June 01, 2005

Idle Voters
By Lady Liberty

America has long touted to the rest of the world its democratic process. Some claim that, by voting, Americans retain control of their own government and thus their own liberty. Some foreign countries not yet democratic in nature look on in fear of this process because of the changes it might bring; others look on it with hope for those very same changes. But what many people don't seem to acknowledge is that voting today isn't really the wonderful thing it's said to be, nor is it remotely as effective at its job as it ought to be.

If you're at all politically active, you're all too well aware that your vote is being sought or bought (don't let the fact that cash rarely changes hands sway you from the knowledge that, illegal or not, votes are indeed bought). Activist groups urge you to contact your political representatives and ask them to vote one way or another on a specific issue; politicians beseech you to vote for them, or at least against their opponent, every time an election comes around. (Read the rest here)

Memorial Day 2005: Are We Even Worthy?
By Doug Newman

It’s Memorial Day in America. Officially, we set aside this day to remember those soldiers, sailors, airman and marines who have died in the defense of our freedom. Culturally, like any other holiday, it has devolved into one more reason for sleeping late on Monday, cookouts, camping trips, ballgames and sales at the mall.

Yet, while we may take a few moments in solemn remembrance of those who perished in places ranging from Freehold, New Jersey (a few miles from where I grew up) to the caves of Afghanistan, we need to ask a larger question: are we even worthy?

What are we doing with the freedom that they died for? (Read the rest here)

Avoid Threatening China Over Its Currency
By Ivan Eland

At a recent hearing on Capitol Hill, senators of both parties berated the Bush administration’s failure to ratchet up the pressure on China to reduce the value of its currency, the yuan, by branding that nation as a “currency manipulator.” The lawmakers also complained that the value of Japan’s yen is too high. But such U.S. government interference in overseas commerce is ultimately counterproductive and could lead to a greater risk of conflict with other nations.

On foreign currencies, as with many issues, members of Congress respond to the needs of powerful, but narrow, special interests at the expense of the general public, whose power and interests are more diffuse. Influential U.S. industries that sell overseas face competition from Chinese and Japanese exports made cheaper by the yuan and yen, currencies that many economists say are held below market value by their respective governments. Since 1995, the Chinese government has fixed the yuan’s value at 8.28 per dollar. (Read the rest here)

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

Kind of slow on news today, but all our favorite stories are there to haunt our dreams - at least that is my opinion, if not necessarily anyone else's.

Europe's Decline and Fall

UK: Blair prepares for "bruising battle" over EU
Independent [UK]
"Tony Blair was on a collision course with Jacques Chirac last night as the Government prepared to announce that the UK was shelving plans for a referendum after Sunday's overwhelming French 'no' to the EU constitution. ... As the ripples of France's resounding rejection of the constitution continued to wash across Europe, the European Commission's president, Jose Manuel Barroso said the French had created a 'very serious problem' for Europe, whose enlargement plans have now been stopped in their tracks. The Dutch are poised to reject the treaty tomorrow by an even larger margin than the French, in effect killing off the constitution." (05/31/05)

No way, of course, that Blair (politically if quietly fighting for his life after the disappointing election in the UK earlier this month) is going to risk another defeat at the polls. And it is NOT the French that have created the problem: it is the Euro-elite and their buro-rats that have, by ignoring and pooh-poohing the very democracy they claim to worship.

(Read the rest here)

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