Category Archives: Libertarian

Being Libertarian

The Libertarian Ethic of Responsibility Being Libertarian If we are genuinely committed to the libertarian cause, and to seeing libertarianism take root in American politics (either independently through the Libertarian Party or through another vehicle of political action), we have to recognize that such a ...

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The Libertarian Ethic of Responsibility - Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian

Beirut Riots As Lebanon Raises Taxes Being Libertarian Beirut is overrun with protesters as the Lebanese government has proposed levying higher taxes to combat their growing deficit, but Lebanese citizens are unwilling to bear further stress to combat their government's misappropriation. Chants of We Will ... and more »

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Beirut Riots As Lebanon Raises Taxes - Being Libertarian

A forum was held Sunday at St. Mark United Methodist Church in Wichita between two of the three candidates looking to fill the seat former congressman and current CIA director Mike Pompeo vacated in Kansas' 4th District.

Democrat James Thompson and Libertarian Chris Rockhold participated. Republican Ron Estes, although he had confirmed to take part, was absent due to a conflict.

The candidates commented on the budget, school funding, race issues and the Affordable Care Act.

Thompson said lawmakers should focus on controlling high health care costs, including pharmaceuticals. Rockhold said coverage for pre-existing conditions should remain.

Sixty-four-year-old Pastor Titus James attended the forum and said after he still hasnt decided who he'll vote for.

If Im not careful half my annual income will be for health care and thats not right for an old man so Im going to see how they will handle that --how they will try to work with fairness and parity for all people with that," he said.

Thompson and Rockhold both stressed the importance of being accessible to their constituents and the top priority of voting in the special election on April 11.

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Carla Eckels is assistant news director and the host of Soulsations. Follow her on Twitter@Eckels.

To contact KMUW News or to send in a news tip, reach us atnews@kmuw.org.

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Democratic, Libertarian Congressional Candidates Participate In ... - KMUW

Being Libertarian (satire)

Emmanuel Macron Wins French Presidential Debate Being Libertarian (satire) France's presidential front-runner candidate, the centrist and pro-business Emmanuel Macron, was said to have been the most convincing participant of last night's five-way debate, according to an Elabe snap poll. The National Front's populist leader ... and more »

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Emmanuel Macron Wins French Presidential Debate - Being Libertarian (satire)

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by Micah J. Fleck

With the latest release (and subsequent craze) of The Legend of Zelda: Breath of the Wildwhich came out at the top of this month and is already becoming one of the highest reviewed games of all timethe video gaming scene is abuzz with practically nothing but ubiquitous praise for the title. Everything from its mechanics to its environment has been lauded by nearly everyone who has played it even those who dont typically like this series, genre, or even the medium itself.

Why is this? Why do open world games have such a seemingly hypnotic qualities to them that make so many people from so many walks of life sit up and take notice? What is this single quality they possess that can bring young and old into their good graces and earn them such fandom?

The answer is obvious, once one thinks about it for even a moment. Open world games are so popular because they offer something to the consumer that few other forms of entertainment media can: freedom. Freedom to roam to anywhere one pleases, and to do anything one wants in any order. This is the future of entertainment media, the idea that an audience member can not only interact with what they are experiencing, but fundamentally change it based on her own preferences. But what makes this even more interesting is that the demand for more and more open world gaming in the market speaks to the truth of something Dr. Ron Paul has been practically immortalized as having said: freedom is popular.

Most people when asked will not say that their politics align libertarian. And yet those same people, when probed a bit more, will ultimately hold integral perspectives that are arguably very libertarian. This goes back to the same point I often make about libertarianism being a humanitarian philosophy well before it takes a specific political form, and that it truly is an innate human value that puts autonomy of the individual as the paramount concern. Its as organic as our own genetic traits as explained in Dawkinss The Selfish Gene. Its as sensible as everyones desire to own a house of our own. And yes, it is as widespread and stimulating as home entertainment. Most of the media we consume at large is spoon-fed to us these days is a large scale push to output as much content and sell as many toilet cleaners and online degrees as possible. So when the rare television show, film, album, or even video game comes along that treats the audience member as a thinking human being and not as a potential customer, the response is almost always positive. And universally so.

