Libertarian Purity Test
"That's my basic rule: whatever the problem, the government's a bigger one." -- Mark Steyn
From madogre:
"True Libertarians are nothing more than anarchists with a catchy name, much like the Socialists masquerading as Democrats." -- unattributed
Steve Sack at Marc Brands Liberty - USS Bushdeficit - cartoon commentary on who will shoulder the debt created by the Busheviks. Hehe. [smith2004]
# New Hampshire Legislature - the majority report for HB1271, "AN ACT repealing the license to carry provisions of state law", was filed on March 8 by the House Committee on Criminal Justice and Public Safety as ITL: Inexpedient to Legislate. Its floor date is next Wednesday, March 17. This bill is mostly wrong. It's the Senate bill, SB454, which does the right simple thing. It passed the Senate on February 19 and is due out of the House Criminal Justice and Public Safety Committee on April 29.
# Bryan Caplan - Libertarian Purity Test - I, of course, scored a perfect anarcho-capitalist 160, without hesitation on any question. Mr. Caplan interprets this as, "Perfect! The world needs more like you." Indeed. Mad Ogre scored 33: "Your libertarian credentials are obvious. Doubtlessly you will become more extreme as time goes on." [madogre]
# Fred on Everything - A New American Century: The Foundering Fathers Would Have Wept - twenty-first century Amerikan government fails horribly at what it's supposed to do, but succeeds tyranically at what should be none of its business. [lrtdiscuss]
If you don't want to come to my restaurant because a Border Collie upsets you, then...don't come. How hard is that? Find another restaurant. There are lots. If there aren't, carry a box lunch. It's my restaurant, not yours. If nobody comes to my place because of dog-distress, then I will go out of business. That's my problem. It is not the government's concern.
Incidentally, I much prefer dogs to drab officious little warts in governmental offices. I have lived with dogs, and found them preferable to bureaucrats on grounds of civility, intelligence, and unintrusiveness. Further, some of them could be trained to make change.
What about smoking? Why is it the government's business? If I want to let people smoke in my bar, it's my affair. People who don't like it can, once again, go somewhere else. I don't say this truculently. Customers have every right not to patronize establishments that they find disagreeable. If they don't like the smoke, or the music, or the food, or my ugly mug, that thing in front with the hinges on it is available. A "door," we call it.
...
For that matter, why does the government interfere in the drug trade? When I was on the police beat in Washington a buddy of mine in the DEA estimated that ninety-five percent of drugs shipped to the United States successfully entered the country. That is, the government intercepts drugs roughly as well as it schools children. The difference is that we know how to teach kids, but just don't do it. Nobody knows how to stop the influx of drugs.
# David A. Merrick at The Future of Freedom Foundation - The Revolution's Forgotten Hero - George Mason, without whom the U.S Constitution might include no Bill of Rights. [lew]
Strike the Root - Bob Murphy's Columns - twelve chapters are now available of Mr. Murphy's novel, Minerva.
# WoodenSwords.com sells their namesake: western and eastern swords and staves made from wood and plastic. [lrtdiscuss]
# Blade Universe has an incredible variety of knives, swords, and other personal security items. Low prices. [lrtdiscuss]
