Faré links to a nice Introduction to the Philosophy of Liberty, or Libertarianism.#

Libertarian is based on the theory of self-ownership. You own your own life, to deny this is to assert that someone else has more of a right to your life than yourself.

David Boaz wrote an article, Key Concepts of Libertarianism, for the Cato Institute.#

It may be appropriate to acknowledge at this point the reader's likely suspicion that libertarianism seems to be just the standard framework of modern thought -- individualism, private property, capitalism, equality under the law. Indeed, after centuries of intellectual, political, and sometimes violent struggle, these core libertarian principles have become the basic structure of modern political thought and of modern government, at least in the West and increasingly in other parts of the world.

However, three additional points need to be made: first, libertarianism is not just these broad liberal principles. Libertarianism applies these principles fully and consistently, far more so than most modern thinkers and certainly more so than any modern government. Second, while our society remains generally based on equal rights and capitalism, every day new exceptions to those principles are carved out in Washington and in Albany, Sacramento, and Austin (not to mention London, Bonn, Tokyo, and elsewhere). Each new government directive takes a little bit of our freedom, and we should think carefully before giving up any liberty. Third, liberal society is resilient; it can withstand many burdens and continue to flourish; but it is not infinitely resilient. Those who claim to believe in liberal principles but advocate more and more confiscation of the wealth created by productive people, more and more restrictions on voluntary interaction, more and more exceptions to property rights and the rule of law, more and more transfer of power from society to state, are unwittingly engaged in the ultimately deadly undermining of civilization.

In opening of another book about Libertarianism, David Boaz writes,#

The old ideologies have been tried and found wanting. All around us--from the post-communist world to the military dictatorships of Africa to the faltering, bankrupt welfare states of Europe and North and South America--we see the failed legacy of coercion and statism. At the same time we see moves toward libertarian solutions--toward constitutional government in Eastern Europe and South Africa, privatization in Britain and Latin America, democracy and the rule of law in Korea and Taiwan, demands for tax reduction everywhere. We even see people in many parts of the world--Quebec, Croatia, Bosnia, northern Italy, Scotland, and much of Africa, not to mention the 15 new republics of the old Soviet Union--challenging the large, intrusive, incorrigible nation-states that they find themselves in and demanding devolution of power. Libertarianism offers an alternative to coercive government that should appeal to peaceful, productive people everywhere.

No, a libertarian world isn't a perfect one. There will still be inequality, poverty, crime, corruption, man's inhumanity to man. But, unlike the theocratic visionaries, the pie-in-the-sky socialist utopians, or the starry-eyed Mr. Fixits of the New Deal and Great Society, libertarians don't promise you a rose garden. Karl Popper once said that attempts to create heaven on earth invariably produce hell. Libertarianism holds out, not the goal of a perfect society, but of a better and freer one. It promises a world in which more of the decisions will be made in the right way by the right person: you. The result will be, not an end to crime and poverty and inequality, but less of most of those things most of the time--often much less.

Jarret Wollstein in an article, "In Pursuit of Liberty," writes about voluntary association and coercion.#

We need others for most of what we want out of life: companionship, friendship, family, recreation, and wealth. A hermit living alone on a desert island may be able to survive, but his living standard and lifestyle will be little better than that of an animal. There are only two basic ways of getting what you want from others: voluntarily or coercively. When you deal with others voluntarily, others deal with you because they want to, because they receive some benefit - material or psychological - by dealing with you. The tools of voluntarism are friendship, trade, compassion, and love. In coercive association, you get what you want from others by deception or fear. The tools of coercion are intimidation, threats, fraud, and physical violence. Voluntary association promotes trust and respect, and provides benefits for everyone. Coercive association creates fear and distrust, and victimizes some at the expense of others. A guiding principle of any free society is voluntary association. Individual Rights are Essential for a Free Society.

Sharon Harris writes about the Gentle, Invisible Hand of Liberty versus the Violent, Visible Fist of Government.#

Government theft is more insidious than free-lance theft. Lysander Spooner, one of America's most brilliant political theorists, talked about this in his masterpiece, No Treason. He compared ordinary robbers to tax collectors. The robber, he pointed out, robs you only once — and then goes on his way. The government, on the other hand, robs you year after year after year. Then it has the gall to say it's doing you a service and expects your gratitude.

The visible fist of government.

In a free society, the right to property and privacy would be sacred. It would be, as the great English statesman William Pitt so eloquently stated, " . . . the poorest man may in his cottage bid defiance to all the forces of the Crown. It may be frail — it's roof may shake — the wind may blow through it — the storms may enter — but the king of England cannot enter — all his force dares not cross the threshold of the ruined tenement."

