Post Archive
Region: Libertatem
Check out the memo Gen. Mattis sent to all members of the armed services.
http://www.militarytimes.com/articles/mattis-defense-secretary-memo
That is one really class act.
There's always that one from either NY or CA.
we just got two more
http://elitedaily.com/news/politics/snl-writer-barron-trump-tweet/1761408/
Katie Rich, what a bully.
Review of Jackie (2017):
90% of this film can be described as 'Jackie Kennedy is sad', and the other 10% can be described as 'endless close-ups'.
5/10
Miencraft, The United States Of Patriots, Shirayuki Mizore
I'd smash.
Pevvania
Post self-deleted by Pevvania.
At his recent confirmation hearing, Rick Perry disavowed his prior beliefs that the Department of Energy should be abolished, and even pledged to protect funding for the department - even though the transition team has targeted it for cuts.
Sad. Typical campaign conservative. Wants to shrink government when out of office, and when in it, won't even challenge the status quo.
Miencraft, Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Kumquat Cove, Condealism, Vissers
I will now forever wonder what that self deleted post was.
Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots
He couldn't even remember which department he wanted to cut back in 2012(?), while there are plenty to cut.
It was 33,000 emails
Miencraft, Muh Roads, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots, Shirayuki Mizore
Trump has just signed an executive order withdrawing the US from the Trans Pacific Partnership.
Sad. Over a decade of negotiations and work to strengthen and expand free trade, down the drain.
Rateria, The United States Of Patriots, Vissers
Two more executive orders: a freeze on non-military federal hiring and the suspension of funding for international abortions.
Wherever you stand on the abortion issue, this is a win, because the US has no business (or constitutional authority) doling out aid to other countries. And of course the less federal employees, the better!
Miencraft, Narland, Kumquat Cove, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
I am incredibly confused as to why this was even a thing in the first place.
Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots, Vissers
The TPP is crap.
https://medium.com/@EMichaelBall/the-libertarian-case-against-the-trans-pacific-partnership-bb39454073d8#.72lctd4wi
Narland, Kumquat Cove, Condealism
A compelling argument.
In that case, it would seem Trump is three for three on the executive orders when it comes to liberty. My interest is now piqued.
From the information given in the article, I see your point. Interfering with a consumer's right to know what they're buying is a terrible idea.
Narland, Condealism
> "2112 is the definitive Rush album"
> mrw
> https://media.giphy.com/media/3oz8xLd9DJq2l2VFtu/giphy.gif
I don't know if this has been mentioned before on the board but are we doing anything for the Fair thing?
Can Donald Trump replace Lex Luthor as the go-to "wrong" reaction?
Find out next time on 2017: Get The Hell Out Obama.
Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Fan mail? :D
Pevvania, Rateria
Yelling "taxation is theft" and throwing bread to the ducks.
Narland, Rateria, Condealism
On balance, it's good for liberty. There's a Reason video about it that I'll post when I can find the link. It means major reductions in tariffs across the Pacific, and the biggest negative is that it entrenches patent law. But really, libertarians and small gov conservatives have a lot more to worry about right now than parents. That should be at the bottom of our priorities list.
When did our President become a shill for Trump!!!
I disagree. Trade is a very small apart of the TPP (funnily enough), most of it is carving out intellectual property rights for large corporations, such as Disney, so they can protect their profits against foreign competition. (The fact that you cannot use Mickey's likeness even in Australia is a testament to that.) The TPP would definitely help a few large corporations, no denying that, but it does really nothing to promote actual free trade. According to Wikileaks only 5 sections out of 29 are devoted to traditional trade http://www.realclearpolitics.com/video/2015/05/28/julian_assange_on_tpp_only_5_of_29_sections_are_about_traditional_trade_essentially_every_aspect_of_a_modern_economy.html
Mises Institute makes a good counterpoint here: https://mises.org/library/we-need-actual-free-trade-not-tpp Real free trade does not need the guiding hand of government regulators, but the freedom of the entrepreneurs to pursue advantageous deals.
Condealism
A refusal to adapt or reform patent law could conceivably be the greatest threat to innovation the modern world may ever face. That's a pretty big negative.
I'll take a look at your sources, Minerva. Unlike our liberal friends, I am open to having my mind changed.
More good news - the Keystone and DAPL pipelines are going forward!
