No Spontaneous Big Bang Yet

My imagination was sparked a few weeks ago as newspaper headlines announced the recreation of a “big bang.” Being scientifically inquisitive, I proceeded to read the articles in their entirety. And, being scientifically inquisitive, I found myself making a couple of observations about what I discovered.

First, in spite of the headline leads, there has not been a “big bang” yet. What has really happened is that the particle accelerator that they hope to use has been tested. Are professional journalists taught to constantly deceive their paying public with cleverly crafted but misleading headlines? Is that what constitutes responsible journalism?

Second, I observe that in order to attempt a recreation of the “big bang,” a machine had to be created. Then the created particular matter from which the process begins has to be provided. Finally, the correct environment has to be created in order for the process to get started. It requires the guiding hands of many scientific and technical creators to make a “big bang” recreation happen. Hmmm… appears to be some food for thought here: “In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth” - Genesis 1:1.

There are some who may read this and think, “What a fool to believe the preposterous idea that something created something out of nothing!” I admit that this is indeed a preposterous, fantastic belief . At the same time, I invite you to consider the skeptical atheist’s alternative belief concerning the origin of the universe: nothing created something out of nothing. I fail the atheist’s test. I do not have enough faith to be an atheist.

Dangers of the Command System Economy

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"I think it's safe to say, ladies and gentlemen, that houses for people who cannot afford houses is a failed experiment."

"Central planning does not work. Central planning gave us the Soviet Union. Central planning gave us North Korea. Central planning gave us Cuba. Tell me if you want to replicate that." -- Rush Limbaugh, 9/15/08
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Not everyone cares for Rush, but not everything he says is off the wall, either. Most of the time, his comments about economics are very well measured and on solid ground. He makes some observations that provide a very good perspective on the current turmoil: "Capitalism is not the problem." The article by Robert Higgs that he references is "Ticking Time Bomb Explodes, Public Is Shocked." With regard to Higgs' article, I submit that what he calls "democracy in action" is more like "mob rule." America's Founders knew the danger of "mob rule," even under the guise of "democracy." This is why they jettisoned the Articles of Confederation in favor of the Constitutional Republic. Unfortunately, citizens have gotten away from the lessons provided by our Founders and by sound economics. Thus, we have this kind of a mess in which our votes will go toward the candidate we think most likely will save us from our problems instead of toward candidates that espouse economic freedom and responsibility.

Socialists/collectivists/central planners love economic crises such as this, even though it stems from their policies and not a free (ie, capitalist) market, because they can then turn around and use it to shore up their calls for more centralized control. I will be open to thinking that such a scheme is good only when someone can demonstrate with empirical data (proof) the nation or nations that have benefited politically and economically from a command system economy. (For those who are tempted to say "China," first consider this: China's economy has grown since it made very small moves toward a market economy. The more the central planning, the less favorable the economic results.)

Well, there's a lot here to digest, but this forms the crux of how much longer we will enjoy our American liberties. I have a feeling that we will see a lot more of them evaporate ere this all dies down.

Are They Nuts?

"Islamic law has been officially adopted in Britain, with sharia courts given powers to rule on Muslim civil cases." -- FOX News, 9/15/08

Have they gone stark-raving mad in Britain? What kind of legal precedence is going to be set when a judicial ruling in one system clashes with a judicial ruling in the other system? What is British jurisprudence going to do when a sharia court orders a death penalty by stoning?

In 2006, Mark Steyn wrote the book entitled America Alone: The End of the World as We Know It. It is looking more and more as if this is not idle speculation.

Remember

Seven years ago, Americans witnessed and experienced the most catastrophic attack ever inflicted upon our shores by any enemy. The assault came from a group of Islamic jihadists who had declared war on America several years before; a declaration that went largely unnoticed and was largely ignored by most Americans. The event on 9/11 was so cataclysmic that it even drove our congressmen and congresswomen to gather in unity on the steps of the capitol to sing “God Bless America” and to declare their solidarity against all enemies who dare attempt to inflict America with such unprovoked attacks.

Although building for decades, the plans to take purposeful aim at America solidified among many Islamic jihad organizations when the Saudis accepted the assistance of America to defend Saudi Arabia and oppose the Iraqi invasion of Kuwait instead of calling upon armed Muslim groups such as al-Qaeda (see The Looming Tower by Lawrence Wright, pages 156-161 for more detail). Thus began the progression of violence against American assets that culminated in the terror of 9/11/2001 and American involvement in Afghanistan and Iraq.

In these seven years, the only reason that America has not been subject to more atrocities is because of the disruption of the jihadi terror cells during the Global War against terror. Thanks to the vigilance of the Armed Forces and security personnel of America and her allies, other acts of planned terrorism have been thwarted. Sadly, at the same time, Americans fragment over how to handle these enemies who are still conducting their war against us. A lot has happened since that terrible day, and thankfully we have not experienced anything like it again, but if we need a reminder of why we are at war, I invite us to look again at the photos and videos of 9/11/01 and experience once more the stake of terrorism that was painfully thrust through the hearts of all Americans. Use this 9/11 anniversary to not only reflect upon the losses we sustained on that day and the subsequent heroism of all Americans fighting our enemies, but to also remember the unity we need to display in order to demonstrate to this world that Americans will not be defeated. “United we stand, and in God we trust.”