Sarcasmo sounds too adorable.#

Not only do [socks] keep my icy toes warm, but wearing them has introduced me to a new delight...running down the long hallways and sliding (arms flailing) into my living room or bedroom. (If Pop Culture Boy is working with his door open, he's likely to be treated to me sliding by his office door sideways; goofy grin plastered on my face, hand waving). I'm becoming a bit too fond of this practice, now doing it several times a week.

Clumsy as I am, I have no doubt it will end badly. But it's fun for now!

City Comforts on blogs and serendipity.#

There's a point there. The most useful, interesting, important books are also generally capable of being shelved in more than one location. So it's useful to be able to accidentally bump into them. Of course perhaps the blogosphere acts to help us bump into things we'd typically not see.

City Comforts ponders modern day "geniuses" and in particular, Frank Lloyd Wright.#

But no one (in the blogosphere) seems to grapple with the question "Why is he a genius?" Some people take it as an outrage against decency to even ask and rely on prior collective opinion. No thanks.

So the issue for me which comes out of these various posts on now at least half a dozen blogs is not whether FLW was in fact a "genius" --- (I maintain than no one in any of the "pro-FLW" posts really explained in detail and with specificity why they thought him on par --- personally it makes me laugh --- with Shakespeare and Bach) --- but how such opinion is formed and what it means for public policy, which is the only place anything so nebulous counts.

Sparkwood & 21: Like the Star Wars Kid, but on purpose. But not for long.#

Mitch Ratcliffe writes about the true meaning of Christmas and Black Hole Friday.#

The fact that discounters did record business [on Friday] is no solace, since a good day for Wal-Mart is generally a bad day for everyone else, including the manufacturers who sell to Wal-Mart on razor thin margins, if [they] take any profit.

Sales fell off over the weekend and the other "biggest day" of the year, the last weekend before Christmas, when discounts are already kicking in a last ditch effort t attract shoppers, is looming ahead. It looks to me like the projected recovery is already running out of gas -- and, considering that we've invested about $4 trillion in deficits to spur the sluggish job growth, the American people are getting a raw deal.

Wouldn't it be better to spend $1 trillion on, say, education, today and see if that true investment in the people wouldn't yield much greater long-term economic returns? But, no, we're getting supply-side IOUs that our kids will have to pay back.

What's the most annoying thing in your life right now?#

Michael Heilemann warns the United States about harming the rest of the world.#

I understand and have full sympathy for the fact that you are running out of space in the inner cities, but I am here to tell you that building skyscrapers is not the answer to your problem. As a matter of fact you are displacing gravity and creating all sorts of problems on the other continents.

Europeans often find themselves being pulled off the sidewalk or out of their beds while sleeping, resulting in many lost hours of sleep and not a few pedestrian accidents.

Kevin on why he blogs - and why I blog.#

The tension for me, however, has always been between blogging for personal reasons and blogging as an interactive communication tool. I am far less reserved about naval gazing I will admit (see here) but it is not just because I am melancholy and self-referential. It is because I like to communicate with people. Having visitors, especially ones that leave comments or link to posts, means that I am communicating with people. I am not a writer driven to write even if no one is reading. I want to interact.

[...]

But let's face it, I am never going to be the hippest/coolest/most current blog. I love to read and enjoy sharing my opinions. That is really the long and short of it. So, inspired by Maud, I am simply going to read books, articles, essays, and the like and report back my thoughts as best I can. If readers like the idea and decide to visit in droves, great. If no one cares, well that sucks but so be it.

Kaye Trammell wonders what style of blogging is most intimate.#

At one time, I would argue that any audblog was more personal. But now, I see that as each of the unique modes of blogging become more popular the personality of the blogger becomes more important in predicting which is more personal.

A person who wants to share his life is going to do it regardless of the mode. A person who just wants to share information is going to do that - regardless of the mode. So Wil changed my mind: it's not the mode, it's the person who uses it.

Ryan Skadberg on the Love Him, Hate Him President.#

I was just reading an article in Time entitled The Love Him, Hate Him President. It talks about how people are pretty much either 100% for or against Bush. I find this amusing, as I know no one who is for him at this point.

Maybe its just the parts of the blogosphere I read, or maybe even just the blogosphere in general, but pretty much all I read are things against him these days. And to be honest, I can't see many good reasons to be for him any more.

The quotes in the article from Republican supporters are amusing at points. They talk about him being a stand up leader who gets done what he wants. Well, there is a line here between wanting to get things done for the right reasons and the wrong reasons. And continuing forward with plans using lies and alterior motives is not something I really see as a good thing.