Republic Of Minerva, Condealism
The yet-to-be confirmed Secretary of Education, Betsy DeVos, is a strong supporter of school choice. She runs a foundation promoting it and helped set up a first of its kind program in Michigan. Some people have apparently talked about her setting up a federal school choice program. This is not the best idea, since this would give the federal government more authority over education funding and allow future administrations to scale back the program.
A federal law legalizing school choice across the nation, however, would be ideal, since it would end all the pending union lawsuits and state restrictions against such programs, allowing states and localities to further experiment to improve education.
Miencraft, Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Condealism, Vissers
https://www.washingtonpost.com/news/powerpost/wp/2017/01/23/sanders-praises-trump-for-nixing-tpp-delighted-to-work-with-him-on-pro-worker-policies/?utm_term=.39f191b61d63
It is kind of unfortunate that the reflexive response by left-protectionists is not limited to bad "free" trade treaties but also on voluntary agreements between parties. Unfortunately their ilk just assumes that every instance of people trading goods harms people somehow, and that is simply not true.
Miencraft, Narland, Condealism, Vissers
Huh. I wouldn't have thought to describe it that way, but that's a pretty neat way of framing it.
"That victory not only emboldened the trade skeptics in the Democratic Party but also stirred a sense of urgency for the party to abandon any neoliberal tendencies. With Clinton defeated and Barack Obama in retirement, no leading Democrat now supports major international trade deals."
Ha! Looks like the White House press secretary isn't the only one coming up with alt-facts here.
"Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer (D-N.Y.) insisted in a statement that TPP was dead long before President Trump took office.
We await real action on trade, he said."
That's hilarious. Anyway, I may be inclined to cut them some slack on non-government-related social issues these days, but when it comes to economic policies, the corruptibility of the Democratic Party is as unchanging as a leopard's spots. Miffed as I might be about all of the corporate types being appointed to Cabinet positions, it's quite telling that a billionaire-led presidential administration has accomplished more for consumer protections in less than three days than an unabashedly neoliberal one had over the course of eight years.
What's wrong with billionaires being in the cabinet? I hope you're just assuming most of them are crony capitalists and not being a class warrior.
Uh, right, because that would be a totally unreasonable assumption on my part...
Look, I can't say I'm a big fan of the whole "we'll make the rich and powerful more accountable... by giving them more riches and power" strategy, but hey, maybe this time it'll work out.
Miencraft
What's wrong with the rich?
Miencraft, The United States Of Patriots
"Capitalism is Gods way of determining who is smart and who is poor"
-Ron Swanson
Pevvania
On paper, nothing at all, aside maybe from a little petty jealousy. In practice, they demonstrably possess the ability to make considerable amounts of money and the resources to circumvent any law that would keep them from it.
Now, I'm not saying anyone should keep them from their profits, especially if they earned them honestly, but I find myself growing increasingly wary of these affluent businessman types as a matter of principle. Big business and big government have been getting a little too close together for my comfort these days.
They have money that the covetous are willing to invoke the force government to steal through laws that the working poor themselves cannot escape (but the rich with access to lawyers and accountants) can. If the rich were not so rich avaricious bullies in government wouldn't make life miserable for the rest of us. Yeah, yeah... that's it. ;)
Rateria, Condealism
I sense some sarcasm here.
As the "communist" dictatorships of history have shown, making the poor the new rich doesn't remove human greed from the equation, it's true - but it's also true that those with lots of money are far more capable of imposing non-libertarian concepts (such as coercion) on the people than those without.
I object to your phrasing, yada yada.
Well it's not like every rich person lobbies the government for favours. My family is pretty well off since my dad isis property developer, and he's never called a lobbyist or contributed to a politician's campaign, lol. Crony capitalism is terrible, obviously, but automatically assuming that billionaires are there partially because of the government is a dangerous path to be on, and echoes the whole 'you didn't build that's fiasco of 2012'.
To paraphrase Yoda: class envy leads to anger, anger leads to hate, and hate... leads to Marxism.
Narland, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots
The four food groups beans bacon whiskey and lard
> Makes cloning research legal
>Pizza Industry suffers
#NSlogic
Miencraft, Republic Of Minerva, Condealism, Shirayuki Mizore
Exactly. 80% of millionaires are first generation rich. My father has worked his butt off throughout his life. And continues to, sometimes working 12 hour days. He owns his own business which he started over 30 years ago(he is a graphic designer/fine artist) my mother also works as a special education teacher.
