From the quote gallery

A government which robs Peter to pay Paul, can always count on the support of Paul. – George Bernard Shaw
America needs fewer laws, not more prisons. – James Bovard
War is just one more big government program. – Joseph Sobran
Remember, democracy never lasts long. It soon wastes, exhausts, and murders itself. There never was a democracy yet that did not commit suicide. – John Adams (1814)
They that can give up essential liberty to obtain a little temporary safety, deserve neither liberty nor safety. – Benjamin Franklin
One of the greatest delusions in the world is the hope that the evils in this world are to be cured by legislation. – Thomas B. Reed (1886)
If you are not free to choose wrongly and irresponsibly, you are not free at all. – Jacob Hornberger (1995)
Giving money and power to government is like giving whiskey and car keys to teenage boys. – P.J. O'Rourke
The more corrupt the state, the more it legislates. – Tacitus
Government is not reason; it is not eloquence; it is force. Like fire, it is a dangerous servant and a fearful master. – George Washington
No man's life, liberty, or property are safe while the legislature is in session. – Mark Twain (1866)
There is no worse tyranny than to force a man to pay for what he does not want merely because you think it would be good for him. – Robert Heinlein
The true danger is when Liberty is nibbled away, for expedients. – Edmund Burke (1899)
Peace, commerce and honest friendship with all nations; entangling alliances with none. – Thomas Jefferson
The triumph of persuasion over force is the sign of a civilized society. – Mark Skousen
A wise and frugal government which shall restrain men from injuring one another, which shall leave them otherwise free to regulate their own pursuits of industry and improvement, and shall not take from the mouth of labor the bread it has earned. This is the sum of good government. – Thomas Jefferson (1801)

Theil says New Zealand is a utopia

Libertarian Peter Thiel, famous for making billions off Facebok, said he finally found "utopia" – New Zealand.

Thiel has been investing heavily in the country. According to the San Francisco Chronicle:

He's already made two noteworthy venture investments there in the space of a few months. In October 2010, he invested $3 million in online accounting firm Xero, which is based (and publicly traded) in New Zealand. Then he invested $4 million in Pacific Fiber, an ambitious company that is building a fiber-optic cable from Australia to New Zealand to the US and is raising $300-400 million more to do so.

These investments aren't just one-offs. Thiel has set up a local venture firm called Valar Ventures. Valar Ventures LP was registered in New Zealand in July 2009, more than a year before Thiel's first known New Zealand investment, and is managed by Valar Capital Management LLC, based in San Francisco, according to official records. Valar Ventures LP's offices are at prominent New Zealand law firm Bell Gully, which suggests it doesn't have full time staff yet. Peter Thiel founded two other companies in New Zealand: Second Star Limited, where he is sole shareholder, and Silverarc Advisors.

Perhaps there will be accounting jobs galore in New Zealand. :-)

Jesus as a Libertarian

It seems as many political ideologies want to claim Jesus, Libertarians are apparently no different according to Tom Mullen -- Jesus Christ, Libertarian. I'm not sure how I feel about it, beyond pointing it out and suggesting it may create some thought provoking moments. One part:

Jesus was very clear about his views on what would lead to salvation and what would not. Jesus condemned many behaviors, like adultery, that social conservatives likewise condemn. He also said that “no one comes to the Father except through me.” (John 14:6) However, he does not go on to say, “Therefore, if your brother does not come to me willingly, then draw your sword and force him.” Salvation must be chosen; God did not create a race of slaves.

As we celebrate the birth of this great libertarian, let us not forget the lesson of his life and death. Jesus was murdered by the theocratic state for exposing their hypocrisy and resisting their unjust, blasphemous laws. Let us follow his example of speaking our minds according to our consciences but never raising our hand to save our brothers’ souls. Each one of us will ultimately find that our understanding of the will of God is imperfect, as we are imperfect. Therefore, we must follow Jesus’ example of tolerance and forgiveness, lest we find that we ourselves have mistakenly punished the innocent. Our laws should keep us from harming each other, and leave each person’s soul to the judgment of God.

Is a Libertarian society a pipedream?

I really enjoy some of the discussion and questions that takes place on the Wall Street Journal discussion forum. At times I wish I had more time to participate, but for now I enjoy reading many of the discussions. This recent one where the question of "Is a Libertarian society a pipedream?" is a recommended one. As always there are some great answers and some not so great answers. One part of a comment that I'm not sure I agree with but really made me stop and think:

"In other words, libertarianism works only in books, on lifeboats or among people stranded somewhere for a length of time not to exceed six months. After that, human nature takes over and anarchy/totalitarianism/starvation and death take over."

