1.30.2010

Republicans could learn a lot from Ron Paul

"Ron Paul" is a four letter word to most Republicans. If you go onto Republican websites like RedState (which is an odd name considering the color red and communist iconography through the years) and you mention any idea that even sounds like anything Ron Paul might say, you are immediately labeled a "paulian" and hundreds of members email the moderators to have your account permanently banned. It is that bad.

This is a tragedy. Ron Paul is right about 99% of the issues facing us today. If Republicans would just listen to him and learn from him, they would have the key to capturing all of the votes from the "tea party" movement and all of the people who have given up on voting because they feel like both parties are out to get their money and control their lives. If they actually took on the platform of real republicanism, laissez faire capitalism, and freedom in general, the elections of 2010 and 2012 would be landslide Republican victories.

Don't believe me? Take a look at this quote from Obama while addressing the GOP caucus:

"I know many of you individually. And the irony, I think, of our political climate right now is that, compared to other countries, the differences between the two major parties on most issues is not as big as it’s represented."

Republicans aren't going to win elections by compromising on their principles. Who wants a watered down Democrat when you can have the full blown Socialist running under the DNC banner? Even if a Republican-in-name-only does win an election (GWB) then what do we win as a country? A slow death. The ideas of liberty and individual rights are our keys to avoiding that scenario. Ron Paul is the only main stream politician supporting those ideas.

That being said, it is important to identify the one area where Ron Paul is wrong: Islamic Totalitarianism. When Ron Paul says that terrorists wouldn't attack us if we would just leave them alone, he is simply incorrect. Islamic Totalitarianism is a real threat, it is spreading all over the world, and if we don't annihilate those who sponsor, equip, and participate in Islamic Jihad then we will turn ourselves into sitting ducks. When Paul says that Blowback is the main reason for attacks on America (both home and abroad) he is simply ignoring the history of the world. Middle East history, according to Paul, started in 1953 when we installed the puppet government in Iran, which lead to their capturing of the US Embassy while Jimmy Carter was president, and has resulted in the back and forth between America and "terrorists" ever since. Paul insists that we maintain an "Empire" in the middle east and if we'd just leave them alone we'd be at peace. History easily refutes that assertion.

I should also note that America's response so far to Islamic Totalitarianism has been a giant fail. Most importantly, we haven't even correctly identified the enemy. We are waging a war on "terror" which is not an enemy but a tactic. We should never have invaded Iraq and we should never have set out to build "democracy" in Afghanistan or Iraq. Those countries have both "democratically" elected Islamic officials who have effectively installed Islamic Theocracy. Isn't that great? Our young men go over there and fight and die and we end up with two new Irans. When Bush made his "Axis of Evil" speech and he identified all terrorist groups and state sponsors of terrorism he was very close to taking the correct actions in our national self defense. We should have eliminated the government and military of Iran, Saudi Arabia, and the Taliban (acting government of Afghanistan.) We could have easily done this with small deployments of special forces who would "light" targets which would then be bombed into oblivion with all manner of areal weaponry. For a full discussion of the proper response to 9/11 and the threat of Islamic Totalitarianism, I refer you to "Winning the Unwinnable War" by Elan Journo.

So in summary, when Ron Paul says that we should bring our troops home from the hundreds of worldwide bases that we maintain at great expense, he's right. When Paul says we shouldn't participate in nation building, he's right. When Paul says that we have a centrally controlled economy and the federal reserve steals from us on a daily basis, he's right. When Paul says that the drug war is simply a means of control and serves only to enrich drug dealers and bureaucrats, he's right. When Ron Paul talks about the evils of the ability of the President to identify anybody on the planet, civilian or not, as an enemy combatant and strip them of all rights, he's right. When Ron Paul says that the only way to save our Republic is to return to the ideas of laissez faire Capitalism, he's right. The only time Ron Paul is wrong is when he denies the actual and historically proven threat of Islamic Totalitarianism. Republicans need to realize this fact and wake up to the things that Ron Paul is saying or we're all going to find ourselves living under an evil, totalitarian government in the near future.

To get started, here is the State of the Union, according to Ron Paul:









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Posted by Tom on 9:39 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.22.2010

Is Obama purposefully tanking the stock market?

Just a quick one for today: on Monday when Scott Brown's Republican win in Mass. was all but a done deal the stock market jumped up over 100 points, presumably because investors realized he would represent the one vote that may be able to halt Obama's fascist/socialist agenda.

However, after losing the election on Tuesday, Obama announced a new slew of regulations on banks and private companies that promises to wreak even more havoc on an already over-regulated and over-bailed out industry. Obviously, and predictably, the market has tanked:

Stocks Turn Negative for Year; GE Gains - CNBC

Is it possible that this was on purpose? I mean what would it look like for the Dems if in the same week a Republican got voted into Ted Kennedy's seat and the stock market had it's best week since the financial crisis? (Not good.)


