The Desert Island Test

 “No one should die because they cannot afford health care, and no one should go broke because they get sick.  If you agree, please post this as your status for the rest of the day.” 
Facebook users will no doubt recognize the above quote, which was recently posted as a “wave” by some supporters of socialized [...]

It’s Hard To Be Humble

“God grant me the serenity to accept the things I cannot change; Courage to change the things I can; And wisdom to know the difference.” 
Perhaps libertarianism would be more popular if it weren’t such a humbling philosophy.  One of the key insights of libertarian thought, particularly as it relates to economics, is that the collective [...]

Media Matters

Last week’s episode of The Philosopher’s Zone was titled, “The Epistemology of Blogging.”  Alan Saunders discussed blogging’s impact on the development and dissemination of knowledge in society with two speakers, Rutgers University’s Alvin Goldman and the University of Tasmania’s David Cody.
Professor Goldman argued that, to the degree to which blogging hastens the demise of the [...]

Caritas In Veritate

President Obama met with Pope Benedict XVI last week at the Vatican.  During the meeting, the Pope provided the president with a copy of his new encyclical letter, Caritas In Veritate.  Most of the press coverage has focused on the pro-life elements of the treatise and the obvious disagreements between the Church and President Obama [...]

The Happiness Machine

One of the podcasts I listen to regularly is the Australian Broadcasting Corporation’s Philosopher’s Zone.  I have no idea why I do this, as they rarely talk about anything interesting.  I’ve wasted untold hours listening to topics such as “Hypatia of Alexandria” or “The Unhappy Family of Ludwig Wittgenstein.”  On those rare occasions they manage [...]

Founding Errors

We libertarians often focus on the top-down restrictions on our liberty, like the Patriot Act or the bailout. But I think we often overlook the fact that much of the loss of freedom in this country is not dictated by the federal government against our will. In many cases, individuals at the grassroots level actively [...]

Recommended Reading

The Revolution: A Manifesto: If Ron Paul had been as eloquent on the campaign trail as he is in his writing, the GOP race might have turned out very differently. The Revolution illustrates the difference between Ron Paul and virtually [...]

It Usually Begins With Snidely Whiplash

(Special thanks to Against the Grain’s Gardner Goldsmith for discussing this story on his show).  
Two years ago, Paula Taylor of Roxbury, Massachusetts, secured a subprime loan from Countrywide.  Nine months ago, she stopped paying her mortgage and is now being asked to vacate the property.  This, of course, is a great injustice, and Ms. [...]

Libertarianism Made Easy

So at this point you’re probably saying, “All this libertarian stuff sounds great, but how can I break out of the statist paradigm that has plagued me all my life? It probably requires a large down payment, right? What if I have less than perfect credit? Is there any chance for someone [...]

Do Americans Really Want Freedom?

“Liberty means responsibility. That is why most men dread it.”-George Bernard Shaw
From an early age, we’re told that America is the land of the free. The phrase has a catchy ring to it, and it may even be true as long as we’re grading on a global curve. But more and more I [...]