This is because our inner libertarians are being tapped into during these moments; our very human sensibilities that at the end of the day scream for freedom of thought, trade, and movement are being tickled and enlivened when we are given a product that respects our autonomy rather than tries to circumvent it. And with more and more of the entertainment world realizing that freedom and individual intellect are bottomless in their marketing possibilities, my hope is that we will begin to see a similar cultural shift in areas just north of the entertainment world, such as politics and discourse.

The reality of human desire and excellence still exists just beneath the surface. But in this pop culture-driven world we now inhabit,it might just take blips on a screen to wake us up and uncover it.

AdvertizementAutonomyBreath of the Wildcapitalismconsumerismfree tradefreedomFreedom of MovementHumanHumanitarianInnateInner LibertarianIntellectlibertarianMarketplace of IdeasNintendo Switchpop culturerespectRichard DawkinsSensibilitiesThe Legend of ZeldaThe Selfish Genevideo games

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Open World Video Games Appeal to Everyone's Inner Libertarian - The Libertarian Republic

After several weeks of fighting, the self-professed Libyan National Army has captured southwest Benghazi, the final stronghold of jihadistfighters in the East.

The siege resulted in the deaths of 23 resistance fighters and five Libyan National Army soldiers, with six wounded. Many others were arrested in the siege, and several family members of the resistance fighters are unaccounted for.

Since the fall of Libyan President Muammar Gaddafi in 2011, Benghazi fell into the control of warring jihadist groups, including ISIS. Khalifa Haftar, commander of the Libyan National Army, has recently increased attacks on terrorist groups.

The successful raids have managed to purge the jihadists from Benghazi, who took control of the city in 2014.

There are two major sides in the current civil war in Libya: The Eastern Libyan National Army, which is backed by Russia, while theUnited Nations, European Union, Arab League and African Union recognize the Western government in Libyas capital, Tripoli.

Chief of the Arab league Ahmed Aboul-Gheit commented, We agreed on supporting the (UN-backed) presidential council in its efforts to exert security control in the capital, including the implementation of the truce agreement.

Various armed groups support the Western government in Tripoli, though the situation is unstable with several militias still operating in the capital region.

Since the NATO-lead coalition ousted Gaddafi, Libya has been in chaos. Prior to the fall of the Gaddafi regime, Libya was producing 1.6 million barrels of oil per day, which accounted for 95 percent of national revenue according to a World Bank report. In February 2017, Libya was producing less than half of that, at 700,000 barrels per day. Inflation was last measured at 29 percent.

The economic and political peril of Libya speaks to the need of libertarian principles: Aggressive foreign policy has very real consequences, which have resulted in calamity for Libya and the growth of international terrorism.

Photo Source: Al Jazeera

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Final Jihadist Groups in Benghazi Have Been Killed or Captured - Being Libertarian

The Republican and Democratic conventions to select their candidates to replace Ryan Zinke were held in a convention hall holding hundreds of delegates and on-lookers. The Libertarian convention, held at the Eagle Lodge in Helena last Saturday, was attended by three dozen loyalists including 21 delegates. It was the only convention that featured homemade brownies as a snack. The Libertarian Party has been considered an also ran party garnering single-digit vote results after their candidates paid their campaign fees then went fishing. Ron Vandevender, Chairman of the Montana Libertarian Party, is vowing to change that. Referencing two presidential candidates with the lowest likeability ratings in history and now two candidates that support the same policies and personalities Ron proclaimed, No more AAA ball. We are in this to win and build a party that can continue to win. We have the message, and this is the time for that message. The candidate selected was Mark Wicks, a published author and third generation rancher from Inverness who augments his income by delivering the rural mail and selling produce at various venues including farmers markets and road side stands. He has a degree in Aviation maintenance. Mark explained, I am just like many Montanans. I need several revenue streams to care for my family. It is a lot of work but it is what a father does. He is married to Beth and has a son Hunter (18), and three daughters Jewel (16), Choral (12), and Liberty (4). His children are all involved in the family enterprises. I think many people will see me as the candidate that truly understands the average Montanan and their daily struggles and hopes.

