You have to believe in yourself.
Sun Tzu
Pro-Liberty Thought of the Day
"Many people want the government to protect the consumer. A much more urgent problem is to protect the consumer from the government. So that the record of history is absolutely crystal clear. That there is no alternative way, so far discovered, of improving the lot of the ordinary people that can hold a candle to the productive activities that are unleashed by a free enterprise system." --Milton Friedman
Let's Play: Stump Obama Administration Policy Experts
Is the Emperor Wearing Clothes?
Those nefarious "gotcha" questions... Who could have possibly anticipated them?
Get out of Afghanistan now; no more American blood or treasure...
Chart of the Day: The "Attack on Sequestration" Budget
 |
| Via the Cato Institute |
From Reuters:
Fifteen people on their way to a wedding in Yemen were killed in an air strike after their party was mistaken for an al Qaeda convoy, local security officials said on Thursday....Five more people were injured, the officials said.We need to make trade, not war. Stop the drone madness NOW! No more undeclared wars...
My Guest Comment on LR's Man of the Year: Ed Snowden
I disagree. Libertarians honor contracts. This guy did bulk-downloads. I do concur with the public's right to know about the nature and extent of warrantless NSA searches, but it's like someone empties your bank account and announces that he gave 10% to charity. He has not attempted to work within the system, so I see this as self-serving hubris. As for your others, I'm more impressed with Rand Paul because it was more politically courageous and all but unprecedented in recent history. Justin Amash also deserves kudos for his attempt to reform the NSA.
A related note: I have made my selections for Man of the Year, Jackass of the Year and my new mock awards (for Republicans and judges) and will publish one-offs of my selections, likely over the coming week as time permits.
Facebook Corner
(Catholic Libertarians). As many of you may have already heard, a Colorado judge is threatening to close down a baker's shop because of his refusal to bake a wedding cake for a gay couple's wedding.
There is no right to a wedding cake. They can take their business elsewhere. In punishing this man, you are essentially punishing a lack of action. It is scary that political correctness can now be used to force service with the threat of closing down one's life's work.
Meaning this guy didn't have good enough lawyers?
The gay couple sicced the ACLU and the Colorado Civil Rights Commission on the bakers. You know, how the ACLU defends the unborn, the right of religious speech in the public arena, etc. (just kidding). Some rights, like economic freedom, are less equal....
(Drudge Report). 2013 LESSON: Republicans can raise your taxes and spend your money on socialism as good as the next guy...
Here we go again--what about the fact the GOP kept the spendaholics from increasing the budget for two years? I'm disappointed we haven't seen more, but how do you expect better given a Dem-controlled Senate and White House?
(Catholic Libertarians). Here's a post written and shared by one of our page members. Check it out! ~Mark
There are several aspects of Jesus' ministry where He specifically distanced His mission apart from the State (e.g., the imperial tax, when some wanted to make Him king, at the Passion, etc.) Jesus also had wealthy supporters and He made reference to personal attacks made against Him (He was a glutton and drunkard, he fraternized with tax collectors, etc.) Even Centurians approached Him. Remember how He rebuked Judas when He was anointed with expensive oil that could have been spent on the poor? His focus on forgiveness of sins is meaningless if individuals aren't responsible for the choices they make/don't make...
I am always glad to see an acknowledgment that Christianity is innately libertarian.The writer seems confused, however, about the issue of abortion, analyzing it as if abortion were just one more victimless "crime" like prostitution or drug use. She ignores the issue of whether the unborn child is a living human being or not. ~ Randy England
I'm confused as to why I don't see much discussion of free will in this thread, which has been a key controversy in the history of Christianity. The Catholic tradition makes much of the freedom of the individual to respond to divine grace.
About a third of libertarians are pro-life on abortion. It's not surprising that Jesus did not speak on abortion, because it was not an acceptable practice in Israel. However, as you know, it became an issue the early Christians dealt with, because abortion and infanticide were practiced in Rome. We see explicit condemnation in the Didache. I have not reviewed libertarian arguments for abortion, but my assumption is they focus on reproduction in terms of property rights, oppose intervention in personal decisions on principle, and define away the preborn child's rights (as you suggest).
