Libertarian commentary on the news, #14-34E: Military? Civilian? Does it matter?

Posted on 2014-09-01 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

War is not fun.  It may be exhilarating, it may be fulfilling for some, but it is death and destruction on a scale that is often difficult to comprehend. War is not good, even if necessary.  It is also one of man’s most common activities, whether it is a raid on an enemy village to steal horses and count coup, or massive, mechanized invasions of hundreds of thousands of incredibly well-equipped men in either defense or offensive. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #14-34D: Bad day for too many.

Posted on 2014-08-28 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

Good morning, unless you are in most parts of the Middle East, North Africa, and Eastern Europe.  (A short commentary today, due to appointments and travel.)

The Caliphate continues to fight and grow in Mesopotamia, it seems. USA Today reports that “Muslim leaders gathered Monday on the steps of Dearborn City Hall [Michigan] to strongly condemn the Islamic State or ISIS, saying the militant group in Iraq and Syria doesn’t represent Islam or Muslims. ISIS members are ‘crazy criminals who are abusing our religion,’ said Imam Mohammed Elahi of the Islamic House of Wisdom in Dearborn Heights. ‘You’re a bunch of gangsters … you’re not Islamic.'”   Well, I am glad to see that a few Muslims, apparently American ones, are condemning the Caliphate.  But I wonder how quickly these will be condemned by other Muslims as apostates who must die?  And it is now reported that hundreds of “Americans” are fighting for ISIS and that a second one just died. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #14-34C: More stupidity and cruelty.

Posted on 2014-08-27 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning.  We usually fail to properly consider the impact of stupidity on human events and society.  Here are some great examples.

Immigration and drought threaten California’s economy, according to an article published by NCPA.  Twelve percent of the United States population lives in California, yet, staggeringly, over 30 percent of America’s welfare recipients are located in the state.  Non-corporate recipients, at least.  But I think the article does not get to the root of the problem.  Both “excessive” immigration and drought are problems that can be dealt with by a healthy society and a sound economy, in which people can voluntarily do things together to solve problems. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #14-34B: Terrorists

Posted on 2014-08-26 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

Good afternoon.  Terrorism is in the eye of the beholder, but clearly the world is full of it, and terrorists.

When I first read the headline of this article in The Nation, “How the War on Terror created the world’s most powerful terror group,” I thought it was talking about the FedGov.  Silly me.  They are writing about the Caliphate, or ISIS.  But they are not accurate because they do not consider “legit” governments of nation-states to be terrorist organizations. Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the news, #14-34A: More Missouri Misery

Posted on 2014-08-25 by TPOL Nathan

By Nathan Barton

Good morning! Some news items from last week to start the week off, so enjoy!

This story is troubling on several fronts.  Police raided a church building in relation to the protests at Ferguson. Their reason (or excuse) was that people were living (actually, sleeping) in the building and that the building was the site of meetings to plan the protests.  A heavily armed squad arrived, without a warrant, apparently and demanded entry to search, and a rector let them in and promised to evict anyone found.  Then the cops came back later, rinse, repeat. This is truly evil and insane.  No warrant , and a reason that indicates as far as the state of Missouri is concerned, there is NO religious liberty.  If churches have their building subject to any petty little zoning regulation the local thus, elected and appointed, can dream up, then every activity a religious organization does is subject to prohibition. Continue reading →

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The Denial of Due Process May Bankrupt Universities

Posted on 2014-08-24 by MamaLiberty

By Gordon E. Finley, Ph.D.

With now literally hundreds of editorials and op-eds taking positions both pro and con on California’s SB 967 – as well as the broader issue of “affirmative consent” for sexual relations — it is virtually certain that the California legislature will pass and send to Governor Brown’s desk SB 967 in the coming week.  The bill is titled: “Student safety: sexual assault.”  Continue reading →

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Libertarian commentary on the News, #14-33F: Blessings and curses

Posted on 2014-08-23 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

Good morning.  As things seem to spiral downward both at home and abroad, it never hurts to realize that we have many blessings.  So (at risk of ticking off people who do not believe) join me in being thankful (to God) for the prosperity and liberty we still do have.  And all the other blessings, not the least of which is that most who call themselves libertarian are willing to tolerate those who believe in the Creator (or not). Continue reading →

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Problem solving: Responding to tyranny in 2014

Posted on 2014-08-22 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

Daily I read of more obvious, more common tyranny and oppression around the world, and of how people agonize over how to end it: how to respond.  Many offer answers.  Will they work? They have not, so far, at least in recent memory.

Let me restate the problem in the time-honored and effective “task training outline:” Continue reading →

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Sellout: JPFO to be handed off to SAF — unless we stop it

Posted on 2014-08-22 by MamaLiberty

From Claire Wolfe

JPFO to be handed off to SAF

“A housewife and a cat will both chase mice out of the kitchen. But the cat wants more mice to come back.”

– Aaron Zelman

Somebody reminded me this week of that statement from Aaron, the late, great founder of Jews for the Preservation of Firearms Ownership. That was how Aaron contrasted himself and JPFO with Alan Gottlieb and Gottlieb’s SAF/CCRKBA.

Aaron wanted to educate people so that victim disarmament would go away. He would have been thrilled to be able to close JPFO’s doors and say, “We’ve done it.”

On the other hand, he despised Alan Gottlieb and saw him as an opportunist who used scary mailings to turn SAF/CCRKBA into a fundraising factory. He saw Gottlieb as a person who needed and wanted “gun control” because that’s what kept the money and the publicity flowing. Continue reading →

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Is it time yet?

Posted on 2014-08-22 by TPOL Nathan

by Nathan Barton

One of our better known libertarian authors has been asked this question often, starting with her 1996 book (my oh my, 18 years ago now!): “America is at that awkward stage; it’s too late to work within the system, but too early to shoot the b*******s.” Continue reading →

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