Dmitry Chernikov’s Blog

In fact, in a free society1 defined as “an enduring and cooperating social group whose members have developed organized patterns of relationships through interaction with one another” in which marijuana is legal it will be almost certain that society2 defined as “a part of the community that sets itself apart as a leisure class and [...]

That was the stupendous thought uttered by Bill O’Reilly in a discussion of marijuana legalization. For you see, apparently making the “drug” legal entails society sanctioning its use. Is he serious? Has he no concept of the difference between illegal and immoral or unadvised? Has he never heard the expression “vices are not crimes”? Just [...]

A just war is a rarity, because in order to be just, at the very least a war must be essentially private. A group of people voluntarily come under command of a general, pay for their own weapons, never attack the citizens which had nothing to do with the cause of war but fight against [...]

So, this guy Bolton was on Fox News today and excoriated South Korea that it failed to impose some sanctions on Iran. “The measure for which the United States is trying to rally international support, the Comprehensive Iran Sanctions, Accountability and Divestment Act, targets Iran’s energy sector, which sustains its economy.” The nerve these guys [...]

Obama: Muslims have “the right to build a place of worship and a community center on private property in Lower Manhattan, in accordance with local laws and ordinances.” It’s interesting how left-liberals suddenly rediscover their love for private property rights in such a sensitive a matter, rights for which they usually have neither interests nor [...]

So, there is the story of how “a former Israeli soldier posted photos on Facebook of herself in uniform smiling beside bound and blindfolded Palestinian prisoners.” Over 15,000 comments have been posted in response to this Yahoo! story, all of which are extremely stupid. For the obvious unknown so far is whether the prisoners are [...]

The main job of politicians and government officials of all kinds is to deceive the public. Therefore, do not bother listening to what they are saying. What they are saying is almost always a lie. Instead, watch what they do: what legislation they introduce, how they vote, whom they imprison and kill, whom they rip [...]

Isn’t it odd that Israel is pretty much the only nation in the world, whose neighbors deny it the right to exist?! I mean, rocks and trees have a “right to exist,” so why not Jews? Could it be because Jews think of themselves as special and privileged, and other people find that annoying? Look, [...]

This time, my own. Now normally I’d hold fast to the principle “If nominated, I will not run; if elected, I will not serve.” But supposing I have been made dictator of the US, what would I do? Four things, in my estimation; in the following sequence: 1) Monetize gold and silver; 2) Default on [...]

My great aunt, when she talks about politics, makes the following odd argument. The Israeli Jews, she says, have built a thriving civilization in a desert. The Arabs, incapable because of their dull and violent nature of a similar achievement, envy them and, since envy is the main source of hatred, as St. Thomas understood [...]

Have the Federal Reserve buy up the entire country, that is, the assets of every public and private firm, quiet like. It’s really a piece of cake.

And sympathize with the victims. According to the front page news article in today’s New York Times, “AZIZABAD, Afghanistan — To the villagers here, there is no doubt what happened in an American airstrike on Aug. 22: more than 90 civilians, the majority of them women and children, were killed. … For two weeks, the [...]

On April 3rd, NATO member states agreed that Georgia could one day join the alliance. Was it not predictable that Russia would get pissed? But how to prevent the expansion of NATO into countries bordering Russia? Well, Russia would need to provoke Georgia into attacking, in order to appear to have a just casus belli. [...]

According to Time, “You have millions of Americans who are yearning to be more involved in the world and in their communities.” No, no, no. They must mean, “You have millions of Americans who are yearning to be forced to be more involved in the world and in their communities.” This could never get off [...]

Such a demand is clearly a form of blackmail, because it is never really addressed to those who do not love Ruritania and will evil to it but merely to those who disagree with the demander on how best to promote Ruritania’s welfare; i.e., it is not about different ends but about different means to [...]

On the 4th of July Americans commemorate the events that occurred between 1775 and 1783, known together as the Revolutionary War. Yet what is being celebrated? Not, obviously, the resistance to Great Britain’s dominion, for all that is ancient history. For most people, I think it’s clear, it is the glory of the “Republic.” America! [...]

Happy independence/secession day to you and yours. Please comment “aye” if you would like the state you live in to secede from the United States.

“Well, let’s just hope we’re lucky.” But it’s interesting that Friedman writes that “One of the first things I realized when visiting Iraq after the U.S. invasion was that the very fact that Iraqis did not liberate themselves, but had to be liberated by Americans, was a source of humiliation to them.” Ah, indeed. The [...]

William Kristol objects to the now famous MoveOn.org ad featuring a mother and her 1-year old son: Now he argues that “Unless we enter a world without enemies and without war, we will need young men and women willing to risk their lives for our nation. And we’re not entering any such world.” Thanks to [...]

Sandefur writes: “The child has a right not to be, so to speak, falsely imprisoned in a mental asylum due to the parents’ superstitions — and the state has the legitimate authority to defend that right, again, within certain (often vague) boundaries set by a parent’s right to direct the upbringing of a child.” That [...]