Tag Archives: libertarianism

What’s the Difference Between an Environmentalist and a Free Market Conservative?

Actually, not that much.  Both are children of the Romantic tradition, but whereas one is enamored of nature, the other is enamored of capitalism. One posits leaving nature (with its natural selections) alone; the other posits leaving the market (with … Continue reading

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Deficit Hawks For Obama: A Vote for Mitt Romney is a Vote for Deficit Spending

Business Insider’s Chief Editor, Joe Wiesenthal, recently made a compelling case for voting for Mitt Romney (if you’re a Keynesian): Back in April we made the argument that a Mitt Romney win would be better for the economy, based on fairly … Continue reading

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Jennifer Burns on Ayn Rand

Jennifer Burns teaches at the University of Virginia.

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Ayn Rand Against Religion in Conservative Politics

In thinking about Emile Durkheim’s three Ps of sociology (power, prestige, and property), it occurred to me that the contemporary Republican Party has its own three Ps that it’s committed to advancing: plutocracy (rule by the rich); Pentacostal-style revivalism; and … Continue reading

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Let My People Go: Reconsidering the Tea Party

I have of late been rethinking the meaning of the Tea Party to American politics. My first take was dismissive: this movement is the same type of Herderian nationalism that, last century, brought Hitler and his merry band of crazed … Continue reading

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Ron Paul Rejects the Theory of Evolution

Very discouraging. I didn’t know that Ron Paul was on the anti-science dark side: . I think that this part of his comment is especially noxious and stupid: Well, first I thought it was a very inappropriate question, you know, … Continue reading

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Anti-American Leftism in Practice: Norman Podhoretz on Barack Obama’s (Failed) Presidency

Of Barack Obama’s apparent failure as president, Norman Podhoretz, writing in the Wall Street Journal, traces it to President Obama’s anti-Americanism, which he defines as follows: [H]is unshakable strategic objective . . . is to turn this country into a … Continue reading

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Rick Perry for President of the United States?

I’m not thrilled with Rick Perry’s Christianism, but his otherwise libertarian instincts are damned appealing. After watching his announcement to seek the Republican nomination for president, I’d be tempted to vote for him, and I’m a liberal! President Obama is … Continue reading

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Debt-Ceiling Deal Watch: Obama Meep Meeps His Opposition

All the fire, brimstone, sackcloth, and ashes emanating from the American left and right surrounding the debt-ceiling deal misses the big story, which is the following: America’s course for the next decade is trending libertarian, and Obama is about to surf … Continue reading

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Post Debt-Ceiling Deal: America’s Libertarian Drift is a Good Thing

The Christian Science Monitor today had this startling bit of demographic information and analysis buried in a much longer report on America’s decades-long shift towards conservatism: By the year 2050, nearly 1 in 5 Americans will be foreign-born – a percentage … Continue reading

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Running with Scissors: Why the Debt-Ceiling Deal is a Victory for the Tea Party and Barack Obama

I don’t like the Tea Party’s social conservatism, but its libertarian impulses are proving to be extraordinarily good for America’s long-term economic health—and Barack Obama’s prospects for reelection. Barack Obama ought to be crowing right now (and he most certainly … Continue reading

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Terry Eagleton Asks: What Does It Mean to Live in a Secular Society?

Terry Eagleton, in a recent essay for the New Statesman, suggests a sure-fire method for determining just how secular your society truly is. It has to do with the degree to which universal compulsion on matters religious has been abandoned (both in law and cultural … Continue reading

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Who is Dagny Taggart? Atlas Shrugged Part 1, the Movie, is Coming to Theatres April 15th

Atlas Shrugged Part 1, the movie (which depicts the first third of Ayn Rand’s famous novel of ideas) comes into general release on April 15th, and I must say that the following YouTube teaser clip posted by the film’s producers is … Continue reading

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Climate Change Noah Man, John Shimkus, May Be the Next Chairman of the House Energy and Commerce Committee

John Shimkus, R-Ill., appears to be headed for the chairmanship of the House Energy and Commerce committee. This is the same John Shimkus who, at a committee meeting a year ago, quoted Genesis 8:21-22 as his grounds for not worrying about global climate … Continue reading

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A Stomp is Not an Argument: Rand Paul Supporters Tear a Wig off a Woman, Drag Her to the Ground, Then One of The Crowd Stomps on Her Head

Rand Paul supporters show their respect for Western liberal democracy, freedom of expression, and a woman’s right to approach Rand Paul: Message: Total message control. Don’t ever, ever approach Rand Paul. Ever. ——————- UPDATE: Here’s the unedited AP clip of the … Continue reading

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Carl Paladino: Living a Gay Lifestyle is “not a valid or successful option”

Lovely how Carl Paladino tries to have it both ways: he’s all for “live and let live,” but children must not be “brainwashed” into thinking that the gay lifestyle is a “valid or successful option.” And who or what makes … Continue reading

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Ron Paul wins the straw poll at CPAC 2010—and Fox News starts up its repetitive meme machine to dampen the result

Mixed reaction, mixed reaction, mixed reaction. Gasps and boos, gasps and boos, gasps and boos. Non-scientific poll, non-scientific poll, non-scientific poll. Fox spins. You decide:

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Alexander McCobin: The Future of the Republican Party?

I hope so. Alexander McCobin is a coherent libertarian and here he is standing up for gay rights in the face of more than a little crowd resistance. I salute the young conservatives in the crowd who loudly applauded McCobin and stood with … Continue reading

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An Apt Quote Against Ireland’s New Anti-Free Speech Blasphemy Law

C. Bradlaugh, quoted in Hypatia Bradlaugh Bonner’s Penalties Upon Opinion (1934): Laws to punish differences of opinion are as useless as they are monstrous. Differences of opinion on politics are denounced and punished as seditious, on religious topics as blasphemous, … Continue reading

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Marijuana Legalization: Jessica Corry, a Conservative, Talks on FOX to Other Conservatives about Legalizing the Big Doob!

Jessica Corry speaks truth to uptight power: Jessica Corry would make a formidable Republican candidate for office some day, wouldn’t she? She strikes me as much more threatening to Democratic bases of power in our country than someone like Sarah Palin. … Continue reading

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