Tag: politics
On The Worship Of Authority
On Monday, January 13, two Fullerton, California police officers charged with the beating death of Kelly Thomas were acquitted, and the prosecutor announced his decision not to press charges against a third officer involved. Millions who had been following the story met the verdict with incredulity: How could anyone who watched that horrific video of…
Propriedade e privatização libertárias: um paradigma alternativo
Carlton Hobbs recentemente desafiou a tendência da corrente principal dos libertários, defensores do livre-mercado e anarco-capitalistas a favorecer a corporação capitalista como modelo primário de propriedade e atividade econômica e a assumir que qualquer sociedade de livre-mercado futura será organizada no padrão do capitalismo corporativista. Como alternativa a essa forma de organização, Hobbs propôs a…
Libertarian Property and Privatization: An Alternative Paradigm
Carlton Hobbs recently challenged the tendency of mainstream libertarians, free marketers and anarcho-capitalists to favor the capitalist corporation as the primary model of ownership and economic activity, and to assume that any future free market society will be organized on the pattern of corporate capitalism. As one alternative to such forms of organization, Hobbs proposed…
Using Agorist Class Theory
Konkin offered a scenario [PDF], using agorist class theory, to illustrate the difference between a limited-government libertarian and an agorist: “Consider the individual standing at the corner of the street. He can see two sides of the building behind him as he prepares to cross the street. He is hailed and turns around to see an acquaintance from the…
The Cynicism And Futility Of Imprisonment
A new report from the Swedish Prison and Probation Service claims that 46 percent of Sweden’s inmates are mentally ill, that 70 percent have severe drug problems and that these problems mostly have their origins in early life. As elsewhere, Sweden’s prison population is made up of the most disenfranchised, poorest and most vulnerable elements…
Capitalismo: uma palavra boa para uma coisa ruim
O editor do The Freeman, Sheldon Richman, discursando na George Mason University, levantou a questão sobre o que os libertários convencionais querem dizer quando chamam um país de “capitalista”. O que qualifica um país como “capitalista”? Muitos países com índices relativamente baixos de liberdade econômica (incluindo aqueles classificados como “majoritariamente não-livre”) são normalmente considerados “capitalistas”, e referenciados…
Five Libertarian Reforms Millennials Should Be Fighting For
Millennials are disgruntled, and it’s no wonder. In 2008 they turned out in record numbers in support of a presidential candidate who used the most leftish-sounding rhetoric of any Democratic candidate since McGovern. This president came into office with a seemingly filibuster-proof Democratic Congressional majority, by the largest Democratic electoral margin since LBJ beat Goldwater….
Without Government, Who Will Block The Roads?
One question that libertarians and anarchists never stop hearing is “without government, who will build the roads?” Given Bridge-Gate — an intentionally manufactured traffic jam on New Jersey’s George Washington Bridge — one might ask “without government, who will block the roads?” The scandal emerged after four grueling days of inexplicably awful traffic turned out…
The Weekly Libertarian Leftist and Chess Review 12
Review 12 is here! Martin Morse Wooster reviews, Rome’s Last Citizen: The Life and Legacy of Cato, Ceaser’s Mortal Enemy. Sheldon Richman discusses the ceding of the war power to Israel. Sheldon Richman discusses how morality and practicality coincide in making the case for liberty. Jim Miles reviews, Goliath – Life and loathing in Greater…
Legitimation Crisis
In the latest news story about collusive government-industry pipeline deals, Alaska Governor Sean Parnell announced a “partnership” between the Alaskan government, TransCanada, Exxon Mobil, BP and ConocoPhillips to build a pipeline “attractive to North Slope oil and gas companies.” Such pipeline projects, all involving massive government subsidies including the use of eminent domain to condemn…
Svensk polis, rasism och motstånd
Sverige porträtteras ofta i internationell media som en pluralismens, toleransens och framstegets högborg. Den här bilden står dock i stark konstrast mot marginaliserade människors upplevda verkligheter i Sverige, då den svenska staten blir allt mer desperat och våldsam. 2012 orsakade avslöjandena om inre gränskontroller i Stockholms kollektivtrafikssystem ilska, skräck och ursinne. I den här omfattande…
An Open Letter To The Peace Movement: Reply To A Friend’s Criticisms Continued
In my last blog post; I discussed some criticisms of Roderick T. Long’s, An Open Letter to the Peace Movement, by a non-anarchist or non-libertarian friend. This post continues that discussion. It contains responses to a part of my friend’s response not previously dealt with. The earlier comments will be given a second look in…
Privatizing Diplomacy, Dennis Rodman Style
The verdict is in: All civilized people must hate Dennis Rodman. Politicians from John McCain to John Kerry and pundits from Bill O’Reilly to Chris Matthews are outraged that an American would visit the third member of the Axis of Evil. Earlier this week Rodman, along with six fellow former NBA players, arrived in Pyongyang,…
La Privacidad en 2014: La Fábula del Acaparador
Desde hace unos años, los «acaparadores» – personas que acumulan montones y montones de cosas, hasta que éstas se apoderan de ellos – se han convertido en un tema muy popular en las noticias y en los reality shows. El consenso convencional parece ser que los «acaparadores» son enfermos mentales, o al menos socialmente anormales,…
Capitalism, Free Enterprise and Progress: Partners or Adversaries?
Foundation The Industrial Revolution is typically regarded as a story of capitalism, free enterprise, and progress in technology and living standards. This paper attempts to disentangle the threads of capitalism, free enterprise, and progress, in the context of the Industrial Revolution, with a focus on Britain and the United States. It aims to bring some historical perspectives into…
An Open Letter To The Peace Movement: Reply To A Friend’s Criticisms
A recent emailing of Roderick Long’s, “An Open Letter to the Peace Movement,” precipitated some criticisms from a non-libertarian and non-anarchist friend. This post will be a response to those criticisms. The author’s name will be withheld. If he so chooses, he can reveal himself in the comments section. The original text of the piece…
Privacidad 2014: ¿Scroogled?
Los aficionados de la tecnología y defensores de la privacidad observaron atentamente el ataque que Microsoft lanzó a finales de 2013 contra el sistema operativo Chrome de Google. Por un lado, es inusual que una empresa gaste los dólares de su presupuesto publicitario atacando a sus competidores en lugar de promover sus propios productos. Por…
Two Tales Of Two Cities
Bill de Blasio’s mayoralty of New York City is shaping up as a textbook example of Roderick T. Long’s account of how electoral politics works in practice: “… via a façade of opposition between a purportedly progressive statocracy and a purportedly pro-market plutocracy. The con operates by co-opting potential opponents of the establishment; those who…
Scarsità e Abbondanza Artificiale: Un Uno-Due Micidiale
Scrivo spesso della scarsità artificiale come sorgente di rendita per le classi possidenti, e sul ruolo che ha lo stato nell’imporla. Ma l’altra faccia della moneta è il ruolo che ha lo stato nel rendere artificialmente abbondante, per le classi privilegiate, ciò che è scarso in natura. Un esempio lo vediamo dalle notizie che parlano…
Privacy 2014: Scroogled?
Tech aficionados and privacy advocates took notice in late 2013 when Microsoft rolled out an attack on Google’s Chrome OS computers. For one thing, it’s unusual for any company to spend its advertising dollars attacking its competitors rather than promoting its own products. For another, Microsoft’s position atop the computer operating systems market is such that…
Anarchy and Democracy
Fighting Fascism
Markets Not Capitalism
The Anatomy of Escape
Organization Theory