An interesting note from last nights reading. I had started reading American Rifle: A Biography. At the start of the book it notes that before the advent of the flintlock the American natives weren’t interested in firearms. But the flintlock change that, and the musket (later rifle) became a highly sought very expensive commodity item. Prior to that introduction, wars and conflicts between American native groups were based on enmity and for one 7 year conflict between two tribes resulted in 7 deaths. After the flintlock, conflicts were based not on enmity but on (economic) interest and became deadly. After 25 years, the number of combatants from one tribe dropped from 800 effectives to 300.

The point that enmity vs (economic) interest driving lethality is probably can be generalised and considered in the context of the popular opinion about European religious conflicts of the 15th-17th centuries.

Good morning.

1. An example of how Orthodox theology is bound to its liturgy.
2. A billion dollars? I tend to think that’s not credible.
3. Islamic extremism, apparently, doesn’t exist.
4. More Democratic fantasies … see the second paragraph here (and read the rest too).
5. Zipping around the globe.
6. Putin in Poland mentions Katyn. I’m not sure that approach will sit well with the Poles. More here.
7. Hope and change vs reality. Well, it is a change, after all Bush didn’t implement the plan … Mr Obama did.
8. Never is a hard thing justify, i.e., let’s suggest a situation where the wife is in the process of beating her husband is he justified in striking back in defense?
9. Or another advertising plug for SWA.
10. Getting out and marching (for Christ and the Cross).
11. Theodicy.
12. For myself, I think a Amendment prohibiting the Feds (or States for that matter) from entering actuarial enterprises would be best. New Orleans is a prime example of why
13. In the past, I’ve tried to identify the difference between Liberal/Progressives, Conservatives, and Libertarians as a different ordering of the importance of Equality, Happiness, and Liberty, wherein each group puts the corresponding facet as the primary goal of government as primary. Here is a suggestion it is a different perspective on costs for the latter group.