I share this all because if you ask someone what constitutes being rich the common responds is "the top 1%" Well to qualify as the "1%" the household income must be at least $521,411 a year. Thats a lot but it is hardly the evil greedy multi-billionaires most people expect. To qualify in the top 10% the anual household income must be at least $148,687. Which with both my mother and father working full time and with their frugal spending and investments, we easily fall into.
The vast, VAST majority of the "rich" have similar stories, they worked hard and earned their money. After all the only way you can get rich in a free-market is by voluntary transactions, so no one steals anything
Miencraft, Pevvania, Narland, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Condealism, Vissers
100% agree.
Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Great video here on my boy Silent Cal, Double-C, Cool and the Gang, the Crewlidge. I miss him
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcINPY21pVA
Republic Of Minerva
I've heard a couple of conservatives and libertarians defend the right of states to pass their own gun restrictions, citing the 10th Amendment and state's rights. This is a flawed view of the Constitution. The 10th Amendment very clearly states that "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
So basically this means that the federal government and every state must protect the rights set out in the Constitution, and everything else is fair game for states to tinker with. Since the 2nd Amendment is absolutely within the Constitution, the states do not have the power to restrict the right to keep and bear arms. This means that assault weapon bans and restrictions on concealed carry are very much unconstitutional.
Trump promised national concealed carry, and if Congress actually ends up passing this, that would be not only a sound policy move, but also one that would correct decades of legal abuses by states and municipalities.
Miencraft, Narland, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
I relate to that. My father also worked hard to get to where he is. He even had to pay for his own college tuition, and struggled with student debt for years. That is just one of the things he has been through. I have the utmost respect for people such as your parents, and my father.
Pevvania, Narland, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
I concur with what you said. Bear in mind, though, that our market can and should be far freer - we need to separate government and corporation into their own little corners.
Narland, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots
Madeleine Albright said she's "ready to register as a Muslim" over the suspension of the Syrian refugee program.
I wonder if she was saying the same thing when her sanctions killed half a million Iraqi children in the 90s.
Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Or the fact that she wouldn't be able to talk without permission
Pevvania, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Be careful what you say, criticise Islam openly and the cucks may come out of the wild
Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
I three have a father who has overcome great obstacles throughout his life. Coming from a working class Australian family, he was at a time homeless and initially got poor grades through school. But through his own ingenuity, he worked three jobs to put himself through college to become a very successful IT analyst and property developer. I'm sure that having great fathers that have worked so hard to better themselves have influenced our own political ideologies.
Miencraft, Narland, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots, Vissers
My parents toil day in and day out just to sustain their current standard of living. The companies they work for reward their ceaseless effort not with raises or promotions, but with an ever-increasing workload. They tell me that's the kind of life I have to look forward to.
It could be that I'm somewhat resentful of the status quo.
Pevvania, Narland, Rateria
The difference between Obama's executive orders and Trump's executive orders is that Obama essentially sought to legislate through the presidency and usurp power from Congress beyond his constitutional authority. Trump's executive orders so far are mostly reversing such abuses of power, and those that are not have been granted to him by the law. However, to accomplish the big goals that libertarians and conservatives alike can get behind, like healthcare reform, education reform, tax reform and deregulation, he'll need the support of Congress.
Miencraft, Condealism
The Republicans have contributed a budget plan for the next year at about 10 trillion, under the pretense that we need this money to repeal Obamacare. Call me skeptical but I don't think it will cost 10 trillion (literally a third of our current debt) to repeal Obamacare.
Pevvania, Narland, Rateria, Condealism
Congress will be our downfall here.
Narland, Condealism
Source? I believe you but I wanna see the exact stats on this. The thing about the ACA is that it cuts Medicare so apparently on net it actually reduces the deficit. Don't know why the Republicans would want to repeal the cuts.
http://thedailybanter.com/2017/01/senate-republicans-just-voted-to-add-10-trillion/
Yeah I already heard about this. This isn't an actual FY 2018 budget, which will be released in spring, but the fact that the GOP have even authorised that much new debt is utterly insane.
It really is quite simple to bring the budget into balance. Abolish the Departments of Education, Energy, Agriculture, Commerce and Labour - utterly useless and harmful pork barrels - and you kill 3/5ths of the deficit ($310 billion). Enact even modest entitlement reforms, like voucherising Medicare, block-granting Medicaid, raising the retirement age and using a more accurate measure of inflation for Social Security, and you can easily get the budget back in balance.
