Europe, and has impacted every country in the world. Banks and financial companies have reported losses of over one trillion dollars; investors have suffered [[paper loss|"paper losses"]] of many trillions. U.S. stocks are down 50% from their peak in 2007.<ref> For most people the loss is a "paper" loss because they still own the stock and it might go up, or down. If they bought stock in 2003 for $1000, watched it go to $1500 in 2008, then drop to $1000 again in 2008, their "paper loss" is $500 but their real loss is zero since they are back where they started. People who bought at $800 still have made a $200 paper profit. People who bought at $1200, say, have a paper loss of $200. The paper loss or gain becomes real when they finally sell the stock. See [[Paper loss]] for more details</ref> Paper losses for owners of stock in major financial institution have been over 70%, and owners of some have lost 99% as major [[bank]]s closed down. The [[stock market]] has declined 50-70% in major countries and [[pension]] funds have large paper losses. Paper losses in real estate have been in the trillions; the average price of American houses fell 20%, with 30% and higher declines in California and Florida. However, thus far ordinary depositors with cash in the bank have suffered no losses. Owners of stocks in the 5000 largest U.S. corporations have paper losses of $10 trillion dollars in 2008, dropping to $10 trillion in October from $20 trillion in late 2007.

In late September the crisis focused on liquidity--financial companies owned hundreds of billions of dollars of "toxic" securities, mostly based on U.S. [[mortgage]]s; they could not sell the toxic securities because no one knew how much they were worth, and large scale loans between major institutions stopped flowing as the system lost liquidity and froze up. A $800 billion rescue plan became law in the U.S. October 3, but its impact will not be clear for a while. Meanwhile Europe's economic crisis continues to deteriorate, as trillions of dollars in losses accumulate there and in Russia, China and India and in many smaller countries. International agencies such as the International Monetary Fund are arranging emergency bailouts for medium-sized countries, like Pakistan and Ukraine. All around the world people are sending their money to the U.S. and Japan because the banks there are safer than their own banks. The price of oil, which reached $145 a barrel in the summer, plunged to under $50. That plunge eased the gasoline crisis, helped commuters, and helped the airline industry.

[[Image:BRIDGE.JPG|thumb|400px|Tom Toles cartoon lampoons Federal bailout efforts as a badly designed bridge to nowhere, Dec. 1, 2008]]

Both parties have expressed anger at the crisis, and have promised extensive new regulations of the financial industry. However the Republicans have blocked additional bailout aid to General Motors, which is on the verge of bankruptcy.<ref> Treasury Secretary Paulson told Congress on Nov. 18 that the Bush administration remains "firmly opposed" to using any of the $700 billion financial bailout fund to help rescue Detroit's Big Three, "no matter how badly they need the help." [http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2008/11/18/paulson-rejects-bailout-money-automakers-senate-considers-legislation/ Fox news report] </ref> Democratic Congressional leaders and President-elect [[Barack Obama]] have pushed for a bailout of the auto industry and are expected to move it forward in January, 2009.

The Bush administration undertook a "bailout" program in which it took control of several of the largest financial institutions (Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac, and AIG insurance), forced the mergers of others, purchased $125 billion of ownership in the 9 largest banks in the U.S., and bailed out the largest bank, Citigroup.

Until October the crisis had little impact on the non-financial sectors of the world economy, but then negative impacts started appearing. Companies could not borrow money for expansion or in some cases for routine operations, and had to cut back. Consumer spending fell and unemployment started to rise sharply. By November pessimistic reports were coming in daily from practically every sector of the American economy. There were no bright spots, and with tax revenues down, state governments began large-scale cutbacks, especially in New York and California.

By late October it appeared the financial crisis was slowing down the economies of all countries of the world, leading perhaps to a serious recession with widespread unemployment and loss of business. The major countries have been taking aggressive steps to dissolve the liquidity freeze and get money flowing again, and to stimulate economies that are headed downward.

==Causes==
As hundreds of billions of dollars poured into the U.S. from abroad, financiers looked for imaginative ways to make a profit. They turned to [[real estate]], with the philosophy "Buy high--sell higher!" The higher price paid for a house the more profit would be made when it was resold ("flipped") in six or 12 months; prices were certain to keep going up and up. Salesmen made big money by phoning prospective buyers, promising to get them Bog Money Quick. People who owned a house whose value had doubled could and did refinance their mortgage for the higher amount, and keep the difference. In the early 2000s, U.S. interest rates were low and demand for housing was high, as housing prices soared, especially in California, Florida, Nevada and Arizona. Mortgage companies and banks were very eager to lend, especially to people with mediocre [[credit]] who would not previously have been eligible for mortgages and to speculators. Speculators were ordinary people who already had a house and who were hoping to make a large profit on the purchase and quick resale ("flip") of another house or condominium, which no one ever lived in.<ref> The only money the speculators had at risk was a down payment; sometimes the construction company paid for the down payment and closing costs, so the risk to the speculator was zero. Mortgages in the U.S. are "non-recourse" which means that borrowers cannot be sued for stopping payments.</ref> The expectation was that continuously rising house prices would cover the mortgage payments through refinancing. Many of the mortgages involved very low down payments and low monthly payments for the first year or two, after which the payments would start soaring. Sometimes the monthly payment at first was zero.

Both the Bush and Clinton administrations made it a national priority to encourage more people to buy houses, assuming this social engineering would be good for everyone. In 2000 [[Howard Husock]] warned that the [[Community Reinvestment Act]] of 1977 and its expansion in 1995 would prove expensive; but President Bush strongly endorsed the program. Despite widespread misunderstanding they did not cause the great crisis since CRA loans to poor neighborhoods comprised only about 6% of the toxic mortgages. <ref>[http://www.city-journal.org/html/10_1_the_trillion_dollar.html The Trillion-Dollar Bank Shakedown That Bodes Ill for Cities], Howard Husock, ''City Journal'', Winter 2000; Governor Randall S. Kroszner, "The Community Reinvestment Act and the Recent Mortgage Crisis," (December 3, 2008) [http://www.federalreserve.gov/newsevents/speech/kroszner20081203a.htm online]</ref>

"Option adjustable rate mortgages" (nick-named "Pick-A-Pay") allowed borrowers to vary their monthly payments; they could be so so small they did not cover their interest charges. That meant the total principal grows over time, compared to normal mortgages where the debt owed shrinks over 30 years to zero and the borrower owns the house free and clear. By 2008 banks sold these dangerous "option adjustable rate" mortgages to two million customers. They made sense if and only if the price of houses kept going up and the borrower could sell it in a year ot two at a huge profit. But if house prices declined, the borrower could stop paying and the bank was left with the loss.

