The Wonders Of Unlimited Democracies
- Category: Welfare State
- Hits: 7039
User Rating: 0 / 5
The term Unlimited Democracies was coined by the science fiction author Robert Heinlein in the book Starship Troopers. It may have been created by somebody else before him, but we don't know. We choose to believe that good science fiction predates actual life; but we digress.
In the book, Heinlein makes the argument that democracies where people at the top are not personally responsible for their actions, do not work. They…
Let Them Harvest Soybeans
- Category: Taxes
- Hits: 1994
User Rating: 0 / 5
The newspaper El Pais(from Spain) reported in its article "Mercosur begins a historical soybean crop" that a windfall soya harvest is to be expected for this year in the Mercosur (the South American free trade region). Four countries in this region (Brasil, Argentina, Paraguay and Uruguay) produce more than half of the entire world-wide soya crop. The harvest is expected to be of historical proportions, partly because of the high…
The Slovakian Never-ending Story
- Category: Government Debt
- Hits: 1669
User Rating: 0 / 5
It would seem that the brave Slovakian government is battling the evil, evil budget deficit with a brave new "stabilization" program. This is something of a never-ending story that can be seen routinely in any newspaper near you, regardless of the place where you may live and the idiotic government that may be ruling you. Almost all governments go through this endless (and useless) debate at least one a year…
Dear Leader
- Category: Politicians
- Hits: 2157
User Rating: 0 / 5
Having seen your glorious rise to power and the hard work and dedication that your newspapers routinely report about your daily life, we have decided to immigrate to your country. From now on we will live eternally grateful for your leadership, oh great one, who has guided us on vigorous winds to your land. We shall leap in joy with jasmine fragrances in our inside while reverently ask for your…
Lesson #212 - Government Morality
- Category: Lessons
- Hits: 2153
User Rating: 0 / 5
ETHICS
From a philosophical point of view, Ethics refers to the general body of knowledge that studies the principles that govern people when they behave in one way or another. Ethics can be divided roughly into Ethics Proper, Applied Ethics and Metaethics. Morality, on the other hand, refers to specific Theories of Ethics or sub-sections of Ethics Proper. Again, roughly speaking, we can classify Moral Theories in four classes: Objective, Subjective,…
Lesson #211 - Self-Determination - Part 2 of 2
- Category: Lessons
- Hits: 1957
User Rating: 0 / 5
HISTORY
From a historical perspective, the concept of self-determination never had any significant importance as a driver of political change. As we have explained in Political Systems Lifecyclethe main engine of political change is the economy. However, at its most basic and hidden from view, self-determination plays a role because people believe that if only they could make this or that economic decision, they would be better off. Yet, even in…
The Great Textbook Nationalization
- Category: Education
- Hits: 3277
User Rating: 0 / 5
A few days back, the polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported that the Polish government is in full nationalization mode against… textbooks? That's right! It would seem that elementary (and secondary) textbooks are nothing but a tool of capitalist imperialist dogs… err… no, that's not it… err… they are "too" expensive for parents to buy since they are already spending about 100 million PLN -zloty- (or about 36 million USD) per year.
OK,…
Lesson #211 - Self-Determination - Part 1 of 2
- Category: Lessons
- Hits: 1828
User Rating: 5 / 5
The TTP (Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan) is an umbrella organization that groups several Islamic militant groups in northern Pakistan. Its objectives are to fight against the Pakistani state, the implementation of their version of sharia law and supporting the resistance against NATO-led forces in Afghanistan. The TTP has been labeled a "terrorist organization". If you want more information, go to Wikipedia and search for "Tehreek-e-Taliban Pakistan".
Current status: some time back, the TTP…
Lesson #210 - Knocking Down Intellectual Property Rights - Part 2 of 2
- Category: Lessons
- Hits: 2663
User Rating: 0 / 5
ABSOLUTE AUSTRO-LIBERTARIAN FREEDOM
As we have seen above, governments not only are invalid, their laws are invalid but also the manner in which IPR laws operate in practice go against the most basic legal contract law principles that exist today.
Therefore IPR principles are themselves invalid. They are nonsense, pure and simple.
Can ideas be contracted?
In an Absolute Austro-Libertarian system (and in most Libertarians ones) the most basic element…
