Liberty & Power: Group Blog
Entries by Aeon J. Skoble
Monday, September 15, 2008
Another Blog to Read
Ed Feser now has a blog. You may remember Ed as the editor of The Cambridge Companion to Hayek, which is great, and he's written for Liberty magazine, although a note on his website indicates he's backed away from libertarianism to some extent. Regardless, his writing will be of interest to L&P readers, so go visit his site. He also has a new book coming out critical of atheism - again, an issue L&P readers may find interesting.
Thursday, September 4, 2008
On Experience
I was going to make this a comment on Steve's post 2 entries down, but it's worth putting on top. A reader brought this essay by Sam Harris to my attention, and this one passage struck me as perfect:
He writes: "Americans have an unhealthy desire to see average people promoted to positions of great authority. No one wants an average neurosurgeon or even an average carpenter, but when it comes time to vest a man or woman with more power and responsibility than any person has held in human history, Americans say they want a regular guy, someone just like themselves….This is one of the many points at which narcissism becomes indistinguishable from masochism."
Just so. I wish I had written that.
Dirty Hands and so forth
This essay by Irfan Khawaja in Baltic Security and Defense Review is essentially a reply by an HNN writer to some criticisms from an earlier exchange, but the issues are still vital and the underlying discussion still important. Allow at least 20 minutes reading time.
Wednesday, September 3, 2008
Wishful Thinking
Well, summer is over, and for those of us in academia, it's a new year. As I start reestablishing my work routines, I hope to resume blogging. Here's something that was brought to my attention by L&P reader John Pappas: In the WSJ, Al Hubbard and Noam Neusner opine that Obama's economic proposals (and therefore his candidacy) are likely to fail because "Americans are wiser than they are given credit. They know that if you restrict supply and tax production, prices go up." They conclude: "The economic wisdom of Americans should not be doubted. They can see through Mr. Obama's proposals. They know that they will have to pick up the bill if Mr. Obama sends checks to people who already don't pay taxes; they know a centralized government-controlled health-care system will be more expensive, less efficient, and less friendly to patients and doctors. They know that the most effective way to bring down energy prices is by keeping all our energy options open, including more drilling in the U.S. And they know that if a candidate has spent his entire career taxing more and spending more, that's what you'll get -- and more of it."
That's all true, except the first part. Sadly, most Americans can't see through the smoke and mirrors of most politicians' economic schemes, don't understand any of the relationships described above, and continue to vote for more of the same.
Friday, July 18, 2008
Who Watches the Watchmen?
I’ve written before about the moral and political relevance of vigilante/superhero fiction, and the best graphic novel dealing with that subject, Watchmen, by Alan Moore and Dave Gibbons, has been filmed, for release next spring. The first trailer came out last night, and while I have been leery of this project for fear of them screwing it up, I have to say the trailer looks great. Pretty much every second of the trailer is right from the book, and I’ve read that the book pretty much is the storyboard. Seems like the “feel” of the film will be pretty faithful. The director seems to have appropriate respect for the source material and a good sense of detail. They’re doing it as a period piece, and I’ve read that they are not messing with the ending. He did a great job with 300, which is further cause for (guarded) optimism. Of course there are still dozens of ways they could make it suck, but the trailer is a very promising look at what might actually be ok.
Thursday, June 26, 2008
good news for a change
I have never blogged from the airport before; hope this works. The news is good: the Supremes have affirmed in _Heller_, meaning they have (rightly) affirmed the 2nd amendment as protecting an _individual_ rkba. More later; for now go to VC or scotusblog.
Monday, June 23, 2008
Goodnight, funnyman
Sad news in the NYT: George Carlin has died.
Tuesday, June 17, 2008
Timely potential classic
I'm always pleased and honored when FEE selects one of my past columns as the "Timely Classic" in their daily email digest. I'll let you judge whether it's classic, but it's (sadly) definitely timely. This one is from their monthly "It Just Ain't So" column, in which contributors are asked to rebut some popular misconception.
Monday, June 16, 2008
What exactly does "promote" mean here?
The AMA is criticizing Marvel and Universal because, according to them, the new film of The Hulk promotes smoking. How exactly does it promote smoking? The bad guy smokes cigars. Maybe I missed the day this was covered in "we have no free will and are brainwashed by media" school, but how exactly does it promote activity X to have X practiced by the villain? On that reasoning, all movies involving crime should be banned, since they could be said to promote crime. Please.
Thursday, May 29, 2008
A Farewell to Kings
Fantastic news from across the globe about the abolition of yet another monarchy. (Hat tip: Fark)
Wednesday, May 28, 2008
Collectivist Candidates
David Boaz has a great essay in the WSJ on the candidates' collectivism today, here. (Hat tip: Don Boudreaux)
Friday, May 16, 2008
Shameless self-promotion, video edition
Oh snap! The college had me do a video about Deleting the State. I thought they would be interviewing me, but found out at the last minute that it was to be a monologue. Anyway, it didn't turn out too badly. It's here.
You know, it occurs to me that several of my publications over the last few years have described me as being the author of a forthcoming book called "Freedom, Authority, and Social Order." As I note in the video, that was the working title of Deleting the State, so the five of you who have been patiently awaiting the release of the former can stop. This is that book, but with a different title.
