Oil Prices

Truth

"There's no way to rule innocent men. The only power any government has is the power to crack down on criminals. Well, when there aren't enough criminals, one makes them. One declares so many things to be a crime that it becomes impossible to live without breaking laws."  

Ayn Rand

Tyranny

"Of all tyrannies, a tyranny exercised for the good of its victims may be the most oppressive. It may be better to live under robber barons than under omnipotent moral busybodies. The robber baron's cruelty may sometimes sleep, his cupidity may at some point be satiated; but those who torment us for our own good will torment us without end, for they do so with the approval of their own conscience."

C. S. Lewis

History

"[On ancient Athens]: In the end, more than freedom, they wanted security. They wanted a comfortable life, and they lost it all – security, comfort, and freedom. When the Athenians finally wanted not to give to society but for society to give to them, when the freedom they wished for most was freedom from responsibility, then Athens ceased to be free and was never free again."  

Edward Gibbon

No-Fly Won't Fly Constitutionally

by Ron Paul

Last week we once again heard numerous voices calling for intervention in Libya. Most say the US should establish a “no-fly” zone over Libya, pretending that it is a benign, virtually cost-free action, and the least we could do to assist those trying to oust the Gaddafi regime. Let us be clear about one thing: for the US to establish a “no fly” zone over all or part of Libya would constitute an act of war against Libya. Establishing any kind of military presence in the sovereign territory of Libya will require committing troops to engage in combat against the Libyan air force, as well as anti-aircraft systems. The administration has stated that nothing is off the table as they discuss US responses to the unrest. This sort of talk is alarming on so many levels. Does this mean a nuclear strike is on the table? Apparently so.

In this case, I would like to make sure we actually follow the black letter of the law provided in the Constitution that explicitly grants Congress the sole authority to declare war. This week I will introduce a concurrent resolution in the House to remind my colleagues and the administration that Congress alone, not the president, decides when to go to war. It is alarming how casually the administration talks about initiating acts of war, as though Article 1 Section 8 of the Constitution does not exist. Frankly, it is not up to the President whether or not we intervene in Libya, or set up “no-fly” zones, or send troops. At least, it is not if we follow the Constitution. Even by the loose standards of the War Powers Resolution, which cedes far too much power to the president, he would have no authority to engage in hostilities because we have not been attacked – not by Gaddafi, and not by the rebels. This is not our fight. If the administration wants to make it our fight, let them make their case before Congress and put it to a vote. I would strongly oppose such a measure, but that is the proper way to proceed.


Finally we need to consider the economic cost. We don’t have the money for more military interventions overseas. We don’t have the money for our current military interventions overseas. We have to rely on the Fed’s printing presses and our ability to borrow from China to fund these wars. That alone should put an end to any discussion about getting involved in Libya’s civil war.Constitutional questions aside, Congress also needs to consider the interests of the American people. Again, we have not been attacked. Whatever we may think about the Gaddafi regime, we must recognize that the current turmoil in Libya represents an attempted coup d’état in a foreign country. Neither the coup leaders nor the regime pose an imminent threat to the United States and therefore, as much as we abhor violence and loss of life, this is simply none of our business. How can we commit our men and women in uniform to a dangerous military operation in Libya when they swore an oath to protect and defend the Constitution? We must also understand that our intervention will undermine the legitimacy of whatever government prevails in Libya. Especially if it is a bad government, it will be seen as our puppet and further radicalize people in the region against us. These are terrible reasons to put our soldiers’ lives at risk.

Truth

"America was born of revolt, flourished on dissent, became great through experimentation."  

Henry Steele Commager

A Message From Dr. Richard Davis

I read this week that the Dorchester GOP is organizing a fund-raising program for the Harriet Tubman Memorial. As a Libertarian I applaud and support this for several reasons.

1. It is a libertarian approach to do this with private, voluntary contributions from people who actually support the memorial, rather than asking for tax dollars taken from those who may or may not support the idea.
2. Whatever else it has or has not done since then, the GOP was the original party seeking the abolition of slavery and the emancipation of slaves in this country.
3. Harriet Tubman is a great role model for libertarians; she valued freedom for herself and others above her own safety, and was willing to break laws she knew to be unjust to achieve that freedom. Rather than seek redress from an unsympathetic government, she acted independently toward that freedom. While the law of the time viewed her activities as theft, which is against libertarian principle, it could only define them as theft by denying the humanity of those freed. I think libertarians would accept individual human freedom as superseding this view of theft. 
4. Both of the major political parties have their roots in the idea of human freedom, however much this seems forgotten today. I support the Libertarian party because it is trying to bring us back to these roots, and I support any effort that has that effect on either party or both.
5. Both major parties have such talent for partisan fundraising, I would like to see some of that talent used for more productive purpose, rather than adding to an already overwhelming national debt.
6. If Dorchester County wishes to claim the heritage of Harriet Tubman, then the people of the county should step up and make this memorial their own project. The county government is already terribly short of funds, but to be true to the legacy of Harriet Tubman, this ought to be a true grass-roots effort. I would not refuse contributions from freedom-lovers elsewhere, but this should be a project of and for Dorchester County from the start. 

