Links for Monday, June 27, 2011: Marine Killed in Drug Raid; How to Create a Job; Intro to Constitutional Law; others….

1. KGUN 9 | Marine killed in drug raid

2. Raw video: PCSD helmet cam clip shows SWAT raid and shooting

   The raid that killed marine Jose Guerena. Story above.

3. DRCNet | Tucson SWAT Team Cleared in Killing of Ex-Marine

   The officers were mistaken in believing Mr. Guerena fired at them. However, when Mr. Guerena raised the AR-15 semi-automatic assault rifle in their direction, they needed to take immediate action to stop the deadly threat against them.

   Police need to try to understand: when a team of them kick down someone’s door for no good reason and infiltrate with guns drawn, they are guests in the other people’s homes.

4. This American Life | How To Create a Job

   I’m not necessarily agreeing that cutting government and regulations is a “race to the bottom”, but they are asking the right questions about government claims of job creation.

Links for February 23, 2010: PZ Myers Pooh-Poohs Libertarianism, Climate Change Proponent Responds to the Skeptical Environmentalist.

PZ Myers
pooh-poohs libertarianism. (image source: Wikimedia Commons)

1. Pharyngula | Libertarianism defined

   PZ Myers. An atheist intellectual that I respected until I about ten minutes ago. The anti-libertarian post is an ad-hominem joke. Since there is no substantive argument, there can be no substantive response. Myers links to a “previous commentary” in which he relays the allegory of a Libertarian, LIB, and a Scientist, SCI. LIB is a pathological, deranged, driver headed at top speed directly toward a lake. SCI is an intellectually superior passenger who insists that LIB turn the car. LIB naturally refuses, placing faith in the free market and a sock puppet. The allegory could accurately describe the relationship between man and environment, but Myers made no attempt whatsoever to describe the relationship between man and State. By the end of the allegory, SCI should cock a pistol and order LIB at gunpoint to turn the car. We can debate whether this hijacking is appropriate, but to ignore the hijacking, or to be unaware of it, is to avoid the libertarian’s primary concern.

2. Mother Jones | Fact Checking the Skeptical Environmentalist

   The best way to learn about an issue is through a direct call-and-response, like this one. If I ever have enough free time to learn about global warming, etc., I’ll start with The Skeptical Environmentalist, and then move on to The Lomborg Deception. I’d like to see a rebuttal from Mr. Lomborg as well.

   Update:The wikipedia page for The Skeptical Environmentalist briefly describes the the Cambridge University Press’s peer-review process, which Lomborg’s book passed prior to publication, as well as previous efforts on Lomborg’s part to respond to criticism. I expect there to be a healthy debate here.