Liberty Lectures in the UK

Recently in England, the Liberty Lectures were held. Granted most of us can't travel overseas to attend lecture series, but videos of the sessions have been put online. I've watched a few and I highly recommend them to those of you interested in learning more.

Who you can watch:

Dr Tim Evans, President of the Libertarian Alliance, kicked off the afternoon’s lectures with ‘The Importance of Liberty’. He explained the underlying principles of Libertarianism: life, liberty and property and the link between liberty and capitalism. Dr Eamonn Butler, Director of the Adam Smith Institute, then talked on how markets work. He argued that the free market works in mysterious ways and caters to our wants and desires. In contrast to this government is inefficient and the services it offers give little choice and are expensive for the public.

Dr John Meadowcroft then gave a talk on the rather excitingly titled topic of ‘Sex, Drugs and Liberty’. He gave a strong criticism of prohibition and why it is morally wrong as it undermines our individual right to self-ownership.

Dr Mark Pennington gave a talk on public choice theory. Mark highlighted how government intervention is more damaging than an imperfect market, especially as government is controlled by special interest groups. Professor Anthony Evans, from the European Business School, showed how the Austrian school predicted the crash and explained the Austrian theory on the causes of the cycles of booms and busts.

Dr Richard Wellings, from the Institute of Economic Affairs, gave a convincing talk on the role of government, arguing for a limited government whilst highlighting the dangers of big government.

Is Christianity compatible with libertarianism

Topic of discussion - Is Christianity compatible with libertarianism - raised on the Wall Street Journal discussion boards. Anytime religion is part of the discussion it typically creates many responses. As you can see it's already up to 82 comments.

One part of one of the comments that I enjoyed:

Of course Libertarianism and Christianity are compatible; or can be compatible; or can be compatible for most Christians most of the time. They are not by definition incompatible, unless you are a particular type of Christian, probably a fundamentalist. A central distinguishing feature of fundamentalism (Christian as well as Islamic) is a search for certainty and a belief that certainty is available to Man. This inevitably leads to choosing positions and judging others. In my view, this is false Christianity and not true to the teachings of Jesus.

Libertarian National release on Gun Ownership Court ruling

Libertarian National Committee Chairman Mark Hinkle issued the following statement via e-mail:

“We are very pleased that the Supreme Court has ruled that the Second Amendment protects individuals from state governments wishing to violate their right to own handguns.

“Libertarians have always firmly supported the individual right of self-defense.

“Now there is some hope that Chicago’s horrible violent crime problem can be reduced by law-abiding citizens who will now be able to deter and resist criminals. More guns = less crime.

“It is disturbing that four justices voted to uphold Chicago’s gun ban. Their position is an attempt to pursue a policy goal from the bench, not to apply the Constitution — and to make matters worse, it is a policy goal that would be very harmful to the people of Chicago, and potentially to everyone in America.

“This ruling follows the District of Columbia v. Heller ruling, which overturned D.C.’s ban on handguns. That case was originally brought by Dick Heller, Libertarian Party member and treasurer of the D.C. Libertarian Party.

“We hope that this ruling will lead to further court decisions that reduce the government’s ability to infringe on gun rights with burdensome restrictions and red tape.

“Republicans and Democrats both deserve blame for violating gun rights. While Republicans often position themselves as Second Amendment defenders, it is worth noting major examples to the contrary:

“Republican 2008 presidential nominee John McCain received an F- rating from Gun Owners of America;

“Republican president George W. Bush supported a program called Project Safe Neighborhoods that sought to toughen and federalize prosecution of gun control laws;

“When he was running for Massachusetts Governor in 2002, Republican Mitt Romney said, ‘We do have tough gun laws in Massachusetts; I support them; I won’t chip away at them; I believe they protect us and provide for our safety.’;

“In 1991, former Republican President Ronald Reagan announced his support for the Brady federal gun control bill.”

The Libertarian candidate for New York Governor, Warren Redlich, has commented that the ruling will affect New York gun control laws. On June 28 Redlich wrote, “This landmark ruling will require New York State to take immediate action to amend its gun laws so they do not violate the constitution. It is a striking victory for gun owners and for anyone who believes in the fundamental rights the constitution provides.”

Whether and how to woo Tea Party followers

I really hope the decisions made during the Libertarian Party National Convention is to not woo the Tea Party bunch, the whole focus on Rand Paul should demonstrate that those who don't support a major part of what makes a person even Libertarian leaning, are not going to strengthen the goals. Or at least what the goals used to be. However, as this St. Louis today article points out, that's exactly what's going to be discussed and decided:

Whether and how to woo Tea Party followers to their party is one of the big issues at the Libertarian Party national convention this weekend in downtown St. Louis.