The Republican Party has a golden opportunity here. For the first time in generations, we've got a Republican Congress whose leaders want to cut the size of government and a Republican president who shares most of the same goals. I sure hope they don't waste it.
Miencraft, Narland, Kumquat Cove, Condealism
Corners indeed. :) They are petulant children that need more sent to their corners. Send them to libertarian reform school.
Rateria, Condealism
Ron Paul's plan here would be most appropriate and should be used as the building block if there are any TEA Partiers left in Congress with any chutzpah.
Pevvania
This nonsense over the wall and NAFTA are not good ideas. Whatever happens, it's likely that the outcome will be Trump getting his way, Mexico is harmed in some form, Nieto gets kicked out of office and a left-wing anti-American leader takes his place. We really do not need to alienate another Latin American ally, especially one so close to our borders.
Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Condealism, Vissers
Post self-deleted by Narland.
Tbh, Mexico has never been an willing ally. For over a hundred years it has been mostly a failed one-party socialist state controlled by "crony capitalists" and old money families if not outright by foreign interests and cartels in its Capitol and coastal cities; and lawlessness at its frontiers and in its rural areas. Bribery, graft, corruption, and kneecap negotiations are business as usual wherever one goes.
The Mexican government teaches in their schools that California, Texas, New Mexico, Arizona and even Florida were wrongly taken from them, and they will not be whole until those Hispanics (and Native Tribes) dwelling there are safely under the banner of the Mexican Flag. We have invaded or incursed Mexico so many times they do not trust us, and most likely never will. They have had 3 revolutions for land reform and have been betrayed by her revolutionaries every time. The Road to Serfdom never ends South of Freedom. I am speaking of Mexico's governance, not its peoples, which by and large are making the best of a bad situation.
Condealism
Well, at least they can make a mean burrito.
Republic Of Minerva, Rateria
Anybody here like Watchmen?
Don't like Trump being president? Move to Somalia! :')
Pevvania, Rateria
Okay, there's a difference between promoting and shilling. Cool it down just a bit.
Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria
Is this LIBERTATEM or TRUMPERTATEM??? nOT mY PRES I DENT!!
Rateria
I thought the joke was Somalia for the libertarians, North Korea for the democrats, and Nazi Germany for the republicans.
Post self-deleted by Narland.
Post self-deleted by Narland.
Post self-deleted by Narland.
What we have in common is that he wants to rid America of its commerical and bureaucatic corruption and break the back of the Beltway Establishment both fiscally and politically. This is an excellent opportunity (at the Federal level) for Libertarians (as well as Constitutionalists, Paleo-Conservatives and Paleo-Liberals) not seen since 1980 to rid the country of over 100 years of progressive socialist ineptitude and statist usurpation.
He is letting the best and the brightest of whom he knows to bring this about. Cato, Mises, Reason, FEE, et al, need to be ready to get out and get noticed. This is the time for the best ideas to be implemented, and we need be present to present the best viable alternatives to the the "corrupt and rigged" system that has robbed us of our heritage and birthright.
He is not the best choice, but he is the best chance we have (with getting actively involved) to return to self-government before the American Experiment is finished for good.
Miencraft, Pevvania, Condealism
I'm not so optimistic. Trump's immigration policies in particular, from what I've seen so far, are piss-poor.
Republic Of Minerva, Rateria
Indeed, he's the best shot for positive change we've had in a while. Of course his belligerent stances on trade and immigration are two areas for concern, but I'm hoping expanded legal immigration and bilateral free trade agreements he seeks to negotiate can reduce their impact a little bit.
Narland, Condealism, Vissers
Liberal logic: it's OK to bomb Muslims, but racist to not let them in the US.
Condealism
Just a reminder that taxes in liberal California are better than taxes in the UK. I earn about £1100 ($1380) a month and get taxed around 10%; I think I get a refund worth about half that each tax year. I earned roughly $1860 when I worked in Cali and got taxed 5% - state and federal - and I get a 90% refund. Yeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeah boiiiii
Narland, Rateria
wtf is up with all the libertarians praising the tariff as if going to pay for the wall. then they just say it's called "the art of the deal". Mexico is just going to turn to China.
Miencraft, Pevvania, Rateria, Condealism
Even if it does end up paying for the wall, it's not a great way to "make Mexico pay for it", because all tariffs are taxes on the consumer. Adam Smith is rolling in his grave.
Miencraft, Narland, Rateria, Condealism
You've chosen some peculiar places to live.
Pevvania, Rateria
Well, I've had quite a peculiar life.