Timeline video showing Democrats opposing regulating housing market financing. President Bush, Senator McCain and Alan Greenspan all predicting financial collapse and offering regulation. [http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cMnSp4qEXNM&NR=1 See video]

===Selling mortgage packages to big investors===
Americans owed some $10 trillion on their mortgages, most of which were sound with payments made on time. However financiers bundled the mortgages into very complicated packages called "'''collateralized debt obligations''''<ref> That is, homeowners were obligated to pay the debts and the collateral behind them was the physical house.</ref> or CDOs. Hundreds of billions of dollars worth of CDO's were sold to banks, pension funds and financiers in the U.S. and Europe. Generally they borrowed cash to buy the CDOs. The risk was that if the CDO's declines in value, they would not be able to repay those loans. To minimize the risk, companies sold insurance called "credit default swaps" ('''CDS''') to guarantee payment of the CDOs. The largest seller was [[American International Group]] ('''AIG'''), the world's largest insurance company. The CDOs and CDS were especially attractive because they were not regulated by the government; experts are not sure how many trillions of dollars are involved.

Many mortgages were held by mortgage companies like [[Countrywide]] and [[Washington Mutual]], as well as investment banks such as [[Bear Stearns]], [[Merrill Lynch]], [[Lehman Brothers]], [[Morgan Stanley]] and [[Goldman Sachs]], as well as commercial banking chains like [[Wachovia]] and [[Bank of America]], which have thousands of local offices.

==Bubble bursts==
The housing "bubble" burst in 2006-07, as prices plunged downward in the Sunbelt. Many speculators and homeowners could not meet their payments, especially those who had "[[sub-prime]]" mortgages because their income was too low to support the eventual monthly payments, or who had adjustable rate mortgages where the monthly payments started small then escalated. [[Foreclosure]]s skyrocketed. With housing prices falling few people risked buying a new house (because it would soon be worth less than they paid for it). Construction firms had built millions of new houses that could not be sold but which glutted the market. By late 2008 half the home sales in the U.S. were by banks selling houses they had foreclosed on at low prices.

The problem was that no one could figure out what CDOs were now worth, so very few were willing to buy them. One major investment bank, Merrill Lynch, sold its CDOs for 22 cents on the dollar--a "[[fire sale]]" price that was less than they were worth in the long run, because in the long run the great majority of people will make their scheduled mortgage payments.

==2008 crises==
Multiple crises started pulling down major financial players. Countrywide, which originated 20% of all American mortgages in 2006, collapsed and was bought up by Bank of America. Bear Stearns, a large investment bank, went under; the government arranged a sale to JPMorgan Chase; stock holders lost about 90% of their investment, and the confidence in other banks was undermined.

On September 7, 2008, the government took control of the two largest mortgage holders, "[[Fannie Mae]]"<ref> Federal National Mortgage Association (FNMA)</ref> and "[[Freddie Mac]]"<ref>Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation (FHLMC) </ref>. The two had lost $15 billion on the $5.4 trillion in mortgages they owned, and their notes were widely held in [[China]] and many other countries. The fear was that if the Treasury did not act the world's confidence in the US financial system would collapse. However the rest of the world was in trouble too. The stock markets in China and [[Russia]] plunged 50%, and the [[United Kingdom|British]] Treasury had to take over its largest mortgage company, [[Northern Rock]]. Vast sums of money flowed into the US because it was safer there than anywhere else.

[[Image:PANIC08.jpg|thumb|300px|Panic in Wall Street, Sept. 2008; the "bull" is the symbol of optimism on Wall Street and the "bear" is the symbol of pessimism. Here the bull panics.]]

By September the major banks were no longer lending money and most reported huge losses as they wrote down the value of the CDOs and other assets. Short sellers sold large amounts of stock in threatened companies, causing further panic and driving down share prices.<ref>The short sellers did not own the shares; the practice was stopped on Sept. 19, 2008, by the [[Securities and Exchange Commission]] because it destabilized markets.</ref> [[Lehman Brothers]], one of the oldest and largest banks in New York, went bankrupt on Sept. 15 with no one to rescue it. The collapse of Lehman with its $639 billion in assets had a multiplier effect worldwide, severely weakening other big banks and sharply increasing the level of fear and distrust inside the system that caused bankers to sharply reduce their lending. Many large firms and hedge funds had borrowed billions of dollars from lenders and had pledged assets they owned as collateral. When the value of their collateral plummeted, the lenders demanded more collateral to make up the difference, so the borrowers had to sell assets to raise emergency cash. The price of the assets they sold was falling, and large additional sales further depressed prices, creating a downward spiral.

Merrill Lynch was sold to Bank of America for $50 billion, about half its value a few months before. Investors realized that AIG could no longer honor the insurance policies it wrote. It lost $13 billion in the first half of 2008 and its shares fell 95% in value. AIG was "too big" to be allowed to fail, so it was given an $85 billion loan from the government; in return the government received 80% of its stock. The government had to add another $38 billion to the AIG rescue in October.<ref> Barry Meier and Mary Williams Walsh, "A.I.G. to get Additional $37.8 Billion," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/09/business/economy/09insure.html?_r=1&ref=business&oref=slogin ''New York Times,'' Oct. 8, 2008] </ref> In effect AIG, along with GSE (government-sponsored enterprises) Fanny Mae and Freddy Mac were nationalized. The Federal Reserve, with $800 billion in assets, was assisted by the Treasury, which gave it more funds.<ref> See [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/02/business/02crisis.html?_r=1&hp=&adxnnl=1&oref=slogin&pagewanted=all&adxnnlx=1222952525-cWL0bOgQjxNvxNo+OH1qAw Joe Nocera, "36 Hours of Alarm and Action as Crisis Spiraled," ''New York Times'' (Oct. 1, 2008)]</ref>

