Dakota Beacon

As stated previously, we owe it to ourselves to value good reasoning, spot bad reasoning, and avoid being taken in by those who would use us for their personal gain. Last week we looked at two major categories of logical fallacies: 1) avoiding the question and 2) making assumptions. Each had their respective variations.

Two additional categories of logical fallacies require consideration: 3) statistical fallacies and 4) the broad category of ordinary, everyday propaganda.

Upset and disappointed, many felt betrayed when Senator Joe Manchin cut a deal with ultra-left-wing colleague Chuck Schumer and created the laughably named "Inflation Reduction Act." Yet anyone thus aggrieved should consider a simple fact: As of June 2 of last year, Manchin had voted with Joe Biden 100 percent of the time.

That’s 100 percent — as in voting with Nancy Pelosi every time.

And he has voted with the Democrats over his career’s course approximately 80 percent of the time.

Oh, don’t be surprised. Here’s the reality: No matter how conservative or liberal a politician seems on the campaign trail, no matter compelling his rhetoric, no matter how outside-the-box he appears, he’ll virtually always vote with his party the vast majority of the time. (This is especially true of Democrats.)

In the land of the mainstream media, conservative and Republican positions on so-called “culture war” issues are always “extreme,” while they rarely raise such concerns about liberal and Democrat positions. They then “helpfully” suggest ways that Republicans could attract more voters by modifying their stances to, well, something pretty similar to Nancy Pelosi’s.

 That kind of biased coverage has been on full display since the Dobbs ruling overturning Roe and Casey. And all that even though the Republicans, at least at the level of the U.S. House and Senate, have exhibited far more viewpoint diversity on abortion. By a long shot.

We have had enough of "emergency powers".   It is long past time to end this practice.  

Today CATL, a Chinese Belt and Road Initiative, producer of batteries for our cars - specifically Teslas and Fords - announced it was putting a $5 billion plant plan on hold, punishment for perceived disobedience by the US to its Chinese masters.  Will FuFeng eventually become another casualty of the hostile international relations climate?  Or perhaps not . . . which might indicate that there is more to FuFeng than has been admitted.

Daily we meet people persuading us to believe as they believe. Are their arguments valid? Can we discern valid arguments from fallacies?

Often our skill at distinguishing fact from fiction fails us. That’s why advertisers make big bucks from consumers and why we keep electing politicians long on bull and short on brains. Lacking the skill to recognize fallacies from people seeking our allegiance, we are at the mercy of charlatans. Alas, we end up making bad choices by accepting fallacious arguments.

Thinking takes work. Physical work builds strong muscles; mental work builds strong minds.

As of the moment, we don't know the minds of the leaders of China.  Will they want a "hot" war with us?  A military engagement?  Or will they just continue to win the war they are already engaged in - the "unrestricted warfare" of controlling our economy and our politics from abroad?  So far that has been a great success for them, given the weakness of our own nation's leadership.  We do know the mindset of the members of the Grand Forks City Council and the Mayor, though.  Today's headlines proclaim that they are proceeding apace with the installation of a Chinese "wet corn mill" operation on the doorstep of the Grand Forks air base.  No reasoning seems to persuade them to even disucss this or entertain any objection.  There is one way to protect our economy and our military assets from these rogue council members, however.  North Dakota needs to enact very strict regulations on sale or leasing of property - foreign investment needs to be stopped in North Dakota.  Not that many years ago I recall a big push to influence the Pentagon to retain the Grand Forks Air Force Base (albeit for all the wrong reasons).  Today the idea of the air base seems to have been jilted in favor of this infatuation with a "wet corn mill".  We can't leave these matters to various city councils, apparently.  In the case of Grand Forks, they arrogantly refused to consult with their constituents, say nothing of brook argument from concerned individuals.

What is authoritarianism? Authoritarianism is a form of government characterized by the curtailment of political plurality; the application of strong central power; and restricting the rule of law, separation of powers, and democratic voting. Forcing compliance through edict rather than law smacks of authoritarianism.

The message from the authoritarians? Do not ever, ever transgress their power or edicts. To do so brings down on the head of the transgressor, the “little guy,” the selective application of the law.

Is Vladimir Putin being wrongfully accused of being the cause for the war in Ukraine? Did other powers lay the framework for an inevitable conflict? According to one academic theorist, maybe. Recently, John Mearsheimer has gained attention on international relations and on the Ukrainian crisis. But is Mearsheimer correct? In this article, Dr. R.B.A. Di Muccio examines Mearsheimer’s theory and argues there is a deeper underlying cause to the crisis. He writes, “Mearsheimer is obviously outraged that the Western powers challenged Putin in the ways that they did. But his attempt to use realist IR theory to give Putin mostly a pass on the causes of the Ukrainian crisis doesn’t quite stand up to scrutiny.”

