Category Archives: libertarianism

UPDATE II: The McCulloch Remarks Nobody Bothered To READ (Coulter’s Blame-Liberals Reductionism/Rubbish)

Ann Coulter, Justice, Law, Left-Liberalism And Progressivisim, libertarianism, Race, Racism

Regrettably, at the time of the Michael-Brown shooting, this libertarian column had expressed the opinion that Brown was the victim of “murder-by-cop.” As the evidence subsequently demonstrated, I was wrong.

Part of my conversion lies is the remarks of St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch, a Democrat. These were, well, remarkable. (More about that in the weekly, WND column, tomorrow.) McCulloch’s remarks revealed the exhaustive scope of the search for truth undertaken by a grand jury that was left to its own devices.

Since the text of the statement has not been disseminated, I’ve transcribed and summarized some of it for interested Americans. Particularly brilliant is the manner in which McCulloch co-opted the DC “RIC” in support of the rule of law, in Ferguson, Missouri:

St. Louis county police conducted an extensive investigation at the crime scene together with agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation, at the direction of Attorney General Eric Holder. Together they sought out witnesses and gathered additional information over a period of three months, beginning on the day of the shooting death of Michael Brown. Fully aware of the growing concerns in parts of the community that the investigation and review of the death would not be full and fair, St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch decided to hand over to a grand jury all physical evidence related to the case, all individuals claiming to have witnessed any aspect of the events and any and all related matters. The grand jury comprised of 12 members of the community.

Federal investigators worked closely with local law enforcement, with the St. Louis county police and persecutor and Attorney General Holder and his department vowing to follow where the evidence led. These federal investigators shared information with St. Louis county investigator and vice versa. In addition, the Department of Justice conducted its own investigation and performed its own autopsy. Yet another autopsy was carried out by the Brown family and all information was shared and collated. All testimony before the grand jury was immediate forwarded to the DOJ. Eyewitness accounts were compared with the physical evidence. Many witnesses contradicted their own statements and the physical evidence.

As an example of witness testimony that contradicted the physical evidence McCulloch offered numerous statements that claimed to have seen Officer Wilson stand above Michael Brown and fire many rounds into his back. Others claimed that Officer Wilson shot Mr. Brown in the back as he was running away. Once the autopsy was released showing that the deceased did not sustain injuries to his back, statements to that effect were retracted. Others admitted they had, in fact, not witnessed the shooting.

All statements were recorded and presented to the grand jury before the autopsy results were released. There was no “document dump,” as some media claimed. Two of Bob McCulloch’s assistants presented the information to the jury in an organized, systematic manner. All jurors heard every word of testimony and examined every item of evidence presented. McCulloch described a proactive and engaged group working since August 9th to do their due diligence. In the course of 25 days, the jury dissected over 70 hours of testimony and listened to 60 witnesses. They heard from three medical examiners and many other DNA and forensic experts. They examined hundreds of photographs and looked at various pieces of physical evidence. They were instructed in the law and presented with five possible indictments. Their burden was to determine, based on all the evidence, if probable cause existed to determine that a crime was committed and Daren Wilson committed that crime. There is no question that Officer Wilson caused the death of Michael Brown by shooting him. However the law authorizes an officer of the law, and all people, to use deadly force to defend themselves in certain situations. The grand jury considered whether Officer Wilson was the initial aggressor, or whether he was authorized to use deadly force in the situation and acted in self-defense.

They were the only people who examined every piece of evidence and heard every witness. They debated among themselves. After an exhaustive review of the evidence the grand jury deliberated further over two days to arrive at their final decision. And it is that no probable cause exists to file any charges against Officer Darren Wilson. They returned a “No True” bill on each of the five indictments. All the evidence, witness statements included, was made public.

[SNIP]

UPDATE I: I abbreviated without explaining: RIC is the “Racism Industrial Complex,” originated by Jack Kerwick. More in the weekly, WND column, tomorrow.

UPDATE II: Coulter’s Blame-Liberals Reductionism/Rubbish. As I always argue, in the structure of argument—and thus the source of culpability— there is no difference between conservative, lite-libertarian, and left liberal. That structure is: The Dog/Society/State/Liberals Ate the Criminal’s Homework. This, Ann Coulter proves. She blames liberals for rioter actions.

“‘Absolut’ Libertarian Lunacy” touches on this blame the society/state/liberals reductionism: “For the sins of man, hard leftists blame society, and hard-core libertarians saddle the state. ‘The State made me do it’ is how such social determinism can be summed-up.”