===European crises===
Heavy borrowing by European banks meant the crisis immediately affected Britain and other countries as well, as the British housing bubble burst about the same time as the U.S. The British government had to take over major mortgage lenders, including Northern Rock in February, 2008. Northern Rock's loans (£25 billion) and guarantees (£30 billion) extended by the Bank of England, together with the value of the company's mortgages (£55 billion), or £100 billion in all, were added to the British national debt. Bradford & Bingley, half the size of Northern Rock, held £40 billion in toxic mortgages, and was nationalized in late September.
====Fortis====
In late September, the Fortis bank, the world's 20th largest business, was partially nationalized by three governments who injected $16 billion in emergency funds. In 2007 Fortis borrowed heavily for its $100 billion takeover of rival bank ABN Amro; the deal came at the market’s peak, and Fortis now cannot pay its debts. The [[Belgium|Belgian]], [[Netherlands|Dutch]] and [[Luxembourg]] governments tried to inject capital but as consumer confidence plunged, Netherlands nationalized the Dutch wing of the company and the rest was sold in early October to the French bank BNP Paribas for €14.5 billion euros ($19 billion dollars).
====Germany====
In [[Germany]] Hypo Real Estate was given €50 billion euros ($68 billion dollars) bailout by the government. The government of [[Iceland]] took over its large banks, as the entire island economy verged on bankruptcy because it depended so much on large foreign loans. Most of the European countries hurriedly announced guarantees of personal bank deposits to avert further drop in consumer confidence and runs on the banks. Stock markets around the world continue to decline as pessimism worsens.
====Central banks====
The European Central Bank aggressively lent money to banks trying to ensure that banks would have adequate cash. The moves have not reassured savers or investors, and European stock markets have fallen even further than the American stock markets, as have the stock markets in China and Russia.

On October 13, France, Germany, Spain, the Netherlands and Austria committed €1.3 trillion euros ($1.8 trillion dollars) to guarantee bank loans and take stakes in banks, in an emergency effort to head off the collapse of their financial systems. <ref>Carter Dougherty, Nelson Schwartz and Floyd Norris, "Financial Crises Spread in Europe," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/business/06markets.html?_r=1&hp&oref=slogin ''New York Times,'' Oct 6, 2008]; Gregory Viscusi, [http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=azerJ573HcbI&refer=home "EU Nations Commit 1.3 Trillion Euros to Bank Bailouts," ''Bloomberg.com'' Oct. 13. 2008]</ref>
====Britain====
Britain on October 8 announced a gigantic £400 billion ($680 billion) rescue plan for its banks; the government would partially own them. Prime Minister [[Gordon Brown]] said banks would still be run by their old managers, but that the government would have to be "satisfied" on matters of salaries, [[dividend]]s and lending activities. The money involved is about a third of Britain's annual [[Gross Domestic Product|GDP]] (comparable to $5 trillion in the U.S. economy.)

On October 13, Britain announced it would spend £50 billion ($85 billion) to nationalize two of the five largest banks, HBOS (Halifax Bank of Scotland) and RBS (Royal Bank of Scotland), while taking partial ownership of a third, Lloyds TSB. A fourth, Barclays will remain private if it can raise an additional £7 billion. The fifth, HSBC is based in Hong Kong and will remain private.<ref>"Financial crisis: HBOS and RBS 'to be nationalised' in £50 billion state intervention," [http://www.telegraph.co.uk/finance/financetopics/financialcrisis/3185120/Financial-crisis-HBOS-and-RBS-to-be-nationalised-in-50-billion-state-intervention.html?source=EMC-new_12102008 London ''Telegraph'' Oct 13, 2008] The existing stockholders were not bought out. They will continue to hold shares in the banks, but they will be outvoted by the new stock owned by the government.</ref>
====Switzerland====
In October 2008, the Swiss central bank and the big UBS bank reached an agreement to transfer as much as $60 billion of troubled securities and other assets from UBS’s to a separate entity. UBS will put up $6 billion in equity. The Swiss central bank will control the new entity and loan it $54 billion.

===Asia===
The crisis swept across the Middle East and Asia as well, with South Korea especially hard hit. China, which had been the world's major growth machine in recent years, seemed to slow down. In November China's government announced it would spend 4 trillion yuan ($586 billion) through the end of 2010 to stimulate its economy. It specifically targeted people's livelihood in an effort to offset the impact of slowing global demand for its exports and unlock the spending power of its vast population.

==$700 billion bailout ==
"We're in the midst of a serious financial crisis," [[George W. Bush|President Bush]] warned the nation on Sept. 25, 2008.:
{{QuoteBox|Major financial institutions have teetered on the edge of collapse, and some have failed. As uncertainty has grown, many banks have restricted lending. Credit markets have frozen. And families and businesses have found it harder to borrow money....without immediate action by Congress, America could slip into a financial panic, and a distressing scenario would unfold: More banks could fail, including some in your community. The stock market would drop even more, which would reduce the value of your retirement account. The value of your home could plummet. Foreclosures would rise dramatically. And if you own a business or a farm, you would find it harder and more expensive to get credit. More businesses would close their doors, and millions of Americans could lose their jobs. Even if you have good credit history, it would be more difficult for you to get the loans you need to buy a car or send your children to college. And ultimately, our country could experience a long and painful recession.<ref>see [http://www.whitehouse.gov/news/releases/2008/09/20080924-10.html Bush speech online]</ref>}}
On September 19, 2008, the Treasury and Federal Reserve proposed a major rescue plan--the largest government intervention in the economy since [[World War II]]. The plan was for the Treasury to purchase $700 billion of the CDOs. The bailout was needed, Bush said, to avert a major disaster for the economy. Most (but not all) Democrats signed on to the bailout plan, adding provisions for Congressional oversight and caps on CEO compensation; but at the last moment on Sept 25, 2008 House Republicans said no, and GOP presidential nominee [[John McCain]] held off endorsement.

Conservatives were split on what to do. Many agreed with Bush that the bailout proposed by Treasury Secretary [[Henry M. Paulson]] was urgently needed. Large banks and corporations strongly endorsed the bailout. The [[American Bankers Association]] and the [[Mortgage Bankers Association]] are fighting against any amendment that would reduce mortgage obligations for people in bankruptcy, while directing all the government funds to the banking industry.The U.S. Chamber of Commerce, normally an outspoken advocate of big corporate interests, instead stressed the crisis's impact on small and midsize businesses. "We're looking at an economy that was slipping toward recession even before this crisis culminated in a market lockup last week," said Chamber economist Martin Regalia. The debate in Congress, he said, "is costing every American taxpayer money, directly."<ref>Elizabeth Williamson, "Big Business Wants Deal, Setbacks and All," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122238988380577457.html ''Wall Street Journal'' Sept. 26, 2008]</ref> Democratic nominee Senator [[Barack Obama]] endorsed the plan, as amended by Congressional Democrats. On the other hand, ordinary taxpayers and "Main Street", that is businessmen who operated at the local level, were highly suspicious of [[Wall Street]]. McCain, blaming the crisis on "the corruption and manipulation of our home mortgage system", rejected the bailout as a favor for Wall Street and little help to Main Street. Believers in the market economy insisted that the market should run its course, and opposed the bailout.<ref> See comments from a range of economists at [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/09/26/business/26assess.html?ref=business Peter S. Goodman, "Credit Enters a Lockdown," ''New York Times'' Sept. 25, 2008]</ref>

A compromise bailout was agreed to by leaders of both parties but the "Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008" (EESA) was voted down in the House on Sept. 29. Democrats favored the Bush bill 60%-40%, but Republicans voted no by 65-35%. The stock market lost a trillion dollars in value in one day as uncertainty reigned. Finally a large majority passed an expanded bailout bill, that added $100 billion in new subsidies to the original $700 billion, plus tax breaks and a rise in FDIC insurance to $250,000 from $100,000, designed to reassure ordinary depositors. Both Obama and McCain voted for this version of the bill.

