Sometimes it is more important to
discover what one cannot do, than
what one can do.
Lin Yutang
Guest Quotation of the Day
(Barack "We Can't Afford To Do Nothing" Obama Never Read Tzu)
"As restrictions and prohibitions are multiplied in the Empire, the people grow poorer and poorer. When the people are subjected to over much government, the land is thrown into confusion. When the people are skilled in many cunning arts, strange are the objects of luxury that appear.
The greater the number of laws and enactments, the more thieves and robbers there will be. Therefore the Sage says: "So long as I do nothing, the people will work out their own reformation. So long as I love calm, the people will right themselves. If only I keep from meddling, the people will grow rich.[...]"
If the government is sluggish and tolerant, the people will be honest and free from guile. If the government is prying and meddling, there will be constant infraction of the law. Is the government corrupt? Then uprightness becomes rare, and goodness becomes strange. Verily, mankind have been under delusion for many a day!"
-Lao Tzu (HT Bastiat Institute)
Pro-Liberty Thought of the Day
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| Via LFC on FB |
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| The Soon-To-Be-Broke SSDI Program |
And we aren't even talking about over $40T in unfunded liabilities...
Frivolous Lawsuits and Their Parasitic Rent-Seeking Lawyers
I'm sure I embedded another segment about the Blitz gas cans. As you may recall, customers used Blitz cans in a dangerous manner, hurt themselves, and sued the company, arguing that the company didn't build enough safeguards into their product to stop the unintended consequences of misusing the product. There are 101 excuses and rationalizations invented by disingenuous, morally corrupt lawyers, like the weasel in this clip, whom enrich themselves by manipulating juries, playing on the sympathy of jurors whom have been led to believe that manufacturers and/or their insurers have deep pockets and won't feel it, accepting pathetic excuses to rationalize shifting the blame.... Sometimes people do stupid things, like dive into shallow water, and the consequences are tragic. It is impossible, of course, to anticipate the potentially infinite number of stupid, self-destructive acts by users.
Facebook Corner
(from Bastiat Institute) Since states control the rules of the roads and therefore technically "own" them, they tell the public it is not a "right to drive, but a privilege." This is Constitutional under the notion of States' Rights and reinforced under the 10th amendment. Without being too technical, how would you define a "state", and, in your opinion, do they have "rights"?
Well, remember that driving privileges are often contingent on insurance against your car hurting people or property. It does seem reasonable for people not to freeload off any incident involving their vehicle. And don't confuse your right to travel with a "right" to operate a vehicle.
In a more direct response, a US territory achieves statehood through a defined process, including an enabling act and voter ratification of a state constitution. Presumably citizens would be guaranteed any rights identified in that constitution, in addition those those guaranteed by the Bill of Rights and the Fourteenth Amendment. Obviously the state has traditional responsibilities identified under the Tenth Amendment, particularly policing powers over health, safety, and morals. Obviously a minarchist would be wary of any novel or arbitrary expansion of policing properties at the expense of individual liberties, and we depend on the state courts to protect individuals from majoritarian abuses of power.
(from Drudge Report) What is the one thing you hate about the Republican Party?
They have run predictable, unfocused, inconsistent, incoherent, defensive, nonconstructive, negative campaigns; they need to project a more civil, direct (no political spin), reformist agenda and make an issue of failed "progressive" government policies, not personalities.
(from LFC: Caption this: (Sen. Rand Paul talking to his father, former Congressman Ron Paul)
(from Drudge Report) What is the one thing you hate about the Republican Party?
They have run predictable, unfocused, inconsistent, incoherent, defensive, nonconstructive, negative campaigns; they need to project a more civil, direct (no political spin), reformist agenda and make an issue of failed "progressive" government policies, not personalities.
(from LFC: Caption this: (Sen. Rand Paul talking to his father, former Congressman Ron Paul)
"Dad, you'll never believe what John McCain said about Mom and me..."
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| Courtesy of LFC on FB |
Capitalism doesn't work---under government intervention.
Political Humor
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| Via LFC on FB |
Cato Institute mocks a speculative "progressive" response to the cocoa bean shortage crisis:
First, we need a Department of Chocolate. Second, we need to create a new welfare program to ensure that everyone has access to chocolate.
Third, we need price controls on chocolate. Why should greedy profiteers be able to take advantage of helpless chocoholics? We have a RIGHT to reasonably-priced chocolate.
Fourth, we need price supports for cocoa production. So what if that creates a surplus, like for cheese? It is impossible to have too much chocolate.
Fifth, we need to guarantee access to foreign cocoa. Some 70 percent of cocoa is produced in West Africa; 43 percent comes from Ivory Coast alone. Forget access to foreign oil and the Persian Gulf. We remain hopelessly dependent on foreign sources of cocoa.
Sixth, we need a new federal chocolate “czar” to coordinate a truly effective federal chocolate policy.
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| From Heritage via LFC on FB "And "progressives" believe that if they build it, the taxes will come..." - RAG |
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| "We've got to launch this website to find out what is in it" - Sen Mike Lee |
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| Courtesy of Ken Catalino and Townhall |
Martha and the Vandellas, "Nowhere to Run"
