* Substantially reduce the size and intrusiveness of government and cut all taxes.
* Let peaceful, honest people offer their goods and services to willing consumers without a hassle from government.
* Let peaceful, honest people decide for themselves what to eat, drink, read, or smoke and how to dress, medicate themselves, or make love, without fear of criminal penalties.
* The U.S. government should defend Americans and their property in America and let the U.S. taxpayer off the hook for the defense bill of wealthy countries like Germany and Japan.
Governments throughout history have regularly operated on the opposite principle, that the State has the right to dispose of the lives of individuals and the fruits of their labor. Even within the United States, all political parties other than our own grant to government the right to regulate the lives of individuals and seize the fruits of their labor without their consent.
We, on the contrary, deny the right of any government to do these things, and hold that where governments exist, they must not violate the rights of any individual: namely,
(1) the right to life -- accordingly we support the prohibition of the initiation of physical force against others;
(2) the right to liberty of speech and action -- accordingly we oppose all attempts by government to abridge the freedom of speech and press, as well as government censorship in any form; and
(3) the right to property -- accordingly we oppose all government interference with private property, such as confiscation, nationalization, and eminent domain, and support the prohibition of robbery, trespass, fraud, and misrepresentation.
Since governments, when instituted, must not violate individual rights, we oppose all interference by government in the areas of voluntary and contractual relations among individuals. People should not be forced to sacrifice their lives and property for the benefit of others. They should be left free by government to deal with one another as free traders; and the resultant economic system, the only one compatible with the protection of individual rights, is the free market.
To reverse the current political and economic trend in America, we must reverse men's fundamental philosophy.
~ Ayn Rand
The Entitlement State Is Morally Bankrupt
After Rick Perry called Social Security a Ponzi scheme, pundits everywhere smugly assured the world that Perry is crazy because, after all, the government can never really go bankrupt: it can always print money to pay its debts. Of course, that’s hardly a comfort to those who know what hyperinflation can do to an economy.
In any case, Perry can be commended for daring to violate the first law of politics: whatever you do, do not question entitlements. Despite the fact that the big three entitlement programs–Social Security, Medicaid, and Medicare–have the U.S. government facing upwards of $100 trillion in unfunded liabilities, they largely remain a third rail: touch not lest ye be voted out of office.
Why are they sacrosanct? Because, whatever else you can say about the entitlement state, no one disputes that it’s a moral imperative. Inefficient? Maybe. Expensive? You bet. But morally questionable? Absolutely not.
The problem with the entitlement state is not simply that it is bankrupting this country–the problem is that it is morally bankrupt.
The basic principle behind the entitlement state is that a person’s need entitles him to other people’s wealth. It’s that you have a duty to spend some irreplaceable part of your life laboring, not for the sake of your own life and happiness, but for the sake of others. If you are productive and self-supporting, then according to the entitlement state, you are in hock to those who aren’t. In Marx’s memorable phrase: "From each according to his ability, to each according to his needs."
continue reading...
The body art and cosmetic tattooing industry has escape most government control, and remains a self-regulating industry in terms of sanitation, hygiene levels, equipment, needles, professional credentials and even the pigments or inks used by tattoo artists and cosmetic tattoo / permanent makeup professionals. The government, while not regulating safety of products or practitioner qualifications, does regulate the age a person must be in order to receive a tattoo, which in most cases is 17 or 18. In Alabama / Arkansas a minor can get a tattoo if a parent consents and in Alaska / Arizona, the parent must be present during a tattooing procedure. In California a person must be 18 to get a tattoo of any kind, even an eyebrow tattoo for cosmetic purposes. In fact, it’s a criminal offense for an artists or permanent makeup specialist to offer a minor a tattoo service – that includes eyeliner, eyebrows and lip tattoos. The only state with no age regulation is Colorado, however Maryland requires parental consent and the permanent makeup clinic, plastic surgery center or tattoo shop must keep records of the procedure for a three year period. New Hampshire has an antiquated law that places tattooing in the category of “branding”, and giving or receiving such a “brand” is forbidden under the age of 18. Be careful in New York, too, because a tattoo artists or micropigmentation specialist who performs eyebrow tattooing procedures could go to jail for 3 months if the service is done on a minor even with parental consent! In Oklahoma, an artist or cosmetic tattoo clinic can be fined up to $5,000 for tattooing a minor even if it’s for cosmetic purposes. In Wisconsin, nowadays, all clinics and micropigmentation specialists who offer eyeliner, lip pigmenting and eyebrow tattooing services, as well as tattoo artists who do body art, must have their premises inspected and licensed by the state health department, and only physicians may tattoo a minor, and only if the procedure is deemed medically necessary.