The Treasury TARP program proved erratic and had to be radically modified several times. The Treasury dropped the original plan to buy toxic securities and instead has used $250 billion to prop up major banks. In October Paulson and Bernanke used their new powers to take an ownership stake in the nine largest U.S. banks, of $7 to $25 billion each. These banks are now partly owned and controlled by the government. However those banks are keeping the money and not lending it out. The Bush administration has refused to allow the money to be used to help the [[automobile]] industry. The price of bank stocks has fallen sharply since the bailout passed. The world's largest bank, Citigroup, was on the verge of collapse in late November and received a second bailout of $20 billion (in addition to $25 billion in October), and a federal guarantee to cover most of its toxic investments.

By mid-November the market had lost confidence in Treasury Secretary Paulson, who indicated he was baffled and would let the incoming Obama administration handle the unspent $450 billion. The stock market jumped 6% on the news that Obama had picked New York banker Timothy Geithner to replace Paulson.<ref>Theo Francis, "Obama to Nominate New York Fed Chief Timothy Geithner as Treasury Secretary," [http://www.businessweek.com/election/2008/blog/archives/2008/11/obama_to_nomina.html?chan=top+news_top+news+index+-+temp_top+story ''Business Week'' Nov. 21, 2008]</ref> In late November the Federal Reserve announced it will buy up to $600 billion in mortgage-related assets from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, hoping to restart the housing and credit markets. Under the new "Term Asset-Backed Securities Loan Facility", or '''TALF''', the Federal Reserve will loan up to $200 billion to financial companies that hold securities backed by consumer and small-business loans.

Hedge funds are private investment companies with $1.7 trillion in assets. They have lost $180 billion since July and some are near collapse. Investors are demanding their money back, and Wall Street in late October is bracing for a shake-out in the industry.<ref> Louise Story, "Citadel Chief denies rumors of trouble" [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/25/business/25hedge.html?ref=business ''New York Times,'' Oct 24, 2008]</ref>

In late November the government announced an $800 billion plan to boost consumer credit and the market for mortgage-related securities. Plans call for the Federal Reserve in early 2009 to extend up to $200 billion in non-recourse loans to holders of asset-backed securities backed by highly-rated consumer and small business loans.<ref> "Non-recourse" loans means that if they are not paid back the borrowers cannot be sued for their other assets. Mortgages fall in this category, so that if people default they just walk away from the debt and never have to repay it. However it damages their credit rating.</ref> Treasury will contribute $20 billion in funds through its Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP). The Federal Reserve also announced it will purchase up to $100 billion in GSE (government-sponsored enterprises, especially Fannie Mae and Freddy Mac) debt through a series of competitive auctions starting in December, 2008. The Federal Reserve starting in December will purchase up to $500 billion in mortgage-backed securities backed by GSEs such as Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. Federal Reserve Chairman Ben Bernanke said the Fed is preparing to launch new liquidity programs to support the economy in addition to further slashing interests rates. The total commitments by the government in bailouts and loan guarantees exceeded $7 trillion dollars, but the economy nevertheless continued to slip downward.<ref>Maya Jackson Randall, "Paulson Says Treasury Actively Mulling New Rescue Programs," [http://online.wsj.com/article/SB122816189458369851.html?mod=rss_Politics_And_Policy ''Wall Street Journal'' Dec. 1, 2008]</ref>
===Deepening recession===
By early December the entire economy was heading downward with no bright spots. The recession that began in Dec. 2007 intensified, as retail sales plunged. In November 2008 Americans, their confidence shaken, saved their money and sharply reduced their credit card purchases. Auto sales were down 37% in November (compared to Nov. 2007) to the lowest rate in 26 years. GM sales fell 41% Ford fell 31% and the foreign cars were down just as much, with Toyota down 34%, Nissan down 42% and Honda down 32%.<ref> Stephanie Rosenbloom, "In November, Shoppers Cut Spending Even More," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/business/economy/03shop.html?ref=business ''New York Times'' Dec. 2, 2008]; Nick Bunkley, "Another Month of Miserable Auto Sales," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/03/business/03sales.html?ref=business ''New York Times'' Dec. 2, 2008].</ref> Retailers rang up the lowest November sales in more than 30 years, as holiday shopping not only failed to lift the economy but showed that the crisis is further distressing everyday consumers. Thirty major companies -- including Macy's, Sears, Abercrombie & Fitch and Target -- posted sales declines; Wal-Mart, anchoring the bottom of the price chain, sawincreased sales. Retail sales in November fell 2.7 percent compared with the same month last year.<ref> Ylan Q. Mui, "Retailers Report a Crisis in All Aisles: November Sales Slump as Shoppers Stow Credit Cards," [http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/04/AR2008120404347.html?hpid=topnews ''Washington Post'' Dec. 5, 2008]</ref>
[[Image:Jobloss.jpg|thumb|300px]]

The Federal Reserve reported on Dec. 3, 2008, that every region reported sales declines, drops in manufacturing activity, weakening real estate markets, tighter lending, and deteriorating labor marketsThose sectors that had been strong until recently -- especially as agriculture and energy -- also softened as commodity prices declined. November saw 533,000 jobs disappear in the worst one-month decline in 34 years.

