| No human being has the right -- under any circumstances -- to initiate force against another human being, nor to threaten or delegate its initiation. The Zero Aggression Principle |
| |
|
|
Looking for Freedom?
|
June
11, 2007 The 7 C's: Contemplation, Courtesy, Communication, Co-operation, Cajolery, Control, Coercion "Political spectrums" are used to diagnose and categorize attitudes toward government. This 7 C's "ideological spectrum" I've been contemplating for some time, I perceive as a broader tool relating to social attitudes or human relations. It seems reasonable to suggest that individuals generally lean toward one side of this spectrum or the other, and that as a majority (the herd) in society shift their thinking and behavior toward using Courtesy, or toward Control and Coercion, its institutional mechanisms gradually reflect those shifts. (Read the rest here)
Exclusive
to The Price of Liberty Libertarian
Commentary on The News, 03
- 10 June 2007 Hard to believe we are almost six months through 2007. Actually, looking at the news, you would think that we were well into 2008, thanks to the presidential election race as everyone tries to decide who the Massa will be. Fear not, this is one place where you can see the other news related to liberty and freedom without having to put up with the insanity of 2008 until 2008. Thugs: Clearly this week’s top story, and discussed in part in several stories below. This piece of garbage deserved, deserves, to die, but never fear, such freedom-lovers as Teddy Kennedy and John McCain have already promised to bring it back to life again. One reason for its defeat (at least, temporary defeat) is that opponents from both sides (open immigration and closed borders) were willing to set aside their massive differences to work together and defeat a bill that was rightfully viewed as evil by both sides: a “compromise” of the worst sort Mama's Note: What we must keep in mind is that a key component of this monstrosity would completely end the right of Americans to earn a living (legally) without permission from the federal government, as well as make the "REAL ID" a fact of life, regardless of what some states have done to refuse compliance. That part of the bill has not received nearly enough attention. (Read the rest here) Two pages.
Numbers
Don't Lie, Politicians Do Across
Florida , county and city governments are predicting certain apocalyptic
doom if any significant revenue cuts are made from their budgets. In Miami-Dade
(where this author hails from) during a recent public hearing, Commissioner
Katy Sorensen moaned to county lobbyist Ron Book that the county would
have to make serious cuts in services if its budget was reduced by more
than $150 million. The 2007 Miami-Dade County Budget totaled nearly
$7 billion, an increase of nearly $700 million (14%) over the previous
year’s budget. The most astonishing fact about the budget increase is
that it took place during a year that an orgy of theft and malfeasance,
totaling well into the millions of dollars within several county departments,
was uncovered and exposed
in the local press. A historical look at the county’s budget should be
enough to send Miami-Dade taxpayers into the streets with torches and
pitchforks.
Two
Al Qaeda Youths Arrested in Terror Plot Authorities today said they had arrested two young members of Al Qaeda who had been planning what they claimed was "the worst terror plot we have ever encountered." Arrested at the Mayfield (Ohio) Grammar School were two eight-year-olds, Theodore "Beaver" Cleaver, and Lawrence "Larry" Mondello. Also confiscated were what government authorities said were detailed plans and blueprints to attack the United States with soldiers, tanks, airplanes, spaceships, meteorites and what appeared to be highly intelligent and exceptionally unpleasant alien chickens from Venus. (Read the rest here)
The
Price of Delaying the Inevitable in Iraq Good intentions frequently lead to unintended bad consequences. Tough choices, doing what is right, often leads to unanticipated good results. The growing demand by the American people for us to leave Iraq prompts the naysayers to predict disaster in the Middle East if we do. Of course, these merchants of fear are the same ones who predicted that invading and occupying Iraq would be a slam dunk operation; that we would be welcomed as liberators, and oil revenues would pay for the operation with minimal loss of American lives. (Read the rest here)
Lots
of Lucre in False Claims of Abuse This is a tale of four women who made phony allegations of abuse. All the accused men had to pay dearly to clear their good names. And all four women got away pretty much scot-free. The first woman was married to John Dias of California. Sometimes the two fell into intense arguments, but never came to blows. But during one heated tiff she threatened to "make me pay." Twenty minutes later the police knocked on the door. Dias relates: "So when I read what she was accusing me of, I nearly fell on the floor. She fabricated all kinds of stories. Some were based on harmless events in which she added totally fictional details claiming that I had abused her in the past. Other stories in the restraining order didn't even resemble any past event. They were just made up out of thin air." (Read the rest here)
From
The Archives Lady Liberty is pleased to be able to publish this exclusive interview with noted libertarian advocate and author, Boston T. Party. His previous books include such valuable references as Boston's Gun Bible, Bulletproof Privacy, and Hologram of Liberty; his most recent literary effort is that of his first novel, Molôn Labé! (see also our book review of Molôn Labé!). Boston T. Party is currently working on, among other things, the Free State Wyoming project. For more information on Boston T. Party's available books, to purchase books online, and updates on Free State Wyoming, visit the Javelin Press website. (Read the rest here) (Editor's Note: For an update on Free State Wyoming, visit our forum and see what we're up to! We're strong, we're growing and we'd love to have you join us in Wyoming!
