It’s wrong to force people to pay into a coercive retirement system, run by the government at a poor return rate, when they could be making better and more profitable decisions on their own.
Dr Michael Hurd
Dr. Michael Hurd is a psychotherapist, columnist and author of "Bad Therapy, Good Therapy (And How to Tell the Difference)" and "Grow Up America!" Visit his website at: www.DrHurd.com.
Ayn Rand: Hero
Today is the 100th anniversary of the birth of Ayn Rand. Ayn Rand is the author of the famous novels “The Fountainhead” and “Atlas Shrugged.” Ayn Rand is, to me, more than merely the author of those great books. She is the one who gave me the...
Meditations on Meditation
Q: What can meditation do for me? A: People who meditate are generally trying to reduce stress. Reducing stress is fine. However, there’s nothing mystical about meditation that can help you. Letting your mind stop can be useful, but it also can be an indication...
What Kind of Intelligence Needs Reforming
I don’t mean to minimize the concern over intelligence reform in this country. However, the kind of intelligence most desperately needed is the philosophical kind. For our government officials in the Pentagon, the CIA, and elsewhere, philosophical intelligence...
Dealing with Chronic Doubt
Q: Dr. Hurd, how can I handle my problems with excessive doubt? A: Doubt is sometimes logical — even helpful. For example, you might believe that somebody did something wrong to you, but the belief is based more on emotion than evidence. Your doubt about whether...
The Institution of Marriage
If a group of people lined up to board the Titanic as it were sinking, you would say they were irrational. If these people were denied admission to the sinking Titanic because of race, creed, or sexual orientation, and then became angry over this discrimination, you...
There’s Still Time
One of the reasons the electorate and the country are so divided is that there is no widespread adherence to any particular set of political convictions. Most Americans do not want to adopt Communism, Nazism, fascism or Islamofascism as a set of convictions, for...
Celebrate Divisiveness
In his phone call conceding the election to President Bush, John Kerry is reported as having said we need to “do something” about all the divisiveness in the country. This is wrong on two counts. First, division on matters of principle is a good thing. The...
The Imperfect President And His Dangerous Opponent
Q: I have read your article entitled “Election 2004: Looking Ahead While Living Today” and while I am leaning towards voting for Bush for the very same reasons you list, I was wondering how you respond to the following quote by Ayn Rand: “A...
Negotiating with Terrorists
Q: Dr. Hurd, I know you favor a strong stance against terrorism. However, I’m sure you disagree with the policy of the Bush Administration and Tony Blair in Britain to refuse to negotiate with the groups who practice beheading. People are dying in the most...
It Takes One to Know One–Or Does It?
Q: What do you think of the old saying, “It takes one to know one”? A: It’s a package deal. By package deal I mean the lumping of a true concept with a false one. The evil of a package deal is that the truthful part of the statement motivates one to...
What’s At Stake in the War Against Terrorism
Q: You say that if–when this country is attacked again–John Kerry would probably call the U.N. and “scream for help”. But Kerry told the people of the U.S. that if it was attacked again he would respond or react. So why do you say that he would...
The Power of Liberty To Transform Nations
President George W. Bush, in his acceptance speech at the Republican National Convention: “The progress we and our friends and allies seek in the broader Middle East will not come easily, or all at once. Yet Americans, of all people, should never be surprised by...
Libertarians: The Party of Surrender
Q: Dr. Hurd, I understand you dislike both the Democrats and the Republicans. Why not vote Libertarian for President? They favor strongly limited government, like you do. A: The Libertarian Party is worse than either the Republican or Democratic parties–and...
Self-Interest Trumps Niceness
Q: What’s more important, being nice or being self-interested? A: It’s good to be nice. Being nice is more often in one’s self-interest than not. For example: Are you more willing to spend your money at a business who treats its customers nicely or...
The Moral Use of Force Against Dictators Like Saddam Hussein
Q: Dr. Hurd, you advocate the use of pre-emptive force against terrorist states (e.g. Saddam Hussein’s Iraq) yet, in seeming contradiction, you assert that the initiation of physical force is never justified for any reason. Am I missing something ? A: Yes. First...
Cheney vs. the Religious Right
Vice President Dick Cheney’s recent comments backing away from President Bush’s constitutional amendment banning gay marriage drew criticism from the conservative Family Research Council, with President Tony Perkins saying: “I find it hard to believe...
Kerry’s Demand for Censorship
John Kerry has gained control of the Bush campaign and has, psychologically and strategically if not yet literally, won the presidential election. While Kerry’s own party systematically decimates Bush’s competence and character for daring to actually use...
We Are Our Own Keepers
I am not my brother’s keeper. Nor are you. We need only be our own keepers.
Election 2004: Looking Ahead While Living Today
Q: Dr. Hurd, you sometimes imply that it would be worse to vote for John Kerry than for President Bush. But President Bush wants to push his religious agenda on the nation. Isn’t that worse than John Kerry? A: Bush’s religious agenda is bad indeed. I will...
The “Anti-War” Protestors are Too Conservative
A group of pro Iraq-war/pro-Bush demonstrators is forming to counter the anti-war demonstrations going on in the country, particularly on college campuses. The name of the new group is Protest Warrior. According to news reports, they are greeted with taunts of...
“What Should I Do?”
When stuck with the question, “What should I do?” don’t stay stuck. Don’t fall prey to the temptation to blindly asking someone else what you should do. Instead, ask yourself — and answer — the following questions: What are my...
The Bigger Picture
I’m tired of hearing all the bad news about Iraq. It’s time to recognize the good news too. This requires viewing the bigger picture, not just viewing the politicized movie of a fat, unshaven no-talent or the biased musings of a major media anchor. Our...
The Marriage Affirmation Act: The Integration of Church and State
A new law in the State of Virginia illustrates the growing Constitutional crisis in our country, a crisis brought about by the failure of both liberals and conservatives to grasp the concept of individual rights. Virginia has passed into law something called the...
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