Thank you very much for your delightfully thoughtful essay on the 7th Seal. I never saw the movie. Now that I've seen it I will look for it and see it again and again, as have you.

Since studying Renaissance history in college, I've loved that period above all others. Your remarks have revealed the meaning of that great transformation.

PETER

I read your article Natural Rights Don't Exist and found it very gratifying in that you expressed the sense of bullshit I've felt while learning about Locke and hearing people appeal to natural rights and objective morals. It actually sums up why I've come to call myself an existential nihilist, and feel that I now see reality through a much better lens. I've also humbly sent it to some others including my parents, who when I've tried to explain my views, become threatened and tell me "you are deluding yourself". Can you recommend more articles or books that would be similary gratifying or would help me learn to articulate myself in this way? Thank you! Dave

Over 30 years ago the United States and the Soviet Union {as well as the World} came face-to-face with the possibility of nuclear annihilation due to risky political and military brinkmanship. So too today the country is now embroiled in yet another risky political, economic and social game of chicken and whistling Dixie; the likes of which bears a strong threat to the survival of our republic as well as what it means to be a government of the people, for the people and by the people. The issues before the American People are clear; according to the United States Treasury the $16.7 trillion debt ceiling must be raised by October 17, 2013 to avoid a potential default on the U.S. debt. The ramifications of this would be a economic Armageddon for the entire planet. We are already witnessing the effects of this shutdown on our country whether it be through government furloughs all the way to the stoppage of government services not to mention the exponential effect on the private sector. The "sticking point" that appears to be the cause of the impasse between the President, Senate Democrats and House Republicans is the issues surrounding the Affordable Care Act also known as "Obamacare." I don't know if this is the first time that a government shutdown was used as leverage to challenge legislation {that is now the law of the land} at the risk of putting the country and the world in serious jeopardy but it certainly seems very foolish to do so.

In retrospect the goal of extending health care to all Americans should have been the result of expanding Medicaid and not this monstrosity of legislation to overhaul many parts of the health care system that simply don't need fixing. The Affordable Care Act was not presented well from the beginning and should have been passed with bi-partisan agreement not rammed down the throats of the opposition party. Regardless of the pure intentions it should have taken second priority to what has been {and is} really ailing America; unemployment. Job 1 for the President and Congress beginning on January 1, 2009 should have been developing the means to getting this country moving again by helping to unleash America's most powerful machine; it's economy. Bailing out Wall Street and the "banks too big to fail" was one of the dumbest policy decisions made by the President and Congress. The Federal Government should have seized control of these financial institutions {much like the FDIC did with banks that defaulted} and then facilitated the selling off of parts to medium size banks that did not engage in the behaviors that resulted in the "mortgage meltdown." Too late now.

As for getting people back to work the solution is not as complicated as it may appear to be. We need to bring back a agency similar {but not identical} to the Work Progress Administration {WPA} which should take a two-pronged approach. One is the most obvious; hire people to perform the very services {and more} that the private sector will never engage in simply because it is not profitable to do so. The second approach is a wee bit more complicated but can be successful by utilizing private-public partnerships. Let the governments {at all levels} develop a plan to share {temporarily} in the salary expense of unemployed people so that they could work full time, re-gain their lost skills and eventually retain a full time position paid by the private company. This would result in a immediate restoration of lost government revenues as well as help to "prime the pump" for the new found consumer demand. Increasing demand will result in the need for increased supply and hence a increase in production which will result in increased employment. You could think of this "stimulus" plan as a rocket booster that slowly fades away as the economy picks up. Isn't this what government is supposed to do beyond providing safety for it's citizens? Is it too late now? I hope not; but to continue to waste time over which side wins {while the rest of the country goes to hell} risks moving America's dissatisfaction with government to the disbelief of the legitimacy of those who do govern. The question before us all is this: how far down must this country sink before it becomes clear and apparent that current government officials have forfeited their right to govern? Time is running out folks; now do the job you were elected to do and end this shutdown before it reaches a point of calamity that breaks our country and unleashes total anarchy. It's up to you. Let's put an end to the whistles of October.

Joe Bialek