Should Libertarians bend their principles for the votes of Tea Party followers, who may agree with them on some financial issues but sharply disagree on social policy; or do they focus on long-held principles that may not hold as much appeal among mainstream voters?

Bob Barr's remarks at the National Libertarian Party Convention

This weekend the Libertarian Party is holding their Natonal Convention in St. Louis. Bob Barr gave the keynote speech, there are a variety of places that had the speech in full, one is the IndependentPoliticalReport.com. References to Atlas were the focus of the speech, one example:

I believe Atlas weeps instead of shrugging, because he still cares; he still hopes; he still sees promise in the America of our founding.

But he also may weep because he knows we in the Libertarian Party have failed to consistently offer to the American people the righteous, vigorous, principled and positive alternative to the stale, two-party system that has become America’s political status quo. Atlas knows that the Libertarian Party has more – much more – to offer the people of this country than the current closed system dominated by the Republican and Democratic Parties, with their cadres of superficially charismatic leaders able to mouth sound bites but little else.

Atlas may weep because we have let him down by allowing ourselves to chase false priorities, and to dissipate the energy of our convictions on esoteric exercises of little or no relevance to the real political world.

If Atlas does so mourn, then let us as Libertarians this year become once again Atlas’ champion.

An additional piece on Rand Paul...

From Alternet, titled, Libertarians realizing Rand Paul is not one of them though I'd suggest some knew that before hand, it is a recommended read. This one quote pretty much tells you how those who understand what being a Libertarian is, have to say:

Libertarian Party Vice Chairman Joshua Koch cites Paul’s support for a federal abortion ban, along with his opposition to gay marriage and his refusal to call for withdrawal of U.S. troops from Iraq and Afghanistan, as grounds for running a candidate against him this fall, which he says the party is considering. “We’re not going to let Rand determine what a Libertarian stands for,” Koch, an erstwhile Paul supporter, told The Washington Post. “I’m here to say Rand does not have the Libertarian ideology.”

Keep Rand Paul Off My Philosophies

Highly recommended article for those of you interested in the Rand Paul "phenomenon" and the attempt to once again label what being Libertarian means by candidates and the media. Just one small part of the piece by James Campion:

As a charter member of the order of logical libertarian (I proclaim myself as such in the face of eight years of Compassionate Conservatism and the first two years of Pragmatic Liberalism) I view Paul as at best a poser libertarian. Although he is against foreign wars unless provoked or have direct national security issues, how does he feel about certain anti-Republican cultural and moral issues such as the free will of gays to marry, a woman’s right to her own body functions, for taxpaying citizens to choose the recreational drug of choice without facing prison time, or where does he stand on the usual stream of entitlements everyone wants but whines about paying for?

Paul’s recent rebuttals against the federal government’s braggadocio of “standing on the neck” of British Petroleum for all-but destroying the Gulf Coast sounds an awful lot like a dime-a-dozen conservative-speak that more often than not sees fit to choose the doctrine of free will of business over that of the citizen.

Truth is Rand Paul is as much a libertarian as Christians are christian.

And another arrest...

Reported on Reason:

Libertarian activist George Donnelly participating in, and filming, a Fully Informed Jury Association (FIJA) action outside a federal courthouse in Allentown, PA, was assaulted, arrested, and had his camera taken by federal agents earlier this week. Full report on the details of the incident from the Libertarian Examiner.

Yesterday, from a new Libertarian Examiner report, Donnelly is now out of jail, though it is unclear from their report whether the charges were dropped.

Libertarian photographer sues Dept. of Homeland Security after arrest for filming courthouse protest

I missed this story...in the New York Daily News:

Antonio Musumeci, a 29-year-old software programmer, videotaped the arrest of a Libertarian activist outside Manhattan Federal Court last year.

His lawsuit says that even though he was standing in a public plaza next to the courthouse, an inspector with the Federal Protective Service told him he was under arrest.

Musumeci was forced to sit on the sidewalk for 20 minutes, he says. His camera memory card was confiscated and he got a ticket for filming on federal property, a violation.

The ticket was later dismissed in Manhattan Federal Court, court papers say. His memory card was never returned.

Musumeci, himself a member of the Manhattan Libertarian Party, later returned to the courthouse to videotape other political protests organized by the group and made sure to stand on the public sidewalk.

Even so, he was again threatened with arrest, according to the lawsuit the New York Civil Liberties Union filed Thursday on his behalf.

The free in freedom...

