Of immigrants and anarchists

Vin Suprynowicz writes about some feedback he got from a group of young anarchists, who apparently think that a Libertarian has no right to complain about illegal immigrants, for a variety of "anarchistic" reasons. Vin goes on to eviscerate these silly little boys and point out the many ways in which border enforcement is essential to our liberty and security.

Personally I think in a proper economic system, immigration would be a non issue. There would be no incentives to come here and not work. No free health care or subsidies for example. Those who really wanted to work would be no problem and if there was work for them they would be welcome.

However border enforcement is on the list of things I feel is a legitimate function of government. There are not many things on that list, but protecting the security of the nation from invasion is one of them. Of course as with most things the power of the Federal government should be limited and executed primarily through the actions of the states.

The Truth About Big Government

Triple Collectivist

I celebrated the free market today by having breakfast out. I enjoyed watching the efficiently run restaurant prepare the food fresh and fast. I had scrambled eggs, sausage, fried potatoes and toast. A middle-aged manager, dressed neatly in black slacks and white shirt, supervised the whole operation.

Everything about the place and its happy customers was an in your face repudiation of socialism. Could it all have been done without the profit motive? No! Was there any exploitation involved? None whatsoever! If capitalism is so evil and it's exploiting ordinary people, why was I able to purchase my breakfast for only a few bucks?

I remember reading somewhere once, back before the Union of Soviet Socialist Republics crumbled, about some idealistic young people from the United States who went to the bastion of Marxism and were appalled at the lousy service in their hotel restaurant, with waiters just standing around without any motivation to do their jobs. The young and naive visitors (victims of collectivist propaganda and government schooling, one can only assume) declared themselves "born again capitalists" upon their return. They'd witnessed up close how socialism works (actually, how it doesn't work) and made a reasonable conclusion about how incentives are necessary to any economy.

Out in the parking lot, however, I saw a late model sedan parked in a "handicapped" spot. The vehicle's license plate celebrated the owner's military "service", while inside the car I spotted the handicapped placard hanging from the rear view mirror, and over that a dangling white rosary. What we had here appeared to be a career military taxpayer parasite, who also felt no qualms about participating in another system in violation of private property rights, the handicapped parking rules all businesses are forced to follow (not to even mention the draconian regulations of the evil Americans with Disabilities Act-signed into law, let's not forget, by evil Republican George Herbert Walker Bush). And the pièce de résistance was that rosary with its tiny white crucifix, the whiteness not disguising in the slightest the evil it represents, the evil of sacrificing yourself to a god, whether that god be the State or a religion that claims God as its author.

The message sent is that we must honor without question the hired murderers who wear their government issued uniforms proudly; believe that love requires violating the most basic rights of human beings in the name of "compassion" for the supposed less fortunate; and that the whole justification is "God", the ultimate dictator and destroyer of human freedom. It is all in the name, though, of what a dishonest fool like the owner of that car considers morality, though in fact what he advocates is a false and fraudulent "morality" having no connection to any objective values.

Standing up to the state

Gerald Celente On Obamageddon

The GOP and Libertarians

At this juncture, make no mistake that the GOP is fractured and aimless. The party suffers from internecine squabbling, even to the point of debating who its "leader" is, as if such debate doesn't prove there isn't one. History shows that such dysfunctional behavior is normal for a political party that suffers electoral defeat, and in fact can set the foundation for resurgence. Like the "creative destruction" of capitalism, this period of electoral eclipse provides the GOP with an opportunity to discard outmoded tactics and to consider ideas that were previously unacceptable. As Rahm Emanuel might say, the GOP should not allow this crisis to go to waste.

As part of its reexamination and restructuring, the GOP must reconsider the means and manner by which it assembles its constituency. Right now, there is a lot of churn and tussle going on within the party and among the pundits about how this should best be done. Many have their often conflicting ideas and opinions. However, hidden in the debate, one fact presents itself clearly: The GOP must figure out how it can have and keep its Libertarians.

Libertarians and the GOP majority

Chesterton On Government and the Rights of Man

I could never see why a man who is not free to open his mouth to drink should be free to open it to talk. Talking does far more direct harm to other people. The village suffers less directly from the village drunkard than it might from the village tale bearer, or the village tub-thumper, or the village villain who seduces the village maiden. These and twenty other types of evil are done simply by talking; it is certain that a vast amount of evil would be prevented if we all wore gags. And the answer is not to deny that slander is a social poison, or seduction a spiritual murder. The answer is that, unless a man is allowed to talk, he might as well be a chimpanzee who is only able to chatter. In other words, if a man loses the responsibility for these rudimentary functions and forms of freedom, he loses not only his citizenship, but his manhood.

Government and the Rights of Man

Just Some Stuff 5

video via Detained In Camp Miserable

Shark meat is not Kosher, or at least it falls under forbidden food according to Jewish dietary law, even though fish with fins and scales is allowed. Sharks DO have scales, though they're hard to see. God must have missed that fact when Leviticus was written.










"I can't stand the silence." This is what my mom said to my dad the other morning when she discovered the coffee was made but the TV was off. She likes to hear the news in the morning, of course, but it isn't only that that compels her. As far back as I can remember she has used television as background noise, as an electronic companion; a true idiot box that chatters incessantly but that can be shut up at the push of a button (though she rarely wants it to be quiet).

Whenever she finds dad doing nothing (as when he just sits alone in silence) she says she finds it "scary and weird". I actually find it a good thing to just be with nothing but your own thoughts, but thinking about it I began to wonder if I ever really practice it. I come home from work and usually turn the TV on right away. I also distract myself with the internet and sometimes the radio (though not music, but talk) and I do tend to get bored without any intellectual stimulation, which is why books are my most constant companions.

I often drive for two or more hours at a time, and that seems to be the one exception, for I can get along fine with only my thoughts and the highway. Perhaps it's because I enjoy driving and don't need anything else to hold off boredom. I wonder about people who constantly have to have music blaring from their car stereo. The one time I do enjoy listening to music is when I'm driving, but I don't feel an absolute need to have it, and I don't enjoy listening to the ear-destroying cacophony blasting from some moron's car when they pull up next to me at a light.

Milton Friedman vs. Phil Donahue on the drug war

I love digging through all these old 80's videos :)

An improved Fable.

I always liked Jonathan Livingston Seagull as a kid. Even though it was sappy as hell. However I like this version much better.

I really wasn't going to mention Michael Jackson.

I had promised myself no blog posts, references, tributes, jokes or whatever but this was just too funny. Technically it is about religion not Michael so I am sort of keeping my promise but , well you'll see.

Ted Rall: "I miss Bush"

From one of the few lefties who hasn't fallen for the Obama cult:

I miss Bush.

Stop the presses and shut off the RSS feeds: the bashiest of the Bush-bashers is starting to appreciate the Exile of Crawford.

I haven't forgiven George W. Bush for stealing two elections, starting two wars, bankrupting the treasury and doing his damnedest to turn the U.S. into a fascist state. He deserves one of hell's hottest picnic spots for refusing to lift a finger to bring the 9/11 murderers to justice. Bush was stupid. He was vicious. He should be in prison.

He was the worst president the U.S. had ever had. Until this one.

Read the rest here.