Category Archives: libertarianism

UPDATED (8/23): Barcelona and Beyond: How Politicians & Policy Wonks Play God With Your Life

Business, Homeland Security, Individualism Vs. Collectivism, libertarianism, Terrorism

NEW COLUMN: “Barcelona and Beyond: How Politicians & Policy Wonks Play God With Your Life.” An excerpt:

… On TV, June 1, 2017, Alex Nowrasteh, immigration expert at the libertarian Cato Institute, argued that “foreign-born terrorism is a hazard,” but a “manageable” one, “given the huge economic benefits of immigration and the small costs of terrorism.”

Spoken like a collectivist, central planner and utilitarian rolled into one.

This is the Benthamite “utilitarian calculus” at its cruelest. It requires, first, for someone to play God. Whether she sits in Downing Street, D.C., Brussels, or Barcelona; the Godhead has determined that Muslims in our midst are a must in bringing “the greatest good to the greatest number of citizens.” Along the way, a few people will die. For the greater good.

In the words of “Stalin’s apologist” Walter Duranty, ”You can’t make an omelet without breaking eggs.”

However, a natural-rights libertarian values the life of the innocent individual. Only by protecting each individual’s rights—life, liberty and property—can the government legitimately enhance the wealth of the collective. Only through fulfilling its nightwatchman role can government legitimately safeguard the wealth of the nation. For each individual, secure in his person and property, is then free to pursue economic prosperity, which redounds to the rest.

See, statistics are silly unless given context. If you have one foot in fire, the other in ice, can we legitimately say that, on average, you’re warm? Hardly.

Probabilities, in this case the chance that any one of us will die-by-Muslim, are statistically insignificant—unless this happens to you or to yours, to me or mine. …

… READ Barcelona and Beyond: How Politicians & Policy Wonks Play God With Your Life” at American Thinker.

This column can generally be read on Townhall.comUnz ReviewDaily Caller, American Thinker, and others, where The Mercer Column usually appears. And it’s always posted, eventually, on IlanaMercer.com, under Articles. Please share.

UPDATE (8/23):

“A great article. It truly explains how the political elites and their minions think. The issue President Trump alluded to when he spoke of how General Pershing treated Muslin terrorists and insurrectionists were dealt with in the Philippines at the turn of the 20th century would be the way, in my opinion, to deal with these Muslin terrorists.”

UPDATED (7/25): Republicans Or Democrats: Who’s More Tiresomely PC?

Conservatism, Democrats, Free Speech, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, libertarianism, Logic, Political Correctness, Reason, Republicans

Conservatives habitually engage in this asinine, “No, Democrats are the sexist and racist party blah, blah; we’re the good party, party of Lincoln.” “No, liberals project onto us vices they’re guilty of and we’re free of; they do what they say we do.”

Such group thinkers all.

Any libertarian worth his salt hates this thought-crime policing on both sides. Who cares who’s sexist? Who cares if you have impolitic and impolite thoughts? The more improper thinking is expressed out loud; the more we break down barriers to politically risque thinking erected by both parties. (For instance, what I said in “THE WAR ON TRUMP: The Big Picture for Conservatives, Libertarians & Liberals” was verboten in conservative circles.)

Here Mike Cernovich rejoices, via a retweet, in the GOP nominating members of so-called marginalized identity groups. If you’re all about merit and individualism, not identity, why the hell do you care? Why partake in this idiotic, Democratic dance?

There’s no difference in modus operandi between the parties. Both window dress and virtue signal and accuse each other of not doing these enough.

Another incident sees Cernovich scold the awful Ana Navarro (we have a dossier on her: http://barelyablog.com/?s=Ana+Navarro) for being nasty about Jared Kushner. Why? Navarro is right. Why is Cernovich loving on Kushner?

Kushner looks and sound like a boy in transition.

From my, “What Ivanka Wants, Ivanka Gets”:

The man’s a mouse. … The poor man looks low T—like he might one day go the way of Bruce Jenner, now Caitlyn Jenner. (I love LGBTQ, so long as they come in peace.)

Not Jared’s fault. However, Jared’s bloody bad for the country, as well. But conservatives, being part of one tribe, must defend this nincompoop, rather than rejoice that the boring Ana Navarro is being bad, breaking with political propriety. Next, cons will force Navarro to apologize to the transgender Jared.

