Mercatus Center at George Mason University - Freedom in the 50 States: An Index of Personal and Economic Freedom
by William P. Ruger and Jason Sorens
http://www.mercatus.org/PublicationDetails.aspx?id=26154
A coercive State, i.e., government, will never respect people's rights
A limited government can't stay limited for long
What would happen if Libertarians got elected? What sort of "work" would they be doing?
Basically, they would be employees of an unjust organization; case in point:
NH legislators have busy schedule for 2009
http://www.seacoastonline.com/articles/20090106-NEWS-901060349
What's the purpose of government if not to govern people!
Because government funds itself through extortion, every person who works for it is supporting extortion
No product or service should be provided at the barrel of a gun (hat tip to http://marcstevens.net)
Civil disobedience, or non-compliance, prevents tyranny from overwhelming a society
The media are typically cheerleaders for statism, i.e., tyranny
Left/Right distinction is tenuous, but taxation, regulation, and "programs" are always anti-freedom
Case in point: Trans Fats Banned in NYC Restaurants
https://www.health.harvard.edu/fhg/updates/Trans-fats-banned-in-NYC-restaurants.shtml
All of the several American states violate Americans' freedoms
Can personal satisfaction and fulfillment occur without freedom? Are our bodies disconnected from our minds?
We must beware the mind/body dichotomy concerning pleasure
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/soulbodydichotomy.html
You can't be a slave to your job or to money, but you are made a slave by those in "government"
If people didn't comply with taxation and regulation, they'd quickly determine how little freedom they have
YouTube - 20/20 bailouts and bull
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_type=&search_query=20%2F20+bailouts+and+bull&aq=f
http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/story?id=7067596&page=1
The Middle Class Is Doing Just Fine, Thank You by John Stossel
http://abcnews.go.com/2020/Stossel/story?id=7055599&page=1
The nature of sacrifice
http://aynrandlexicon.com/lexicon/sacrifice.html
http://www.logicallearning.net/libfreedomethica.html
Sacrifice is used as a weapon against individuals to get them to surrender their self-esteem, autonomy, and independence to other people (the selfish ones;)
Jesus, making the ultimate sacrifice, promoted the philosophy of death
No matter how difficult it is to make money in a mixed economy, an extortion racket will never be charitable or encourage self-responsibility
True slavery comes from the guns of government
The several states are cannibalizing their own economies
What would be the point of moving to a slightly freer US state? Perhaps for organizing and doing smart activism (e.g., http://freekeene.com)
DEA to halt medical marijuana raids: Holder confirms states to have final say on use of drug for pain control
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/29433708
Medical MJ "reality check" from Mordor: California Medical Marijuana Information
http://www.usdoj.gov/dea/ongoing/calimarijuana.html
Exactly How Legal Is Medical Marijuana? by Madeleine Brand
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=93697469
Liquor and statist hypocrisy; Lew Rockwell interviews Dr. Mark Thornton
http://www.lewrockwell.com/podcast/?p=episode&name=2008-12-04_078_75_years_ago_prohibition_was_repealed.mp3
We as a society need to understand and apply a universal code of respectful morality: don't hit people and don't take their stuff; honor persons and property
Really the only thing that should be illegal is the initiation of force (via coercion or fraud)
Capitalism favors mutually beneficial interaction, which will eventually dissolve all arbitrary statist borders
Against the State: An Introduction to Anarchist Political Theory by Crispin Sartwell
http://www.amazon.com/Against-State-Introduction-Anarchist-Political/dp/0791474488/reasonmagazineA/
Played this short interview: Anarchist Philosopher Does Not Consent To Be Governed!
http://www.reason.tv/video/show/638.html
Worth watching: The Reason.tv Talk Show, Episode 3
http://www.reason.tv/video/show/587.html
Voting is contrary to the agorist, voluntarist philosophy; might doesn't make right; majority doesn't rule; committees don't determine objective principles
If we got rid of the violence that we know (government), will we thereby invite the violence and injustice that we don't know? In short, no, because all unjust violence will be seen as illegitimate and thus targeted for eradication
Are you hopeful for the realization of freedom? I am. :)
People need to make moral distinctions between wealth and extorted wealth, coercive organizations and the non-coercive marketplace, as well as challenge "authority"
bumper music "Chimes Of Freedom" by The Byrds
http://www.byrds.com/
to comment, please go to http://completeliberty.com/magazine/category/91697