Mike Pence has guts, if nothing else.   Last weekend he suggested that the only way forward for the Republican Party would be to simply forget all about the apparent corruption and the apparently false conduct of the 2020 election  -  "nothing to see here, folks, move on . . . " - and put him at the top of the 2024 ticket.   This would seem a hard sell with the millions of voters who not only went to the polls for Trump but attended rallies all summer and fall, and to those who remain incarcerated for attending the rally on January 6.   How would a guy like Pence define "justice"?  

How many people criticize the legacy media and their news coverage for distortion, misinformation, omission, or outright lying? Better still, why do we continue to ingest this stuff?

These are good reasons to unplug the television. The dominant media no longer presents “news you can use” expecting the public to reason through the “facts” and draw their own conclusions. The media in general has become another form of entertainment, a business venture, advocating one line of thought. By extension, “media” now includes all varieties of electronic media, social media in all its forms, blogs, and news apps. True journalism is dead.

The following resurrected piece is republished from The Passing Scene by popular demand. Several readers commented in the past and a few have asked for reprints. Here goes.

A friend recently contacted me knowing that I had experienced identity theft a few years ago. He sought my counsel and I was only too happy to oblige by relating my familiarity.

As with most folks, I thought it would never happen to me. But it did. Perpetrators stole my identity and used it to commit fraud.

What is it to be human? Google’s latest artificial intelligence (AI) program offers in-character conversion. If an AI robot can hold a sophisticated conversation, is it a sentient person? In this article, Dr. Brian Dellinger reviews the latest AI technology and the debate currently taking place. Dellinger argues that “Christianity may be well-positioned to offer a better answer. Most Christians have historically understood personhood to depend on more than physical traits or conversational capabilities; unborn infants, then, are persons, while artificial intelligences are not.”

Justice Samuel Alito’s majority opinion in Dobbs v. Jackson Women’s Health Organization holds that both Roe v. Wade and Planned Parenthood v. Casey must be overturned. The predicted impact on elective abortions has been well-rehearsed in the print and electronic press and on social media. In the case before the court, Mississippi’s Gestational Age Act was upheld, making abortion in that state illegal after 15 weeks. Furthermore, the effect of the ruling makes the abortion laws of other states—some virtually banning abortions and others allowing them with few limits—govern the availability of abortion to their citizenry. Finally, there will no longer be a recognized federal constitutional “right” to abortion. As Alito summarizes: “It is time to heed the Constitution and return the issue of abortion to the people’s elected representatives.”

If a person can’t travel, at least they can dream. Which segues into the question, “What are you reading?”

Travel literature, like mystery, history, or science fiction, comprises a genre all its own. The travelogue is a form of nonfiction prose written by, needless to say, someone wishing to share their travel adventures. Travelogues sustain their own identity. Success of a travelogue depends more upon the traveler’s wit and powers of observation than on their skill as a writer. Such a traveler may be described as an adventurer or a connoisseur of art, architecture, scenery, or strange and wonderful customs in faraway lands. As such, travel literature finds its roots as far back as the ancient Greek geographers.

The Environmental Protection Agency will require American motor-fuel refiners to increase the amount of corn-based ethanol that must be blended into motor fuels this year. Is this a good thing? Will it help lower the cost of fuel? In this article, economist Dr. Mark Hendrickson looks at the new regulations and argues that the policy may cause more harm than good. He writes, “Environmentally, using millions of acres of land to grow corn for fuel reduces wildlife habitat, accelerates the depletion of water tables, and increases pollution due to extra use of fertilizers.”

 Happy Independence Day! To celebrate, we invite you to read this article by Dr. Paul Kengor as he explores the views of the founders and the early republic. Kengor writes, “Americans should look back at their founding as based on the principles of 1776—that uniquely great achievement for life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness that was the Declaration of Independence. These were principles for all of humanity, though they would indeed take decades to fully implement for all Americans, both black and white. Their full achievement would lead to nothing less than a Civil War.”

In the wake of Roe being aborted, some liberal politicians, such as senators Joe Manchin (D-W.V.) and Susan Collins (R-Me.), are crying foul because they claim that SCOTUS justices Brett Kavanaugh and Neil Gorsuch deceived them over stare decisis (respect for precedent) during confirmation hearings. What’s unsaid is that stare decisis is itself a deception. In fact, our Founders would be aghast at the standard. Why? It’s simple:

On June 21, the Supreme Court ruled on a case that has generated scarce media coverage. It was an important ruling for religious liberty—a third in a series that counters state’s “Blaine Amendments.” In this article, constitutional scholar Dr. John Sparks details the recent case and highlights how “this decision recognizes that parents desire and ought to have real educational alternatives.”

Independence Day is upon us and understanding our Christian heritage is vital to preserving our liberty. A person need not be a Christian to grasp the fundamental wellspring of our unique concept of freedom. Now is a good time to reflect on our Biblical tenets of government.