Real Live Preacher posts the first part of the Uncut Christmas story.#

"All right, I will. Joseph, you know that I love you like a brother. We've been friends since you came to Nazareth, however long ago. But why are you getting mixed up with that girl? We both know the child isn't yours. She has betrayed you, and no one even knows who the father is. You're an honest man and well respected. You could have any girl in town. Why do you care so much about…HER and that worthless bast…"

"STOP!" shouted Joseph, interrupting Isaac mid-word. "Isaac, for the sake of our friendship, I will forget what you just said. But remember this — I WILL marry her, and the child she bears is mine. That's all you need to know. My son will not grow up thinking that…"

Gabe Anderson writes about one the cutest movies ever, Love Actually.#

As Jen has mentioned over on Dan's blog, we saw Love Actually on Saturday. She sums it up best: It was "so sweet it'll give you a cavity."

Perhaps it had something to do with my having had a mere four hours of sleep the night before prior to driving home from partying in Sacramento, but I was simply inundated with emotions during this film, even on the verge of tears. It has got to be the most feel good movie of all time -- without being sappy or overly cheesy (though, admittedly, that is debatable). The film tells stories of love lost and love found, each story depicting its own version of love unique to each character, through at least half a dozen vignettes. Set in England in the weeks leading up to Christmas, the characters are charming and the actors all do an excellent job of conveying emotions.

Jerome Doolittle writes about A Chickenhawk's Thanksgiving.#

The interesting thing about George W. Bush's Thanksgiving trip to the Baghdad airport isn't whether its purpose was political. Come on.

No, the interesting thing is how hard the president fought his handlers before agreeing to this particular photo op. And way beyond interesting — fascinating — is the openness with which he discussed his fears once the ordeal was over.

Jane really likes D&D.#

the scorpion king immediately dropped a wall of ice behind us, cutting off our retreat. our weapons could barely hit them, and when they did, they seemed to do little damage. the devils, on the other hand, swatted us around like cats playing with half-dead mice. in the middle of the room was a glowing sword we knew to be Sunraiser, because it was also written in the book we found. as are so many things in D&D, it could be trapped, or cursed. still, we had little choice - it was either run to the ice wall or fight on. so my character ran to the sword and picked it up.

immediately it glowed brighter in her hand. the tide of battle did not turn just then but clearly the glowing sword was a point in our favor. still, there were moments when i suggested we try to melt the ice wall and run. we persevered, the monster fell, and i had in my hand a treasure. we all gained a level.

you must not be afraid to beat a strategic retreat, but there are times when it is best to stand your ground. it is knowing the difference that's perhaps the most valuable skill.

If I knew decent people like Jane, I would totally play D&D again. At least I think I would.

Jane on Danah Boyd and Friendster.#

Friendster allows the creation of multiple online identities, some of them completely fabricated - "Fakesters". While Friendster administrators, who want the software to function as a dating site, are vigilant in eliminating obviously fake friendsters, nevertheless it is fun to claim to be friends with Lara Croft (I am.) My favorite Fakester is Frodo: under the "about me" section, he wrote, "My uncle left me this ring. It changed my life."

But the gaming aspect of this tool goes beyond made-up identities; Friendster turns friendship and dating into a game. You can browse the galleries, pick people out, and see how you are connected to them - if at all. The idea is that you're more likely to contact someone whom you know is a friend of a friend.

Dave Winer announces a cool new feature of Channel Z.#

A new feature in the right margin of Scripting News links to categories that have new posts in the last seven days, sorted by number of posts in the seven days. This gives you a rough idea of what's topics are hot over the last week, and a way to get more background going back further in time (click on a link). Now that I've been categorizing stuff for a few weeks, the payoff may be here now. Let me know what you think.

Dennis Kucinich writes about putting an end to injustice at home.#

In the shadow of the Capitol dome, thousands of DC residents live with the burden of conditions that have no place in the strongest, wealthiest nation in the world. Poverty. Illiteracy. HIV infection rates 10 times the national average. No public hospital. Substandard housing. Crumbling schools. We have an obligation to right these wrongs. As someone who grew up in an inner city, someone whose parents were never able to own a home, I understand what it's like to live in need. Coming from a disadvantaged background and becoming mayor of Cleveland, then a state legislator and now a member of Congress, I know it's possible to live up to one's dreams. It is a travesty that schoolchildren in the District cannot grow up aspiring to be a voting member of Congress -- unless they end up living somewhere else.