Positions Wicks first mentioned position concerned the long-standing platform of the Republican Party to eliminate the U.S. Dept of Education. George W. Bush opposed this plank so delegates to the Republican convention deleted it. Mark Wicks says, Reduce government spending and programs across the board starting with the Dept. of Education. Take that money and block grant it to the states. We have great teachers. Set them free and let them teach. Veterans: We should give all veterans a Medicaid card which is accepted by every hospital. They should not have to drive hundreds of miles over icy roads when quality care is right at hand. Functionality of Congress: We must stop runaway spending and social engineering. To accomplish this we must return to the intent of the 10th amendment of the Constitution. Neither major party wants to solve problems but rather prefer to cast blame. We elect Democrats and Republicans over and over yet everything just gets worse. Transfer of Federal lands to Montana: I believe federal lands would be better managed under local control. But I would never accept selling large parcels of public lands. There may be a few isolated parcels that should be considered but not many. If we were to sell off lands favored by hunters, fishermen, and wildlife I would insist on a public easement that would forever guarantee public access. Wicks admits getting out his message is problematic with only $1000 to put into the effort. But he is hopeful, The national party must recognize that out of the five federal races going on right now Montana leans the most Libertarian and is the most affordable. Libertarians across the country should be energized by this opportunity to establish a beach-head in Congress. Wicks joined all candidates at the convention in an oath to not make personal attacks against their opponents but rather to honestly discuss the philosophical differences between them. Keeping true to that he said, I am a no strings attached candidate. The other two will be beholding to the special interests and to their parties supported by the same special interests. People want a real discussion of the real issues facing America and our families. We will not accept campaigns driven by messages of 140 characters or less such as I will drain the swamp or Make America Great Again. Asked what separated him from Democratic candidate, Rob Quist, Wicks replied, Rob Quist is probably a nice guy but he plainly advocates for national registration of guns. I have never heard of anyone which thinks this is an acceptable idea. On Gianforte he said, He has worked hard and accomplished a lot. And he accomplishes a lot of good through his philanthropy. But what he offers is just more of the same partisan politics and sound bites. Wicks smiled and said, He also wants to drain the swamp. In the last election 6 percent of Montanans voted Libertarian for president. Six percent is a long way from a winning 34 percent. But Mark Wicks and Ron Vandevender vow to give it their best.

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Libertarians chose Wicks as candidate - Laurel Outlook (subscription)

Being Libertarian

What do Libertarians Stand to Gain by Defending Milo Yiannopoulos? Being Libertarian My opinion on him has little to do with his explosive nature or his comedic tropes, but more to do with questioning what the end goal in all of this is, and how he in any way helps or advances the libertarian message. Is he the next Christopher Hitchens?

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What do Libertarians Stand to Gain by Defending Milo Yiannopoulos? - Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian

Shortcuts & Delusions: Chasing Shadows, Tilting At Windmills ... Being Libertarian Three conservative writers I read on a routine basis, Ben Shapiro, Jonah Goldberg, and Kevin D. Williamson, have articles this past week that address the ... and more »

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Shortcuts & Delusions: Chasing Shadows, Tilting At Windmills ... - Being Libertarian

Being Libertarian

The French Conundrum Being Libertarian Hollande is a member of the Socialist Party, and from a libertarian point of view, he's a candidate we wouldn't even think of voting for. Islamic terrorism coupled with economic stagnation has made Hollande extremely unpopular amongst French voters. and more »

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The French Conundrum - Being Libertarian