==Collapse of #6 and #4 largest banks, rescue of #1==
===Washington Mutual collapses===
On Sept. 25, Washington Mutual, the 6th largest bank in the US with $310 billion in assets, went [[bankrupt]] after a run in which depositors withdrew $17 billion in a few days. Its stockholders lost all their money, the US government took it over (through the [[FDIC]], which insures ordinary bank deposits), and resold it the same day to the biggest New York bank, JPMorgan Chase. It was the largest commercial bank failure in American history, by far.<ref>In the [[Great Depression]], only one major bank failed (New York's Bank of United States, in late 1930), although over 6000 small neighborhood and rural banks went under; depositors eventually received on average 85% of their deposits.</ref>
===Wachovia collapses===
Meanwhile the #4 U.S. bank, Wachovia, burdened by $120 billion in toxic securities,<ref> At the height of the bubble in 2006 Wachovia purchased Golden West Financial, a California lender specializing in "pay-option" mortgages that enabled speculators to buy houses and pay very little a month for a year or two (at which time they expected to sell it for a profit). [http://www.brokeroutpost.com/reference/22657.htm explanation of pay-option loans]</ref> was bought out by Citigroup on Sept. 29 in a deal engineered by the FDIC. However Wachovia then broke its deal and merged into Wells Fargo. The result is that four major banks now dominate the American economy (Bank of America, Citibank, JP Morgan Chase, and Wells Fargo), along with dozens of regional chains and thousands of small local banks.
===Bank of America renegotiates mortgages===
In early October, Bank of America, the new owner of Countrywide, reached a settlement with 11 states that sued it over fraudulent practices. The state of Illinois accused Countrywide of relaxing underwriting standards, structuring loans with risky features, and misleading consumers with hidden fees and fake marketing claims, like a false promise of a "no closing costs loan." Countrywide gave special incentives to its brokers for selling impossible loans by paying higher commissions on them. In reviewing one Illinois mortgage broker’s sales, the Illinois complaint said the "vast majority of the loans had inflated income, almost all without the borrower’s knowledge." Bank of America did not deny the charges and instead agreed to pay out $8.4 billion to 400,000 Countrywide customers. Countrywide will reduce principal balances for some people and cut interest rates for others. Rates for some people could decline to as low as 2.5% and remain at that level for five years. Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac and IndyMac, now all owned by the federal government, have begun their own programs to modify mortgage terms for some hard-pressed borrowers.
<ref> Gretchen Morgenson, "Countrywide to Set Aside $8.4 Billion in Loan Aid," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/10/06/business/06countrywide.html?ref=business ''New York Times'' Oct. 6, 2008]</ref>
===Largest bank rescued===
Citigroup, the world's largest bank was tottering in late November despite its receipt of $25 billion in TARP bailout money. Its value on the stock market plunged to $21 billion, down from $244 billion two years ago. Round after round of layoffs have ended 75,000 jobs in 2008 out of 375,000 employees a year ago. Very heavy exposure to toxic mortgages is the main culprit. The government stepped in with the largest bailout yet, including $20 billion in new cash, and guarantees of toxic assets by the Treasury, FDIC and Federal Reserve.

At all times Citigroup used elaborate mathematical risk models that looked at mortgages in particular geographical areas, but never included the possibility of a national housing downturn, or the prospect that millions of mortgage holders would default on their mortgages. The prevailing approach at Citigroup and the other big banks was to make money as fast as possible (generating annual bonuses of $10 to $30 million for senior executives), which assigning zero to the risk of a system-wide downturn. Such a downturn came with disastrous consequences for Citigroup and its rivals on Wall Street. Even after Bear Stearns ran into serious trouble in summer 2007, Citigroup decided the possibility of trouble with its CDO’s was so tiny (less than 1/100 of 1%) that they excluded them from their risk analysis.

Despite two federal bailouts Citigroup is still wobbly. It holds $20 billion of mortgage-linked securities that have been marked down to between 21 cents and 41 cents on the dollar. It has billions of dollars of giant buyout and corporate loans of dubious value. And it also faces a potential massive losses on auto, mortgage and credit card loans as the economy worsens.<ref>Eric Dash and Julie Creswell, "Citigroup Pays for a Rush to Risk," [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/11/23/business/23citi.html?ref=business&pagewanted=all ''New York'' Times,’’ Nov. 22, 2008]</ref>

==Crisis in Auto industry==
In 2008 a series of damaging blows drove the "Big Three" (GM, Ford and Chrysler) to the verge of bankruptcy. Part of the cause was very high labor costs (much higher than the foreign plants in the U.S.), which prevents lower prices. The Big Three had in recent years stressed expensive, fuel-guzzling SUVs and large pickups. They were much more profitable than smaller, fuel-efficient cars. When gasoline prices shot past $4 in 2008, Americans stopped buying the big cars, and the Big Three saw their sales plummet. The Financial Crisis played a role as no one was willing to loan GM the money to buy Chrysler. Consumer credit has tightened and it became much harder for people with average or poor credit to obtain a bank loan to buy a car, so sales fell further. Stock prices plummeted as shareholders worried about bankruptcy; GM's shares fell to 1946 levels. Intense debate is underway about a massive bailout, that would be in addition to a $25 billion loan Congress passed in September 2008 to assist in increasing fuel efficiency. President Bush has proposed changing the terms of that loan so it could be used to cover daily operating expenses, but Congress rejected that. Republicans in Congress in mid-November blocked Democratic proposals to underwrite a new bailout of the auto industry, as industry leaders made an unconvincing case before Congress. President elect Obama and Democrats in Congress have demanded the Big Three come up with a highly specific plan with some chance of long-term viability, with the expectation that Congress will address the issue again in January 2009.

In addition to the Big Three hundreds of large suppliers of parts are in financial crisis as well; most would go under if the Big Three go bankrupt.

Intense debate in December 2008 focused on allowing bankruptcy or injecting billions more of federal aid in a massive bailout; it would be in addition to a $25 billion loan Congress passed in September 2008 to assist in increasing fuel efficiency. The Democrats in Congress supported president Bush's proposal to sue the fuel-efficiency loans to help with the immediate problem. It passed the Hosue but Senate Republicans brioke with Bush and it failed. The opponents called for a bankruptcy that would allow GM to get out of its contracts to pay union members high wages, as well as generous pensionsand medical benefits to retired workers. Bush then acted unilaterally and decided to use [[Financial Crisis of 2008|TARP money]] to bail out GM and Chrysler, on December 19. GM and Chrysler will get $13.4 billions in loans they can use to pay their suppliers.<ref> GM and Chrysler will receive $4 billion each when they sign the loan agreements with the Treasury. GM will have access to an addition $5.4 billion on Jan. 16 and another $4 billion on Feb. 17 provided that Congress has released the remaining $350 billion for the Treasury’s TARP rescue program. </ref> GM can receive another $4 billion in February, but by then the Obama adminsitration will be in charge, and it is emphasizing the need for a long-range solution.<ref>David E. Sanger, David M. Herszenhorn and Bill Vlasic, “Bush Aids Detroit, but Hard Choices Wait for Obama,” [http://www.nytimes.com/2008/12/20/business/20auto.html?hp ''NewYork Times'' Dec. 19, 2008]</ref>

