Category Archives: Libertarianism

Dumb arguments against libertarianism are increasing, as guardians of the expansive state begin to worry that the country might actually be trending in a libertarian direction. This may not be the dumbest, but as Nick Gillespie said of a different argument two weeks ago, its the most recent:

The deadly drug war in Long Islands Hempstead ghetto is a harrowing example of free-market, laissez-faire capitalism, with a heavy dose of TEC-9s

Were looking to market, sell and profit off drugs the way any business would handle their product, Tony says. Only our product is illegal, so more precautions need to be taken. Its all systematic and planned, all the positions and responsibilities and assignments. All of thats part of our business strategy. Its usually real smooth and quiet, because thats the best environment for us to make bank. But now, we at war, man. Aint nothing quiet these days.

Deutsch describes the competition between the local Crips and Bloods in terms not usually seen in articles about, say, Apple and Microsoft or Ford and Toyota:

As for strategies, they seem to have settled on a war of attrition, aiming to kill or maim as many of their enemies as possible.

Theyre far better armed and willing to use violence than the smaller neighborhood cliques scattered throughout Nassau County.

Theyre also able to keep out other competitors through use of brute force.

Continued here:
Newsweek: Back in Print, Confused as Ever

Q A with Jeremy Arney - Libertarianism and CAP Policies

By: Canadian Action Party

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Q&A with Jeremy Arney - Libertarianism and CAP Policies - Video

Liberty. Its a simple idea, but its also the linchpin of a complex system of values and practices: justice, prosperity, responsibility, toleration, cooperation, and peace. Many people believe that liberty is the core political value of modern civilization itself, the one that gives substance and form to all the other values of social life. Theyre called libertarians.

If youre new to libertarianism and want to learn more, the items below will give you a good start.

David Boaz

In just 20 minutes, David Boaz introduces libertarianism, explores the ideas behind it, and the policies it leads to. If you want to know what libertarianism is all about, this is the place to start.

November 3, 2011 Essays

Aaron Ross Powell

Libertarianismits theory, its practiceis an awfully big topic. This reading list gives you a place to start. A combination of newcomers and established classics, these books offer accessible introductions to variety of libertarian thought, from philosophy to history to economics.

April 5, 2012 Columns

Aaron Ross Powell

In this essay, Aaron Powell and Trevor Burrus explain how big government not only makes us poorer and less free, but also undermines our moral character and turns neighbor against neighbor.

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What is Libertarianism? | A Libertarianism.org Guide

Individualism, A Hole* In Right Libertarianism
So big i could stick my head through it.

By: RedScare TV

Originally posted here:
Individualism, A Hole* In Right Libertarianism - Video

Te Cato Cato Institute has long issued areport card on the nations governors. The grades are based on what Cato thinks constitutes good fiscal policy. Governors who work for policy like that get As, and those who dont get Fs. Back when my libertarianism was still in the closet, I wrote critically of the Cato report card. I now regret my harsh critiques of the project because I believe Cato does the nation a great service by analyzing, assessing, and rating state executives.

That doesnt mean everyone does or should agree with Catos assessment of each governor. The report card serves as a marker representing the institutes views, and those views challenge liberal and traditional conservative thinking on fiscal issues. Reading the report card and other works by the institute may change some minds. But more importantly, it broadens the debate over the role of fiscal policy in particular and government more generally. So if you pray at the altar of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities or of Citizens for Tax Justice, I hope you wont reflexively dismiss the Cato report card. Rather, I hope youll seriously consider the arguments in it. I also encourage libertarians and conservatives to follow the work of theCBPP,Citizens for Tax Justice, andGood Jobs Firstclosely. Just because their political philosophy is different than yours doesnt make their fiscal arguments wrong.

Entrance to the Cato Institute in Washington, DC. (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

Now that I have everyone holding hands, lets look at this years report card.There were only four A students, which tells you that Cato is a tough grader. IndianasMike Pence(R), MainesPaul LePage(R), KansassSam Brownback(R), and North CarolinasPat McCrory(R) were rated the only excellent governors when it comes to fiscal policy.

I realize that picking those four will jeopardize the possibility of any liberals taking the report card seriously. All four significantly cut taxes and have fought for less government spending, so its not surprising that Chris Edwards and Nicole Kaeding of Cato put them at the front of the class.

I like most of those choices. I think LePage (who removed 70,000 low-income citizens from the tax rolls), McCrory (who led significant reform), and Pence (who should get an A for fighting to eliminate the personal property tax on business equipment) deserved their grades. However, I disagree with the Brownback grade. While I generally like the idea of income and business tax cuts, I think Brownback deserves a D for supporting a policy that exempts from taxation income from passthrough entities. Thats bad tax policy whether youre conservative, liberal, or libertarian. By the way, LePage and Brownback are seeking reelection this year, and right now the polls suggest they wont be coming back to the governors mansion.

Eight governors failed: MinnesotasMark Dayton(DFL), OregonsJohn Kitzhaber(D), DelawaresJack Markell(D), WashingtonsJay Inslee(D), IllinoissPat Quinn(D), MassachusettssDeval Patrick(D), ColoradosJohn Hickenlooper(D), and CaliforniasJerry Brown(D). That sounds harsh to most Americans. We dont fail. Kids get straight As, go to Ivy League schools, and eventually work in a profession their parents can brag about. The failing governors are what we used to call tax-and-spend liberals. None have met a tax (or a spending policy) they didnt embrace. So I generally agree with Cato on its assessment of the worst kids in the class. Of those up for reelection, only Quinn is in any danger of not retaining his position.