I will be looking forward to supporting these activities as they develop.

Sincerely,

Richard J. Davis

Truth

"When all government, in little as in great things, shall be drawn to Washington as the Center of all power, it will render powerless the checks provided of one government on another and will become as venal and oppressive as the government from which we separated." 

Thomas Jefferson

To the Shores of Tripoli!

If we had listened to the interventionists, we would have been at war with Libya long ago.

by Matt Welch

It is reasonable to conclude that if John McCain had won the presidency, the United States military would be at this moment engaging in war with Libya, by enforcing a no-fly zone over the embattled country and probably arming the anti-Qadaffi rebels. After all, that's what the Arizona Senator has been advocating for the past two weeks.

But in fact an alternative-universe McCain presidency could have put us on war footing with Libya as early as January 2001, had he beaten George W. Bush in the Republican primaries back in the days of federal budget surpluses. After all, it was McCain during the 2000 campaign who was advocating pro-active regime change in Tripoli, asserting during one presidential debate that he would "revise our policies concerning these rogue states—Iraq, Libya, North Korea—those countries that continue to try to acquire weapons of mass destruction and the means to deliver them," and then "institute a policy that I call 'rogue state rollback.' I would arm, train, equip, both from without and from within, forces that would eventually overthrow the governments and install free and democratically-elected governments."

And as he made clear in his original speech unveiling this radical doctrine of pre-emptive pro-democracy war, President McCain would have backed these revolutionary operations with the full power of the U.S. military. "If you commit to supporting these forces, accept the seriousness of the obligation," he cautioned. "Don't abandon them to the mercies of tyrants whenever they meet with reversals as the administration did in the north of Iraq....The world's only superpower should never give its word insincerely. We should never make idle threats."

Read More Reason...

LP Chair: The problem in Wisconsin is not unions but government

For Immediate Release
Thursday, March 10, 2011

WASHINGTON - While Republicans and Democrats battle in Wisconsin over a bill to reduce the collective bargaining power of state employee unions as a means of balancing their budget, Libertarian Party Chair Mark Hinkle points out that the problem lies with government control of activities it has no business running.

Hinkle comments, "Libertarians are neither pro-union nor anti-union. We believe that the right of association and freedom of contract allows any group of people to choose to bargain collectively rather than individually. Naturally, we oppose violence and threats of such, but unions per se can play a major role in a free society. The problem is that the battle between the Wisconsin state government and state employees isn't even remotely a free market.

"Government monopolizes many services that could and should be provided in the voluntary sector by profit-making and/or non-profit organizations. This also gives them a 'monopsony' as virtually the only potential employer for workers in these fields. Once someone has trained to be a teacher or prison guard, they are essentially at the mercy of government for their employment in that field. Blaming them for wanting collective bargaining representation would be comparable to siding with the Polish government against the union Solidarity headed by Lech Walesa that freed Poland in 1989 from Soviet rule. The problem is with the employer: the government."

Hinkle considers the education budget to be the best example of a solution only Libertarians have offered:

"Far and away the largest part of the budget of the State of Wisconsin, once aid to local governments is allocated to underlying expenditures, is in the category of education. This is true of virtually all state and local governments, so it is the best example of how freedom can provide a solution. Unfortunately, government expenditures for education are driven by political considerations rather than the needs of the students. The result is outrageous costs that are not primarily for the most important ingredient in education: the teacher.

So How Are Democrats and Republicans Different?

Just how is the way Wisconsin Republicans have handled the political confrontation over worker rights different than the way Washington, DC Democrats handled last year's health care vote?

With apologies in advance to Ezra for taking some liberties with his column yesterday evening in theWashington Post:

What happened in Wisconsin [Washington DC] tonight [last March]
By Ezra Klein [Bob Laszewski]

Here's what just happened [last March] in Wisconsin [Washington, DC]: The rules of the state's [U.S.]Senate require a quorum [60 votes] for any measures that do [don't] spend money. That's how the absence of the Senate's Democrats [the election loss in Massachusetts] could stymie Gov. Scott Walker's [the Democrat's efforts] to block [pass] the proposed budget law [the new health care bill] -- it spent [parts didn't spend] money, and thus it needed a quorum [60 votes].


Read the Rest.....

Classic O'Rourke

"One of the annoying things about believing in free will and individual responsibility is the difficulty of finding somebody to blame your problems on. And when you do find somebody, it's remarkable how often his picture turns up on your driver's license." 

P.J. O'Rourke

Great Libertarian Quotes

"The difference between libertarianism and socialism is that libertarians will tolerate the existence of a socialist community, but socialists can't tolerate a libertarian community."  

