Timothy Sandefur has exposed Carlson’s failure to grasp that individual freedom and its spontaneously emergent arena for peaceful voluntary exchange — the marketplace — make possible what Carlson insists he values most: “Dignity. Purpose. Self-control. Independence,” which Carlson correctly identifies as “ingredients in being happy.”
Tag: legalization
On Utah Politics IV
The Salt Lake Tribune reports, “Representatives from the [Mormon] church, the Utah Medical Association and a pro-cannabis group met for seven hours in House Speaker Greg Hughes’ office Monday, trying to hammer out details of a plan” for medical marijuana legalization. What the actual fuck?
The Transition from Slavery to Freedom
I sometimes hear people, including freedom advocates, pondering how society might “transition” from an authoritarian system to a stateless society. The implication is that there could be some sort of gradual, peaceful phasing in of freedom, and a phasing out of governmental controls. But that is not how things works, and not how things will ever work.
Alex’s Journey, and Writing Fiction (1h21m) – Episode 085
Episode 085 welcomes Alex Knight, III to the podcast for a chat with Skyler. Topics include: large print books, becoming a fiction writer, his rock bands, growing up in the Northeast United States, his parents, political awareness as a teen, marijuana legalization, Libertarian Party of New Hampshire, Harry Browne, Marc Stevens and his No State Project, thoughts on veganism, dating as an anarchist, libertarian themed short stories, and Netflix recommendations.
There’s No Such Thing as Legalized Crime
I wish it would go without saying, but many a libertarian decry practices like taxation and civil asset forfeiture as “legalized theft.” Et cetera, Et cetera. It is only “legalized” if the laws allowing it actually applied to anyone, that they are anything more than opinions scribbled on parchment, paper, or computer screens.
Legalizing Weed Has Done What 1 Trillion Dollars and a 40 Year War Couldn’t
The $1 trillion War on Drugs launched by President Nixon in 1971 created the Mexican drug cartels, now legalizing weed is killing them.
Legalization Works
Libertarians, though that term encompasses a very large range of ideas these days, seem to agree on one basic principle; do what you want as long as it does not affect me. That is why one of the core principles of Libertarian ideology is that individuals have the freedom to do what they want with their own bodies. Be it the intake of drugs, or a half hour on a mattress in the red light district, consenting adults should be able to do as they please.
Deregulation Of Innovation
It has been estimated that the cost to an average household is about $15,000 per year, in terms of more expensive food, housing, education, health care, and many other goods and services. We can look at it this way: the annual costs of an average household are $15,000 more than they have to be, because of federal regulations. Or, an average household could have better food, health care, education at the same cost.
In Praise of Political Apathy
My children are both non-voters. They have little to no interest in politics. To them it is a big waste of time. They have more important things to do – like develop careers, enjoy the company of friends, have a good time and just live their lives. Some, on both the left and the right, would condemn them as apathetic.
Freer Trade Is Deregulation
For those who like competitive markets, the prospect of a Trump presidency has not held a great deal of promise. His love of discretionary power, his weak understanding of economics, and his long history of cronyism all suggest that the next four years will not be a good time for those of us who think that market capitalism is the best economic system for raising the overall standard of living, and especially for the least well off among us.