UPDATE IV: A Remarkable Legal Process Unfolds In Ferguson (Individualism Vs. Collectivism)

Individualism Vs. Collectivism, Justice, Law, libertarianism, Race

A remarkable process unfolded in Ferguson, Missouri, where St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney Bob McCulloch has just detailed the grand jury’s lengthy fact-finding mission, executed impressively, the upshot of which is that Darren Wilson, the police officer whose fatal shooting of the unarmed Michael Brown “sparked days of turbulent protests,” will not be indicted.

As infuriating as ever is that the entirety of the text of an official statement is no longer released to media, right away. No one reads any longer. However, McCulloch’s remarks (précised here) were impressive in the exhaustive scope of the search for truth they reveal, undertaken by a grand jury that was left to its own devices.

Nor did the unethical intervention of Attorney General Eric Holder and President Barack Obama on one side of the dispute serve to sway the grand jury. This is a good day for American justice. Unfortunately, many of the vested interests do not understand that the law is a search for facts; truth, and not about an abstract idea of social justice that exists in the minds of the perpetually aggrieved.

UPDATE I: Documents:

* Ferguson grand jury documents, courtesy of the LA Times.

* President Obama’s remarks after the Ferguson grand jury announcement.

UPDATE II (11/25): In the absence of text, I had to transcribe, but will keep the written material for the weekly column.

UPDATE III: FACEBOOK Thread:

Myron Robert Pauli The grand jury most likely acted properly (I say most likely since I was not presented with all the evidence) and any rioting is inexcusable. But I will slightly digress in saying that I read a long but interesting article by “libertarian” Radley Balko on how the local governments (politicians/lawyers/cops) exploit the lower classes (mostly black) in St. Louis County by extorting $$$ to support their parasitical power base using petty traffic crimes, etc. When government goes from protecting lives and liberty and property of people to just bleeding people to support itself (e.g. Inspector Javert meets Lucky Luciano) – it is a sad and tragic overreach. A long article but it raises interesting questions.

Ilana Mercer: Dog ate my homework, Myron Robert Pauli, from left-libertarians. The government robs me too. Blind. It robs you as well. More so than those who get back from the state (aka the taxpayer) more than they pay in. This is a prime example of confusing the argument. Lite libertarians make the mistake a lot. “‘Absolut’ Libertarian Lunacy” touches on this blame the state for individual flaws: “For the sins of man, hard leftists blame society, and hard-core libertarians saddle the state. ‘The State made me do it’ is how such social determinism can be summed-up.”

UPDATE IV (11/26): FACEBOOK Thread:

Myron Robert Pauli:

I always like to caution those on the right OR left when dealing with statistics about people. Yes, in my business, it might mean something to say that “Sensor X has an 80% of detecting Vehicle Y and Range R in Atmospheric Condition Z” – models and data points can be validated to some degree and one can draw conclusions. People are a bit different – so when the left says “look, Group N is underrepresented in Activity M” (Vietnamese women in the NBA, Black women in physics departments), it is not per se a proof of some deep conspiracy. Similarly, if 0.01% of Thai women are pathologically violent but 2% of black men are pathologically violent, it still means that 98% of black men are NOT pathologically violent even if it is far more likely to see that group rather than Thai women behind bars. However, statistical generalizations aside, Ferguson’s Kristallnacht is a reason to be depressed about the “melting pot ideal” working in America.
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Ilana Mercer:

Actually, Myron Robert Pauli, sorry to burst the Bubble you’ve retreated into, but check that book, “Into the Cannibal’s Pot.” I gave it to you personally. If only 98% of black men were non-violent, we’d have our Jeffersonian republic. South Africa would be one too. Your stats are way OFF. Still, you are right about treating individuals as individuals, something I’ve preached too for as long as I can remember. Coming from a “black” country, my book is dedicated to 2 black ladies the likes of which cannot be matched among whites: ladies of the finest upbringing and nobility of character!!!! My dad’s caretaker is a gem: a black man. Kind and sweet like nothing I’ve seen among whites. Myron Robert Pauli, you are right about your reminder, not your numbers.

UPDATE II (5/6/017): SeaWorld SUCKS (Secede From It)

Environmentalism & Animal Rights, Ethics, Ilana On Radio & TV, libertarianism

The issue, however, is this and this alone: It is worse than cruel and barbaric to keep a giant, sentient creature possessing of a sizable intelligence and complex social needs, in a small enclosure, for the mere amusement of the masses.

While this libertarian would never suggest any state regulation; she does advocate vigorous, voluntary attrition, and NOW! Stay away from SeaWorld! I’m with PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals):

Animal rights advocates outraged that a SeaWorld float is included in next week’s lineup for Macy’s Thanksgiving Day Parade unveiled plans on Wednesday for a naked protest outside the landmark store.
Demonstrators wearing nothing but black and white body paint to resemble orcas will squeeze into a bathtub outside the midtown Manhattan store on Thursday to mimic orcas held in captivity and to repeat last year’s demand – which was denied – that the float be excluded, People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) said.
“It is unacceptable to confine orcas to barren tanks that, to them, are the size of a bathtub,” said Delcianna Winders, PETA’s deputy general counsel.