Wednesday, April 23, 2008
Job Satisfaction?
Over at the Atlantic, Megan McArdle writes about why academics seem to be unhappy all the time (further thoughts by VC’s Ilya Somin here). It’s true that we grumble to our colleagues about annoyances particular to our jobs, but I suspect everyone does that. But the deeper philosophical point is that it’s possible to be happy with one’s job and at the same time be unhappy about aspects of one’s job. For example, you might think we’re unhappy about the relatively low pay of academics. But I don’t think most academics are unhappy about being paid poorly relative to hedge-fun managers or thoracic surgeons. We consciously chose a profession generally known to produce a comfortable middle-to-upper-middle-class income, not one generally known for prodigious wealth generation. But we do get unhappy when we find we’re paid poorly relative to other academics. You see this phenomenon among faculty at non-elite institutions w.r.t. elite institutions, and among humanities/soc.sci. faculty w.r.t. those who have non-academic options (chemists, engineers, etc.). But feeling badly about that doesn’t mean one is unhappy with the job. Also, as some of Megan’s commenters noted, even if one loves to teach, one might be unhappy that the only or best available job has a 4/4 or 5/5 teaching load. Thirdly, you might love being an academic, but find that at this particular job, you are generally treated with contempt or indifference by administrators (I hasten to add that this is not a complaint I have about my present institution). Fourth, one might be annoyed by the general lack of respect for academics in the general culture, which, as far as I can tell, dates from the late 60s. Look at how academics are portrayed in popular culture prior to, say, 1967, and compare it to how we are portrayed thereafter. (For more on this, see here and here.) But make no mistake, most of us are, in general, happy about what we do for a living. I know I am. Ilya goes on to mention that there are really three things he’d give up academia for. I’d add beer-taster or wine-taster or the like to that list, but the basic idea is the same. Most academics like what they do, even if they grumble about institutional obstacles to peak performance, or sometimes feel underappreciated by society. I don’t know about you, but I love my work. See also: Aristotle, Nicomachean Ethics 1178: the contemplative life is the happy life.
Saturday, April 19, 2008
Shots heard 'round the world; or, why I get a 3-day weekend
When I first moved to Massachusetts, I was pleased to see that they have official observance of a holiday that, afaik, no other state, nor the feds, seem to recognize: Patriot's Day, which commemorates (even if doesn't always fall on) April 19th. April 19th of 1775, in case you didn't recall, was the battles of Concord and Lexington, the date many use as the actual start of the War for Independence, aka the Revolutionary War. I've toured the Concord battle site a couple times, and it never fails to elicit a little misting up around the eyes. I can't help but be impressed with the guts it must have taken for the colonists to have not only decided they'd had enough of British oppression, but that they were going to do something about it - and then to face fire from actual British troops. Impressive, amazing. Just as we commemorate July 4th, I think it's important to commemorate April 19th. A lot of things about Mass. may irk me, but I'm glad they celebrate this here.
In other "things to commemorate" news, it's Passover. You don't have to be Jewish, or even religous, to find it worth celebrating the liberation of the Jews from slavery, and by extension, the very idea of liberation from slavery and oppression. How nice that, this year at least, these two holidays coincide.
Monday, April 7, 2008
Shameless self-promotion
Hot off the presses: my book, Deleting the State: An Argument about Government has finally been released. Publisher’s link. Amazon link. After many production delays, it’s very gratifying to see this finally come to print. But enough about my feelings – go buy it already!
Thursday, March 20, 2008
Stop Whining
I can't take much more of this. Hillary is now claiming that it's a matter of civil rights that the Democratic Party non-primaries in FL and MI should count. First of all, I hope it's obvious to everyone that the only reason she says this is that she needs the extra delegates she might get there. But the larger issue is that it's false. No one denied voters there the right to vote in an election. Primaries are party events. While in some states, any registered voter can vote in any primary, in other states, only registered party members can vote in that party's primary. Furthermore, the Democratic Party said something along the lines of "do not move up your state's primary in the calendar in a blatant attempt at getting more pork; if you do that, your delegates will not be regognized." Surely even state legislators are clever enough to understand basic if-then reasoning. They were told not to do it, they were told what the penalty would be if they did it, they did it anyway. Now they complain that it's not fair? Give me a break!
Tuesday, March 18, 2008
Childhood's End
A sad day indeed for science fiction: Arthur C. Clarke has died. RIP.
UPDATE: Longer obit here.
I Can Has RKBA Now?
The Supremes heard oral argument today in the Heller case. I listened for a while on the C-Span radio feed (which, I might add, is WAY COOL), and it seemed to me as though the statist case was weak. I already thought it was weak conceptually, of course, I mean it seemed today like the Supremes weren't buying it, which would be nice. That's just my impression; go to VC for lots of recap and analysis by people more knowledgeable.
Monday, March 10, 2008
Sisyphean Labors
I'm honored that one of my older pieces was selected as today's "Timely Classic" from FEE, which is archived here. (NB this is from 1994; I don't teach at Auburn anymore.) Rereading it, though, the first line made me a little sad: my statement that the dispute between communitarianism and individualism was one of the main issues of the day. But 14 years later, communitarianism hasn't gone away (indeed, it's running for president!). So, it's back to work for me I guess!