David D. Boaz (1997)

Thoughts from Jefferson

"I never consider a difference of opinion in politics, in religion, in philosophy, as cause for withdrawing from a friend."

Thomas Jefferson

Muir Boda's Weekly Campaign Message: Government and Real Estate

Muir Boda
Candidate for Salisbury City Council

I wanted to take a moment and share my positions on a couple of issues that have been before the City Council recently. These have been on my website, www.boda4salisbury.com under the section “How Would I Vote” and I wanted people to be clear on where I stand on some of these issues. 

Since both of these issues deal with acquiring and selling properties, it goes with my general philosophy that governments typically should not be actively involved in the Real Estate market and when it is, the approach should be with extreme caution.  I certainly understand that we need to have Fire Departments, Police Departments, Public Works and basic office space for the general operations of our government.  Governments should not be in the business of property management or for a better term a landlord, because the results are usually disastrous, such as all of the empty, boarded up homes owned by the Wicomico County Housing Authority in this city, that is another topic for another day.

So here are two recent situations that were very controversial and my position on them.

Linens of the Week

I oppose the City of Salisbury acquiring this property for several reasons.

First, the unknown costs that are potentially associated with the cleanup is not a risk worth taking.  The hopes that grants will be available to help offset the cleanup costs, is not a guarantee as the $14 Trillion National Debt should be a big warning sign.

Second, he who makes the mess should be the one to pay for the cleanup.  Sticking the taxpayer with the bill and responsibility is unfair. 

Third, is the issue of disposition after the property has been cleaned up.  The government just handing it over for free, no matter who the organization is, is not the right thing to do.  I do believe Habitat for Humanity is a great organization and if they want the property they should acquire it on their own, not as pass through from the government after taxpayers have cleaned it up.

Don’t get me wrong, I think charity is a great thing, I just don’t believe government should be in the business of forcing taxpayers to donate properties to non-profits and churches, especially after taxpayer funds have been used to fix a property up.

Bottom line:  government should have no role in this property other than ensuring the environmental cleanup is done, the property is safe and that the transaction between private parties is free of fraud.

The Old Firehouse

Despite the controversy surrounding this issue I would have voted for the sale.

I believe Palmer Gillis’ intentions are honorable and that he did not attempt to deceive anyone.  There are strict requirements in this deal and everyone must understand that an educational component is required.  Failure to adhere to the requirements will result in the building being forfeited back to the city.

The other aspect of this issue is that renovation costs could be between $500,000 to $1,000,000.  There are very few who have the resources available to pull that off and Palmer is one of those few.  He has a proven track record here in Salisbury and I hope we can all give him a chance to accomplish something that we all will benefit from.

Muir Boda

Candidate for Salisbury City Council

Sunday School Lesson

Conan O'Brien

"Moammar Gadhafi is blaming Osama bin Laden for all of Libya's troubles. It's going to be awkward when these two guys meet in hell."

As Requested - The Libertarian Party's Position on Net Neutrality

A commenter requested the Libertarian Party's view on Net Neutrality. This is take from the LP's website.

Stop Internet Censorship


Politicians are trying to take away your right to read what you want, and to say what you want.

The Internet is making it possible for new voices to be heard -- the voices of people who simply could not afford to publish their ideas or display their artistic talents to a wide audience using older technologies. Established interests of both the left and the right fear new voices, and are trying to control what appears on the Internet through new laws and regulations.

America's Founders couldn't foresee the Internet, but they knew that government control of information was not only a violation of personal liberty -- it was a threat to their hopes for a nation based on the principles of self-government. So they gave us the First Amendment.

The Libertarian Party carries on today in the tradition of the Founders:

•The Libertarian Party didn't wait for the Internet to become popular to stand up for principle: The LP has always supported freedom of speech and the press, and has had language specifically supporting freedom of online communication in its Platform since 1991.

•The Libertarian Party joined with thousands of concerned Internet users in "turning its web pages black" in protest of President Clinton's signing the unconstitutional "Communications Decency Act" in 1995.

•The Libertarian Party continues to speak out today against the attempts by Democrats and Republicans to find loop-holes in the First Amendment, so they can turn the Internet into a government-controlled medium.

In-Depth Political Analysis

Conan O'Brien

"New Hampshire is debating a bill to classify some airport screenings as sexual assault. California is debating a bill that would classify those same screenings as 'doing what you need to do to get the part.'"

For My Facebook Friends....



Jimmy Fallon

"Facebook has decided to ban a new app that sends you an e-mail when your crush becomes single. So you'll just have to find out if they're single the old-fashioned way: by clicking on their Facebook profile 30 or 40 times a day."

My Apologies....

My apologies for not posting much. I have been a little busy lately running for City Council in Salisbury, Maryland.

Muir