===Bankruptcy scenario===
Bankruptcy of the Big Three would be very expensive to the economy as a whole and the federal government. It would mean loss of 240,000 very high paying jobs at the Big Three, a loss of 980,000 high-paying jobs at the suppliers and local dealers, and 1.7 million additional jobs throughout the economy. It would cause a decline in personal income of $151 billion the first year, and $398 billion over three years. The federal, state and local governments would lose tax revenue and spend on welfare programs a total of $156 billion over three years.<ref>CAR Research Memorandum. "The Impact of the U.S. Economy of a Major Contraction of the Detroit Three Automakers" (Nov 2008) [http://www.cargroup.org/documents/FINALDetroitThreeContractionImpact_3__000.pdf online edition]</ref>

==See also==
*[[Recession of 2008]]
*[[Henry M. Paulson]]
*[[Paper loss]]

====References====
<references/>

[[Category:Finance]]
[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Economic history]]
[[Category:United States History]]

Cult of personality

2009-01-01T23:17:06Z

AlbertW: hard to deny obama

A '''cult of personality''' refers to a situation in which the leader of a country, usually a dictator, uses propaganda and media tools excessively to create a strongly positive image of himself. People who have created a cult of personality include [[Kim Jong Il]], [[Saddam Hussein]], [[Adolf Hitler]], [[Josef Stalin]], [[Fidel Castro]], and recently [[Barack Obama]].

"Cult of Personality" was also a song by [[New York]] band Living Colour that won the 1989 [[Grammy]] for Best Hard Rock Performance. The song makes references to Stalin and [[Benito Mussolini]]. The song is featured in the popular [[video game]] [[Guitar Hero|Guitar Hero 3]].
[[category:politics]]

Liberal propaganda

2008-12-15T16:28:45Z

AlbertW:

'''Liberal propaganda''' is the use of distorted media coverage, half truths, [[deceit]] and [[liberal bias]] to promote liberal political goals, such as gay marriage and the legalization of drugs.

Liberal propaganda can also take the form of inspirational images designed to portray liberal politicians in a positive light. For example, in his campaign for the Presidency, [[Barack Hussein Obama]] used artistically rendered images that sought to portray him as the center of a [[cult of personality]].<ref>http://obeygiant.com/post/obama</ref> This is disturbingly similar to the propaganda used by [[atheist|atheistic]] [[communism|communist]] leaders.

Other examples include:
# Using [[Hollywood]] to popularize liberal causes, such as [[Al Gore]] using [[An Inconvenient Truth]] to promote [[global warming]] alarmism, or actors promoting the [[gay agenda]].
# Museums marginalizing creation and favoring [[evolutionism]] in exhibits about [[dinosaur|dinosaurs]] and [[Neanderthal]].
# Using movies to demonize the Bush administration's tactics and present the dark side of the [[war on terror]] without describing its necessity to keep America safe.<ref>"Rendition," [http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0804522/ 2007].</ref>
# Depicting creationists as ignorant fools, and glorifying their evolutionist opponents, in films like [[Inherit the Wind]], which misrepresents what actually happened in the [[Scopes trial]].
# Showing gay characters on television as enlightened and harmless, overlooking the real harms behind [[homosexuality]].
# Glorifying so-called 'celebrity culture' and denying the associated and pernicious effects of [[Hollywood values]].
# Using the media to attack institutions such as the military and the church.

==Tools of Liberal Propaganda==

==References==
<references/>
{{liberalism}}
[[category:Liberalism]]

Religious Left

2008-12-03T03:15:57Z

AlbertW:

The '''Religious Left''' or more specifically the [[Christian]] Left (aka [[Liberal]] Christians) are individual or groups of religious people who combine the Christian faith with [[liberal]] politics. They sometimes agree with [[Conservatives]] about issues such as [[abortion]] and [[same sex marriage]] but they see issues such as [[global warming]], [[poverty]], and [[war]] as moral issues. While most Christians see poverty and war as important moral issues, the Religious Left takes liberal positions on how to mitigate or resolve these issues. For example, while conservative Christians believe in individual charitable giving, many liberal Christians think that government has a duty to resolve these problems. They believe in [[public healthcare]], [[public education]], and social [[welfare]]. They also believe in more globalized (UN) control of wars, treaties and other international relations. Liberal Christians tend to accept [[homosexual]] behavior. They have been criticized by conservativ Christians as straying away from original Christian teachings. Conservative Christians believe that [[Christ]] is a personal savior, not a societal one. [[Liberation Theology]] was also espoused from Christian leftists. Members of the Christian left tend to scoff at the doctrine of original sin, in this sense, they are the living decendents of the [[social gospel]] movement. The authenticity of the beliefs of those of the Religious Left are highly questionable.

==Christian Leftists==
*[[Tommy Douglas]] - Minister and former leader of the NDP. Founder of Canadian Public Healthcare.
*[[Jimmy Carter]] - Evangelical Leftist and Former President of the United States.
*[[Hugo Chavez]] - Venezuelan Leftist President who calls Jesus the world's first socialist.
*[[Jesse Jackson]] - Liberal civil rights activist.
*[[Daniel Ortega]] - Nicaraugan President and former revolutionary. Tried to combine Marxism with Christianity despite the fact that Marxism is heretical due to its atheism.

==See Also==
*[[Religious right]]
*[[Liberation theology]]

[[Category:Christian Movements]]
[[Category:Politics]]

Evan Mecham

2008-12-03T03:12:44Z

AlbertW: New page: '''Evan Mecham''' was the governor of Arizona from 1987-1988. A true conservative, he was attacked by liberals who attempted to paint him as a racist. He was eventually impeached u...

'''Evan Mecham''' was the governor of Arizona from 1987-1988. A true [[conservative]], he was attacked by [[liberals]] who attempted to paint him as a racist. He was eventually impeached under questionable circumstances.

Professor Intolerance

2008-11-25T22:59:24Z

AlbertW:

Intolerance is a common trait among the almost exclusively [[liberal]] professors in modern American colleges, who cannot seem to accept that alternative viewpoints to their own even exist, let alone are held by their more intelligent students. Examples include:
*censorship of any mention of creation science in any biology class
*A recent professor quit his role as adviser to a conservative group at Texas A&M, opposing their justified opposition to the tactics of terrorist [[William Ayers]]<ref>[http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/politics/6128862.html]</ref>
*Refusing to acknowledge that gun control always increases crime
*intolerance of any questioning of their beliefs, even (especially) while forcing them upon their students
*intolerance of academic accountability, believing that being granted tenure ensures they can do whatever they want for the rest of their careers, and that they have a right to keep their jobs no matter what. *opposition to drug testing, even though parents have a right to know if their children are being taught by criminals and addicts

==References==
{{reflist}}

Professor Intolerance

2008-11-25T22:59:06Z

AlbertW: New page: Intolerance is a common trait among the almost exclusively liberal professors in modern American colleges, who cannot seem to accept that alternative viewpoints to their own even exist...

