Category: Politics

A successful Chinese businessman was jailed earlier this year for his anti-communist statements as well as for “illegal” competition with state banks. This case is typical of the resistance state-run industries in China put up to better and more efficient private companies. The spread of private enterprises in China is creating a new class of entrepreneurs who challenge the state monopolies both economically and ideologically. The military-run state industries often respond by having the businessman sufficiently harassed or quietly disappear. While the situation is depressing in the short run, this mix of freedom and force is unstable – sooner or later, China will have an intellectual revolt and will be forced to choose capitalism or tyranny. If it chooses tyranny, it will surely look for an outside scapegoat to blame for the economic collapse that follows. This turn of events is probably the greatest threat from China to America’s security in the long run.
(Thanks, Keenan )

Leftists (including the neo-commie Howard Dean) would love to have you believe that the Patriot Act is some sort of Nazi anti-subversion law that blows away the Bill of Rights. I will bet you good money that none of the protesters you hear about have ever read the Patriot Act, nor do they have even a remote clue what it is actually about. Even if they did know what they Patriot Act is about, they have absolutely no conception of individual rights, preventing them from making any kind of informed judgment about whether the Act will take them away. Given that a leftist’s idea of “freedom” is imprisoning gun owners and smokers while letting killers and rapists loose, promoting government-enforced racism, ignoring eco-terrorists, and stealing my money to support lazy-ass moochers, bad art, and “free” speech, I would love to see a law that wipes out the leftist notion of “civil liberties.”

No, the leftists definitely cannot be trusted to understand, much less argue whether the Patriot Act infringes on our “civil liberties.” To understand what infringes on liberty, one must first know what liberty is. Explaining this however, is something that will have to wait till after lunch. Meanwhile, check out the “Preserving Life and Liberty” site the government set up in support of the Act.

MSNBC has an interesting account of a North Korea missile factory shipment to Libya. North Korea’s major sources of income consist of foreign aid (from western nations as well as loyalist Koreans in Japan), slave labor exports to China (and often to U.S. with a “Made in China” label) – and military hardware and technology sales to dictatorships around the world. Although I am skeptical about its chances for success, North Korea’s latest quest to develop nuclear weapons is a clincher in the case to take it out. No need to send in a large US force – drop a few nukes to take out Pyongyang, and the enslaved North Koreans will take care of the rest (and be eternally grateful to us for it!)

To determine whether the Patriot Act infringes on our liberty, we must first determine what “liberty” is. Two political theorists stand out as defining the meaning of liberty: John Locke, and John Stuart Mill.
Continue reading The Patriot Act and the Politics of Liberty, Part Two

Why in the world would anyone go after the UN?
I can think of two reasons. The obvious explanation is that the Iraqi terrorists are stupid and cannot distinguish between the different foreign agencies in town — so they targeted the least-defended one. The less likely reason is that they want more UN involvement and aid to Iraq – precisely what is likely to be the outcome of the bombing. With all due respect for the dead, the bombing is the best thing that could have happened to the UN from the perspective of its supporters – it has given the UN a relevance they have been desperate for since the war started.

In other news, how many innocent civilians have to die before the “cease-fire” is officially over?

I hear that the Commanding Heights miniseries is pretty good — and now it’s all online. The book has been gathering dust on my shelves for a while, so I think I’ve give the video version a try. Stay tuned for a review..

Update: I saw the miniseries, and I have two words for you: SEE IT. The series is a must-see for anyone who shares an interest in economics or want to learn about the economic history of the 20th century and the issues surrounding “globalization.”
Continue reading Commanding Heights on PBS

MSNBC provides some “tips” for fixing the power grid. Their “fix”? Nationalization, regulation, and environmentalism — the very causes of the blackouts.
Ah well, another great Cox and Forkum. Also: FCC head warns of more regulations.

Druge reports that Schwarzenegger’s top economic adviser Warren Buffett wants to raise taxes. Buffet is a democrat and a vocal critic of Bush’s tax cut. This is the man Arnold picked for his economic advisor? I know he wants some credibility, but this is not the way to get it. Does anyone remember seeing Arnold with Milton Friedman on the “Free to Choose” videos praising free-market policies?

Quick Quiz: What is the media’s most likely take on the blackout:

1. The “complexity” and “chaos” of the market is unsuitable for an “essential” need like electricity.
2. The blackout was caused by America’s over-reliance on fossil fuels – we need to reduce our electricity use and move to renewable energy sources.
3. The minor looting and small number of deaths caused by the blackout is a sure sign that we can trust the government to protect our lives.
4. The Democrats haven’t found a way to blame the Bush administration for it, but they’re going to have something soon.
5. The blackout is an inevitable consequence of a heavily regulated, price-controlled, forcibly monopolized, and eco-crazed power industry.

I have a feeling the terrorist to blame here is called “incompetence.”
Bill O’Reilly: “..it’s a natural occurence..a shame this stuff has to happen…”
Has to happen? Just like terrorism, huh?