FROM 2012 INTO 2013 POLITICS THREAD

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Unless you're the air bag supplier, right? One window closes, another one opens.... Isn't that what's great about our system? Always new opportunity.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

LOL, not in this case I think. A few years ago, we had another Libby candidate (I like that label, label, label ...) for local office. He was some sort of small-time accountant/bookkeeper. But it also turns out he was way the hell in arrears on his property taxes and his house was being condemned for sanitation/safety issues. To be running for office -- to be offering to serve -- when your life's that far in the shitter is pretty damn dingy to me.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Some anti-business regulations don't do anything more than further the interests of specific businesses. Think Florida and its interior design/decorator licensing requirements. Or S.C. and its law that you can't buy a coffin from anyone other than a licensed undertaker. I've always been impressed by Stigler's work with regard to public choice theory.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Libertarianism, to me, is useful only as a philosophical argument. Ultimately, the "each man for himself, to his liking" edict can't reasonably draw a line at physical violence, as much as it would like do so. If one's animalistic, law-breaking ambition to get what they want is held against them -- while others are born on third base -- the logic of it falls flat. <i>You can do anything you want except the thing that most likely resets the playing field to your advantage</i>.

It's the flaw in Ayn Rand's political philosophy, too, for what it's worth. She loved individualism right up until the physical violence. Then it becomes "Police! Help!"

Understand, I don't condone physical violence at all. But political "reap what you sow, freedom to the max" philosophies are just a bit too twee for my taste.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

No, there'd be a ton to do. A lot of criminal enforcement.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

You're right. And I didn't write that.

It = a lot of criminal enforcement.

Brother, it ain't running itself.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Libertarianism boils down to "Protection from thee for me."

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Agree. It defines an extreme in which all advantage shifts to the powerful. Choose your definition of powerful. I'd suggest the result would be more like Lord of the Flies than Atlas Shrugged, though.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

I don't see how you can say libertarianism's logic fails on this, since this is the essential point of departure (vis-a-vis economic liberty) between libertarianism and the two major parties. For them, it's perfectly all right to use violence (or the threat of it) to reset the playing field, so long as said violence is legitimate (i.e., the product of democratic processes). That is the ultimate tyranny of the majority. Libertarianism says a resetting of the playing field with violence (or its threat) is simply wrong. That's not illogical.

True that. But it also boils down to "Protection from me for thee."

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

I don't think they are nervous at all about Florida. I think they may very well be about other states but 2.2 million early votes have been cast in Florida and Democrats are only up 43-41. Rasmussen had Obama winning the early vote by 10 and Quinnipiac by six points with early voters so a plus-two advantage has to be of concern for the Obama camp. In 2008, Democrats held a 135,000 early vote lead in Florida. As of yesterday, Democrats led by 40,000.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

I think it'd just shift the regulatory burden to criminal enforcement.

After 5-10 years, it'd be a very depressing place to live, a libertarian America. You have a patronage society, a virtual caste system. All the wild fruits of competition would be picked clean so fast.

 

Re: THE 2012 POLITICS THREAD

Definitely. Uncalled for.