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Posted by Tom on 11:43 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.21.2010

Objectivist Roundup is up

The latest Objectivist roundup is posted. Check it out!

Tom Utley presents Will Scott Brown's Election destroy the cause of Liberty? posted at It's My Blog, saying, "The supermajority is over for the Democrats, but will this victory teach the Republican party wrong message and deliver a blow to the cause of freedom?"


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Posted by Tom on 6:29 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.20.2010

Will Scott Brown's Election destroy the cause of Liberty?

Republicans and Freedom loving people across the internets have been all a buzz for the last 24 hours about the new Senator from MA, Scott Brown, the 41st Republican:

A Brown victory is an extremely positive sign. It sends as strong and clear a signal as any election I can remember. The message is: Government control of people’s lives may prevail everywhere else on earth, but it is still not acceptable in the United States of America.

link: One Reality: Scott Brown, Senator from Massachusetts


While I agree with the sentiments of the above blogger and I hold the same view of the message that was sent by the election yesterday, I just don't have faith in the Republican party to receive that message, understand what it means, and fundamentally change their platform to reflect the voters' wishes. As the aforementioned blogger noted:

A Scott Brown win does not mean that all our problems have gone away. There is still no indication that Republicans, after decades of expanding the regulatory welfare state as if they were Democrats, have suddenly decided to do their job – namely, to safeguard individual rights and to begin the enormous task of unclenching the government’s hold on us. It will take a larger cultural shift to thoroughly convince Republicans to be Republicans.

What happened yesterday was simply the logical result of the growing liberty minded movement in this country which is most often labeled the "tea party" but in actuality is showing up in numerous grassroots organizations. The Democrats, unchecked by any constitutional balances for the last year, have proceeded to steamroll over the people of America in every way possible, and it has motivated liberals, conservatives, independents, etc. to stand up and speak out with one very clear message: "get off our backs!" People are starting to realize that it is us individual Americans that should be running our own lives and not the federal government (and not even the state government.) They are coming to the conclusion that the Constitution was written to limit the government to very specific roles and that the last 100 years of politics have eroded and destroyed those limitations. People are starting to act and to vote not for their party, but for their ideas.

The main idea that got Scott Brown elected was: with a 60 seat supermajority, there is no end to the amount of destruction the Democrats can reap. For this reason, even Democrats voted for Scott Brown. This is not the story the GOP is telling and it's definitely not the story you'll be hearing on the news. The GOP says that this was a clear rejection of Obama's "extremism" and his "idealism" and that people want a more practical, realistic approach to solving the nation's problems. The GOP would have us believe that middle of the road Republicans like Brown were the ultimate rejection of the current Democrats in power and the way of the future to win election after election. This is simply wrong.

Scott Brown won because he represented the only way to stop Obamacare, and this motivated people of all labels and parties to get out and vote for him. Turnout for this election was 54% in a state where the usual senate race only attracts about 40%. In a state where Ted Kennedy (alcoholic, murderer) used to win by 30 points, a Republican won by 5. This didn't happen because of Brown's platform full of populism and platitudes, it happened because of Obama's administration. It happened because the American people have taken the "extremist" and "idealist" position that the government should not be taking over the private industry and that we have to stop such legislation and actions any way we can.

The Republican party better get this message. If they don't, they will not see a continuation of the current trend, but a split of their party. If the Republicans keep offering up Scott Browns in future, non-emergency elections, we will keep getting Democratic leadership. If the Republicans don't wake up to the message of the Tea Party movement, and get the government out of our lives in a very big way, and take the "extremist" position that freedom is the only way, then we might as well just vote Democrat, and hope the collapse of the country isn't a violent one.


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Posted by Tom on 8:18 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.15.2010

Solution to Haiti's Problems

Let's relocate the UN Headquarters to Haiti. Diplomats from around the world could pour their money into the island nation. Most of the UN Members hate the US, and the tropical climate would be much more relaxing and inviting than NYC. It's a win-win for everybody.

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Posted by Tom on 11:35 AM | | Comments | links to this post

1.14.2010

Frequently Asked Questions about Capitalism

Today I stumbled across a website called Capitalism.org and honestly I'm amazed that I've never seen this before. Apparently it's a function of Capitalism Magazine, which I subscribe to and read quite often. If you aren't sure what exactly Capitalism is, or if you've learned your definition from people who tell you it's some evil monstrosity where the rich rule the poor, then please take the quick Capitalism Visual Tour so that you can learn the truth for yourself.
Anyhow, the best part about the site, in my opinion at least, is the FAQ:
This is simply a great resource for people to use whenever they have a question as to how freedom (capitalism) would address common societal or personal issues. They cover topics from education to antitrust to war etc. I enjoyed reading through the different topics and I wanted to share some of my favorites as well as some of my comments. So, here are a few selections, but I encourage you to explore the entire thing:
What is capitalism?
Capitalism is a social system based on the recognition of individual rights, including property rights, in which all property is privately owned. Under capitalism the state is separated from economics (production and trade), just like the state is separated from religion. Capitalism is the system of of laissez faire. It is the system of political freedom.

