 |
|
|
 THE LIBERTARIAN ENTERPRISE Number 446, December 2, 2007 "Socialists of a different color"
Send Letters to editor@ncc-1776.org
Another Letter from A.X. Perez Letter from L G Knight Duquesne Yet Another Letter from A.X. Perez Benign neglect Any readers from across the puddle are free to correct me on this. Over the years I have gained the impression that the most popular Medieval King of England was Richard the Lion Hearted, or more appropriately Couer de Leon. Checking the record: Richard spent most of his time on Crusade, being held for ransom, and trying to conquer France. Apparently the characteristic the English found most attractive about him was his absence. Just a little food for thought. A.X. Perez
Dear Editor, Re: "Mothering" by Jean Alexander Thanks for getting author Jean Alexander involved. It is good to see new writers in the magazine. Thanks, Jean for your excellent essay. Wikipedia says that Nanny State was a phrase coined in 1965. Thank you for getting involved in the Free State Project, and for telling others about it, Jean. Also, thanks for being involved in Ron Paul's campaign. Re: "Hell Frozen Over; Welcome to Canada" by Kaptain Kaptain a.k.a. Manuel Miles For Kaptain Kanada, I would suggest something very similar is in order for Canada. Move people to Alberta or "British" Columbia (Coast Salish Columbia is more like it!) and organize to have freedom in a part of Canada. And perhaps think about secession, if it comes to that. Re: "The Bankruptcy of the National Libertarian Party" by Alan R. Weiss For Alan Weiss, I would like to say, "Thanks" for a good essay on the many problems attending the present Libertarian Party. I wonder if Tom Knapp's Boston Tea Party from last year is going to be a place for Ron Paul enthusiasts to coalesce next year? In any event, I think it may be time to stop worrying and love the money bomb. Methinks the Ron Paulistas are capable of organizing their own movement quite well. Finally, my friend, I am working on an article about what it all means. I think I've had an insight into what it means when any available pile of value is seized on sight, when politicians eyeball a property, trespass upon it, and then seize it under adverse possession or eminent domain. I think I have a good idea why we're all having the bejabbers scared out of us as the police state ramps up its brutality. I think they are losing, and they know it. We are out of control, and we're just beginning to get it. Regards, Jim Davidson
[Thank you, Jim, looking forward to the article!—Editor] Re: "The Zeroth Amendment" by L. Neil Smith Last month, I had this published in The Hill. Its punishment is not as graphic as Smith's. Published in The Hill newspaper on October 16, 2007: Hold gov't agencies to SOX standards Five years after passage of the Sarbanes-Oxley legislation, it's time to ask: Is what's good for the goose also good for the gander? At one of Rep. Lee Terry's (R-Neb.) town hall meetings some time ago, he was discussing Enron's collapse and commiserating with me and others who lost our shirts in the collapse of our Enron 401(k) funds. Enron was originally Internorth, headquartered in Omaha, Neb. After he explained Sarbanes-Oxley, I asked if department heads of government programs shouldn't also be required "under penalty of law" to sign their financial reports. After all, sometimes billions in tax revenues are unaccounted for by government agencies. As I recall, Rep. Terry chuckled at the idea. It may be time for an amendment to the Constitution subjecting those spending our money, and wielding the use of force, to mandatory prison time if they violate citizens' rights or post false financial documents. Wouldn't the workers be a lot more careful not to make mistakes, just as we ask of private businesses? Nydra
Re: "The Zeroth Amendment" by L. Neil Smith Y'all hit a nerve on this one. For years I have taught that the 2nd Amendment was an individual inherent right. This last year I have even began teach that the government exists to protect the 2nd Amendment and the other rights guaranteed in the BOR and loses its right to exist if it fails to do so. Assuming I don't get fired or framed for this (and frankly it isn't worth the effort to bust me), I'm only one voice, and I plan to retire in 12 more years or so. Who'll speak the truth then? A.X. Perez
Dear Ken, One of your readers has highly recommended your newsletter/website to me. . . and I am finding reading it (I am glad you have an archives!) to be most informative and interesting! Best wishes. . . Christine Smith
[Thank you! Readers, Ms Smith also submitted an article, which will be found herein.—Editor] Re: "The Bankruptcy of the National Libertarian Party" by Alan R. Weiss Let me echo his sentiments. I too was an early joiner of the LP (drawn in by the MacBride campaign of 1976) who has grown disenchanted by its apparently greater concern for partisan purity than for the promotion of peace, prosperity, and property. I want to go west. A dozen trains are going east, and one is going west, but not as far as I 'd like to go. The east-bound trains are the vast majority of Demoblican Presidential candidates, and the west bound train is Dr Paul. The trains called the Libertarian and Constitution Parties are steadily circling the station and going nowhere, albeit in opposite directions. Clearly, all sensible west-bound folk are climbing on the freedom train, and not worrying over much about what to do when it finally stops a little short of our desired destination. If Republicans en masse fail to come to their senses over the next few months and nominate Rudy ("Hillary in a Skirt") Giuliani as their sacrificial lamb to Hillary ("Bubba in a Pants Suit") Clinton, then the question arises: "Now what?" Dr Paul, as a man of his word, will likely forego the temptation to tilt at the Demoblican windmill that keeps out all contenders save the anointed pair, and return to his righteous struggle in the Congress. Good, we need him there. It would be even nicer if