March 23, 2005

Above the Law, Below the Radar! - Where Are The Headlines?
By Ted Lang © 2004

If anyone ever needed more evidence that "There isn't a dime's worth of difference" between the Democrat and Republican Parties!" as reflected upon by former third party presidential candidate, Governor George Wallace, when running against incumbent then-President Richard M. Nixon, current events have now certified and sealed that observation as rock-solid fact.

 Consider the recent presidential election. Was there any real difference between Bush and Kerry other than Bush being the incumbent? And if the media exhibited an overly "liberal" tolerance in addressing Clinton's possible treason as regards his questionable dealings involving military secrets and the Communist Chinese, compare how they are now overly "conservative" shilling for George Bush and the possible treason he is committing in securing Israel's military advantage in the Middle East. What is the status of the investigation concerning the AIPAC spy scandal? Where are the headlines, the journalistic curiosity, the fair and balanced reporting from a free and independent press? (Read the rest here)

Bushit - Pile It On
By Ed Henry

If George Bush is so hot for personal accounts, why didn’t he start them long ago? He’s certainly had the money – $71 billion last year – $82 billion the year before that – $89 billion in 2002 – and a whopping $98.7 billion his first year in office and before the locusts descended on Daddy Warbucks’ house.

All of these amounts came from annual surplus overcharges in payroll taxes for Social Security alone. And nobody dares talk about them; even Bush who could use them to prove there’s plenty of money available for personal accounts while not disturbing benefits to the currently retired. (Read the rest here)

Social Security’s Malign Premise
By Sheldon Richman

Take note of the sheer panic displayed by the left-socialist opponents of President Bush’s Social Security proposal. We can divine some significant information from that reaction.

The president’s suggestion (no detailed proposal has been offered yet) would not give individuals anything like the control over their own incomes and retirement planning they are entitled to. People under 55 would be “allowed” to direct the government to put a small percentage of their Social Security taxes into investment accounts the composition of which would be determined by government planners. On retirement, people apparently would not be free to take the cash in a lump sum.

Whatever this is, it is not true privatization or ownership. The government’s hands would be all over the new system. It would be a state-guided scheme with a veneer of private ownership. Yes, there would be elements of private property. But property circumscribed by arbitrary edicts is not authentic. It’s a midpoint between two conflicting principles. (Read the rest here)

Libertarian Commentary on The News
By Nathan A. Barton © 2004

Lots of news today, and perhaps a good idea to explain what we are doing here.

Each day, I select articles from a variety of sources, always including the items selected by the good folks who put out Freedom Net Daily (FND) and Rational Review News Digest (RRND), as well as items that friends pass on. I also try to pull from other sources, including some that often don't make a splash outside of areas of professional interest. Then I attempt to comment on them from a libertarian's point of view - specifically MY point of view as a libertarian. I try to avoid ad hominem (personal) attacks and bashing anyone or any organization just because of what they are. I try not to go around using derogatory terms, but do tend to refer to certain groups by "slang" terms: like buro-rats for bureaucrats, congrus-critters for Congressmen/women (critters is at least sex-neutral, right?), GRTF-schools (for "public schools" in the USA; GRTF stands for "Government-run, taxpayer-funded" or "Guvmint-ruined, theft-financed"), and similar terms.

I don't have a rabid hatred of either G. W. Bush, W. J. Clinton (or Mrs. Rodham-Clinton) or any other liberal or neo-conservative (or for that matter, conservative), and yes, I sometimes jump on those who seem to have such a rabid hatred that it gets their news (or commentary) all messed up.

However, I generally am hard on government, at all levels and in all countries, but my abuse is not irrational or all-encompassing. When they do something good (I know, rare, and usually in spite of themselves), I try to say so. But I'm also hard on private people and private companies and volunteer organizations, when they warrant it.

I really do want feedback, and try to answer every bit, sometimes at length. It IS my commentary, and my views and opinions aren't universally shared, either among libertarians (or Libertarians) at large, TPoL, or any of the news sources I report. I also try to provide full credit for any story I use, and an URL to make it easy for you, the reader to find it and learn more about it. (Read the rest of the commentary here)

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Features From The Last Issue

By Definition By Lady Liberty Lessons To Learn From Terri Schaivo By Carl F. Worden Free Commerce vs. National Security: Is There Really a Contradiction? By Ivan Eland Libertarian Commentary for Tuesday

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