Chad Wolf Quotes

This famous quotation was only partly original. The most famous part, "Facts are stubborn things" was earlier used by the French Writer, Alain René Le Sage in Gil Blas

This was the origin of the first part of John Adams famous quoation {310967}

The non foundationalist school of political philosophy rejects the classic view (See Lincoln {585516}) that politics must rest on a philosophical basis. It argues that in the United States somewhat, and in Europe in particular, politics operates in the modern world without the kind of philosophical basis and grounding that Western politics used to have.

In the latter part of the 20th century and the beginning of the 21st, one of the tactics of conservatives was to accuse liberal candidates and office holders of being un-American, unpatriotic, and disloyal to the country. The tactic goes back to the beginning of the nation when Jefferson and the Democratic Republicans claimed the Federalists were un-American--monarchists and Anglophiles. In the 1950’s, Senator Joseph McCarthy attacked President Truman, Secretary of State Acheson, Secretary of the Army Stevenson and many others for “un-Americanism.” Even wounded war hero, paraplegic, Senator Max Cleland was accused by Republicans a of being unpatriotic which led to his defeat at the polls. So accusing the President of being un-American, was that unique an act even though it shocked most Americans.

Most politicians would never do this. Ideologues rarely analyze their beliefs. Pragmatic politicians are fearful of being called a flip flopper with no core principles. However, some politicians follow this advice. For example, Abraham Lincoln and Franklin Delano Roosevelt were both among the rare politicians who would frequently change positions as they learned more. See John Maynard Keynes {619441} for a personal statement of this principle and {636175} for a modern view.

Weltner was the only Georgia politician who urged state compliance with the Federal Civil Rights Law of 1964. (See {637605}.) The others advocated disobedience, crime, and obstruction, particularly the Democratic Party Candidate for Governor Lester Maddox who also advocated racial violence and had a history of it himself. Weltner refused to support Maddox, and the Democratic Party then instituted a loyalty oath for all party candidates where they promised to support and campaign for all party candidates on the ticket. Welter refused to sign the oath and support Maddox, and therefore gave up the Democratic nomination which at the time virtually guaranteed a win. (Soon after, the segregationist politicians of the South accepted the Republican invitation to switch parties and since then the remaining racists and anti-civil rights politicians run as Republicans.

Although, the Obama administration vastly improved on this requirement compared to the George W. Bush administration excesses, he was not able to eliminate it. Some would argue that it should NOT be eliminated in that military planning ought to be driven and controlled by the people in a democracy, and therefore the process is inherently political. However few would defend the Bush ideologically driven military planning and decision making.

Belief and/or ideology of even teh vast majority or the world has no influence on the vaidity and truth of science. A particualr scientific statement is true or not based an many factors, none of which have anything to do with beliefs, world views, custims, cultures, or religious doctrine.