Category Archives: libertarianism

The Winning Trump Ticket & Cabinet (Part I)

Bush, Crime, Donald Trump, Foreign Policy, Justice, libertarianism, Republicans, Ron Paul, UN

“The Winning Trump Ticket & Cabinet” (Part I) is the current column, now on WND. An excerpt:

If Donald J. Trump wishes to lessen the impact of his disappointing second in the Iowa caucuses and walk back the tack he’s taken with Ted Cruz—he must begin to think big and talk big.

Loud in not necessarily big.

Call it triangulation, a concept associated with Bill Clinton’s successful strategies, or call it “the art of the deal”: It’s time for Trump to DO IT.

To this end, Trump must quit the “we don’t win anymore” formulaic rhapsody, and start fleshing out substantive positions. A pragmatist does so by introducing the people he’ll be recruiting to “Make America Great Again.”

To Cruz belongs the Trump Department of Justice portfolio. Offering Justice to Cruz allows Trump to both put Ted in his place as unsuited to the presidency; while simultaneously making him part of Team Trump and repairing that relationship.

Ted is too soft to be US president in these troubled times. But he’d make a spectacular attorney general in charge of DOJ.

There’s a reason George W. Bush hates Ted Cruz. In 2008, Cruz gave America reason to cue the mariachi band and celebrate the death of detritus José Medellín.

As part of a gangbanger initiation rite, Medellín had raped (in every way possible), strangled, slashed, and stomped two young Texan girls to death.

“In Texas,” to quote another Ron from the Lone Star State, “we have the death penalty and we use it. If you come to Texas and kill somebody, we will kill you back.”

Bush 43 would wrestle a crocodile for a criminal alien. Backed by Bush—and on behalf of Medellín and other killer compadres awaiting a similar fate—Mexico promptly sued the US over procedural technicalities in the International Court of Justice. The president ordered Texas to halt the execution of murderer and rapist Medellín.

Texas’ heroic solicitor general said no.

Cruz took the case to the Supreme Court. There, he bested Bush and his lickspittles. As the Conservative Review gloated, Cruz “won the case, 6-to-3.” He had sought justice for Americans against a president who subjugated them to international courts. Ted, moreover, was forever gracious about Bush; Bush and his bambino bro routinely slime Ted. (In trashing Texas Senator Ted Cruz, Trump is in bad company.) …

…Read the rest.“The Winning Trump Ticket & Cabinet” (Part I) is the current column, now on WND.

UPDATE II: NRO Writer’s ‘UnFollow’ Leads To Musing About The Manners-Morals Connection

Conservatism, Donald Trump, Etiquette, Ilana Mercer, Intellectualism, libertarianism, Morality, Neoconservatism

National Review’s Kevin Williamson, aforementioned, once told me he was a libertarian anarchist. Although I never saw evidence for the claim, I took him at his word that he was a friend behind enemy lines. (It’s also true that I don’t study NRO’s output.) In the couple of exchanges we had, Williamson seemed far less uptight about intellectual differences than most Americans. Myself, so long as ad hominem is avoided and respect is shown—I can easily befriend ideological adversaries. And I do. One of the nicest gentlemen, for example, is Benn Steil, director of International Economics Council on Foreign Relations. I can’t imagine Dr. Steil churlishly unFollowing me. We differ. So what? I enjoyed his book, “The Battle of Bretton Woods,” immensely.

The UnFollow/UnFriend churlishness is not the province of neoconservatives and Republicans alone.

From experience, libertarians can be as uncivilized in their interactions. The column “Schooling Beck On Trump’s Nullification Promise” mentions “Ivan Eland’s learned rundown of U.S. presidents,” Recarving Rushmore: Ranking the Presidents on Peace, Prosperity, and Liberty. I contacted Eland as a courtesy. As did I ask him if he would kindly reciprocate with a Follow on Twitter. Unlike the polite Lawrence W. Reed of the Foundation for Economic Freedom, Eland has simply ignored me. Perhaps he’s on vacation.

Manners are a species of morals. Other than to hate mail or rude mail, I respond to all letters I receive—to each and every one. Many thousands since 1998, which is when I got my first newspaper column, in Canada. Due to time constraints, my replies are laconic. But if a reader has bothered to read my work and comment on what I have to say—then it’s only decent and proper to reciprocate.

I haven’t always been firm in this resolve, but I try my very best. If a colleague writes, I reply, whether I like them and their stuff or not. Ignoring a correspondent demonstrates contempt for that individual—a contempt that reflects on the rude “interlocutor.”

UPDATE (1/24): Facebook readers dispute the characterization of Williamson as remotely intellectual.

Christoph Dollis: Well, I’ve always known Kevin Williamson as a moron. Sorry that it hurts, and I get that (I’ve had similar experiences), but in my long-held opinion about Mr. Williamson, you haven’t lost much. I’m pretty sure Williamson is a staunch friend of arch cuckservative Ed Morrissey of Hot Air. ‘Nuff said.”

UPDATE II (3/5):

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UPDATED: Principled Patriots React To Ranchers Hammonds’ Plight

Ilana Mercer, libertarianism, Natural Law, Private Property, States' Rights

The 3.1K number on my WND column, “Ranchers Hammond & Bundy: The Best of America,” refers to the number of times the column has been shared via any of the methods represented by the logo buttons to the left of the 3.1K. So that’s 3,100, a really big number, if accurate, but who knows?

2016, Hammond, WND Capture

LETTERS:

Writes Tim:

Ms. Mercer,

The show isn’t Hammond or bundy or even the Feds; it’s the transformation of rural America from a once-independent/gutsy psyche to what you saw today – the Burns locals showing up and asking the take-over guys to leave. Who planted fear and gutlessness into a community like Burns? I came back from combat in the Nam (usmc) and worked many jobs in the Oregon high desert; timber felling, loading hay trucks, fighting wild fires. These were once tough people who (then) would have supported the take-over stand, unanimously – seen its higher value as part of their own heritage. You’re smart, Ms Mercer, so tell me how urban fear and self-seeking became homogenized into this country’s entire demographic landscape. Was it media? Was it public education? Was it greed? Bottom line, there ain’t gonna be no more “Alamos.” Yes, the Hammonds are good guys, but even they want Bundy’s bunch outa town. It’s tragic and irreversible. What’s left is a man’s (person’s) responsibility to truth and courage; individual-by-individual, against the storm of darkness. And a lot of grace from God for that act.

Writes HS:

Another good column, Ilana. Do you ever feel like you are a voice crying in the wilderness? Your assessment of the situation of the land grab in Oregon and of those who have commented on it is a welcomed relief amid all the grandstanding from the powers that be and the media. Thank you for the level-headed analysis. You make much sense and we are indebted to you for enlightening us. Keep it up.
Humphrey

UPDATE: “Ranchers Hammond & Bundy: The Best Of America” was discussed on The Bill Meyer Show, January 8, 2016 (LISTEN).

Standoff Between Feds & Farmers Brewing In Burns, Oregon

Constitution, Criminal Injustice, Justice, libertarianism, Private Property

You cannot call yourself libertarian if you want the central government to police people for propriety of thought. That’s the work of the federal-government enmeshed Southern Poverty Law Center, which runs a money racket second only to the race rackets run by Jessie Jackson and Reverend Sharpton. Cultural Marxists that they are, the SPLC has declared the militia led by Marine Jon Ritzheimer a hate group and this group’s defense of farmers and their constitutional right to be free of federal incursion and oppression hateful. The story via Twitter:

RELATED: “Why The Land Belongs To Bundy.”