What does the FDA say about eyeliner, permanent lip coloring and eyebrow tattooing pigments? The FDA doesn’t regulate, control or actively get involved in the tattoo industry – either the artistic or the cosmetic side. Officially, the FDA views pigments used for intradermal tattoos, permanent makeup {eyebrow tattooing and lip coloring, as well as paramedical camouflaging} as color additives that require approval, however because of “lack of evidence of safety concerns, FDA traditionally has not exercised its regulatory authority over tattoo inks or the pigments used in them.” Although the FDA website provides a list of risks associated with cosmetic eyebrow tattooing and other procedures, the industry is self-regulating in terms of hygiene, equipment, professional qualifications and product usage, including: topical anesthetics, antiseptics, sterilization procedures, aftercare products and pigments. Has this lack of government regulation adversely affected the lip, eye and eyebrow tattooing industry? It seems not. With the liberation from government restrictions, artistic and cosmetic tattoo professionals take great pride in training and internship programs as well as certifying themselves through self-governing bodies like the SPCP {the Society for Permanent Cosmetic Professionals} and the AAM {the American Academy of Micropigmentation}. The SPCP conducts rigorous tests for members to become board certified and receive the title of CPCP {Certified Permanent Cosmetics Professional}. CPCP professionals must be OSHA certified, have training in bloodborne pathogens and follow hospital grade hygiene standards when working from clinics or private permanent makeup practices. Certified professionals offer pigment allergy tests before procedures, use only disposable needles, sterilized equipment to avoid cross contamination, and provide medical-grade sanitary facilities of their own free choice even in regions where state appointed health inspections and licensing is not mandatory.
Almost everyone knows a friend, or a friend of a friend, whose business went belly-up after a surprisingly short period of time. Starting a business may be simple, but running a successful business is a completely different matter. This is the reason why having a business strategy is so necessary. Strategizing in business, after all, is basically having a plan for the long-term success of the business venture.
A business is similar to a living organism in the sense that, like a plant, it requires the right environment for it to flourish and grow. Knowing the basic libertarian principles would be a good start. These are the principles that promote the right to life, the right to freedom of speech, and the right to property. After all, the business owner whose life is constantly threatened could hardly operate, much less be successful in the mercantile field he has chosen. If his freedom of speech were curtailed, he would hardly be able to communicate with his potential customers through the right advertisements and promotions. And if his right to property were not properly protected through the threats of confiscation or nationalization of his business, he would not have the motivation to expand or make additional investments to it.
The shadow of government also looms large in business strategy development. Its policies and actions can be a bane or a boon to business. It can use its tool of taxation to make a business flourish or to stifle or even completely kill it. The right amount of taxes, especially if plowed back into infrastructure like roads to facilitate the movement of goods or services which the business provides, would greatly benefit its distribution and transportation activities. However, if the tax imposed is too steep or exorbitant, the government will be killing the proverbial goose that lays the golden eggs.
The more sophisticated or complex the businesses to be set up, the more multi-faceted the business strategies should be. A business dealing with importation or exportation, or both, should be able to reflect and deal with the additional realities of the policies of a foreign government. Subsidies which a foreign government gives to its producers would not augur well for a business that exports goods to that foreign country, as it would give undue advantage to the local businessmen based there.
So the next time one hears of a businessman who fails, one can appreciate the rigors he went through. Or if the businessman succeeds, consider it a testament to his creativity and resourcefulness.
For many the libertarian philosophy makes a lot of sense. For those who feel molly coddled by a the nanny state that won’t let them smoke, or drink or take drugs or do hundreds of other things that seem to harm no one other than the person who chooses to do the action libertarianism makes a lot of sense. If you harm only yourself why not allow base jumping? If you want to grow poppies in your garden and make tea from them why not?
This is at the heart of the libertarian point of view: if it doesn’t harm others and I willingly want to do something than why should I be prevented. Of course for Thoreau it was more than being allowed to take drugs or pursue dangerous pastimes. It was the right to live a life unimpeded by the state. Thoreau lived at Walden Pond to escape the state imposing on him. He was arrested when he refused to pay taxes to fund a war.
The notion of libertarianism depends on the idea that it upholds liberties that do not infringe on others people’s liberties. Since the advances in biology we have come to discover how we are all interconnected in complex relations that form eco-systems. Our actions have far greater repercussions than we previously thought. Burning fossil fuels in cars harms the environment. This causes global warming and in turn leads to drought, rising water levels and species extinction. The individual’s right to emit carbon is not consequence free. Thus, the libertarian point of view should be refined to say that an action as long as doesn’t infringe on other’s liberties or damage the environment should be justified.
