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Stephen Metcalf has responded to the critics of his Robert Nozick piece, and while he doesn’t address me by name, it is implied that I am “accustomed to the shady comforts of the fringe.” I readily admit to living on the political fringe, but it is neither shady nor comfortable. I am constantly asked to [...]
Filed under: Culture, Ideas, libertarianism
Sometimes an article comes along that is so blindingly stupid and misinformed that the mind reels in a vain attempt to understand how such a thing could be published by any semi-reputable organization. In my personal experience, these articles often discuss the history of the libertarian movement or libertarian ideas. I’m certainly not contending that [...]
Filed under: Books, Economics, History, Ideas, libertarianism
David Weigel reports on the colorful libertarian activists of Keene, New Hampshire: This city is one of the epicenters of the Free State Project, the decade-old effort to build a libertarian beachhead of 20,000 like-minded souls in New Hampshire. So far, 909 people have fulfilled the pledge and moved to the state, and around 50—Freeman thinks—currently [...]
Filed under: libertarianism, liberties
Ron Paul won the debate. Not necessarily the presidential debate that took place this week—but the most important debates now taking place in the Republican Party. Monday night’s event was but the latest example. Observers who now give former Massachusetts Governor Mitt Romney and Congresswoman Michele Bachmann high marks for their debate performances are not [...]
Filed under: libertarianism, Politics
Whenever I start to think that I’m overly cynical and paranoid about the government, I read something like this and realize that, if anything, my paranoia is completely insufficient for the off the wall schemes our government concocts. In fact, the only thing that appears to keep government officials from engaging in Parallax View style [...]
Filed under: Law, libertarianism, Scandal, Terrorism
I agree with everything in Jack Hunter’s excellent analysis of Michael Gerson’s attack on Ron Paul’s proposed drug policy, but I don’t think this should be a primarily ideological dispute. Gerson may see it that way, but his column is so divorced from the facts that any kind of informed judgement on the issue would [...]
Filed under: Conservatism, libertarianism, Politics
If you ask the average film critic about the new movie adaptation of Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” they will tell you it is a horrible movie. If you ask the average conservative or libertarian they will tell you it is a great movie. Objectively, it is a mediocre movie at best. Subjectively, it is one [...]
Filed under: Culture, libertarianism
Over at the Anarchism page on Facebook, the administrators have started quite a row by banning anarcho-capitalists (i.e. libertarian anarchists), and the discussion might be the greatest collection of ideological ironies I’ve ever seen. The “About” section strikes a peaceful, ecumenical chord: Anarchism is peace. The state is war. Anarchism is an opposition to oppressive/coercive [...]
Filed under: libertarianism, Satire
New York may be taking the sheen off McDonalds’ golden arches, with a member of the city council proposing toys be banned from kids’ Happy Meals that do not meet nutritional standards. While Happy Meal treats might seem to be the prime target, Mr. Comrie is taking aim at any fast-food meals that include toys [...]
Filed under: Culture, Food, libertarianism, liberties
The Cato Institute today launched an excellent symposium on the high costs of free parking. It’s wonky stuff, to be sure, but challenges the Right’s refusal to engage with urban planning issues and blindness to all the subsidies going to our automobile-centric infrastructure. The lead essay by Donald Shoup, a UCLA professor of urban planning, [...]
Filed under: Culture, Economics, libertarianism, Transportation