(Cato Institute). "Unfortunately, too many policymakers believe in the free lunch theory of government intervention. The reality is that unless a clear market failure is occurring, when the government shoves its way into markets and destroys voluntary exchanges, it invariably causes more harm than good." http://j.mp/IUrDpp
Wal-Mart's wages also drive down competitors compensation packages. These companies cause a drag on the entire US economy.
No they don't. For example, Costco pays above-average wages in the industry. Walmart only hires a tiny percentage of workers in any market, so the idea of driving down wages is absurd--not to mention most Walmart jobs pay above minimum wage (and don't forget to add benefit dollars to the mix).
(The same discussant then goes on a series of other Walmart rants. Here is my follow-up response):
This is economic idiocy. Anyone who has ever taken Econ 101 knows price-fixing is bad public policy--it typically results in surpluses (e.g., unemployment) or shortages. Wages reflect productivity--how do you explain the vast majority of jobs pay above minimum-wage? There are few productivity increases at the lower/unskilled wage levels. How do you explain the fact that Walmart routinely attracts a surplus of applicants for open positions if it isn't offering fair compensation? Are you capable of thinking for yourself instead of repeating trite propaganda which I trace your "facts" to? Most businesses try to negotiate perks, like improved public streets/access to facilities, tax incentives, etc.--but Walmart is still contributing to the overall tax base; the locality can always refuse (like they did in Florissant). Personally, I don't want the government cutting special deals, period, not just Walmart. But politicians get credit for growing the economy; from any business's perspective, the worst they can say is no.
That moron has no clue what socialism actually is. It's like that Kelley character saying that Santa and Jesus "real historical figures" and that both were white when one was based on a Turk and the other on a middle eastern Jew.
If you're referring to de Tocqueville, the nineteenth century historian. This is from the translator of his 1848 Critique of Socialism (available on the Web): "In February, 1848, the July Monarchy of Louis Philippe was overthrown, and the Second French Republic established. The new republic believed that the unemployment problem which was plaguing Paris could be solved by setting up government work-projects, guaranteeing employment at a certain wage rate for all who desired it. On September 12th, the Constituent Assembly debated the continuance of this arrangement and Tocqueville rose to speak against it. In the course of his speech he entered onto the subject of socialism, which he considered the logical consequence of recognizing the “right to work,” and devoted most of his time to a discussion of the socialist position." You want to rethink your comments?
(Sen. Mike Lee). I can't vote for [the Ryan-Murray compromise budget] that I disagree with. I can't vote for a bill I think is going to make our budgetary situation worse rather than better.
[Discussant] is an idiot. There's so many "progressive troll" lies one hardly knows where to start. For one thing, Bush had a net gain of a million jobs--but those were in the public sector. Second, the GOP House, Senate and/or President (at least 2) ran surpluses in fiscal years 1998 through 2001. Since 1958, a Democrat-controlled Congress only ran two surpluses, both under GOP Presidents in the 1960's. Facts are stubborn things.
(Drudge Report). RIGHT TURNS ON RYAN
A spending cut now is worth two in the future from the Dems. Their favorite hero J. Wellington Wimpy: " "I'll gladly pay you Tuesday for a hamburger today".
(Rand Paul). Why the budget deal is a step backwards.
The Pentagon can't even put on an audit, we spend more than the next 10 countries combined, and yet people are Chicken Little over a couple of pennies on the dollar when we have borrowed up to 40% of the federal budget. Government is an equal-opportunity waster of taxpayer dollars!
 |
| Via Reason |
 |
| Via Bastiat Institute |
Krugman should throw in one of his trillion-dollar coins...
(We the Individuals). Brace yourself.... 3 pages of "muh roads".
http://governmentisgood.com/articles.php?aid=1
As Edwin Starr sang: "What is it good for? Absolutely nothing..."
(Cato Institute). "North Carolina’s school voucher program may not be the ideal educational choice policy, but that’s a debate for the state legislature, not the courts."
My., how the State fights to protect its monopoly over mediocre education... Heaven forbid that the private sector intervene in the education market...
Political Cartoon
 |
| Courtesy of Jerry Holbert and Townhall |
Whitney Houston, "Do You Hear What I Hear?"