he were joined by another 217 likeminded delegates. As for the rest of us, disaffected Republicans, Libertarians, Constitutionists, and the odd Green, Reformite, and Democrat peaceniks, where to WE go? Co-opting rhetoric and labels is a "proud" American tradition. Long ago, when Jefferson and Madison were still politically active, the Democrat Party called themselves "Republicans" and were largely libertarian. Hamiltonians (the philosophical ancestors of today's predominant "Republicans" called themselves first, the Federalists, and later, the Whigs (and briefly, in a rare fit of integrity, the Know-Nothings.) The Federalist moniker is up for grabs, and remains relatively unblemished. In fact, for any careful student of our (flawed but vastly superior) Constitution, it is a fitting name. After all, the whole point of our federal republic is the principal of divided sovereignty—often unfortunately referred to by the corrupted expression "States' Rights." I want to go west. The Ron Paul Freedom Train will take me most of the way there. Let's build a new Federalist Party to finish the journey. Sic Semper Tyrannis et Imperium Delenda Est! L G Knight Duquesne
Turnabout is Fair Play As you know, the US military is supposed to be occupying Baghdad and other select cities in Iraq to restore order and allow the Iraqi people a chance to create an orderly society for themselves. I know some of you guys oppose the US presence in Iraq and others support it, but I'm sure you agree that the Iraqi people deserve an opportunity to repay our efforts on their behalf. I therefor propose the Al Qaida in Iraq and the Sadr Miltia be invited to occupy Detroit, Washington D.C., And Philadelphia and attempt to restore order in those cities until the inhabitants of those town can create orderly societies for themselves. Guess I'm warped worse than anyone thought. A.X. Perez
Re: "The Bankruptcy of the National Libertarian Party" by Alan R. Weiss
After two terms of President Paul, full of heroic and hard-fought reductions in troops and spending, a more mainstream candidate gets elected and we again get a national bank, national debt, standing army, and empire. Nothing substantial has permanently changed. Meanwhile, the reformers have been re-convinced that politics is the right approach with which to order their lives (and everybody elses'). Over and over they shriek that communism works, only this particular batch of leaders is bad. Have we learned nothing in 5 millennia? Republican statism as envisioned by the founders relies on a far higher percentage of saints than are available in real life. The big-L libertarian party was a failure for the same reason. The ZAP does not support statism. Why do you? J. Martin
Introduction to Politcal Economics 2008 Part 2 [Part 1 was in last issue—Editor] In the Book of Genesis we read that Essau (AKA Ishmael) traded his heritage for a mess of pottage. As Robert Heinlein pointed out, even if the Bible is not divinely inspired it contains valuable insights. If people are desperate enough they will submit to enslavement. Avoiding starvation or nakedness in winter will do it. They will trade their heritage of liberty for a mess of pottage. And yeah, many who would accept starvation for themselves will geek to feed their kids. Every now and then you hear people start talking about running for the hills and saving their own butts while the US goes into economic collapse. Great, I'm ready to adopt portus dorsus et equus rapidus ("a back door and a fast horse") as one of my family mottos, we've been run out of enough countries. But maybe it's better to stay and fight to keep the economy working so we don't have to run for the hills, because if things get dicey enough our grandkids may have to come down from the hills and sell themselves into slavery to feed their kids. Better to fix the current system now and make sure our grandchildren don't have to trade their heritage. A.X. Perez
Hi Neil, Ever notice that all socialist ideas and schemes run afoul of the 13 amendment? Universal health care (or insurance) forcing people to do what they may not wish to do. Compulsory education. Compulsory unemployment. (minimum wage) I wonder why there seems to be no outcry from the so called conservatives about the involuntary servitude implied in forcing anyone to do things that they may not wish to do. Perhaps they are just socialists of a different color. Here is the free market solution to health care guaranteed to reduce the cost of health care to 1% of what it costs today. This may take some time to explain to others so pay attention as I spell it out: D E R E G U L A T I O N Works every time. Bill Koehler
The Real Struggle Osama Bin Lauden has released another tape claim full responsibility for 9-11. I know several readers and authors of TLE subscribe to the Government conspiracy theory. This leads to time wasting debates over whether or not there was a conspiracy. Machs Nix. What should concern us more is the abuse of 9-11 as a pretext to subvert the Bill of Rights. There are two reasons for this. The most important is of course that to readers of TLE the Bill of Rights is sacred, all but the revealed word of God. We don't want government goons messing with it, whether they are Congress critters and Presidents passing bad laws or anal retentive petty dictators with a badge trying to force us to live out their paranoid fantasies. The other lesser reason is that when the goal of state security forces is to enslave and suppress honest people it does a poor job of dealing with the true enemies of the society that state is meant to defend. Tyranny doesn't work. Liberty does. We must concentrate on what works. Bin Lauden owning up to 9-11 doesn't change thee fact that this nation's internal enemies are trying to use the Twin Towers' destruction as a pretext to destroy freedom. They must be stopped. A.X. Perez
TLE AFFILIATE Help Support TLE by patronizing our advertisers and affiliates. We cheerfully accept donations!
|
|
|
|
Contents
Next
