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September 10, 2007

Exclusive to The Price of Liberty
Libertarian Commentary on The News, 02 - 08 September, 2007
By Nathan A. Barton © 2007

Ah, welcome to September and the fall season and (maybe) cooler weather. Even so, some things seem to be heating up: there is a lot of news about China this week to start off things.

Chinese front:
China denies hacking Pentagon computers
Associated Press
“China on Tuesday denied a report that its military had hacked into Pentagon computers, saying the allegations were ‘groundless’ and that Beijing was opposed to cybercrime. The Financial Times, citing unnamed officials, reported Monday that the People’s Liberation Army hacked into a computer system in the office of Defense Secretary Robert Gates in June. The attack forced officials to take down the network for more than a week, the report said. … It was the second time in two weeks that China was accused of hacking into a foreign government’s computers. On the eve of German Chancellor Angela Merkel’s visit to Beijing last week, the weekly Der Spiegel said computers at the Chancellery and three ministries had been infected with so-called Trojans, or spy programs. The report, which did not specify its sources, said Germany’s domestic intelligence agency believed a group of hackers associated with the People’s Liberation Army might have been behind the alleged hacking.” (09/04/07)

Ah, but if it is a government action, it isn’t “cybercrime.” It may be espionage or an act of war, but not “crime” – governments (especially “Peoples’ governments”) don’t commit crimes. (Read the rest here) [Two full pages!] RKBA on page two!!

Loose Nukes Looming Near
By Captain Eric H. May - Military Correspondent

This week we learned that on August 30 the United States Air Force flew a B-52, locked and loaded with nuclear warheads, from North Dakota to Louisiana. This broke a military policy going back to the 1960s against such flights.

"I just can't imagine how all of this happened," said Philip Coyle, a senior adviser on nuclear weapons at the Center for Defense Information. "The procedures are so rigid; this is the last thing that's supposed to happen."

But it did happen, and we would not know about it at all had it not been for three Air Force officers, speaking under condition of anonymity, who Informed The Military Times about the event. And of course, everyone is trying to "get to the bottom of it." (Read the rest here)

Love Song to the Son I Never Knew
By Carey Roberts

Last month my column highlighted the often-neglected voices of fathers in the abortion debate. Afterwards, several men contacted me to recount their painful memories.

Wayne Auman of North Carolina was one of those courageous men. His memories are so vivid and his pain so poignant, I invited him to share the story in his own words:

It all began in 1981, I was dating an incredible girl, and we planned to eventually marry. We had been together over a year, and we were crazy in love. Then one September day she approached me with tears in her eyes and told me she was pregnant. You could have knocked me over with a feather. (Read the rest here)

Castro Must Die
By Emiliano Antunez

Even when he's not around Fidel Castro sure has a weird effect on people, especially in Miami. By lunch time On Friday (August 24th) the Cuban "cafe" windows and restaurants all over Miami were abuzz with the rumor that the bearded octogenarian had met his maker (probably somewhere deep in the entrails of a Chinese toy factory). Even as I called the cafeteria in my building to order lunch, the voice on the other end informed me, "Fidel is dead." I checked and yes the internet and local news media were reporting the "rumor" of Castro's death. The media also featured Foreign Minister Felipe Perez-Roque denying Castro's death (Disagreement over Cuba and Castro? Now that’s odd). (Read the rest here)

From The Archives
Conspiracy Reality: War
Time To Articulate The Unthinkable
By Ted Lang © 2004

The most intolerable and exasperating comment heard offers: "I don't believe in conspiracy theories!" And that's just fine with all the conspirators! Support our troops, shut up and stop thinking, wave your stupid little flags, and make sure to watch your "Seinfeld" re-runs and "Everybody Loves Raymond!" What's that? "Raymond" just went off the air? Sorry, I don't watch television.

Are these pompous, arrogant, highly-educated and articulate elitists familiar with either the Nazi or Communist Parties? Have they ever heard of FDR's cabal of communist advisors who maneuvered him into starting World War II by setting up our Navy at Pearl Harbor in 1941? Are they not aware that the Nazi's were started by a wallpaper hanger and untalented "artist" and a small gang of beer hall thugs? Look what that tiny gang of conspirators brought forth! (Read the rest here)

The Independent Institute
Mine Your Own Business
By Alvaro Vargas Llosa

WASHINGTON—One would think only a crazy couple would declare war on environmentalists by presenting them on film as snobs, hypocrites and enemies of the poor. Luckily for those of us who think one-sided debates are boring, Phelim McAleer and Ann McElhinney are just crazy enough to question the environmentalists’ opposition to mining projects in poor countries in a documentary—“Mine Your Own Business”—that is gaining attention.

McAleer, an Irish journalist who covered Romania for the Financial Times, and McElhinney, his wife and co-producer, look at three mining investments: a gold project by Gabriel Resources in Rosia Montana, in Romania’s Transylvania region; Rio Tinto’s ilmenite project in Fort Dauphin, in Madagascar; and a vast Andean operation undertaken by Barrick Gold in Chile’s Huasco Valley. (Read the rest here)

The Future of Freedom Foundation
Conservative Hypocrisy
by Sheldon Richman

President Bush opposes efforts in Congress and the states to expand the State Children's Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) to include more children from middle-class families who don't qualify for Medicaid. He says he's against those efforts because "when you expand eligibility ... you're really beginning to open up an avenue for people to switch from private insurance to the government." This, he says, would undermine personal responsibility.

Bush is right about that. Why should the taxpayers have to provide health insurance for people who can afford it? In a truly free society taxpayers wouldn't be forced to provide it for anyone. The free market, unencumbered by government mandates, regulations, subsidies, and taxes, would have no trouble delivering high-quality medical care and insurance to anyone who wants it. Every serious problem facing America's medical system is attributable to government interference. That has been documented endlessly. The claims that government-run systems -- whether Canadian, British, or Cuban -- are efficient and compassionate are palpable nonsense. (Read the rest here)

Individual Liberty - 101
From The Ludwig von Mises Institute
Jonesin' for a Soda
By Max Raskin

The tongue is a discerning instrument; in the hands of a traveled soda aficionado, it is capable of leading to insightful truths about agricultural geopolitics. To the drinker who has imbibed foreign sodas, this truth stems from the peculiar, yet incontrovertible fact that American soda is not delicious.

Though some blame this phenomenon on the use of aluminum cans over glass bottles, even the most elegant dress won't make a homely girl comely. Instead, to the trained tongue, the answer is clear: American soda is sweetened with artificially tasting high fructose corn syrup, while foreign sodas are made with natural cane sugar. Why would the American public accept such a mediocre substitute?

Whenever the public doesn't get what it wants and consumer demand is subservient to corporate interest, the most likely culprit is government policy. (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.)

External Articles

China Isn’t the Problem – and Neither Is Outsourcing
by Greg Perry

Over the past few weeks, the media has plastered headlines with news of tainted imported Chinese-manufactured goods like toys coated with lead-based paint. Just this week, Mattel recalled 800,000 lead-tainted Barbie dolls and accessories. All made in China.

How dare those Chinese! They want to kill all of us!

The truth is, the Chinese don’t want to kill all of us because we are their customers. If you owned a store, would you want to kill your customers? Doing so doesn’t lend itself to good business practices. Sure, the Chinese are still red as a nation in many ways but capitalism is turning the tide powerfully. I’d say that the Chinese have made almost as big of a change away from communism and socialism towards freedom as America has moved from freedom to socialism in the past 2 decades. (Read the rest here) (Read the entire article at the source website. Use the back button to return.)

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