Wednesday, February 27, 2008
William F. Buckley
Apparently, he is now dead. I have no obits to link to, but the notification is appearing at the top of most news sites.
UPDATE: Well, there's this.
Update 2: just to clarify (and preempt some flaming) - I'm not much of a NR guy, and Buckley's brand of conservatism wasn't as pro-liberty as I'd like -- indeed, sometimes downright anti-liberty -- but his providing an intellectual and popular voice for conservatism made the left less complacent and, even if it wasn't his intention, helped open the door for libertarian voices to jump in to the fray. (Was that too many mixed metaphors? Sorry.)
Monday, February 11, 2008
I Have A Gub
The DC v. Heller case before the Supreme Court is hugely important for con law, for RKBA, and for individual liberty generally. Many amici briefs are being filed, and L&P readers may find them interesting reading. You can get to all of them here, and there’s good discussion of them on VC. (Of special note is that regular L&P commenter (and my friend) Dan Schmutter is the counsel of record for JPFO, and is the author of their amicus brief. He makes a terrific argument. Nice work, Dan!)
Thursday, February 7, 2008
It's McCain
This just in: Romney is out. (Hat tip: VC.)
Wednesday, February 6, 2008
Super Tuesday aftermath
Ok, I guess I didn't vote hard enough, Ron Paul didn't win Massachusetts. McCain's lead is now very solid, but it's not a done deal yet. To hear the MSM describe it, Huckabee had already vanished, but he had many strong results, splitting the anti-McCain vote, winning several contests. Paul did manage a third-place finish in three states, but I think it's over, sad to say. Romney didn't do as well as I was hoping, where "hoping" refers only to my sense that he's less scary a prospect than McCain and vastly preferable to Huck.
On the Dem side, Hillary did better than I would have liked. DO NOT WANT. Even though Mass. Gov. Patrick and both Senators endorsed Obama, Hillary's strength with liberal boomer women worked well here, and, evidently, many other places. Fortunately, her lead is slim, where "fortunately" refers only to my sense that Obama is less scary, and marginally more liberty-friendly, than Hillary.
UPDATE: Hmm, I guess it's actually not clear who is ahead in delegates. See here, e.g.
One other thing. If I keep hearing these sloppy, lazy, MSM journalists describe Hillary's victory in New York as "winning her home state," I'm going to have start taking hostages. Even the NYT does this! One correspondent on NPR got it right this morning, referring to her winning her adopted home state. The reality is, she lost her home state, Illinois, to Obama.
Tuesday, February 5, 2008
About time, too
ACLU remembers to defend free speech at Brandeis. (Hat tip: VC)
Super Tuesday Begins
I can't imagine being a member of either of the two major parties, or any party for that matter, but here in Mass, independents get to vote in primaries, so I went in to the polling place and did my part for Ron Paul. Starting to seem, though, that his campaign is over. Too bad, since we're not going to get much love for individual liberty from any of the remaining candidates.
UPDATE: Didn't work.
In other news, the actor Barry Morse has died. You may remember his work in The Outer Limits, The Fugitive, and Space:1999.
Tuesday, January 22, 2008
Thompson is out
This just in: Sen. Fred Thompson has withdrawn from the GOP race. (Hat tip: VC.)
In other news (same page), actor Heath Ledger has died, age 28, cause unknown.
Wednesday, January 16, 2008
Pleasant surprise
After nearly throwing up in the car this morning listening to all the protectionist pandering coming out of Michigan, it comes as a pleasant surprise to see a strong free-trade op-ed in, of all places, the NYT.
Hat tip: Hit and Run
Wednesday, January 9, 2008
Ron Paul's reply to TNR
ARLINGTON, VIRGINIA – In response to an article published by The New Republic, Ron Paul issued the following statement:
“The quotations in The New Republic article are not mine and do not represent what I believe or have ever believed. I have never uttered such words and denounce such small-minded thoughts.
“In fact, I have always agreed with Martin Luther King, Jr. that we should only be concerned with the content of a person's character, not the color of their skin. As I stated on the floor of the U.S. House on April 20, 1999: ‘I rise in great respect for the courage and high ideals of Rosa Parks who stood steadfastly for the rights of individuals against unjust laws and oppressive governmental policies.’
“This story is old news and has been rehashed for over a decade. It's once again being resurrected for obvious political reasons on the day of the New Hampshire primary.
“When I was out of Congress and practicing medicine full-time, a newsletter was published under my name that I did not edit. Several writers contributed to the product. For over a decade, I have publicly taken moral responsibility for not paying closer attention to what went out under my name.”
Thursday, January 3, 2008
Iowa news
It's Obama and Huckabee in Iowa. Paul finished ahead of Giuliani, but (sad to say) well behind Huck, Mitt, Thompson, and McCain. Hat tip: VC
Monday, December 31, 2007
Another county heard from
Like Roderick, I also am back from the APA. In addition to the Molinari Society session, I also enjoyed the ARS session, and the AAPSS session (in which I was a participant) was by all reports a good one. Lots of good meals, and lots of good discussions with many people, including a long conversation with Jacob Levy on different ways of interpreting the ethical issues in Watchmen. I'll write something about that conversation, but not now; terrible sinus cold makes thinking difficult. Meanwhile, happy new year to all L&P readers and co-bloggers.
