Celebrate!

Posted on 2016-06-28 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Last Thursday, by about 52 to 48 percent, British subjects of Her Majesty voted to divorce the island nation from the European Union, triggering celebration and panic and predictions of a glorious future and a hideous future. Brits voted “LEAVE” on Brexit.

Ron Paul and Donald Trump, hardly bedmates, both encourage Americans to rejoice and imitate the British electorate. Even though the “benevolent tyranny” of Whitehall (the House of Commons, a bunch of elected powermongers and nannies) is bad, it has to be better than having both Whitehall and the Brussels-Strassburg Axis of Euro-Evil on your neck. And they both hope that this will be the turning point not just for the liberty of Brits but Americans, Europeans, and around the world. Like Boris Johnson, former Lord Mayor of London, they expect things to be difficult but working for the better, in the short and long term. Continue reading →

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*acebook: enemy of liberty and privacy?

Posted on 2016-06-26 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Government and other criminals (pirates, slavers, burglars, con-artists, etc.) are not the only enemies of liberty, including our rights of privacy and many others. Consider the big, and increasingly powerful, social media, information technology companies, and food producers. In particular, consider ONE social media company and its founder and owner.

I received this e-mail from a close friend, and thought it worth passing on. It is something they posted on the same site they are writing about. (I edited it a bit.) Continue reading →

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The bizarre case of “Creepytings” and the limits of government

Posted on 2016-06-25 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

One of the major problems today is unrealistic expectations of government. Even for those who believe that government is morally justified (it is not), they expect government to do and prevent things which are frankly impossible, regardless of technology and all the other tools available. Consider, for example, the Creepytings [sic] case.

According to USA Today a 23-year-old woman with the “social media” handle of “ Creepytings” has been convicted of putting graffiti on “protected rocks” in seven national parks, two years ago.

She is being punished for this graffiti (self-portraits signed with Creepytings) by (a) a still to be determined fine, (b) 200 hours of useful public service, and (c) being banned for two years from ANY national park property. It is this third item that bugs me: are the guards (excuse me, “guest welcoming technicians”) in uniform at the gates to places like Arches or Mesa Verde or Rocky Mountain or Devil’s Tower or Badlands going to be questioning every woman to ask if she is “Creepytings” (and hopefully getting beaten up by any male companions) or will they post “BANNED” posters with her picture on it, and only cute, younger women will be questioned (and what if they are wearing a burka or hajib?)? Continue reading →

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Who do we believe?

Posted on 2016-06-24 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Funny how two very similar events are interpreted so totally differently by the mainstream AND the alternative media. Consider recent events in the Western Pacific (the Far East) involving the Chinese and United States navies.

The Mirror (UK newspaper) reports that a joint US-Chinese naval exercise near the Philippines before a massive, multi-national naval exercise off the Hawaiian Islands is an example of cooperation and coexistence between the two rival powers. The two country’s heavily armed task forces exchanged visits, compliments, and maneuvered together.

Meanwhile, apparently on the other side of the Philippines, in the South China Sea, according to Yahoo and other news sources and commentators, two USN aircraft carriers are operating while being “shadowed” by Chinese warships. The area is being claimed by various nations including a US ally (the Philippines), and quasi-ally Vietnam, and China (and others). Depending on the point of view of the commentator, either this is China threatening the USN and freedom of the seas, or the US being the big imperialist bully threatening the Chinese People’s Liberation Army’s Navy (honest, that is its name) in a blatant act of provocation against China. Continue reading →

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Is there an acceptable size and role of government?

Posted on 2016-06-23 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Several years ago, on a South Dakota forum, a self-described “liberal” posed the question, what should be the role and size of government?  His perspective was intended to be provocative, as the forum is mostly populated by a mix of conservatives and libertarians (though of the “minarchist” persuasion). I was asked to respond to his provocative viewpoint, and quickly whipped up about eight pages (12-pt, Century Gothic, single-spaced) and then edited it back to about six, trying to write from a minarchist viewpoint. Although incredibly lengthy, the response was “well-received” and several people who read it claimed that it changed their views on government and what the role and size should be.

Why minarchist?   Although I am a free-market anarchist (or “self-governor” as Mama Liberty prefers), I can see the need to argue for minarchy, as being better than the mess we have to live with now. Continue reading →

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Why is government?

