The Argentine experiment

The election of a self-proclaimed libertarian, Javier Milei, as president of the Republica Argentina, was obviously shocking to many people.

His actions continue to alarm many. Including the American media. An example is the recent headline at MSN.com: Argentina’s President Javier Milei Executes Unprecedented Military Reorganization. But as the story itself states, the reorganization is not “unprecedented” and is being done just a few years after Argentine president Kirchner (2007-2015) reorganized the military.

Milei’s military reforms (including “premature” retirement of 22 senior flag-grade (general) officers and using retired officers to clean up the civilian part of the military establishment) may be a bit more in depth than Ms. Kirchner’s work. And takes a different approach.

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Should libertarians support the BSA? Trail Life USA?

A two-part commentary:

For more than a century, the Boy Scouts of America was an organization that sought to instill ideals of morality, self-improvement, civic duty, survival and wilderness skills, and both a religious attitude and patriotism in youth age 7 to 21+.

That, like many other facets of American society and culture, has gone away. Today’s BSA is an evil shadow of its past in the eyes of many.

There were, to be sure, many elements of the BSA that various people (including many libertarians) objected to. There was the “militarism” and paramilitary system and aspects, particularly evident between WWI and WWII. The strong emphasis on patriotism. The expectation that Scouts and Scouters (adult leaders) were believers in God – the God of the Old and New Testaments, not the Allah of the Quran or other belief systems. The monosexual nature of the organization, its tight relationship with government, so-called patriarchal ideas, various churches, and more.

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Violence – what is the problem?

As we enter 2024, a new year, let’s look at a few issues that constantly come up.

To pay attention to the daily news, American society seems to be rapidly growing more and more violent.

Just a few examples:

In Rapid City, South Dakota (a small city by most standards), a violent carjacking took place in an upscale business neighborhood. A convenience store clerk was murdered by a robber on a major tourist street. The city and rural/frontier area around it are seeing more and more violent crime, even on a daily basis. There is now a shooting by a cop at least every other month in a city that once would go for days or weeks with no serious crime, and in which there were only one or two homicides a year.

In multiple reservations, also in South Dakota, tribal administrations have declared emergencies due to violence spiraling “out of control” and demanding the FedGov provide more money and more cops to address the problems. This is not outsiders going onto the tribal lands: it is homegrown.

In rural South Carolina, a recent news report tells us that two farmers have been charged with murder for shooting and killing an armed trespasser. Just a few problems: they disarmed him of his machete and blocked his escape back to his own house before the father ordered his son to shoot the trespasser. The man posed no real threat to the two.

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Time for a “color revolution” Stateside? Or are we in one?

As we end Anno Domini 2023, we need to ask one another, has it been a good year? Is 2024 going to be better? Do we have a good attitude, with hope for the future? Or are we dour, even depressed, sure that things will get worse?

We here at TPOL are optimistic, fresh from family get-togethers, and with a new family member, we see that what kind of year 2024 will be in large part depends on us. On our attitude, our work, our goals and plans for the next weeks and months.

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Media slanders a great man

Gaston Glock, 94, of Austria, died a few days ago. The inventor of the popular and highly useful and prized handguns was “honored” by MSM with this headline: “Man who made billions out of death and killing dies at the age of 94.”

The story in part states, “It is unknown exactly how many people have died as a result of Glock handguns.” While undoubtedly true, the more important fact is not stated in the hit-piece. It is unknown exactly how many people have been saved from horror because they or a friend or even a bystander or a police officer had a Glock automatic. What horrors? Being murdered, being raped, armed home invasions, armed robbery of autos and more.

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Will a civil war or war between American States lead to world collapse?

A recent MSN offering, republished from The Hill, about how China is trying to pick the next American president, included this little tidbit:

America’s foes hope to foment domestic clashes to such an intense degree that the tensions will approach a new U.S. civil war. Preoccupied with fighting one another, Americans would be effectively disabled from coping with the multifront external aggression. 

Fascinating.

Being of suspicious mind, we understand this to say, “All you fly-over country yahoos who don’t like Uncle Joe and support The (anti-democracy) Donald are just playing into the hands of America’s enemies: China, Russia, North Korea, Iran, Venezuela and whoever we think of next. You are Unamerican because you want to disable America and let the Commies and Islamists and Bolivarian revolutionaries take over!”

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The evil called democracy

The lovers of liberty – both minarchists and anarchists – have long enjoyed and shared the parable, “Democracy is two wolves and a lamb voting on what to have for lunch. Liberty is a well-armed lamb contesting the vote.” Long attributed to Benjamin Franklin, the source is unknown. But we see nothing to dispute it: with or without recognition of God-given individual rights, democracy is what even the US Army once taught its officers: a dangerous phase in the devolution of a republic to a tyranny.

We anarchists go one step further: All mandatory human governments sooner or later become totalitarian tyrannies. No matter how the leaders are chosen. It is just a matter of how quickly, in part depending on how far down the slippery slope we start out.

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Is it true that it can only get better when it comes to VPOTUS?

The latest example of “word salad” produced publically by dear Kammie (excuse us, Ms. Kamala Harris) is discussed in a recent article. Compared (unfavorably) to VPOTUS and later POTUS Andrew Johnson, she has demonstrated a command of English that is the envy of no one.

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Some resolutions for the First (Crime) Family

As we enter 2024, many people see the American political scene as more and more chaotic. Filled with instability, the general attitude appears to be pessimistic. On most if not all sides of the political diamond.

Forget about “October Surprises” – we probably will have shocks to the system every month of the year, right up to after the November elections.

One feature of presidential election races going back at least twenty years are the over-the-top claims by various celebrities that they will leave the States if so-and-so (usually the GOP candidate) is elected. To our recollection, none of these threats have ever been carried out. (Except for those celebrities sent to Gitmo by the winning GOP type, of course.) (Joking, really!)

Now Breitbart reports that one of the current cohort of celebrities has threatened to “flee America” if The Donald is elected to a second term. Oh dear!

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Merry Christmas

Longtime readers and associates of The Price of Liberty know that we (publishers and staff) do not celebrate Christmas as a religious holiday, for many reasons.

Nevertheless, it is a family and friends holiday: a time to enjoy being with one another, and to share gifts and love not just with family and friends but with neighbors and strangers – and yes, even enemies. Even if sometimes that love is tough love.

In the States and the Commonwealth and Europe and Russia – in the Northern Hemisphere, we are now past the Winter Solstice and the days are growing longer. The lights virtually all cultures associate with Christmas (or “the Holidays”) are a natural reaction to the short hours of daylight. They help combat the depression associated with the season. But with the coming new year, it is a time to encourage optimism. Socially, politically, and economically.

So rejoice with us! Every day, but especially today.

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