War on Christmas

2008-11-25T20:05:28Z

AlbertW:

The '''War on Christmas''' refers specifically to the controversy surrounding the celebration or acknowledgment of the [[Christmas]] [[holiday]] in government, media, advertising and other [[atheist| secular]] environments. Modern-day controversy occurs around the world, and stems from the holiday's significant annual role in celebrating cultural values in Western society. The term "'''War on Christmas'''" is often used to address the controversy. [[Atheists]] started the War on Christmas, often feigning concern for the sensitivities of Jews and other religious groups who do not celebrate Christmas, knowing people sympathize with Jews, but rarely ever with atheists. This is typical of the selfishness of atheism.

==As Part of the Culture Wars==

[[Culture War]] is a term used to describe the swaying of what is acceptable in a society between culturally conservative and [[liberal]]. To that end, the War on Christmas is a major skirmish in that war. Each year, more and more secular progressives work to eradicate the right of major retailers to say "Merry Christmas" or "Happy Christmas" in favor of the more benign, and ultimately godless "Happy Holidays." When the retailer gives in, they are less likely to begin using the older terms again, and, in order to save money and time, will simply acquiesce to the will of the liberal protesters, saying "Happy Holidays" from that time on.

Conservatives argue that this is a form of censorship by the [[liberal]] minority in society, tasked with the purpose of removing even the smallest mention of the Christmas Holiday. An obvious danger for conservatives is the notion that such an issue will become a [[slippery slope]]. Once the issue is removed from public discourse, the next removal becomes that much easier.

==Denial==

As is common, individuals with a tendency toward [[liberal]] ideologies will not see the '''War on Christmas''' as real, and may even deny that there is such a controversy.

Talk:Roy and Silo

2008-11-25T19:52:00Z

AlbertW:

The notion that homosexuality is seen in the wild may be contrasted with the apparently homosexual behavior of some animals in captivity. This must be distinguished from the argument that whatever animals do is "natural" and therefore normal for human beings.

Please rewrite the article to reflect this. --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 12:32, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:Personally, I think this is an unnecessary article. -[[User:DrSandstone|DrSandstone]] 12:33, 25 November 2008 (EST)
::I am agree that apparent homosexual behavior in animal is used as an excuse to justify homosexuality in humans, This need to be mentioned. --[[User:NicholasM|NicholasM]] 12:41, 25 November 2008 (EST)

This highly misleading entry is going to be deleted unless it is completely changed to emphasize and reflect:
*the politicization of this issue
*the absence in the animal kingdom of any display of the homosexual lifestyle
*the rarity of even homosexual acts among animals
--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 12:52, 25 November 2008 (EST)
:Homosexual and lesbian acts are frequent among bonobos. I think scientists can reasonably claim that bonobos have a bisexual lifestyle. [[User:StanleyJ|StanleyJ]] 13:06, 25 November 2008 (EST)
::Ok, please give me a few minutes. I will try to address the issue. --[[User:NicholasM|NicholasM]] 12:54, 25 November 2008 (EST)
:::Isn't point two exactly opposite of the entire article...? [[User:HDCase|HDCase]] 12:54, 25 November 2008 (EST)

Several here are either clueless about the very promiscuous homosexual lifestyle, or are aware of it and seek to mislead others. We're going to remain factual here and will not post deceptive information for the [[gay agenda]].--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:10, 25 November 2008 (EST)

Bonobos are also sexually very promiscuous. [[User:StanleyJ|StanleyJ]] 13:13, 25 November 2008 (EST)

::::Regarding point two, the sources I have claim there are cases of homosexual behavior among animals. As HDCase pointed, it is opposite to the article also. I have no good source instantly available to mention that homosexuality is rare among animals. Off course it should be mentioned if a source can be found. But I have added the information to make it clear that zoologists politicize events like this by making attempt to justify homosexuality among humans. It is mentioned in the New York Times article. I wish collaboration of other editors to find sources so that the missing points can be mentioned. --[[User:NicholasM|NicholasM]] 13:15, 25 November 2008 (EST)

Please listen to the editor in chief, guys. I don't want to spend an hour helping you with this article, only to have it deleted. What we need to do is:
#Gather the facts
#Gather the claims that have been made about the facts
#Report and analyze the arguments about these

Clearly liberals and conservatives disagree on this. Let's bring out the '''reasons''' for the disagreement. No one is arguing whether cows ever mount each other. The argument is over whether this is a "homosexual act" and more importantly over whether this has any relevance to human behavior.

Perhaps it would help if we addressed the materialism vs. creationism aspect of the debate? --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 13:36, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:To address point #2 made by Aschlalfly we need to know what we mean by [[homosexual lifestyle]], because he is apparently talking about more than just homosexual acts. Perhaps we should have an article on that? [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 13:38, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:: The term "lifestyle" is clear enough. Use a dictionary if you're not familiar with it.--[[User:Aschlafly|Aschlafly]] 13:41, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:::I see Ed Poor has written an article on the subject. Good job. Yes, it is now clear that animals do not display the homosexual lifestyle. [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 13:58, 25 November 2008 (EST)

::::I see no reason even for anti-homosexuals to be offended or threatened by the notion that animals may exhibit homosexual behavior. Since when is behavior among animals reason to recommend it for humans? Bonobos may fling fecal matter as well, but that does not ''necessarily'' lend credibility to the [[feces flinging agenda]]. [[User:Fishal|Fishal]] 14:47, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:::::Sorry, but I seriously doubt your facetious comments amuse anyone here. If you can't contribute intelligently perhaps you'd be better off a Wikipedia, where such childishness is encouraged. [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 14:52, 25 November 2008 (EST)

==Need==
Not to belabor the point, but I don't really see this article being ''encyclopedic'' enough to warrant all of this work going into it. An article specifically about ''two'' "gay" penguins? I once again suggest deleting this article. -[[User:DrSandstone|DrSandstone]] 14:03, 25 November 2008 (EST)

Talk:Homosexual behavior in animals

2008-11-25T19:10:00Z

AlbertW:

The article I cited confuses companionship with mating. This reminds me of one of the most typical of "gay rights" arguments, which likewise confuses sex with affection or sex with friendship. "What's wrong with two men loving each other?" Nothing, of course, but what's wrong with a parent "loving" his child in the same way that a heterosexual couple love each other?