The one governor who should have gotten an F but inexplicably received a B isAndrew Cuomo. The Democrat from New York pushed the worst tax policy idea of all time: tax-free zones. Im disappointed Cato didnt call him on it.

This post is an excerpt of an article that first appeared inState Tax Notes.

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Schooling The Nation's Governors

Introduction

Earlier this year, when asked in an interview about his views on anarchism, Ron Paul expressed that he believed anarchism to be a good idea.

To some young libertarians in the liberty movement, this might come as a total shock after all, wasnt Ron Paul a constitutionalist and a former member of congress? But to those who understand the true origins of the Ron Paul Revolution, and in particular the influences of Ron Paul himself, such remarks should come as no surprise.

First, Ron Paul was a close ideological ally of Murray N. Rothbard, the renowned Austrian economist, historian, and political theorist. Murray Rothbard, the author of twenty five books and literally thousands of articles, is considered by many as one of the most important and prolific libertarian scholars in history. Furthermore, grounding his libertarianism in natural law theory, Rothbard came to the conclusion that government, even if limited in size, represents an intolerable moral evil. The State, Rothbard would argue, violates the natural law by merely existing, seeing as even basic state activities, such as national defense, must be funded though theft, i.e., through compulsory taxation.

Of course, while Paul has certainly not embraced the anarcho-capitalist vision of a stateless society, Murray Rothbard has had a profound impact on Ron Paul, who admired Rothbards writings tremendously. According toRon Paul:

It would be difficult to exaggerate Professor Murray N. Rothbards influence on the movement for freedom and free markets. He is the living giant of Austrian economics, and he has led the now-formidable movement ever since the death of his great teacher, Ludwig von Mises, in 1971. We are all indebted to him for the living link he has provided to Mises, upon whose work he has built and expanded.

Furthermore, Ron Paul not only recognized the important contributions set forth by Murray Rothbard, but also declared that Rothbard was an essential figure in his conversion to Austrian Economics and Libertarianism. He writes:

Years before I ever thought of running for Congress, I came across Rothbards Americas Great Depression. Before reading it, my thinking was clouded by the temptation to divide these issues and ideas in partisan terms. Rothbard fixed that. Americas Great Depression was a key book in my conversion to pure free-market, libertarian thinking. The confidence I gained with ammunition supplied by Rothbard encouraged my entry into politics, since I needed the reassurance that my intuitive allegiance to liberty was shared by great thinkers. Rothbard taught me to always keep the distinction between peaceful market activity and State coercion in my mind. It served as a constant guide once I was in office.

1. Natural Law

One clear example of Pauls Rothbardian roots, then, can be illustrated by his opposition to the income tax on the ground that it is a form of involuntary servitude. When Ron Paul claims that the income tax is theft, moreover, his opposition is not grounded in a cost-benefit analysis, i.e., that the costs outweigh the benefits. On the contrary, he understands it to be a moral issue above anything else. The income tax should not be abolished because it is fiscally irresponsible, whatever that means, but because it is a form of morally reprehensible robbery.

Read the rest here:
The Rothbard-Paul Message

Bear in mind we started in 2009 in Europe with 13 MEPs and we ended up with five, so there are dead UKIP bodies all over the place with knives quivering in their back so make sure its not yours.

The former MEP, who was first elected to Brussels in 2004, said: I was a founding member of Ukip and Ive been a significant donor.

But now I find that instead of being the libertarian party, the party of common sense, Ive been banned from speaking.

So, yes, its a very sad day for me. But the party seems to have gone astray."

He added: "Quite whats going on I couldnt say, but Ive had enough.

What kind of party are we supposed to be? The while point and the reason we are doing so well is because we were supposed to something different.

We seem to be drifting towards the politically correct mainstream like everybody else.

Ive had enough of party politics. I dont think party politics is for people who tell it like it is.

Mr Bloom caused an outcry in 2012 after saying that foreign aid is sent to "Bongo Bongo Land".

It came after he sparked accusations of sexism after saying: I just dont think they clean behind the fridge enough, a remark which ultimately led to his downfall.

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Former Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom quits party because it is too 'politically correct'

Bloom said he was leaving with a 'heavy heart' but had 'had enough' He said he had been banned from speaking to Ukip activists Former MEP caused fury in past over remarks about 'Bongo Bongo land' Bloom also warned Ukip's new MP Douglas Carswell: 'Watch your back'

By Tom McTague, Deputy Political Editor for MailOnline

Published: 13:52 EST, 13 October 2014 | Updated: 16:49 EST, 13 October 2014

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Outspoken former Ukip MEP Godfrey Bloom has quit the party claiming it is now too politically correct.

Mr Bloom, a former flat mate of Nigel Farage, said he was leaving with a heavy heart but had had enough after being banned from speaking because of his controversial views.

He left with a warning for Ukips first elected MP Douglas Carswell that he could be knifed in the back by his new party if he was not careful.

Mr Bloom, who represented Yorkshire and the Humber for Ukip in the European Parliament for 10 years, added: Douglas, watch your back.

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Godfrey Bloom quits UKIP because it is now too 'politically correct'

Libertarianism and Derk Pereboom. Summer school "Free will and Moral responsibility". Part one

By: Moscow Center for Consciousness Studies

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Libertarianism and Derk Pereboom. Summer school "Free will and Moral responsibility". Part one - Video

Atheism and Libertarianism 12: Who Watches the Watchmen?
With religion, it #39;s priests and holy texts. With statism, it #39;s politicians and bureaucrats and police and laws. The problem is, you can #39;t have an infinite or circular succession of watchers...

By: Shane Killian

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Atheism and Libertarianism 12: Who Watches the Watchmen? - Video