Saturday, December 22, 2007
holiday diversions
Roderick, Amy, I'm expecting you to try to outgeek me here.
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Tuesday, December 18, 2007
News From Middle Earth
Papers are all graded; waiting for final exams to roll in, so, surfing around. What do I find? Great News: Peter Jackson and New Line have resolved their differences, and have agreed to make a film of The Hobbit. Also -- Not Necessarily Great News: The 2-movie deal includes The Hobbit and something descibed ominously as "a sequel." Meaning what, something Tolkien didn't write concerning the years between The Hobbit and LOTR? Do not want. UPDATE: According to AICN, "The second project is believed to be a bridge between THE HOBBIT and THE LORD OF THE RINGS trilogy - culled from the titanic amount of periphery/ancillary/notated material found in Tolkien's works." So, maybe it'll be ok. I'll keep an open mind; PJ's credibility with me is good.
(Can't believe I scooped Roderick on this.)
Friday, December 7, 2007
Good reads
The Winter 07 issue of Democratiya is now available, featuring many articles of interest to L&P readers. (Roderick and I will be eager to read Carrie-Ann Biondi's review of Nancy Sherman's book on stoicism and the military.)
Monday, December 3, 2007
DeLong on Schumpeter
Brad DeLong on Schumpeter in the Chronicle.
Good piece.
Tuesday, November 27, 2007
New issue of Reason Papers
I am happy to report that Reason Papers #29 is due back from the printers any day now, so any orders received soonish will be filled before the end of the semester. Ordering info is on the website, www.reasonpapers.com. But while I’m here, let me disclose the contents.
The articles include Angelo Codevilla’s response to the symposium papers about him which were featured in #28, as well as the proceedings of the recent Society for Value Inquiry meeting which featured an exchange between James Sterba and Tibor Machan. The other articles are:
Morality and the Foundations of Practical Reason by Brian Zamulinski
A Unified Theory of Intrinsic Value by Stephen Kershnar
Relativism and Progress by Howard Darmstadter
Are You in a Dilemma? What Disturbing Choices Say about Our Character by Jason Swedene
Respect for Persons and the Authority of Morality by Matt Zwolinski
Lomasky on Practical Reason: Personal Value and Metavalues by Shane Courtland
Political Obligations and the Duties of Friends by Nkiruka Ahiauzu
An Economic, Political, and Philosophical Analysis of Externalities by Brian P. Simpson
Plumb-Line Libertarianism: A Critique of Hoppe by Walter Block
Also, a review essay by James Stacey Taylor on Amy E. White’s Virtually Obscene: The Case for an Uncensored Internet and a review by Jordon Barkalow of Isaiah Berlin’s Political Ideas in the Romantic Age: Their Rise and Influence on Modern Thought
This issue begins what I hope is a new regime of production quality and efficiency. Not only did I switch printers, but I have been fortunate enough to secure the assistance of two talented individuals to serve as Managing Editors: Carrie-Ann Biondi and Irfan Khawaja. I am delighted with the results. Oh, and did I mention that the archive section on the website features full-text PDFs of all of No. 1-27? How cool is that?
Tuesday, November 20, 2007
Big Moments in Con Law
This is one. Cert granted in Heller v. DC, which now has the Supremes ruling on whether the 2nd Amendment protects an individual right or merely the right of states to have militias. VC is all over it, go read. I hope to have more tomorrow, but it's a very busy week.
A good read
Good column by Don and Karol Boudreaux on the connection between civilization and commerce.
Friday, November 16, 2007
A CFP of interest to L&P people
Just received this CFP. I am not involved with this in any way, but it seemed interesting, and it's something L&P readers (and co-bloggers) might have an interest in. So here it is. If you're interested, reply to the contact info given below.
First Conference on Liberty Studies
What is Liberty Studies?
5 - 6 April 2008
The College of New Jersey
Ewing, New Jersey
Call for Papers
The first annual Liberty Studies Conference, sponsored by The Center for Liberty Studies, will be held this April 5 - 6 at The College of New Jersey in Ewing New Jersey. The theme of our conference is "What is Liberty Studies?" This conference will put forth various ideas of what would constitute Liberty Studies by starting a debate and discussion concerning what undergraduate students ought to be learning about liberty. We are looking to disseminate substantive ideas that professors can consider for their own classes and home institutions.
Papers are welcome on any topic in liberty and from any discipline. We are looking for submissions that are accessible to a wide audience. Bibliographies and works cited should be limited to those works that either will be directly used in the classroom or are deemed important for instructor reference. Reading time of papers should be approximately 20 minutes. Accepted papers will be published in the new online Journal of Liberty Studies.
Abstracts of no less than 250 words are due by January 15th. Email submissions to conference@libertystudies.org Early submission is encouraged.
For more information about Liberty Studies and The Center for Liberty Studies, please visit our website at www.libertystudies.org
This year we are holding our conference in conjunction with the 35th Conference on Value Inquiry "Values and Medicine". For information on the Conference on Value Inquiry got to www.valueinquiry.net
Thursday, November 15, 2007
obit
Just learned that legal historian Harold Berman has died. (Hat tip: Jacob Levy) His Law and Revolution is a must-read, especially if you're interested in Hayekian appraoches to philosophy of law. (There's also a vol II.)