From Merriam Webster Dictionary:

Main Entry: free·dom
Pronunciation: \ˈfrē-dəm\
Function: noun
Date: before 12th century
1 : the quality or state of being free: as a : the absence of necessity, coercion, or constraint in choice or action b : liberation from slavery or restraint or from the power of another : independence c : the quality or state of being exempt or released usually from something onerous d : ease, facility e : the quality of being frank, open, or outspoken f : improper familiarity g : boldness of conception or execution h : unrestricted use

Which is interesting to think about with all of the uses of the word "free" in the market place. Fat-free, worry-free, risk-free, acnefree, freehand, freeloader, freestyle, freewheeler, and I could continue.

All using one quality of the word "free" -- yet it can mean so much more...

Liberty does not really make health care universal

As I read, How Liberty Makes Health Care Virtually Universal, it bothered me that one of the conservative talking points that malpractice insurance is a factor in the current health care costs increasing was listed as well as regulations on prescription drugs.

The prescription drug industry is the reason why regulation happened, and our government tries to prevent us from getting the exact same drug, from other places like Canada and Mexico. In part pushed by the big pharm lobbyists, which have too much power in DC. We as a nation pay more for drug research because we've allowed that particular industry to have too much control. The health care insurance companies have demonstrated they can not provide services without regulations, and we as consumers have been forgotten in the political battles of the lobbyists versus lobbyists.

True liberty would be being able to opt in or opt out for affordable insurance, having smaller companies being able to contract with larger ones to reduce the base cost of their health insurance plans. True liberty would be if I could get a drug I took every day, made by the same exact company in Canada? My insurance company would pay for it.

The litigation happy society that we live in, is not a huge factor in the increase of health care or the supposed lack of physicians. Medical school enrollment is actually increasing which would indicate claims being made by some that the regulation has somehow contributed to a lack of physicians is not accurate. More students specialize rather than go into family practice but it is the lure of money not fear of regulations that drives that...

Gary Johnson: You say you want a revolution?

The Our America, the Gary Johnson Initiative has recently been launched. It's a website I recommend visiting to those of you who are confirmed libertarians and those of you who lean libertarian. How successful this ends up being, amid the speculation that Johnson is planning for a presidential run, remains to be seen, but there is a good deal of information on the site.

It also states the platform on many key issues, with one absent, healthcare.

38th Birthday of the Libertarian Party

Today, in 1971, the Libertarian Party was founded.

Do something to celebrate that reminds you of liberty and less regulation.

Running through your home naked would be more advisable than running down the street naked, not only could it be cold...but illegal.

:-)

You have no right to free speech on a blog

Recently I was forced to ban someone from my local political blog that at one time was a friend of mine. He continually violated the rules for civil discussion I had for everyone on the blog as well as calling me several times a day to take issue with me when he had been edited. In one of his last emails to me he stated I was the poster child for needing freedom of speech and called me a neo-con.

It would have been amusing had it not been for the fact that I ended up losing a friend over my feeling as if he should have to follow the same rules as everyone else. Then there are a few others, including one blogger in particular who likes to complain about how things are on my blog, yet is not very different from those he complains about.

There is no right to freedom of speech on a blog, especially one owned and managed by a person, it is up to that person to allow you to comment, and to allow your comment to stay. It's also up to them to determine if they want rules on their site or if it's going to be this wild, wild west free for all.

Some bloggers make every comment have to be moderated, they can decide to publish or not to publish your comments.

So, there is no right to free speech on a blog...

After everything, Pfizer pulling out of New London...

I followed the Kelo versus New London story for a variety of reasons, one of which is that is where my husband is from, another was that I took issue with the way eminent domain was being used there, and had been used here in Toledo. Now, as a sad end to the whole tale, Pfizer is leaving:

Pfizer’s abandonment of its plans for New London render moot the U.S. Supreme Court’s decision on eminent domain in Kelo v. New London. In the case, the city of New London had sought “eminent domain” power to seize the houses of several people living in a run-down neighborhood. The land was to be transformed into Pfizer’s new facility. The city argued it needed to bulldoze blighted areas in order to redevelop them. Susette Kelo argued the government should not have the right to take her home.

Libertarians Applaud Federal Reprieve For Medical Marijuana

It's never made sense to me to go after people like Charles Lynch...but? That's what has happened and in theory it's believed new guidelines from the Department of Justice telling prosecutors “should not focus federal resources in your States on individuals whose actions are in clear and unambiguous compliance with existing state laws providing for the medical use of marijuana” may make a difference.

Time will tell...I highly recommend this video from Reason.tv



Another recommended article on Charles Lynch.