UPDATE (7/25): THREAD ON FACEBOOK.

Both these good people (Democrats like Gabbard and Webb) are in my book as must cabinet picks for Trump. The days that I imagined prez had the good sense to follow his promise and ignore the Manhattan La Familia are GONE.

Libertarians Looking For Trump To Reverse Or Nullify Bad Law

Constitution, Donald Trump, Law, libertarianism, Liberty, Regulation

Trump has signed 15 resolutions reversing Obama-era regulations. Kate’s Law—very important—has passed in Congress. Alas, the so-called Muslim ban is insignificant, unless followed up with something much more meaty.

The media are looking for “major pieces of legislation” from Donald Trump to properly asses him. To take the measure of the man as a president, I was looking for him to nullify lots of laws via Executive Orders. As said in “The Trump Revolution: The Donald’s Creative Destruction Deconstructed” (June 29, 2016):

“Should Mr. Trump deliver on his promises, consider nullification his political power tool, used by a benevolent Executive to pry the people free. Nullification should be properly considered as Justice’s Jaws of Life. As I said in the Opening, in this post-constitutional era, correctives to the corrosive actions of the State will reduce to action and reaction, force and counterforce.” (The Trump Revolution, p. 233, By ilana Mercer.)

In any case, when you read the convoluted and impenetrable legalese in which legislation is written, you wonder whether implementing change The People want is at all possible in post-constitutional American (a question asked and answered in the book aforementioned). You realize, too, that dismantling any aspect of the Administrative State is pie-in-the-sky (a thing for which the book mentioned had hoped).

Here’s a list of Trump laws, so far, courtesy of NPR. The words “Disapproving the rule” seem very musical, but who knows?

  • H.J.Res. 67: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by qualified State political subdivisions for non-governmental employees”
  • H.J.Res. 43: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule submitted by Secretary of Health and Human Services relating to compliance with title X requirements by project recipients in selecting subrecipients”
  • H.J.Res. 69: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the final rule of the Department of the Interior relating to ‘Non-Subsistence Take of Wildlife, and Public Participation and Closure Procedures, on National Wildlife Refuges in Alaska’ “
  • H.J.Res. 83: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to ‘Clarification of Employer’s Continuing Obligation to Make and Maintain an Accurate Record of Each Recordable Injury and Illness'”
  • S.J.Res. 34: “A joint resolution providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Federal Communications Commission relating to ‘Protecting the Privacy of Customers of Broadband and Other Telecommunications Services’ “
  • H.J.Res. 42: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to drug testing of unemployment compensation applicants”
  • H.J.Res. 57: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to accountability and State plans under the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965”
  • H.J.Res. 58: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Department of Education relating to teacher preparation issues”
  • H.J.Res. 37: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Defense, the General Services Administration, and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration relating to the Federal Acquisition Regulation”
  • H.J.Res. 44: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior relating to Bureau of Land Management regulations that establish the procedures used to prepare, revise, or amend land use plans pursuant to the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976”
  • H.J.Res. 40: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of the rule submitted by the Social Security Administration relating to Implementation of the NICS Improvement Amendments Act of 2007”
  • H.J.Res. 38: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of the Interior known as the Stream Protection Rule”
  • H.J.Res. 41: “Providing for congressional disapproval under chapter 8 of title 5, United States Code, of a rule submitted by the Securities and Exchange Commission relating to ‘Disclosure of Payments by Resource Extraction Issuers’ “
  • S. 496: “A bill to repeal the rule issued by the Federal Highway Administration and the Federal Transit Administration entitled ‘Metropolitan Planning Organization Coordination and Planning Area Reform.’ “
  • H.J.Res. 66: “Disapproving the rule submitted by the Department of Labor relating to savings arrangements established by States for non-governmental employees.”