Tuesday, November 13, 2007
High Standards
I have no idea what the algortihm is, but:
Get a Cash Advance
Good to know we're maintaining high standards.Tuesday, November 6, 2007
More on the Guy
Jacob Levy has a terrific (and amusing) post on Guy Fawkes, modern libertarianism, and Ron Paul. I can't adequately convey it other than by linking to it. Go have a look.
Monday, November 5, 2007
Almost missed it!
Happy Guy Fawkes Day! If you still haven’t read Alan Moore and David Lloyd’s V for Vendetta, now would be a good time. (The freedom fighter/protagonist wears a Guy Fawkes mask, in case you were wondering about the seeming non-sequitur.) It’s a terrific story. If all you know is the recent film version, let me tell you that the book is much better. I enjoyed the film on a certain level, but there’s no comparison. It's not just about why fascism or totalitarianism is bad, it's about why freedom is good. And it makes some good distinctions about liberty and licentiousness, and what anarchy might really mean.
Friday, October 26, 2007
Good news for a change
Genarlow Wilson is free. Strikes me as slightly odd to use the 8th Amendment as a rationale, but IANAL, and in any case I think justice is served by this outcome.
UPDATE: Eugene Volokh argues that the rationale works pretty well. His analysis here at VC.
Tuesday, October 16, 2007
Sad End
Via Roderick's other blog, I've just learned that Laissez-Faire Books is closing their business. As Roderick notes, the rationale is understandable, but I can't help note the event with sadness. I remember when they were a physical store in Manhattan, and many times when I was in Grad school I would go up there, often with my friend Dan Schmutter. I picked up many books there which contributed to my education in classical liberalism, things which for the most part wouldn't have occurred to most of my professors. The store, and later the catalogue, was an open door for me into a world which otherwise might have remained obscure. Not just philosophy and economics, either: I discovered Steve Ditko's brilliant Static via LFB also. The more I think about this, the sadder I'm getting, but I have a 9:30 class to teach, so this will have to do for now. :-(
Monday, August 27, 2007
AAPSS meeting this Dec.
If any philosophy-minded L&P readers will be in Baltimore this December for the APA meetings (that’s American Philosophical Association; I realize there are 3 or 4 APAs), here is the program for the American Association for the Philosophic Study of Society:
THE AMERICAN PHILOSOPHICAL ASSOCIATION
EASTERN DIVISION
ONE HUNDRED FOURTH ANNUAL MEETING PROGRAM
DECEMBER 27-30, 2007
BALTIMORE MARRIOTT WATERFRONT AND OTHER HOTELS
SATURDAY AFTERNOON, DECEMBER 29, 2007
GROUP SESSION IX - 2:45-5:45 P.M.
GIX-1. American Association for the Philosophic Study of Society
2:45-5:45 p.m., Iron (Fourth Floor)
Topic: Two New Books on Justification and the State
Chair: Douglas Rasmussen (St. John's University)
1: Daniel Shapiro, Is The Welfare State Justified?
Critics: Jerry Gaus (University of Arizona)
James Sterba (University of Notre Dame)
Author: Daniel Shapiro (West Virginia University)
2: Aeon Skoble, Deleting the State
Critics: Stephen Kershnar (State University of New York-Fredonia)
Aaron Garrett (Boston University)
Author: Aeon Skoble (Bridgewater State College)
In Which I Reaquaint Myself With My Desk
Ok, so, back from vacation. Spent a couple weeks on Burntside Lake in northern MN, and briefer, 2-3 day trips to Seal Cove ME, and North Conway NH. I also got caught up on some entertainment I had fallen behind on – e.g., I finally finished the Baroque Cycle, which was great, and rented Casino Royale, which was terrific. Actually managed to get to the theater to see the 3rd Bourne movie, which I enjoyed, and the Simpsons movie, which was a scream. Did a decent amount of work also, and now gearing up for the new semester. I would guess there’ll be lots of blogging to do also. I’m interested in the Ron Paul campaign’s progress. Does he actually have a shot? Or is that just wishful thinking?
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
More on Finklestein
Cathy Young at Reason has this report. Her credibility is excellent, IMO, so I feel like my semi-informed reactions a couple weeks ago were justified.
Thursday, June 14, 2007
Big Brother Wants To Read Your Email
I'm pleased and proud that a short piece I wrote for The Freeman a couple years back has been selected by FEE for today's "Timely Classic." You can judge for yourself whether it's classic, but it's definitely timely. Well, sort of: it's from 1999, so the references to the Clinton administration aren't timely, but the prinicples at stake are: see here for the latest from the FBI
Saturday, June 2, 2007
Misinterpretation?
According to this news story, we've all been misinterpreting Bradbury's Farenheit 451. Interesting. Guess I'll have to reread it now.
Hat tip: Fark
Thursday, May 31, 2007
Jew See This?
