Liberalism, Civic Reformism and Democracy in American Politics

This paper argues that liberalism provides democracy with the experience of civic reformism. Without it, democracy loses any tie-argumentative or practical-to a coherent design of public policy endeavoring to provide the resources for the realization of democratic citizenship. The case for liberalism rests on an argumentative reconstruction of the function it performs before the rise of a world economic order and, more specifically, in the creation of the welfare state after the Second World War. Accordingly, liberalism defines a reformist political program: it is an emancipatory political project by virtue of its struggle for an egalitarian and universalist extension of citizenship rights. This is but a formulation of the modern idea of citizenship, conceived of as a universalizable contract of rights. At the same time, liberalism embraces a socioeconomic emancipatory project that endeavors to provide the conditions, within the institutional framework of modern societies, for the accomplishment of citizenship rights.

I've Gone Retro! (Well, at least with my new vintage bike)

Well, Christmas has come and gone and I did pick up a very nice retro, custom built one-speed bicycle. I'll try to get some pictures up soon, but it's a beauty. Think Pee-Wee Herman's bike, but with a thousand times more attitude.

Retro Bicycle Articles and Gear

Pros and Cons of Genetic Engineering in Humans

Genetic Engineering is the heritable, directed alteration of an organism based on a conception of genes as simple codes for determining specific properties. It IS NOT Breeding. Genetic engineering is only differs from selective breeding in that we have much more precise control, and that new genes can be introduced. Though genetic engineering is nothing new, the safety of genetic engineering is something that presents much concern. Let us be absolutely clear about this - genetic engineering is only just at the most basic and primitive stage of its own research. Contrary to the arguments made by some proponents, genetic experimentation is far from a minor extension of existing breeding technologies.

A number of companies have offerings for non viral methods of DNA delivery using recombinant DNA technology [genetic engineering]. The potential risk posed by these companies faces our society with problems unprecedented not only in the history of science, but of life on the Earth.

A great number of innovations may arise in the next 20 years because scientists are making progress in monoamine oxidase (MAO) research in relation to genetic engineering. Even though, I think we should try to progress as fast as possible. Very little progress has been reported regarding such seemingly simple tasks as engineering color in plant species or plant metabolic engineering. Scientific research has enabled geneticists to map out certain parts of the DNA of a living cell and culture it into another being.

Christian ethicists and denominational statements have, for the most part, rejected arguments that genetic engineering is inherently wrong even though it is a hotly debated topic in our community. Genetic engineering is the thing of the future. Today the situation is perhaps even more grave because this technology acts on the very blueprint of life itself.