Modifying Existing Programs (6)

  • H.R. 353: “Weather Research and Forecasting Innovation Act of 2017”
  • S. 442: “National Aeronautics and Space Administration Transition Authorization Act of 2017”
  • H.R. 72: “GAO Access and Oversight Act of 2017”
  • S. 419: “Public Safety Officers’ Benefits Improvement Act of 2017”
  • S. 583: “American Law Enforcement Heroes Act of 2017”
  • H.R. 657 “Follow the Rules Act”

Encouraging An Agency To Try Something New (5)

  • H.R. 321: “Inspiring the Next Space Pioneers, Innovators, Researchers, and Explorers (INSPIRE) Women Act”
  • H.R. 255: “Promoting Women in Entrepreneurship Act”
  • H.R. 534: “U.S. Wants to Compete for a World Expo Act”
  • H.R. 274: “Modernizing Government Travel Act”
  • H.R. 366: “DHS SAVE Act”

Naming Something/Siting A Memorial/Encouraging Flag Flying (5)

  • S.J. Res. 1: “A joint resolution approving the location of a memorial to commemorate and honor the members of the Armed Forces who served on active duty in support of Operation Desert Storm or Operation Desert Shield”
  • H.R. 1362: “To name the Department of Veterans Affairs community-based outpatient clinic in Pago Pago, American Samoa, the Faleomavaega Eni Fa’aua’a Hunkin VA Clinic”
  • H.R. 609: “To designate the Department of Veterans Affairs health care center in Center Township, Butler County, Pennsylvania, as the ‘Abie Abraham VA Clinic'”
  • S. 305: “Vietnam War Veterans Recognition Act of 2017”
  • H.R. 375: “To designate the Federal building and United States courthouse located at 719 Church Street in Nashville, Tennessee, as the ‘Fred D. Thompson Federal Building and United States Courthouse.'”

Personnel-Related (5)

  • S.J.Res. 30: “A joint resolution providing for the reappointment of Steve Case as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution”
  • S.J.Res. 36: “A joint resolution providing for the appointment of Roger W. Ferguson as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution”
  • S.J.Res. 35: “A joint resolution providing for the appointment of Michael Govan as a citizen regent of the Board of Regents of the Smithsonian Institution”
  • H.R. 1228: “To provide for the appointment of members of the Board of Directors of the Office of Compliance to replace members whose terms expire during 2017, and for other purposes”
  • S. 84: “A bill to provide for an exception to a limitation against appointment of persons as Secretary of Defense within seven years of relief from active duty as a regular commissioned officer of the Armed Forces”

Extending Obama-Era Policy (2)

  • S. 544: “A bill to amend the Veterans Access, Choice, and Accountability Act of 2014 to modify the termination date for the Veterans Choice Program, and for other purposes.”
  • H.J.Res. 99: “Making further continuing appropriations for fiscal year 2017, and for other purposes.”

Omnibus Appropriations Bill (1)

  • H.R. 244: “Consolidated Appropriations Act, 2017”

New Policy (1)

  • S. 1094: “Department of Veterans Affairs Accountability and Whistleblower Protection Act of 2017”

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SOURCE.

Dennis Rodman Infinitely Better Qualified To Negotiate With North Korea Than Neocons In Trump Admin

Donald Trump, Foreign Policy, libertarianism, Sport

A few days back, I updated an old post from 09.09.13, about Dennis Rodman’s goodwill trips to North Korea. It didn’t occur to me that the update, secreted in the post, “Dennis Rodman (& Russia) Promoting Global Peace,” would become relevant anytime soon, given Trump’s abysmally disappointing foreign policy direction. “Update (6/7/2017)” was just another thought to file away.

UPDATE (6/7/2017): President Trump will get more from North Korea and its patriotic people, who prefer their own dictator to American-imposed democracy, if he sends as an emissary a man who endeavored to open up that closed and cloistered society to outside influence through positive, voluntary exchanges and interactions, not threats; a man who opted for slow, laborious efforts that preclude lobbing bombs at North Korea or depriving its poor, long-suffering people of contact with the world. That man is Dennis Rodman.

We libertarians are not being cynical when we advocate peaceful diplomacy with nations rather than intervening in conflicts we don’t grasp and dropping Daisy Cutters on them because we can.

Well, “Rodman is making a return trip to North Korea,” reports Fox News. While Trump is not quite confessing to initiating the move, “a senior Trump administration official seems to know about the trip and has confirmed [the story] to Fox News.”

Maybe the penny has dropped and Trump has begun to understand that if he takes this country to war, he’s toast.

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