Posted on 2016-06-22 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

In a long-ago, rambling column, we discussed “what is government?”  All in all, it is pretty nasty:  involuntary control of things (including people) using force (including fraud and theft).  But why?

More recently, we discussed what Webster thought about government. But like many (most? virtually all?) of us, he just assumed that government is something that must exist. A fact of life, just like air. A necessary part of human society. But WHY?

We already know from history that we don’t have to have government to have either society or civilization.  (Although that has been a rare and usually short-lived situation.) We know from (often bitter) personal experience as well as history that government causes great harm to people and things (including this planet we live on).  I recently discussed the size and role of government (my conclusion is “zero.”) We know that so far every attempt to limit government so that its destructiveness is contained has ultimately failed.  Yet why do we still have government?  People assume that government has a purpose, and presumably succeeds in that purpose part of the time. Or that there is some element of nature that requires that government, however bad, exist. Continue reading →

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Webster and “just rulers” – Does Webster make sense?

Posted on 2016-06-21 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Noah Webster, a genius in the early 19th Century, wrote much about government, politics, and society. He is best known for his dictionary, but his writings are extensive and thoughtful, and worth perusing nearly two centuries later. Here is something he wrote about civil rulers and government in 1832:

“[L]et it be impressed on your mind that God commands you to choose for rulers just men who will rule in the fear of God. The preservation of a republican government depends on the faithful discharge of this duty; if the citizens neglect their duty and place unprincipled men in office, the government will soon be corrupted; laws will be made, not for the public good, so much as for selfish or local purposes; corrupt or incompetent men will be appointed to execute; the public revenues will be squandered on unworthy men; and the rights of the citizens will be violated or disregarded. If a republican government fails to secure public prosperity and happiness, it must be because the citizens neglect the Divine commands and elect bad men to make and administer the laws.” Continue reading →

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Selling us down the river

Posted on 2016-06-17 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Anti-Liberty

No, it isn’t due to their toking up. It is simply the same old transnational socialism/progressivism, perhaps the worst extreme form of statism which we now face. Rolling Stone Magazine has joined the New York Times, the Boston Globe and the tyrant who claims to be President of the United States (and I hate even mentioning the names) in calling for the repeal of the Second Amendment to the United States constitution, following the Islamist terrorist attack in Florida. Not only do they call for its repeal, but the article drags up everything “evil” about the Constitution, demonstrate their warped view of history, and condemn the Federal government NOT as an evil tyranny, but because it is NOT a strong enough, unitary enough tyranny! Continue reading →

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Breadstick vote nears – Can the UK free itself?

Posted on 2016-06-17 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

Author’s Note: I wrote this before news came that an MP had been assassinated in her own constituency, supposedly by someone who was a supporter of “LEAVE” in the Brexit vote. (Or “breadstick vote” as one person thought someone said.) Although polls indicated that support for the UK to leave the EU was growing and a majority (in a non-binding vote, I might note), this killing (gun and knife, both supposedly “Under Control” by the peelers, according to the powers-that-be) may change that. My points in this story remain valid.

Sometimes, you just shake your head. Ambrose Evans-Pritchard is well-known as a strong Tranzi, involved in all kinds of chicanery and name-calling on both sides of the Atlantic. And yet, he has now formally and publicly come out IN FAVOR of The UK’s exit from the EU, coming up for a vote next week. In an article in the Daily Telegraph he states his reasons for doing so. Continue reading →

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California – the choice is yours

Posted on 2016-06-16 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

California is an extreme example, a radical example, of how evil government can be. So extreme measures to restore liberty to the poor people of that state are called for.

Increasingly, the major difference between the ruling class of California and that of North Korea is that not all the powers-that-be in California have a family name of Kim. The Washington Times has an editorial about the arrogance of the California State Legislature, whose 120 members subscribe to the philosophy that what is good for us (the powers-that-be) isn’t good for the people; the scum which let the legislators live in luxury. The major point of the editorial is that California legislators have exempted themselves from at least SOME of the laws which are designed to disarm more and more Californians and visitors to that state. But it goes on to talk about all the ways the Legislature (together with many state officials and employees) are a ruling class with exemption from many laws that bedevil the rest of us; everything from not having to pay tolls or fines from red-light cameras to free cars and gasoline (having the taxpayers “pay” for some of the highest taxes on fuel in the nation). Continue reading →

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