Many Americans may be confused about the fact that theirs is a liberal democracy because the Latin-origin word "liberal" has itself been bent out of shape in the U.S. Somehow it has come to mean leftist. That, is about as rare a definition of the word as the use of the Imperial system of measurement. And like the use of inches and ounces, it is basically just plain wrong. It becomes increasingly absurd once you notice that today's far left in the U.S., at least when it comes to free speech, is about as liberal as Mussolini. Liberalism stands for freedoms, just as it sounds. Britain's John Locke, one of the fathers of liberal thought, argued that individuals possess natural rights, including the rights to life, liberty, and property, and that even when not granted by governments they are inherent to human beings. He called for a "social contract" between the government and the people, to ensure the respect for and promotion of those rights. read more
Results: Haley, 51, struck a commanding 49% against Biden's 43%, according to the CNN/SSRS poll released today. This is the only result to exceed the margin of error. Meanwhile, former President Donald Trump received 47% to Biden's 46%; former Vice President Mike Pence and Sen. Tim Scott both received 46% to Biden's 44% and New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie received 44% to Biden's 42%. Florida Gov. Ron DeSantis tied with Biden at 47%, while entrepreneur Vivek Ramaswamy trailed Biden's 46% at 45%. read more
The German air force has joined a group of NATO member states that have volunteered to protect the airspace of Slovakia, which previously transferred its air defense systems and MiG-29 fighter jets to Ukraine. This is reported by DW , Ukrinform saw. For this purpose, the security flights will be conducted in the airspace of Slovakia until December 22, as the press service of the Bundeswehr reported earlier. It is noted that two Eurofighter combat aircraft of the German tactical air force 74th squadron, stationed in Upper Bavaria, will remain combat-ready to intercept unidentified or hostile objects in the airspace of Slovakia in the event of an emergency. read more
Jimmy Buffett, the understated crooner whose escapist songs became a symbol of kicking back on an island while helping him build a sprawling tropics-infused business empire, has died at age 76. ... Forbes counted Buffett among the world's highest-earning musicians this year, with an estimated net worth of $1 billion, including $570 million from touring and recording, a music catalog valued around $50 million and $140 million in planes, homes and shares in Berkshire Hathaway. read more
In September 2014, six months after the referendum, we interviewed 12 locals from Simferopol and Sevastopol, asking them about their life in Crimea before and how they felt about becoming part of Russia, and their future. Now, after Russian President Vladimir Putin's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, we reached out to the same individuals again, trying to capture shifting attitudes on the ground, eight years on, as the war rages on. In 2014, we recorded a massive post-referendum euphoria among those we spoke to. "I am one of those who voted yes' in the 2014 referendum," said a 28-year-old digital marketer from Sevastopol. "Then, I sincerely believed that we will become part of a great country.'" read more
"It's paying double what I borrowed, to a company that was gifted the money by Uncle Sam in the first place."
Again, has it been more or less fiscally beneficial for you to have taken the loan?
Again, math.