Since nearly all human activity has an impact for good or bad on the environment we perhaps collapse the libertarian point of view. You might have a right to plant bamboo or drink coconut juice, but not to take an airplane, buy a car or eat beef.
I’ve been based in Central America for over a decade. I work in the tourism and real estate industry so am always welcoming US visitors and investors. In the last couple of years I’ve noticed a growing trend: Libertarians are leaving the US in droves.
Relocating to a new country is always a mix of pull and push forces. On the pull side, Central America certainly has lots to offer – beautiful scenery, affordable real estate (have a look at Reveal Real Estate for more details on real estate for sale in Belize, Nicaragua and Panama), a low cost of living and an easy going culture.
But there is something more isn’t there? A sense of freedom from regulation, a pioneering spirit even.
What about the push side? Well I always ask people why they are leaving the US and I’ve been noticing new “push factors’ emerge in recent years. There’s a real sense that people want to escape from increased government intervention in their day to day lives. Of course taxes are a part of this (Central America does not collect tax on overseas income and the tax rates are very low), but it’s also about escaping what is perceived of as an emerging nanny state.
From my perspective of helping people move to Central America I’m delighted to see this new trend. But as an American who maintains strong ties with home, it does leave me a bit concerned with what is happening to our great country.
I love a great cup of fresh coffee, the only thing better than a great cup of fresh coffee is a free cup of fresh coffee. With things so economically strained, a free coffee just simply puts a smile on my face. It’s a great way to start the day. The only thing hard about getting a free cup of coffee is what flavor to get. With coffee flavors coming in such a large variety you never know exactly what flavor you want to settle on. My favorite is vanilla hazelnut. There is just something about vanilla that seems comfy and relaxing. Of course, the carmel flavor is great too.
There are many restuarants that offer free coffee with your meal. That’s the way to dine, especially if you’re having breakfast. I’m one of those people who likes to have more than one cup of coffe in the morning. So if I can have free coffee then I know I can even have more than one flavor if it suits me. I have found that I can spend well over twenty five dollars a week just on cups of coffee, that’s really a lot and it really adds up.
A couple of cups of coffee in the morning are just what I need to help get me going. I’d rather do the coffee thing instead of having an energy drink or a energy shot. I have found that a cup of coffee can last a lot longer than an energy drink. If it gets cold on me, I can just put it in the microwave for a few seconds and it’s good to go again. I feel as though it helps me to stay focused and on top of my day. A cup of coffee is also great in the evening after a hard day at the office.
An alternative way to get a free coffee in the morning is to buy a low cost espresso machine. After a few months you will have broken even and every coffee from there on in is free!
The internet is a vast and wondrous place. You can find almost anything online these days from baby supplies to online grocers to even live stock for you fish tank! It is honestly incredible how many things can be purchased online from the comfort of your home. With all these new online options why would anyone go shopping at an actual store front? Why would a business actually want to pay rent for a store front either? These are some of the small factors that contribute to our downward spiraling economy. How many times have you gone to a strip mall lately only to realize that more than half of the store fronts are vacant? This happens to me all the time. Its like mini malls are becoming ghost towns. The online surge of business is killing the actual local outlets. I am a business man and I specialize in underground style clothing. We have lost many sales accounts to this same situation. We were being carried in many small independently owned boutiques until they had to close up shop due to lack of foot traffic. Stores simply aren’t seeing enough traffic to support their over head. Why do anything in real life when everything is cheaper online? I am not sure how the government could help this situation but every since our initial economic drop years ago. Mom and pop owned businesses have been dropping like flies do to online competition and big business like wal-mart taking over the town. Support local businesses, support the community, support original products. Dont let the internet and big business shut down your local business!
There are so many things standing in the way of what we do nowadays that the idea of Libertarianism becomes an increasingly attractive proposition. The government is year on year making more decisions for us as to what they think is ’best for us’. Some may argue that a Libertarian society would be unruly, would be one they would feel unsafe in. That argument is somewhat misguided, a Libertarian society would’nt mean everyone can do what they want, crimes would still be punished the same way for sure.
If I want to use The Safe Cig discount code I found to buy electronic cigarettes I want to do this without the FDA and government states hovering in the background telling me that they are not good for me. There are many things but ultimately all we are asking is to be able to live our lives as we see fit.
For more years than I care to remember I have held onto the principals of being a true Libertarian within these United States of America. I do not hold with many of the limitations placed upon us by our Local, State and National governmental bodies and I will always seek to fight against further intrusions into my life.
