http://www.thelibertypapers.org Life. Liberty. Property. Defending individual freedom and liberty, one post at a time. Thu, 19 Nov 2009 18:00:59 +0000 http://backend.userland.com/rss092 en Way back in 2006 (and prior to that at my old site), I raised a question of how a libertarian society deals with children. It's well summarized from this comment: If a parent believes in spanking, we don’t take the child away from the parents. If the parents are beating ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/19/open-thread-libertarian-response-to-klingon-upbringing/ Megan McArdle coins a new word: That's why I really wish the media wouldn't act like, well, a bunch of elitist hooligans who are out to get her. I've coined a new phrase to cover the situation: Palinoia. It's when you think people are out to get you, and ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/19/quote-of-the-day-115/ Just 247 days after topping $ 11 trillion and 414 days since passing the $ 10 trillion mark, America's national debt is now above the eye-popping level of twelve trillion dollars: It's another record-high for the U.S. National Debt which today topped the $12-trillion mark. Divided evenly among the U.S. population, ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/18/national-debt-tops-12000000000000/ This is as succinct, and as masterful a description of the relationship between the rights of man, and the government of a free state, as I have yet seen. “I cannot, and will not, consent that the majority of any republican State may, in any way, rightfully restrict the humblest citizen ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/17/we-are-not-a-democracy-we-are-a-republic/ From the Mises Econ Blog, regarding Obama's two most recent FTC nominees: For those keeping score, with Brill and Ramirez the FTC will now consist of two law firm partners specializing in antitrust, one former state assistant attorney general for antitrust, a law professor who specialized in antitrust, and a former ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/17/quote-of-the-day-114/ Ezra Klein quotes approvingly from Bruce Bartlett's new book, The New American Economy: The Failure Of Reaganomics And A New Way Forward: The reality is that even before spending exploded to deal with the economic crisis, the government was set to grow by about 50 percent of GDP over the next ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/16/bruce-bartlett-may-your-chains-set-lightly-upon-you/ There are few figures in the American libertarian movement that gave rise to as much controversy or passion as Ayn Rand. Love her or hate her, it's hard to find a libertarian who doesn't have an opinion about the author of The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged. For many of us, ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/14/ayn-rand-the-fountainhead-of-the-modern-libertarian-movement/ When Ludwig von Mises first arrived in the United States after escaping from Nazi Europe, and pretty much up until the present day, he was essentially ignored by the mainstream economics community in the United States. It was only through the assistance of American businessmen that he was able to ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/13/ludwig-von-mises-finally-getting-some-of-the-respect-he-deserves/ But the special function of certain Newspeak words, of which oldthink was one, was not so much to express meanings as to destroy them. These words, necessarily few in number, had had their meanings extended until they contained within themselves whole batteries of words which, as they were sufficiently covered ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/12/the-death-of-language-terrorist-edition/ "You see that's the whole point of being the government. If you don't like something, you simply make up a law that makes it illegal." --Kenneth Brannagh in "Pirate Radio" http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/12/quote-of-the-day-113/ There are a lot of debates one can have about the military. One can ask, as the founding fathers might, whether it be necessary to have a standing army at all. One can ask, as a non-interventionist might, whether it is worth spending American lives on non-essential tasks. ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/11/to-the-veterans-and-those-potential-veterans-who-serve/ The video that accompanies the song is simply too powerful to merely post the lyrics (below the fold) of the 3 Doors Down song “Citizen Soldier.” If you know a veteran, share this with them and tell them “thank you” for their service as citizen soldiers. 3 Doors Down "Citizen / ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/11/liberty-rock-veteran%e2%80%99s-day-edition-%e2%80%9ccitizen-soldier%e2%80%9d-by-3-doors-down/ Excerpt from War is a Racket by Major General Smedley Butler USMC [The] soldier pays the biggest part of the bill. If you don't believe this, visit the American cemeteries on the battlefields abroad. Or visit any of the veteran's hospitals in the United States. On a tour of the country, ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/11/the-soldier-pays-the-biggest-part-of-the-bill-an-excerpt-from-a-speech-by-maj-gen-smedley-butler-usmc/ As we mark Veterans Day here in the United States, it is worth remembering that, for the rest of the Western world, today marks the end of what may very well be the most pointless war in human history The war in which millions of educated and working class men sacrificed ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/11/thoughts-on-veterans-day/ A [previously unpublished] letter to the editor in the UK Daily Telegraph: SIR – I find it intensely humiliating to be asked by airport security staff if I have packed my own bag. This forces one to admit, usually within earshot of others, that I no longer have a manservant to ... http://www.thelibertypapers.org/2009/11/10/quote-of-the-day-112/