The
Independent Institute The Bush administration has decided its new model for a long-term solution in Iraq is Korea. It’s an attempt to stifle the inevitable comparisons of the Iraq quagmire to Vietnam and a way to justify the eventual reduction of U.S. forces in Iraq (to take the heat off Republican candidates in the 2008 elections), while retaining a substantial U.S. military presence by establishing three or four long-term major military bases. The plan would ultimately be a disaster for the United States. Merely suggesting the long-term establishment of U.S. military bases in a historically significant Muslim country will confirm to the Islamist radicals, mainstream Muslims, as well as Bush critics that the U.S. desire for a continued land-based military presence in the oil-rich Persian Gulf was the administration’s real objective in invading Iraq. (Read the rest here)
The
Future of Freedom Foundation So what does all this mean? The United States obviously hasn’t sunk to the level of Nazi Germany, but how far are we going to allow this government to go, given that we have already lost many of our most precious rights? This essay is not meant to compare Bush to Hitler but it is meant to expose the dangers of the course that our nation is on — a course the government is taking — a course that, if not altered, will inexorably lead to more centralization of power, more subservience to the state, and more loss of liberty. Throughout history, early signs of tyranny have often been ignored until it was too late. We must pay specific attention to the signs this time, as we can hardly afford to be complacent much longer. While I have become more optimistic lately, simply because so many are speaking out against the war in Iraq, I remain skeptical about the future. Although the numbers against the war have grown, very few are talking about eliminating the powers that have grown exponentially during Bush’ administration. To pass these powers on would be a tragic mistake, and the longer they are in place, the more placid and acquiescent will become the citizenry. This is nothing less than a recipe for disaster. (Read the rest here)
Individual
Liberty - 101
World War I as Fulfillment: Power and the Intellectuals In contrast to older historians who regarded World War I as the destruction of progressive reform, I am convinced that the war came to the United States as the "fulfillment," the culmination, the veritable apotheosis of progressivism in American life.[1] I regard progressivism as basically a movement on behalf of Big Government in all walks of the economy and society, in a fusion or coalition between various groups of big businessmen, led by the House of Morgan, and rising groups of technocratic and statist intellectuals. In this fusion, the values and interests of both groups would be pursued through government. (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.)
External Articles Libertarians agree that government is the root cause of ills of the human society. They also tend to agree that government should be either abolished outright or at the very least drastically reduced in size and scope. Hence, the "what should not be" part of the libertarian thinking is clear-cut and obvious. The "what should be" part is likewise clear – a self-governing society based upon private property rights. What is NOT clear or easy is the "how do we get there" part. The "how do we get there" problem is primarily twofold. First, tens of millions of people are directly dependent on government for their livelihoods. These include retirees drawing on social security, assorted "public servants," education workers, police, employees of corporations primarily or partially working on government contracts, etc. These people are fully pro-government, although they differ on details; "law and order" types favor public funding for jails and more cops on the beat, while "liberal" types want more spending on education and welfare. Second, even those Americans who are not directly dependent on public spending are used to the status quo and see little need to change it in a fundamental way. (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.)
A G-man in Every Plot; an Informant in Every Mirage Apparently we are not to be in the least bit skeptical when the government holds press conferences to announce with great fanfare that it has foiled terrorist plots that were likely years from ever occurring and probably couldn’t have been pulled off anyway. We are never to question whether the government’s informants had any hand in instigating or egging on the alleged plots. We are not to ask if, perhaps, the FBI is creating terrorist plots so it can "bust" them and blow its own horn on national TV, thus obtaining a bigger budget next year and making certain politicians look good as they crusade for ever more tax dollars and police powers to protect us from these horrific terrorist plots. Clearly only an inveterate cynic or a left-wing extremist could imagine the federal government’s inventing terrorist threats for its own benefit. I mean, maybe evil Democrats like the New York airport’s namesake would consider that, as in Operation Northwoods; but surely no patriotic, salt-of-the-earth Republican would ever wish harm on Americans for political advantage – right? (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.) "For God's Sake, Please Stop the Aid!" The Kenyan economics expert James Shikwati, 35, says that aid to Africa does more harm than good. The avid proponent of globalization spoke with SPIEGEL about the disastrous effects of Western development policy in Africa, corrupt rulers, and the tendency to overstate the AIDS problem. SPIEGEL: Mr. Shikwati, the G8 summit at Gleneagles is about to beef up the development aid for Africa... Shikwati: ... for God's sake, please just stop. SPIEGEL: Stop? The industrialized nations of the West want to eliminate hunger and poverty. Shikwati: Such intentions have been damaging our continent for the past 40 years. If the industrial nations really want to help the Africans, they should finally terminate this awful aid. The countries that have collected the most development aid are also the ones that are in the worst shape. Despite the billions that have poured in to Africa, the continent remains poor. SPIEGEL: Do you have an explanation for this paradox? Shikwati: Huge bureaucracies are financed (with the aid money), corruption and complacency are promoted, Africans are taught to be beggars and not to be independent. In addition, development aid weakens the local markets everywhere and dampens the spirit of entrepreneurship that we so desperately need. As absurd as it may sound: Development aid is one of the reasons for Africa's problems. If the West were to cancel these payments, normal Africans wouldn't even notice. Only the functionaries would be hard hit. Which is why they maintain that the world would stop turning without this development aid. (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.)
From The Libertarian Enterprise
Visit the Rational Review News Digest - Subscribe to the daily email edition and listen to the podcase!
Do
you know a good liberty centered blogs? Wyoming - Living Free, One Day At A Time!! Mama has her own blog now!!!
Click
Here for the Archives
Friends
of Liberty Links
Special
Feature! Add your signature to the
Contact
The Price of Liberty Editor MamaLiberty
is the owner, publisher, writer, chief cook and bottle washer for The
Price of Liberty. |
Our
Writers No longer active contributors:
Editors And Staff
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