The NYT reports that “The main union representing 120,000 British college teachers voted Wednesday to endorse a Palestinian trades’ union call for a boycott of Israeli academic institutions.” I didn’t notice any similar resolutions concerning academics in China, or Iran, or in the old USSR, or in Syria, or in Cuba. Hmm. Yes, we're having a sale on Wagner this week. Wagner, Max! Anyway, let me save everyone a lot of time and trouble. Cue the script – Move 1: a commenter asks what’s the big deal. Move 2: I complain that this smacks of anti-semitism. Move 3: comments flood in reminding me that criticizing Israel isn’t identical with anti-semitism. Move 4: I reply that yes, I know that, but the plain double-standard evidenced here reveals a special animus. Move 5: some comments to the effect that since no state has the right to exist, Israel doesn’t either. Move 6: I reply that as long as any states can exist, Israel can too, and to say otherwise is anti-semitism. Move 7: Angry comments pour in about Israeli misdeeds. Move 8: I link to FLAME and AICE. Move 9: I express bewilderment that antipathy towards Israel is so prevalent on the left as well as in several wings of the libertarian world. Move 10: I get lectured on how I’m not really a libertarian at all, accompanied by some ad hominem. Move 11: I close the comments thread.
Seriously, though, and leaving the anti-Israel/anti-semitism thing alone, this seems like an amazingly anti-intellectual thing to do. "We don't like your government's policies, so we won't allow your chemists to co-author papers, etc." Absurd.
Friday, April 20, 2007
I Should Copyright This
In comments threads here at L&P, at Ralph Luker's blog, and at Volokh Conspiracy, I seem to have hit on a great new expression. Rather than passively accept the government euphemism "gun-free zones," I've started referring to "mandatory defenselessness zones." That's primarily for striking rhetorical effect, but it's basically truth: Calling something a "gun-free zone" doesn't mean that criminals and lunatics won't bring guns there- but it does mean that regular people will get in trouble if they do.
Shots Heard 'Round the World
It's April 20th. D'OH!! That means for the second year in a row, I am late blogging about one of the most important days in American history, April 19th, the anniversary of the battles of Lexington and Concord. I meant to, but it's been crazy around here. Anyway, here's to the brave individuals who took up arms to protect their liberty.
Mill and Metallica
Hey, here's an essay on Mill's philosophy of individualism and the metal band Metallica. I frequently write on popular culture, but it didn't occur to me to write this! Interesting take, have a look. It's being hosted by Liberty magazine, and will appear in about 2 weeks in the book Metallica and Philosophy, edited by my friend and collaborator William Irwin.
Thursday, April 19, 2007
Terrific Essay on Virginia Tech
In the Chronicle of Higher Ed, no reg nec. Really spot-on analysis that affirms the concept of personal responsibility.
Wednesday, April 18, 2007
Two Thoughts on Virginia Tech
First, although none of the victims of the V.T. massacre deserved what they got, I was especially struck by the obit/profile of Professor Liviu Lebrescu, who survived the Nazis and the Communists, and died a hero: “According to media accounts quoting students,” the NYT reports, “Mr. Librescu and the class heard shooting in a nearby room. The students said their professor blocked the door to prevent the gunman from entering while some students took cover underneath desks and others leaped out from windows.” Amazing guy. UPDATE: Eugene Volokh has more on Prof. Lebrescu.
Second, the gun-control issue. As David and Lester have noted, we have here a clear example of how disarming the people makes everyone less safe. The NYT letters-to-the-editor this morning (go look, no reg nec) are interesting. While some are of the predictable “guns should be banned” variety, others make the case that calling something a “gun-free zone” doesn’t mean anything, and that disarmed people are defenseless people, and that the responsibility lies with the deranged character of the perpetrator rather than some abstraction like “gun culture.” See especially the third and sixth letters. (Bonus: that #3 letter is by L&P reader Daniel Schumtter. Kudos!)
Wednesday, April 4, 2007
If I Lived in Montreal...
I'd go to this: Hume and Smith on Justice, Sympathy, and Commerce McGill University April 13, 2007. Looks like good stuff.
Friday, March 30, 2007
God
I don't know whether Eric Clapton reads L&P, but if he does: Happy Birthday!
Friday, March 23, 2007
That Pesky 1st Amendment
Good news for a change: I just read in the NYT that “A federal judge in Philadelphia yesterday struck down a 1998 law that made it a crime for Web sites to allow children to gain access to material deemed “harmful.”” (BTW, this is the free part of the NYT, no reg required.) “Senior Judge Lowell A. Reed Jr. of Federal District Court ruled that the law was ineffective, overly broad and at odds with free speech rights. Judge Reed added that there were far less restrictive methods like software filters that parents could use to control their children’s Internet use.” In explaining his rationale for what critics will call a pro-porn decision (NTTAWWT), the judge said “perhaps we do the minors of this country harm if First Amendment protections, which they will with age inherit fully, are chipped away in the name of their protection.” Well said!
Wednesday, March 21, 2007
Good distinction
Fascinating discussion over at Cato's website about Brian Doherty's new book. The whole exchange is well worthwhile, but I was especially prompted to blog Tom Palmer's post in which he makes a really interesting distinction between promoting liberty and promoting libertarianism.
Monday, March 19, 2007
Democratiya
Here's an interesting new web journal, Democratiya. Ok, it's not actually new, but I just heard of it this week. Its editorial board inlcudes many big names from many different perspectives and disciplines. Looks to have a lot of food for thought for L&P readers. Bonus: former HNN blogger Irfan Khawaja has a review essay on Richard Posner's new book here, which is sure to be an interesting read.