It's worth noting that the 2004 presidential election is the 40th anniversary of DC's first vote for President. Prior to 1964, DC residents stood on the sidelines every four years and watched as their fellow Americans elected a leader and they could not. In the ensuing 40 years, folks in the District have received varied levels of support from their Presidents. Our current President opposes statehood and even full voting rights in Congress for the District of Columbia. I'm here to pledge my support for both.

Doug Miller write about blog comments and captures what I don't like about them.#

What I write in a comments section tend s to be trivial (or perhaps more trivial) than what I'd write in my own blog.

Comments systems seem to me to be more annotation systems. Even given that definition, my annotations on someone else's blog are in their context, not mine. Even worse, at least from my perspective, comments often aren't indexed by search engines and so don't become part of the larger knowledge repository.

In the end, I guess it all depends on whether one defines one's blog as a place to create a specific community discussion, or if one views the collection of blogs itself as a community discussion. A subtle distinction, perhaps, but one that I think matters.

Tony Pierce has simple, wonderful Christmas wishes.#

i guess i could use some new clothes but the ladies dont even notice clothes when you have the right attitude.

[...]

but i dont need anything.

i wouldnt mind a girl who understood me. a borderline nympho, exhibitionist tendencies. a life wish. addicted to lingerie and saying ok.

but i havent found that category on ebay.

Philip Greenspun is so amazing in the things he will say.#

Three hundred years ago everyone had to know how to make soap. Today we can run down to the store and buy Ivory or Palmolive.

Three hundred years ago friends needed to empathize with one another. Today anyone who wishes to get symphathy for his or her troubles can simply buy it from one of the hundreds of thousands of trained professionals in the therapy industry.

Friendship isn't obsolete of course. Psychotherapists aren't very entertaining so we might still rely on friends for amusement. But why bother pretending to care about another person's troubles when there are so many psychotherapists out there who actually do care, truly, deeply, professionally?

Brian Carnell writes about Michael Isikoff's Newsweek Story about What' s in Howard Dean's Secret Vermont Files?#

This Newsweek story about Howard Dean and me laughing out loud in my office this morning.

The best line comes near the end where Dean's legal counsel chief counsel David Rocchio complains that Dean's opponents are distorting his record as governor of Vermont. So if you're a politician who is concerned about others distorting what you really did, what is the obvious recourse?

Exactly -- hide all the records for a decade so neither reporters nor your political opponents can have access to them!

Joel Spolksy writes about production, craftsmanship, and design.#

Another case where fixing a 1% defect takes 500% effort, and it explains why so many artifacts in our world are 99% good, not 100% good. (Our architect never stops raving about some really, really expensive house in Arizona where every screw lined up.)

It comes down to an attribute of software that most people think of as craftsmanship. When software is built by a true craftsman, all the screws line up. When you do something rare, the application behaves intelligently. More effort went into getting rare cases exactly right than getting the main code working. Even if it took an extra 500% effort to handle 1% of the cases.

At Kuro5hin.org is an article about George Soros and his politcal agenda.#

Soros has given away billions of dollars through his institute. He spent hundreds of millions to finance a university in Prague, gave millions to Russian scientists, provided funds for newspapers and other media in dozens of countries and supported dissident movements in countries with authoritarian governments. He has been described as "the only man in the United States who has his own foreign policy and can implement it."

[...]

The millions of dollars Soros has already donated to partisan political organizations in the US may be just the beginning of an attempt to change [US foriegn]policy. Soros, who has called defeating Bush "the central focus of my life" and has said that "When I hear Bush say, `You're either with us or against us,' it reminds me of the Germans", has stated that he would be willing to commit his entire 7 billion dollar fortune to the task if it was guaranteed to achieve his desired result.

Carly writes about her boyfriend.#

Oh, and also because I was casually browsing through Jay's post this morning and my heart almost literally leapt into my throat when I saw de Tocqueville's name mentioned.

I've read that part. I had write a report on it. It was My Section for one of the class periods. Associations spawn Newspapers, as a relatively inexpensive way to Get The Word Out, et cetera.

I didn't read (I think it was Michael Feldman's? [ed-- It was Bill Moyer]) the comments all that closely, because I was, for one, trying too hard to swallow my heart back down to it's normal resting place and second smiling a little secret smile because I know that that exact section is highlighted in blue in my now quite worn copy of Democracy in America.

Mwuah to Alexis. I think I might have to carry your picture around today for a little extra support.

Alexis makes me think of Carly. And Carly makes me think of Alexis. And I really want to finish my current books and go get Democracy in America.