Radical libertarians like me are, unfortunately, a tiny part of the “yay, shutdown!” demographic. We prefer, on principle, to see the government doing as little as it can be made to do. Shut down as much of it as possible for as long as possible!
Tag: principles
On Progressivism
Progressivism as a philosophy is about improving the human condition. In my opinion, the only way to improve the human condition is to improve the conditions wherein a person may act.
Voluntaryist Solutions to the Public Benefits and Immigration Problem
What’s a voluntaryist, who is a person who recognizes the criminal nature of governments, to do about the problem of immigrants exploiting public benefits? There are several possible solutions to this problem, many of which are consistent with the voluntary principle, that all human relations should happen voluntarily, or not at all, and many of which are not.
On Sandboxes
Do you find it as difficult as I do to put your voluntaryist principles aside in order to engage with other people on questions of public policy? Here’s a metaphorical trick to make it easier: view every ideology as a sandbox.
Liberty in America During the Great War
There’s always plenty for libertarians to complain about in our troubled world, but in many respects, things could be much worse. I’m thinking particularly of how the U.S. government punished dissent before, during, and even after America’s participation in World War I. Although it will be a few years before we observe the centenary of…
Optimality versus Fire
Public choice economists have long argued that conventional economists hold markets to far higher standards than they hold government. Markets “fail” unless they’re optimal. Governments “succeed” unless they’re on fire.
My Personal Views on Abortion
As a man, am I allowed to have a “personal view” on abortion? I think so. I have many women in my life, including a wife and two daughters. Any unexpected or unwanted pregnancy of these women will affect me to some degree. My daughters are probably at the top of that list. When asked, and I would be asked as their father whom they love deeply, I will be a source of counsel and comfort on any decisions regarding this controversial practice.
The US Makes One Too Many Parties to the Spratly Spat
No fewer than six states — China, Taiwan, Vietnam, the Phillipines, Malaysia, and Brunei — assert territorial claims over all or part of the (largely uninhabited) Spratly archipelago. To which, if any, of those states do the Spratlys “belong?” That’s for them to work out between themselves, through arbitration and mediation or maybe even war. The US government, neither numbering itself among those claimants nor having any plausible basis upon which to do so if it wished to, needs to butt out.
The Blue-Collar Knowledge Worker Manifesto
The more I’m exposed to the industry of marketing, the more I learn about the pitfalls as well as the advantages of work in a job that is so based in ideas. And I’m beginning to think that we marketers could learn a lot from my former landscaping and hardware store colleagues.
On Utah Politics II
It should be obvious to any observer of the recent Mormon Church’s interference in Utah politics that this organization is thoroughly opposed to anything resembling liberty.