I bet you never heard that definition in school, or in the pop culture, or on any news program, except for maybe John Stossel's show on Fox Business.
Don't the antitrust laws stop monopolistic practices?
Absolutely not. Harmful monopolies from the old AT&T monopoly (created by government regulations), to the U.S. Post Office monopoly were created by the state. The U.S. Post Office, for example, maintains its monopoly on the lucrative first class mail market by having the state outlaw its competition.

They also cover Standard Oil and the "robber barons" of the railroads. Government intervention is the only way for a harmful monopoly to exist, period.
What causes inflation?
Inflation is the result of state intervention into the free market for money -- specifically the government 'counterfeiting' of dollars (also fiat dollars) which compete with your earned dollars for goods and services. As the amount of paper money bidding for goods increases and the amount of goods supplied stays relatively the same, the prices of all goods increase. Inflation is like a secret tax that robs you of the value of your money before you have a chance to spend it.
That reminds me, have you seen Obama's latest grandstanding about "fat cat bankers?" He plans to tax the big banks to recoup some of the money from TARP. Isn't that just ingenious? Basically it's as if Obama sold you a bag full of $100 bills and charged you $20 for it, then went and gave a speech touting the fact that he "taxed" you for $20. Nonsense.

- corporation
What is government's role in regards to corporations?
Government's job is not to regulate corporations and manage their affairs, but to protect their rights, just as they would any other member of society. Government's job is to treat a corporation no different than any other citizen, granting it no special favors (corporate welfare is just as wrong as non-corporate welfare).
You have to be very careful here though when you talk about corporate welfare. Bailouts are corporate welfare. When a bank or an airline fail (go bankrupt) they should not get money from the government to save their business. They should file for bankruptcy just like anyone else. However, tax breaks are not corporate welfare. Tax breaks given to certain companies but not other companies are examples of Crony Capitalism, and are evidence that our tax code is immoral and horrendous, not evidence of corporate welfare.

- abortion
What is the essential issue concerning abortion?
The essential question concerning abortion is: does the fetus have an inalienable right to be in the body of its' host against the host's will?

In my opinion this is an error in identification. The fundamental issue concerning abortion is the definition of a human life and more specifically when a human life beings. It's not about fetus rights but about human rights, and so we must define objectively the beginning of a human life. After that point, there can be no moral grounds for the destruction of that life. The authors go on to state two definitions: One that a human is defined as a rational animal, in that it uses its mind to survive, and two that a fetus isn't a human until it is outside of the mother's womb. Those two definitions offer a stark contradiction. Studies have shown time and time again that the fetus is fully developed with a functioning mind after the first trimester, and that these "feti" actually attempt to fend off the instruments of the abortion doctor in a futile attempt to stay alive. It is simply impossible to rationally escape the conclusion then that a fetus becomes a human the moment it develops brain function, and it should so be illegal to murder the fetus after that point.

- profit
What is not profit?
Stealing wealth from others, through fraud or force, is not profit, but theft (an initiation of force). Whether that theft is called a mugging, welfare, or "voluntary" taxation [a contradiction in terms], it is still theft and is always evil. Theft, like loss, is destruction; trade, like profit, is creation. To pursue profit is to pursue creation. It is an act of virtue and not a vice.

Your profit is the symbol and reward for the value of your creation, as judged by the mind's of others who have freely-given given their wealth to you in exchange for it. Do not let the leftist intellectuals who infect our universities persuade you from thinking otherwise. In truth, it is those altruists who condemn the profit motive, who are guilty of evil.

How will one support government without taxation?
The removal of all taxation would be the last step to implement in the transition to a free capitalist society. The costs of a proper government -- with an army (engaged only in self-defense and not imperialism), a court system, and a police force -- are very small, and easily paid for by voluntary financing methods. Such methods are used by nonprofit agencies, like churches, to raise billions of dollars. Observe how one "know nothing capitalist" Ted Turner recently gave a billion dollars to a useless, anti-capitalist organization like the United Nations.
As an intermediate step toward no taxation, I support the Fair Tax. It's not truly voluntary: every time you buy something new or purchase a service, you are forced to pay a percentage in taxes. However, you can choose to not buy new things, but buy used things, and you can choose to trade work for work instead of using money to buy services. I believe such a system would free up so much capital by removing all of our existing ridiculous taxes that it is really the only way to save us from total collapse and have a peaceful transition towards Capitalism and Freedom. Otherwise... well there is Secession... but then why secede as a state if your state government is just going to govern under the same premises as the federal government does now?