And just this once, I’m with CNN, which screened a devastating documentary, “Blackfish,” on what befalls the huge and highly evolved Orca, when kept in a tiny tub of water.

Understand, I have no doubt that SeaWorld imagines it treats these animals as “humanely” as possible under the cincumstances. As the silly SeaWorld spokeswoman Aimée Jeansonne Becka has promised, “SeaWorld’s animals are well cared for and their health and well-being is a responsibility we take extremely seriously. We are proud of our world-class standards of care.”

To those gung ho readers who disowned me when I penned one of my favorite columns, “Just A Girl With A Gun; Not A Gratuitous Killer, remember this: I’m also the writer who had written—I hang my head in shame—in defense of Michael Vick (I & II). While I regret the columns that got me on the Sean Hannity nationally syndicated radio show, I have not changed my views on natural rights. I have, however, become convinced about our moral and ethical obligation to treasure animals and the natural world and to shun those who don’t.

Secede from SeaWorld.

UPDATE: Facebook Thread:

James Huggins: Animals were put on earth for us to use and preserve. Not use and abuse.
10 mins · Like

Ilana Mercer: Why does the Orca need to be “used” by human beings? Haven’t we evolved enough to entertain our effing selves?

UPDATE II (5/6/017): Voluntarily withdrawing patronage from circuses that display these large sea mammals is the libertarian way. But I won’t be grieving France’s ban of “captive breeding of dolphins and killer whales.”

Touting ‘Target Liberty’

Economy, Internet, libertarianism, Technology

If anyone can pull it off it’s Robert Wenzel, editor of Economic Policy Journal, and now of Target Liberty. Robert, to whose illustrious websites I contribute, decided to return EPJ to its economic roots, while at the same time designating and editing a new website for libertarian discussion.

At first, the move had the feel of a self-imposed antitrust bust. What was wrong with EPJ as it was? Had the premier libertarian site on the web become too big or too powerful for its own good? (If only.) Is not human action, or homo economicus in action, an all-encompassing proposition, as EPJ had become?

Then there were our dear editor’s idiosyncrasies: Target Liberty was severed from Economic Policy Journal. The new site’s presence on the established EPJ was initially reduced to a black spot (on the right, above the search window), conjuring the black spot of death handed to a condemned pirate, in Robert Louis Stevenson’s Treasure Island.

Columnists at Target Liberty were without archives. Contributors would struggle to promote the site in the absence of clear links to their work. And our readers were overwhelmingly opposed to the move, pressing their case with an impressive array of arguments.

On the other hand, EPJ had become “multidisciplinary,” arguably the intellectual equivalent of multiculturalism.

“Intellectual disciplines,” historian Keith Windschuttle has written, “were founded in ancient Greece and gained considerable impetus from the work of Aristotle who identified and organized a range of subjects into orderly bodies of learning. … The history of Western knowledge shows the decisive importance of the structuring of disciplines. This structuring allowed the West to benefit from two key innovations: the systematization of research methods, which produced an accretion of consistent findings; and the organization of effective teaching, which permitted a large and accumulating body of knowledge to be transmitted from one generation to the next.” (The Killing of History, Keith Windschuttle, Encounter, pp. 247-250.)

The intellectual discipline is one of the signal achievements of Western Civilization. This explains why those working in the postmodern tradition have striven mightily—reflexively, at least—to dismantle disciplines.

Ultimately, nobody beats Robert Wenzel in providing excellent and abundant content. Still, here are some thoughts on increasing our traffic and making it easier for contributors to promote both sites on their respective websites:

• Continue to write guest columns on other sites. What about Peter Schiff’s Euro Pacific Capital?
• Create a link and archive for each regular contributor on Target Liberty, too.
• Place a link (that is not a black spot) to Target Liberty on Economic Policy Journal. (This has since been accomplished.)
• Put faces to the words: a picture for each of our columnists.
• Encourage columnists to reply to readers.
• Write even catchier headlines.
• Link internally: If a news story is about, say intellectual property, link to an EPJ or TL article on the topic.
• Create an email list and send out a weekly newsletter featuring the best of our contributors (provided I’m in it, of course).
• Promote stories and columns by Tweeting them as well as posting links to Facebook. Contributors can, in turn, share links on their own social media pages. Posts can be made to automatically propagate to social media with automating applications.
• Upgrade the sites so they are mobile- and tablet compatible.
• Explore making an app.