This is the first of what I hope to be many libertarian oriented blog carnivals hosted at Happily Oblivious. I’d like to thank everyone who submitted articles. Now, get reading!
Trevor at the Will to Exist takes a look at 10 “crimes” that aren’t really hurting anybody.
Libertarians believe that for something to be a crime, there must be a victim. Therefore, we believe that consensual acts between legal adults cannot be crimes. They might be morally repugnant. They might be unhealthy and disgusting. They might be tasteless and silly. But they aren’t crimes.
Winton Bates at Freedom and Flourishing writes about the pros and cons of banning drugs and other substances.
I told him that as a businessman he should be aware of the pressure for governments to ban and regulate a lot more things including mixed alcoholic drinks, tobacco, gambling, pornography, vitamin supplements, fatty food, and high calorie food and drinks. I said he should be particularly concerned about pressure for governments to do more to protect people who are vulnerable to advertising and the debtaholics who can’t resist spending up to their credit card limits.
Bill at Liberty’s Life Line tells us about a frightening experience, and the reason that his freedom of choice saved his family’s life.
They are alive because I have the liberty, so far, to buy any vehicle that I choose and can afford. The choices are many and I have made many choices through my life. That is primarily because the government has not yet taken away that liberty and demanded what types of vehicles can be built and by whom.
Market Urbanism warns about the dangers of zoning laws to your personal freedoms.
While well intentioned, like many progressive interventions of the eary 1900s, zoning has contributed to sprawl (which has begun to be demonized by progressives over the recent decades) and served to inhibit the vitality and diversity of urban neighborhoods.
Masters in Criminal Justice provides us with a list of the top 50 Constitutional Law blogs. This is a great resource for those who would like to learn more about our rights as Americans.
Steve at The Super Gas Saver explains why an auto industry bailout may lead to higher gas taxes. Yikes!
Many politicians and others would love to see higher fuel taxes. That would raise fuel prices, and that, in turn, would force American drivers to turn to smaller, more fuel efficient vehicles. Driving smaller vehicles that would consume something closer to “our fair share” of the world’s resources would make some tickled pink. That group would not include the majority of American drivers.
Allison from The Smoking Argus Daily wrote a wonderful 4 part series about how to save the republic.
If the Republic is to be saved, the Senate must be restored to its Constitutional position and foundation upon Federalism. While it is my estimation that many “progressives” were of good and genuine intent to see government reformed and corruption eradicated, their movement was merely co-opted by those who sought a total centralization of power unto themselves for purely selfish desires, not to the benefit of “We the People”.
Wisdom from Wenchypoo’s Mental Wastebasket gives us the truth about the economy and job creation.
I fear, with Democrat rule and the incessant need to make supposedly better decisions for us than we can for ourselves—for that, they need our money. This means that the tax benefits would likely end, along with beneficial trade policies that kept many of us working up until this point.
Greg Laden explains why race, as a concept, is harmful to society and people should be viewed in the context of their humanity instead.
They (racial boundaries) are temporary contrasts that emerge because of the movement of people — but that immediately, or shortly, begin to meld. Even as we assert the reality of the boundaries, measure the boundaries, use the boundaries for medical, social, economic, and political purposes, people on both sides of the boundaries are busy doing the horizontal tango and making babies that sillify the boundaries by the very existence of these babies.
Derek Clark from Geek Politics questions the sanity behind billion dollar bailouts and propping up big business while small businesses (the bread and butter of America, folks) can barely make ends meet.
If we stop doing things right, we will stop making money just like all of these big businesses. Unfortunately, at that point, we will all start to look for new jobs because Uncle Sam will not be writing us any checks. So my question is, why are AIG and GM more important than small businesses around America. Why are their stockholders protected at the expense of the taxpayer?
Greg at The Holy Cause examines whether or not the Bible makes a case for minarchism.
When the Lord created Adam and Eve, there was obviously no strong human form of government; there was what is best described as anarchism (note that this does not mean disorder).
The Frugal Libertarian gives us reasons that the Universal Service Fund (that pesky charge on your phone bill…go look, we’ll wait) amounts to socialism and theft.
Their website says “[t]he fund is maintained through contributions made by telecommunications providers across the country”. They make these contributions sound as if they are voluntary. I assure you that they are not. These “contributions” are mandated by the Telecommunications Act of 1996.
Orna Ross examines the idea of freethinking.
Freethinking originally arose in the nineteenth century as a reaction against organised religion. Today it still defines itself in that reactive and limiting way and is often used as a synonym for atheism or agnosticism.
James at Rise Up Rochester explains why individualism is better than collectivism (and why there’s nothing wrong with that!).
An individualist philosophy does not necessarily imply a selfish philosophy. Rather, it implies a philosophy which unbiasedly values personal liberty, freedom of expression through choice, and non-violence.
Kavmerica clues us in to the problems created by a two party system.
Democrats and Republicans are the only two parties capable of raising enough money to compete on the national political stage. Over the years the campaign finances laws have been crafted in such a way that they benefit established parties and not the smaller ‘independents’. Perhaps they didn’t do so intentionally but it is a by product of their dominance over the years.
Archvillain at Imagination gives us a defense of something that’s largely missing in today’s society: personal responsibility.
Some circumstances can be beyond your control, but how you react to those circumstances is your responsibility. You made the decisions. Choosing not to make a decision is also a decision, so you can’t escape your responsibility that way.