August 2010

Although I find Kenyon’s analysis of the radical socialists interesting, ultimately I disagree with his categorization of libertarianism’s 3 options:

  • Libertarians can allow themselves to be absorbed into the Republican Party and work to expand the Liberty caucus.
  • Libertarians can abandon the Republican Party to work exclusively through the Libertarian Party.
  • Libertarians can jettison electoral politics altogether and refuse to be governed by majoritarianism and statism.

The first one will happen to the Tea Party movement. The second one is not workable, as the author admits.  Nothing can be done about either.  As for the truly radical approach, we are not violent revolutionaries and are never going to be.

What’s missing from that article is something fundamental — people get the government they deserve.  We need to make this country deserve better.  If a choir chants “we” in chorus, it is still the individuals speaking.  Unless libertarians actively change individuals, society will not budge.

[Keep reading…]

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Ross Kenyon analyzes the radical socialist movement of the Progressive Era in an attempt to discern why they failed and how libertarians can learn from their failures in order to create the ideal libertarian society today.

Ross Kenyon is a news analyst with the Center for a Stateless Society and a senior at Arizona State University, where he is majoring in American History and is a member of the ASU Students For Liberty leadership team.

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Afterwards, discuss it below.

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This is a syndicated post, which originally appeared at Mimi and Eunice » IPView original post.

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“But without intellectual property . . .”

by Daniel Coleman August 30, 2010

The next time someone claims that not having intellectual property laws will squash the little guy and let established companies rule the day, I’m going to remember to bring up Netflix. Mike Masnick at Techdirt reports on Blockbuster’s recent decision to file for bankruptcy — after the heroic Netflix has stolen most of their customers: [...]

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Mimi & Eunice: Suffixocation

by Nina Paley August 27, 2010

[Another strip not related to IP that offers libertarians a humorous look in the mirror. -- GAP] I love my Libertarian friends! So it is with love I poke gentle fun at them. *** This is a syndicated post, which originally appeared at Mimi and Eunice » IP. View original post.

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A Pastor’s Provocative Attack on Islam

by Robert Wicks August 26, 2010

The New York Times is reporting the story of  Terry Jones’ plan to commemorate the 9/11 attacks by burning 50 Qur’ans. While I find his actions repulsive, and needlessly offensive to me and every other Muslim, irrespective of our political views, I must say that he nonetheless has every right to burn his own property [...]

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Mimi & Eunice: Libertarian Debate

by Nina Paley August 26, 2010

[Here's another strip that isn't about IP but we picked it out anyway because it's good for a movement to laugh at itself once in a while. This strip brings to mind the famous incident related by Milton Friedman in which Ludwig von Mises -- during a discussion about the progressive income tax at a Mont [...]

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