20
Aug
2008
There once was a proper young English miss named Alice Pleasance. She, according to Lewis Carroll biographers, was the real-life inspiration for a fictional Alice who tumbled down a rabbit hole and commenced a tour of a riotous realm called Wonderland.
During her wanderings, she encountered an egg named Humpty Dumpty and came away with a memorable sound bite.
Declaimed Mr. Dumpty, "When I use a word, it means just what I choose it to mean - neither more nor less."
As
an object lesson to the political pragmatists of the United States -
those "practical" advocates of "democracy" who see no role
for principles in government, just "majority rule" - one need
only pause and consider the recent events in Venezuela to realize the
profound impact principles actually do have on human affairs.
If
there's one thing the United States stands for, it's unfettered
free speech. It is vital to a functioning democracy. Unfortunately,
the increasing use by government and law-enforcement officials of
"free speech zones" and other stifling tactics to purge dissent
has largely undermined the First Amendment's safeguards for
political free speech.
Thrift
used to be a virtue in America. In Asia, thrift remains a way of life
- for example, it is estimated that the average Chinese family's
thrift rate is 30 to 40 percent - which helps explain the rapid
growth rates there.