Why Left and Right Misread "300"
Neal Stephenson had a great op-ed column in Sunday’s NYT (no reg required, apparently) on why most people, left and right, get 300 wrong, and why geeks rule. Worth a read. I have noticed that even libertarian opinion varies on Frank Miller. I think The Dark Knight Returns touches on many themes that are liberty-friendly, and the Give Me Liberty/Martha Washington series are explicitly libertarian. But YMMV I guess. I'll be open to further discussion of this after I've had a chance to see 300 myself, which I'll do Friday if I get enough writing done before that.
On a related note, the Comics Reporter had a great line when weighing in on various opinions about 300: “for those of us of a certain age it's hard to get past the fact that we live in a world where the success of Frank Miller movies are a topic in the first place. It's like having to discuss Vice-President Gygax.” Best. Analogy. Evar.
Thursday, February 22, 2007
Comic geeking intersects politics
This blogpost on Iron Man will be good reading for those L&P readers who are also comics readers. The author makes a good point about retroactively making PC changes to classics. I didn't even realize that the PC retconning had taken place; that's a real shame. (Hat tip: Comics Reporter)
Wednesday, January 24, 2007
H.H. W.H.
Howard Hunt has died. If you don't recognize the name or understand why this is blogworthy, you are required to rent immediately All The President's Men.
Thursday, December 7, 2006
Maybe Huey or Louie?
This is one of the stupidest essays from the Chronicle I’ve seen in a while. It argues that Hannah Arendt seems so great because all the rest of 20th century political philosophers were lame. I don’t know Arendt well enough to have an opinion about whether or not she’s overrated; it might well be true. The author notes that her “two most famous books make opposite points,” and that she gets a lot of unearned mileage for being a “public intellectual.” But even if it’s true that she’s overrated, it’s certainly not attributable to the reasons given here! Dissed by omission are Nozick and Hayek, but the author goes out of his way to dis Rawls and Berlin. Author’s choice for last great American political philosopher? Dewey! Please.
Monday, December 4, 2006
South Park and the Free Market
As I’ve mentioned before, a lot of work being done these days on intersection of philosophy and popular culture is being done by libertarians and conservatives. It’s not all left-wing postmodernist nihilism. L&P readers might be familiar with the work of Paul Cantor, who often tries to incorporate insights from Austrian analysis into his work on both high and pop culture. He has an essay in the new book South Park and Philosophy, in which he uses the show to discuss the nature of the free market. (Cantor has also written on The Simpsons, among other things.)
Friday, December 1, 2006
Shameless self-promotion
It's Woody Allen's birthday, so time for me to sneak in a plug for my book.
Monday, November 20, 2006
Timely indeed
I'm pleased and flattered that FEE has selected my essay from Sept 2003 on conscription for its daily "Timely Classic." You can be the judge of whether it's classic, but it's definitely timely, as Charles Rangel, now in the majority party, has reissued his call for enslavement, er, sorry, conscription.
Thursday, November 16, 2006
MF RIP
David's post below is to a subscription-only site. This NYT link should be available to non-subscribers.
Tuesday, November 14, 2006
Do not want
Well, the NY Times op-ed page just got a lot less sane. Libertarian columnist John Tierney has decided to leave the op-ed page (he'll still write science columns. (Here's the story and his last column, behind that foolish paywall). That's a real shame, since the vast majority of readers of the NYT op-ed page really needed some exposure to Tierney's persepctive. If you're reading this, Mr Tierney, thanks for all your hard work. You'll be missed.
Friday, November 10, 2006
More on the Greens
More on Rodericks's attempt to make an alliance with the Greens:
Jason's post immediately below is terrific. But it's even worse than that! I went through the entire document with the proverbial fine-toothed comb, and it's no contest.
1.Grassroots Democracy
“Every human being deserves a say in the decisions that affect their lives; no one should be subject to the will of another."
This is self-contradictory. I agree that no one should be subject to the will of another, but that’s exactly the objection to democracy, under which we are all subject to the will of another anytime we’re outnumbered.
2. Ecological Wisdom
“Human societies must operate with the understanding that we are part of nature, not separate from nature. We must maintain an ecological balance and live within the ecological and resource limits of our communities and our planet. We support a sustainable society that utilizes resources in such a way that future generations will benefit and not suffer from the practices of our generation.”
Ok, but what are the resource limits? And what is the meaning of “sustainable”? That’s typically code for regulation and the precautionary principle.
“to this end we must have agricultural practices that replenish the soil; move to an energy efficient economy; and live in ways that respect the integrity of natural systems.”
“Must have” here seems to suggest (although I concede it need not) imposed rules.
3.Social Justice and Equal Opportunity
“All persons should have the rights and opportunity to benefit equally from the resources afforded us by society and the environment.“
As Jason has noted, this economic outcome-egalitarianism is not at all consistent with libertarianism, or even Rawlsian liberalism for that matter, and reveals an underlying assumption that “society” is the true “owner” of all resources.
“We must consciously confront in ourselves, our organizations, and society at large, barriers such as racism and class oppression, sexism and heterosexism, ageism and disability, which act to deny fair treatment and equal justice under the law.“
I know that this is the move Roderick wants to make about thick-versus-thin libertarianism, and I know that this is a key source of intra-libertarian dispute, even here at L&P. For now, though, let’s just note that the way it’s expressed here is sufficiently vague that we can’t tell whether it’s consistent with liberty or not.