That said in the times that we live in now, with terrorist attacks an ever present threat, some of our most dearly won liberties will have to suffer until the day we put that particular venomous beast to rest for ever. I fought in two wars for this country and I always put myself before the flag and saluted it with justified pride.
Now I have decided to take this message back across the Atlantic over to the United Kingdom and to speak at gatherings of like minded individuals who seek to live as true Libertarians in the very country where this doctrine was born. I am looking for some advice as to where I can find adequate accommodation in the UK and I will be looking for some help in this matter from anyone who has had to ever look after houses to rent there.
I have long held, in keeping with almost all of the others who use this site www.lpri.org to declare their allegiance to the USA that we are the descendants of men and women who fought and died to maintain our freedom. That freedom being to live without the overbearing attitudes of the government being forced upon us; Freedom to live in accordance with the articles carried within the United States Constitution; Freedom to say what we think and to meet together to discuss our common goals, even if they are to reject the government if we think that it is failing the people.
I hope to see your support for my mission in print as replies to my posting of this notice of intent.
Libertarians around the country value the freedom of purchasing the products they want without government interference. As long as you are not hurting anyone by your purchase, the government has no business meddling with your purchasing decisions.
One area where this can be controversial is in purchases that impact the collective commons. Despite this rather socialist sounding name, the commons refers to properties that by nature belong to all. A prime example of this is the environment.
With recent concerns about global warming or climate change, the government has started to regulate greenhouse gas emissions by encouraging manufacturers of items like refrigerators to produce more efficient appliances.
Look at any of the best refrigerator reviews and you will inevitably find reference to energy star rating and performance measurements of a similar ilk. Some libertarians object to these types of rating systems on the grounds that they are organized by the government, and propose that the free market would come up with similar systems if they were truly needed.
However, since individual manufacturers of refrigerators have very little stake in CO2 emissions, I feel this is unlikely to happen. If consumers as a while were to get together to demand companies provide this information, then perhaps they would do so without prodding from the government – but unfortunately this seems unlikely too.
Avoiding the ‘tragedy of the commons’ is where government regulations do have a place. Without the Federal Government promoting measure to preserve the environment for all of us, as individuals we lack the power – or good sense – to make it happen ourselves.
As much as I dislike government intervention, sometimes it does seem necessary.
We\’ve talked about it before, but it begs another mention given court wins in places like New Jersey and the state of Washington.
It is time for government to get out of the alcohol business.
Does anyone really believe for even a minute that our ability to select wine for ourselves or even to give a wine gift to a friend is made easier by state goverment owning all sales of wine?
Pennsylvania is a perfect example. The 10th largest consumption rate of wine per capita. 2….yes TWO! Wine buyers in the entire state based on some conversations we\’ve had with wineries looking to have their wine featured there.
State owned liquor stores means that only two people control what you drink. By comparison the chain K and L has over 10 buyers in control of their three stores.
How do those ratios make for better choice for consumers?
Let\’s get back to basics. Let private industry sell the wine. Tax them honestly and effectively and move on!
Part of the libertarian point of view is right of access. This is in direct conflict with the notion of private property rights. If you own a piece of land in many countries then only you and those you authorize have access to your land. There is no common access. In other countries there is the notion of common right of access. These rights often go back hundreds of years and belong partly to an age before trains and cars when people walked or rode a horse from one place to another. It was thus, important that people could cross over private land to take direct routes from point A to point B.
This very much fits into the libertarian position. If you are doing no damage then why shouldn’t you be allowed to cross someone else’s land? The owner of the land you are crossing may in turn need to cross your land at some point, so the favor is returned.
An interesting point is created by beaches. In many countries such as Thailand beaches are common property – they cannot be privately owned and they cannot be cordoned off. It is an important principal to have access to the beach as it also m,eans access to marine resources. The system works by declaring that all beaches in Thailand belong to the King.
It is thus disappointing that Santhiya Resort in Thong Nai Pan Noi on Koh Phangan has insisted that the beach path between the resort and the main beach of Thong Nai Pan Noi be blocked off. The result is that guests are stranded at the hotel with its high prices for food and drink. Secondly, the staff do not have quick access to the facilities on the beach.
It seems that the monied interests behind the hotel trump any law regarding right of way and access to a beach.
I’m sick and tired of reading the wisdom of diet gurus telling me I need to eat more fat, more meat and drink more milk in order to get thin. What is all that about? It just doesn’t make any sense. However, it does make a lot of money for the various vested intesrests in this country. The meat industry has their hand in your pocket; the dairy industry has their hand in your pocket; the diet industry has their hand in your pocket too. Being told good things about your bad habits might sound good. But it isn’t going to change your waist line for the better.