All agree (with one notable exception) that incest is not justified by claims of "love". --[[User:Ed Poor|Ed Poor]] [[User talk:Ed Poor|Talk]] 13:25, 25 November 2008 (EST)

:Should this article redirect to [[Homosexuality in Animals Myth]]? [[User:AlbertW|AlbertW]] 14:10, 25 November 2008 (EST)

Roy and Silo

2008-11-25T19:03:57Z

AlbertW: even bonobos do not have a homosexual lifestyle, even if some are homosexual

'''Roy and Silo''' are male chinstrap [[penguin]]s promoted as "[[homosexual animals]]" by the proponents of the [[gay agenda]].<ref name=NYT>[http://query.nytimes.com/gst/fullpage.html?res=9506efd9113bf934a35751c0a9629c8b63 Love That Dare Not Squeak Its Name] ''[[New York Times]]''</ref> The penguins are not free in nature but are held in captivity at the Central Park Zoo in [[Manhattan]].<ref name=CPZGPID>[http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2004/02/07/MNG3N4RAV41.DTL Central Park Zoo's gay penguins ignite debate]</ref> In fact, no animal displays the type of very promiscuous [[homosexual lifestyle]] that has tragically shortened the lifespan of many humans.

According to the National Geographic News,<ref>[http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2004/07/0722_040722_gayanimal.html Homosexual Activity Among Animals Stirs Debate] ''National Geographic News''</ref>
{{cquote|Roy and Silo, two male chinstrap penguins at New York's Central Park Zoo have been inseparable for six years now. They display classic pair-bonding behavior—entwining of necks, mutual preening, flipper flapping, and the rest. }}

They were offered companionship of female penguins, they refused it. According to the chief keeper of the penguins Rob Gramzay, once both of them were so desperate to incubate an [[egg]] together that they used a rock as an egg and sat on it. In this way they kept the rock warm in the folds of their abdomen. After Gramzay gave them an egg, they incubated it and a chick named Tango was hatched. They also helped raising Tango.<ref name=CPZGPID/>

==See also==
*[[Homosexuality in Animals Myth]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Homosexuality]]

Talk:Roy and Silo

2008-11-25T18:58:14Z

AlbertW:

Talk:Roy and Silo

2008-11-25T18:38:45Z

AlbertW:

Liberal values

2008-11-25T03:42:47Z

AlbertW:

'''Liberal values''' refers to the value system commonly held by [[liberals]], just as [[Professor values]] and [[Hollywood values]] do for professors and Hollywood respectively. Liberal values stand in stark opposition to [[conservative values]] and thus reject those things which [[conservatives]] hold to be dear and true. This includes, but is not limited to:
* [[Censorship]] of ideas not deemed [[political correctness|politically correct]]
* [[Liberal denial|Denial]] of politically incorrect truths such as the link between [[abortion]] and [[breast cancer]]
* Opposition to the [[free market]], instead favoring heavy [[socialism|regulation]]
* A desire for equal outcomes as opposed to equal opportunity
* Liberal students protest or disrupt conservative guest speakers on [[college]] campuses
* To judge something immoral behavior is tantamount to being a bigot.
*[[Bigotry]] itself, an almost uniquely [[liberal]] trait

In general, liberal values tend to undermine traditional society, and in certain instances can cause irreparable harm to the lives of individuals who are brought under their sway.

{{Liberalism}}

Great minds think alike

2008-11-23T16:22:49Z

AlbertW:

When '''great minds think alike''' we are assured that we are all children of one [[God|Maker]]. There is no physical explanation how the same good idea could occur to separate people simultaneously, other than heavenly revelation.

Scientists and even artists have had the same idea, or ideas which were remarkably harmonious, despite not having communicated. [[Leibniz]] and [[Newton]] independently invented the [[calculus]] between 1665 and 1676.<ref> Newton and Leibniz are generally considered the twin independent inventors of calculus. [http://search.barnesandnoble.com/Calculus-Wars/Jason-Socrates-Bardi/e/9781560257066]</ref>
The [[Sherman Brothers]] report picking the same six chapters of [[Mary Poppins]] for a story line as [[Walt Disney]]; their song, "My Own Home", for ''[[The Jungle Book]]'' had the same sequence of musical imagery as [[Ken Anderson]]'s storyboard.<ref>Ronny Schiff's introduction to ''The Sherman Brothers Songbook'', pp. 8-7, Hal Leonard (Milwaukee)</ref>

The like-mindedness of many editors at Conservapedia is another good example.

==Notes==
<references />

See:
*[[Inspiration]]

Creation

2008-11-21T21:15:30Z

AlbertW: better redirect

#REDIRECT [[Creation week]]

Senate Minority Leader

2008-11-21T21:07:53Z

AlbertW: overlinking

The Majority Leader and '''Minority Leader''' are elected by their respective party conferences to serve as the chief [[Senate]] spokesmen for their parties and to manage and schedule the [[legislative]] and [[executive]] business of the Senate. By custom, the [[Presiding Officer]] gives the floor leaders priority in obtaining recognition to speak on the floor of the Senate.<ref>[http://www.senate.gov/reference/glossary_term/appropriation.htm] US Senate Reference</ref>

==References==
<references/>
[[Category:United States Senate Terms]]

Atheistic tools

2008-11-21T18:11:08Z

AlbertW:

[[Atheists]] will try to use the following [[tools]] in arguments or attempts to defend their [[atheism]]:

*[[brainwashing]]
*[[censorship]]
*[[deceit]]
*[[democide]]<ref>The atheistic [[communist]]s have killed over 100 million people.</ref>
*[[diplomacy]]
*[[environmentalism]]
*[[fear mongering]]
*[[harassment]]
*[[homosexual agenda]]
*[[ideology]]
*[[indoctrination]]
*[[intimidation]]
*[[liberal logic]]
*[[logical fallacy]]
*[[mass media]]
*[[obscenity]]
*[[political correctness]]
*[[professor values]]
*promotion of [[suicide]]<ref>[http://www.worldnetdaily.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=81459]</ref>
*[[public education]]
*[[Darwinian science]]
*[["sound" reasoning]]
*[[terrorism]]
*[[violence]]

==Examples==
*By not allowing prayer in [[public school]], liberals are undermining religion.
*[[Hollywood values]] capture youth and expose them to [[atheistic values]].

Please add to the list or adjust priorities, or add examples (as references) to illustrate how these atheistic tools are used.

==See Also==
* [[liberal tools]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Atheism]]

{{Uncited}}

Darwinian science

2008-11-21T18:09:27Z

AlbertW: Redirecting to Darwinism

#REDIRECT [[Darwinism]]