4. Nonviolence
“It is essential that we develop effective alternatives to our current patterns of violence at all levels, from the family and the streets, to nations and the world. We will work to demilitarize our society and eliminate weapons of mass destruction, without being naive about the intentions of other governments. We recognize the need for self-defense and the defense of others who are in helpless situations. We promote nonviolent methods to oppose practices and policies with which we disagree, and will guide our actions toward lasting personal, community and global peace.“
This doesn’t seem too bad, although again the vagueness is worrisome. Does “demilitarize our society” mean we stop invading other countries, or that the 2nd Amendment can be disregarded? Generic “nonviolence” positions are worthless if they don’t make the moral distinction between aggression and defense.
5. Decentralization
“Centralization of wealth and power contributes to social and economic injustice, environmental destruction, and militarization.”
Yes, largely due to the state and the ways in which wealth buys political power. In a radically libertarian society, this would be mitigated, and in any case, this conclusion:
“Therefore, we support a restructuring of social, political and economic institutions”
is radically inconsistent with liberty; again, there is the tacit assumption that markets are bad and that society is the proper owner of all resources, which may then be “distributed” in such a way as to achieve “social justice.”
“away from a system that is controlled by and mostly benefits the powerful few,”
That’s an argument against states, not wealth.
“Decision-making should, as much as possible, remain at the individual and local level, while assuring that civil rights are protected for all citizens.”
Well, that’s the real trick, isn’t it? Reconciling democratic decision-making with robust respect for rights (and here we see some artificial distinction between civil rights and property rights) has always been a tall order, and it only makes matters worse if you also think there should be egalitarian resource distribution.
6.Community-Based Economics
I’m already lost. All economics is community-based. What theory of economics are we talking about here?
“We recognize it is essential to create a vibrant and sustainable economic system, one that can create jobs and provide a decent standard of living, for all people, while maintaining a healthy ecological balance. A successful economic system will offer meaningful work with dignity, while paying a "living wage" which reflects the real value of a person's work.”
Oh, now I see: a Marxist theory.
“economic development that assures protection of the environment and workers' rights, broad citizen participation in planning, and enhancement of our "quality of life".“
Citizen participation in “planning”? That’s the market. Unless we’re talking about command-economy planning.
“We support independently owned and operated companies which are socially responsible,”
Socially responsible meaning what? Not, I presume, in the Milton Friedman sense. So then they must mean that companies are only permitted if they mesh with the politically correct set of values and outcomes.
7. Feminism
“We have inherited a social system based on male domination of politics and economics. We call for the replacement of the cultural ethics of domination and control, with more cooperative ways of interacting which respect differences of opinion and gender. Human values such as equity between the -sexes, interpersonal responsibility, and honesty must be developed with moral conscience. We should remember that the process that determines our decisions and actions is just as important as achieving the outcome we want.”
Ok.
8. Respect for Diversity
“We believe it is important to value cultural, ethnic, racial, sexual, religious and spiritual diversity, and to promote the development of respectful relationships across these lines.”
Sounds good, but let’s see where they go with it:
“We believe the many diverse elements of society should be reflected in our organizations and decision-making bodies”
Ah, so if the society is 37% Minority A, then 37% of all CEOs and surgeons and Senators and college professors must be Minority A?
“we support the leadership of people who have been traditionally closed out of leadership roles.”
I think they mean “people from ethnicities other members of which have in the past been closed out of…” This is an anti-individualist way of thinking of people.
“We acknowledge and encourage respect for other life forms and the preservation of biodiversity.”
While I think Spock was right not to want to kill the Horta, was not the Vampire Cloud also the only one of its kind? Some life forms are a threat to humanity. When respect for biodiversity becomes misanthropic, I draw the line.
9. Personal and Global Responsibility
“We encourage individuals to act to improve their personal well being and, at the same time, to enhance ecological balance and social harmony. We seek to join with people and organizations around the world to foster peace, economic justice, and the health of the planet. “
Sounds good, but there’s that expression “economic justice” again, which they seem to interpret not in free market terms but in terms of egalitarian redistribution.
10.Future Focus and Sustainability
“Our actions and policies should be motivated by long-term goals. We seek to protect valuable natural resources, safely disposing of or "unmaking" all waste we create, while developing a sustainable economics that does not depend on continual expansion for survival. We must counter-balance the drive for short-term profits by assuring that economic development, new technologies, and fiscal policies are responsible to future generations who will inherit the results of our actions.”
“Our” policies? Command economy? And how do we “assure” outcomes as prescribed here?
That’s 1 out of 10. I fail to see how this platform can even remotely be shoehorned into libertarianism. The author of this platform fundamentally fails to see how markets work, or how liberty is indivisible, or how democratic institutions are in conflict with rights, or what it means for rights to be compossible. If Roderick can convince someone who holds all these views to actually respect individual liberty and not be aggressive, he’s the best salesman since Ron Popeil. I think very highly of Roderick, but I don’t see it happening.
Sunday, November 5, 2006
Worth a moment's reflection
Happy Guy Fawkes Day everyone!