If you really want to start taking charge of your own health, the bottom line is that growing your own vegetables and your own crops where you can be sure of what chemicals are, and are not, put on them. The more plants I eat, the better I feel. No longer am I bogged down, quite literally, with dead animals in my guts. This lifestyle is easy. You can start off simply by reading juicer reviews which will help you see just how easy it is to keep your diet healthy and tasting great.
How far you decide to go is up to you. I intend to go all the way!
The more I think about it, the more it looks like Ron Paul might be the Presidential candidate for me. I laid out my main criteria for supporting a candidate.
Priority #1: Abortion. Does the candidate have a solid pro-life history and would I trust him to appoint judges to the Supreme Court that would overturn Roe v. Wade?
Ron Paul’s history says yes to both. He’s been against abortion his whole career & generally he is not a pathological liar unlike most of other politicians. Even though he’s pretty much a libertarian, he defines life as beginning at conception and views it the same way I do – the government needs to protect your freedom as its highest priority. Banning abortion does that. I need to find out more about his position on states’ rights in the abortion debate.
Priority #2: Taxes and spending. Paul is by far the best popular candidate in both categories, now that Sam Brownback (supported the flat tax) is out. He wants to eliminate the IRS and even views the income tax as superfluous, an invention of the 20th Century. He wants to eliminate useless government programs like welfare and even trim down foreign aid. You won’t find a better low-tax candidate capable of being elected.
Priority #3: The Space Program. Not surprisingly, Paul wants to eliminate NASA (along with the IRS, FEMA, etc.) and open up space to the private sector. I have mixed feelings about this. Part of me says “that’s fine, the private sector RULES!” The other part says “space exploration isn’t ready for private-dominated exploration.” The only way to find out is to test it.
What I’m saying here is that you have to separate the media hype about polls and electability and support the person who closely aligns with your values. That’s what Democratic representation is built on.
I am only a libertarian when it comes to certain issues. I don’t believe in small government and lack of regulation when it comes to banking for example. We need ombudsmen to oversee the activities of the banks; to force them to make a connection between performance and pay; and to prevent a re-occurrence of the the financial crisis that has beset the world since 2008.
However, I do believe in the right for people to travel and to settle in any country they choose. The rich world thinks they can keep their wealth and their privileged position by shutting their doors. The Chinese for many years sought to stop internal movement in China and to prevent citizens going abroad. In the case of the Chinese these policies have been reversed and the economy has hugely benefited from migrant labor.
In the West there has been a long tradition of immigration and an itinerant improvement in the economy. During the 16th and 17th Century many people fled religious persecution in Europe by going to the UK. They bought skills and capital that greatly benefited the UK economy.
In Thailand they are pursuing more and more draconian visa laws. Even foreigners married to Thai nationals must make visa runs or report to immigration offices every 2 months. Ex-pats in such places as Koh Phangan, Koh Tao and Koh Samui have to make pointless long journeys just for a stamp in their passport. The process is a waste of time and money and just to discourage people from pursuing rights that marriage has given them.
I believe freedom of movement is like freedom of information. It is one of the cornerstones of a strong economy and a healthy democracy. Limiting movement is despotism and racism.
There are so many politicians who say they are working for us. I would love to believe them, but can they really be trusted? Would there really be a need for corporate bail outs while so many people in the world are left hungry at night if they were for us?
Why do we need things like welfare, and bankruptcy for the people if they are here to help us succeed? Just when I thought I was giving up hope I heard about a program called IVA. What is an IVA? Well, simple put it is away to help reduce your debt over a few years. Better yet, you can keep your assets! No need to worry about losing your home.
There are actually people out there trying to help the average person. It is no longer hopeless. There are ways to get help even if the politicians who claim to be working for you seem to be working against you.
I have heard the term libertarian many times, but never actually understood what exactly that entailed. What was the difference between this brand of politics and the ones held up my conservatives and liberals? Well, in order to give some clarity and not induce whiplash, here are a few of the things libertarians believe in.
The first overall goal of the Libertarian Party of the United States is to seek a world of liberty; a world in which all individuals are sovereign over their own lives and no one is forced to sacrifice his or her values for the benefit of others. The brand of libertarianism that is upheld by the Libertarian Party favors minimal regulation on laissez-faire markets.
This means that the private parties involved in the market are free from state intervention. Also they are strong in their beliefs on civil liberties. They also believe in a more open immigration system, one with minimally regulated borders. The other key thing they believe in is the non-intervention of foreign policy, meaning military engagements with other foreign countries and respect for the idea of free trade and travel.