The culture and government of any society fundamentally reflects its religion as a driving force. Whether the culture of the American Indian, a Muslim society, or the beliefs of the Papua New Guinea people, the mores, norms, and law – the very understanding of right and wrong -- are driven by closely held religious beliefs.

Over the weekend, many states began working on laws surrounding abortion. It is predicted that nearly half of the states will have legislation within months. Many people are celebrating the Supreme Court’s ruling on Dobbs—and yet, many people are protesting. So, what does overturning Roe really mean for America? In this article, Dr. Paul Kengor looks at the decision and details the potential rise of abortion states. He writes, “For states like New York and California, this process has already begun. The governors there are eager to fly the Roe flag as premier destination centers for abortion.”

A common way to put Made-up Sexual Status (MUSS, aka “transgender”) activists on the spot is to ask them “What is a woman?” They’ll hem and haw because their current emotion-based creed dictates that the only possible definition is “anyone who identifies as a woman.” Some sexual devolutionaries, however, may come back with what a YouTube commenter under a very clever, topic-related Babylon Bee video claimed. “Let's be real, conservatives do not have a tenable definition of woman,” he stated. “[C]onservatives don't talk about their definition of woman — they know it's not good enough.” Okay, then, challenge accepted. I’ll talk about it:

Last week, the Supreme Court ruled in Dobbs v. Jackson Women's Health Organization that abortion should be returned to the states. Many people are talking about the political aspect of the ruling. But what is the role of the American church in a post-Roe country? In this article, Dr. David Ayers calls for church leaders to step up. He writes, “Sound teaching on all that the sanctity of human life means, rooted in the larger themes of Christian theology and anthropology, must characterize our churches. Too many pastors and priests rarely if ever address this sensitive issue, from the pulpit or other teaching ministries.”

“Green energy” may be all the rage, but it also may not be the panacea we are led to believe. The crusade may be more of a farce in three acts than a solution to a questionable problem.

Eventually, massive amounts of waste must be dealt with. Wind turbines, solar panels, and batteries have a short life span, on average about 20 years. Conventional energy machines last at least twice as long. Mills cites the “green energy” advocate named the International Renewable Energy Agency (in coordination with the United Nations). They calculate that by 2050 the disposal of worn out solar panels will constitute over double the tonnage of all of today’s global plastic waste. Wind turbines and batteries will add millions more tons of waste.

Comedian-cum-commentator Bill Maher has of late been making some new friends and enemies and raising many an eyebrow. At issue are his Real Time monologues in which he has taken his “side,” the Left, to task for “woke” insanity ranging from canceling people over innocent quips to convincing children they can be the opposite sex to whiny “millennial” entitlement. It reminds many of the #WalkAway movement and of billionaire industrialist Elon Musk’s recent resolution to vote Republican. Nonetheless, Maher never actually becomes “red pilled”; one way or another, he makes clear he’s firmly on the Democrat plantation. There’s a good reason for this, too — a psychological reason.

You need to understand the history and theory of population manipulation designed to lead to leftist takeover using public money to fund propaganda outlets.

Everywhere you look in the state of North Dakota you see winners who were endorsed at their local convention and now will be the candidate for the GOP in November.

Because of this we won’t have to worry about the legislature bending to the governor’s will because he lost on Tuesday, and they won.

Because they won, other Republican legislators may now stand up and not cower for fear of retribution.

Because they won, we won!

The haunting refrains of Harry Chapin’s song “Cat’s in the Cradle,” like "planes to catch and bills to pay … when you coming home, dad?” started to play in my mind recently. A Fortune 500 company recruiter asked to join me in my office after a day of on-campus interviewing. He immediately locked in on, and asked about, the picture of my wife and four kids. With a quavering voice, as if speaking from his soul, he issued an unexpected directive to me: “You go home at five o’clock, Jim, and be a devoted and available husband and father!” He then explained what he called his well-intentioned, but heartbreaking, life story.

Paying attention to and playing with words becomes second nature to a person who writes. We live at a time of prolific word creation and new words are invented every year. In 2019 alone Merriam-Webster Dictionary added over 1,100 new words. Unfortunately, many young people, especially social media regulars, have little appreciation for the rich repository of archaic English words.

And then there are words that never quite made it into popular diction. As a light break from the heavier screed produced in The Passing Scene, the following comprise a rather curious read. Consider some of these underdogs.

Word is that the Senate has the necessary votes for federal gun control legislation designed to, among other things, pressure states into instituting “red flag” laws. These measures are controversial because they involve suspending a person’s rights (i.e., seizing his weapons) without due process. Wherever you stand on them and federal firearms laws in principle, however, a simple fact is under-emphasized in this debate: Laws mean little if not enforced.

What’s more, they’re actually instruments of evil if only enforced to the degree where good people will comply.

Here’s another fact: Corresponding to the general unwillingness among left-wing district attorneys to punish criminals (who aren’t also political opponents), these officials, though claiming firearms are a plague, aren’t punishing most gun crimes. Odd, huh?