Government by Wishful Thinking

Something about trees

Theres a bit of philosophical discussion at the O Club as we speak.  It concerns "Government by Wishful Thinking." by Steven den Beste.  To wit, is he  "wrong on the use of teleology as an ontology in the realm of metaphysics - even though he correctly identifies materialism as a valid metaphysical ontology."  Right.  But that's only my segue into this delightful compound limerick from Old Spook. “ So no, its not teleology, it is idealism that Obama subscribes to, like Hegel, one of his socialist philosophical forebears. This limerick shows that idealism requires either magical thinking or else the existence of an omnipresent God as an observer: (Attributed to Knox or anonymous, variously) There once was a man who said "God Must find it exceedingly odd To think that the tree Should continue to be When there's no one about in the quad." Dear Sir: Your astonishment's odd; I am always about in the quad. And that's why the tree Will continue to be Since observed by, Yours faithfully, God. ”