Narland, Rateria
Also, the UK ranks lower than Mississippi in terms of wealth.
http://www.forbes.com/sites/timworstall/2014/08/25/britain-is-poorer-than-any-us-state-yes-even-mississippi/#49648d2f3fab
Can I make fun of Brits for being the complete opposite of what they are stereotyped now?
Pevvania
Go right ahead.
I've never met any other nationality with such low collective self-esteem, yet such an arrogant and dismissive demeanour towards other countries. Brits will complain incessantly about the weather, politics, culture, themselves, and pretty much life itself, yet as soon as the French, Aussies or Americans are brought up they act as if their small puddle is the greatest thing in the world.
Miencraft, Narland, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
I think Ron Swanson sums it up best. "Capitalism is what makes America great, Britain OK and France terrible"
Miencraft, Narland, Rateria, Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria, Condealism, Vissers
ROFL. This is so true. Having to pop money into box on the English telly in people's homes to watch it (back in the 80s) was ... quaint. France was the only country where I was reprimanded by my boss weekly for working too efficiently. He liked that I worked hard, but wanted me to do it in such a way to not not make the nationals look lazy. =) Congrats on getting down to 5%.
Pevvania, Rateria
So a Brit is at an airport to go to Australia, and he's asked at the desk, "have you ever been convicted of a felony?"
He responds, "Oh, sorry, I didn't realize that was still a requirement."
Pevvania, Narland, Rateria, The United States Of Patriots, Vissers
I recall a Britain which once rose up against the crown because of high taxes to fund expensive wars abroad. In fact I consider this revolt to be almost entirely libertarian in nature, nothing socialistic or nationalist about it. So there definitely is a libertarian element to Britons that is hidden away somewhere, but Britain's libertarian moment has yet to arrive as the nation becomes more and more statist. What Britain needs most of all is a Ron Paul type figure to show the way.
Condealism
Speaking of the Peasant's Revolt, it is interesting how the left has attempted to claim the revolt as socialist in nature, in the same way that all anti-austerity protests are championed by them. It is odd though how no one has made the connection that socialist programs and the rich's reluctance to pay for them cause the very tax increases that are pushed upon the poor, into a spiral where the poor are taxed more and more. I guess I'll admit traditional Marxism-Leninism has the right idea of establishing a proletarian dictatorship even when all its attempts to do so establish a regular old fashioned dictatorship.
Condealism
Meh. Maybe. I'm quite cynical on this matter but I think a lot of Britons, and a lot of Conservative Britons, are too stupid and too self-absorbed to care enough about the principles of liberty.
Trump is going to announce his Supreme Court pick tomorrow. I guarantee you liberals are already working around the clock to dig up dirt on all the possible nominees to make them out to be racist, backwards looking extremists.
Condealism
Post self-deleted by Shirayuki Mizore.
Even if the candidate is someone they would have picked themselves, if some of their interviews are to be believed...
*rolls eyes*
Condealism
The scots seem to have forgotten too. What happened to the whole FREEDOM!!!! Thing
Republic Of Minerva, The United States Of Patriots
I previously thought the Iran Deal was sound, but apparently not, because they've just launched their second ballistic missile test since July - something they're supposed to be banned from doing for 8 years.
More proof that Obama was a horrible horrible dealmaker, which can also be seen in the garbage Paris Agreement. It cuts US emissions by something like 30% but merely reduces the rate of increase of Chinese emissions. Ridiculous!
How about we let in a million Islamic men to take care of our feminist problem? loooooool
Condealism, The United States Of Patriots
Seriously. Communism would be fantastic if not for the fact that it has never worked, doesn't come close to working, and probably will never work.
Miencraft, Pevvania, Republic Of Minerva, Rateria
Wow. Come to think of it, neo-liberal politicians are the poster children for the "self-defeating villain" trope.
I'd even let them do their thing without protest if it wouldn't wreck America in the process.
Republic Of Minerva
I disagree. Communism is deeply immoral and is predicated on the use of overbearing governmental force
Miencraft, Pevvania, Shirayuki Mizore
A stateless society, predicated on the impositions of a state? Just because the vast majority of communists believe in such an oxymoron does not mean that is the only way to bring it about.
It's just that none of the ways, state or no state, are the right way, because communism is ostensibly an unattainable ideal.
Rateria
COMIES COMIES EVERY WHERE!!!!!!!!
Rateria, The United States Of Patriots
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Written by Refuge Isle.