This is why it is important to educate as many people as possible in the principles of freedom and capitalism. One way or another the fascist empire called the United States of America is going to collapse. I hope we can accomplish a peaceful transition from fascism to capitalism, or that we can peacefully separate like they did in the USSR, so that we can establish capitalism in as many states as possible. If we stick with the ideas of altruism, collectivism and statism though, the collapse will have no chance of occurring without war and bloodshed.

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Posted by Tom on 2:59 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.09.2010

South Carolina Freedom Rally - Jan 9 2010

Today I attended a freedom rally in Columbia, SC hosted by the South Carolina 9/12 Project and I took several pictures of the event. I don't really like Glenn Beck as I think he's melodramatic and doesn't understand the principles of individual rights and true freedom. However, the cause of liberty is making his ratings go up so he's thrown his weight in the ring and he's gotten people motivated to get out there and be heard. I thought I would go to the event today to talk to people and see who was out there and what they were saying.

It was a pretty good turnout for a freezing (30 degrees F) January afternoon, probably about 2000 people by my unprofessional judgement. There were definitely no government provided busses and nobody was handing out anything for free so everyone in attendance was there on their own accord. There were some pretty good signs there and some pretty inspiring people and thankfully most of them were there with their own ideas and their own concerns, not really championing any of Beck's talking points. Anyway, here are some of the things I saw: (click on any of the pictures for the full version)

This picture strikes me for its subtle, yet powerful meaning. The debt that we are in now, because of years and years of federal tyranny (not just the last 12 months), is definitely treading on this youngster. His entire future consists of being a slave for the federal government, unless we do something.

These guys have the right idea. A lot of the speeches today were about state sovereignty and the fact that the federal government has overstepped its bounds, so we need to "pass resolutions to assert the 10th Amendment." Well, I have news for those people: the tyrant Abraham Lincoln nullified the 10th Amendment. The only way we are going to get out form under the oppressive burden of the federal government is to secede. As Thomas Jefferson said, it is both our right and our obligation to do so.

On a lighter note, I thought that was a funny sign.

Radio Free Rocky D from WTMA was the MC for the event.

Pretty good crowd I thought.

This is the kind of sign that unfortunately represents the opinion of the majority of the moderates and conservatives. The problem with this attitude is that it fails to realize that the problem isn't the cess, it's the pool. If we clean out the cess pool, then a fresh new batch of cess will just fill it right back up.

Finally, I would like to end with this:

I couldn't have said it better myself.


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Posted by Tom on 10:16 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.07.2010

Stossel on Atlas Shrugged

John Stossel's show tonight was about Atlas Shrugged and its relevance to today's political climate. Here are a few of the clips from youtube:












Wow, what a great, great answer by Dr. Yaron Brook!

I didn't include the rest of the show because I thought it was boring and irrelevant. However, you can watch it on youtube if you just look for the links in the side bar.


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Posted by Tom on 11:52 PM | | Comments | links to this post

1.05.2010

Clemson has an Institute for the (honest) Study of Capitalism!

Today I received the following email from the Ayn Rand Center for Individual Rights:

Atlas Shrugged on Stossel

Dear ARI Contributor:

The Ayn Rand Center is excited to announce that Atlas Shrugged, Ayn Rand’s magnum opus, will be the subject of the Thursday, January 7, edition of Stossel on the Fox Business Network.

The program airs at 8 p.m., eastern time, and features interviews with leading Objectivist intellectuals including Yaron Brook, president of the Ayn Rand Center, John Allison, chairman of BB&T Corp., and C. Bradley Thompson, executive director of the Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism.

If you’re not able to view the upcoming airing, please check your local listing for a possible rebroadcast.

ARC Media

Whoa, whoa, wait, the Clemson what?

The Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism

Wow! How did I not know about this? Oh well, I'm glad that I do now. It turns out they have a weekly seminar for students and people in the area and they have conferences throughout the year. I'm going to make it to one of those and I'm also going to donate to the cause. Complete Laissez-Faire Capitalism is the only moral system of government and I want to do whatever I can to further that cause, and I am absolutely thrilled that Clemson has a group that is carrying the torch! GO TIGERS!!!

For those that want to join me in making a charitable contribution:

Any kind gift contribution is greatly appreciated!!
Checks should be made out to "Clemson University Foundation." The Memo line can be made out to the "Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism."
The check should be mailed to:

Brad Thompson
Clemson Institute for the Study of Capitalism
325 Sirrine Hall
Clemson University
Clemson, South Carolina
29634


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Posted by Tom on 10:57 PM | | Comments | links to this post