“Should Be Legalized” is a a great, high quality parody of Eminem’s “Love The Way You Lie.” The video reminds us of the dangers of prohibition and urges Congress to legalize marijuana. I must, however, object to the video’s desire for pot to be regulated or taxed.
Legalize It _\|/_ But Don’t Tax Or Regulate It, Bro Read Post »
Watch this political ad (below) promoting Washington State’s Initiative 1098, which seeks to dedicate $2 billion per year to fund education and healthcare for children. It’s always for the children! It’s not about soaking the rich! even though this other Yeson1098 video makes a point of demonizing the greedy rich. The slogan is “the wealthy pay more, the rest of us pay less.” Bill Gates, Sr., is presented as a grandfatherly figure sacrificing his comfort for the sake of childrens’ enjoyment while he explains the reasonableness of this new scheme to legally plunder the rich.
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Wealthy Progressive Hypocrites Say Yes on Initiative 1098Read More »
Wealthy Progressive Hypocrites Say Yes on Initiative 1098 Read Post »
Recently, through DownsizeDC.org, I sent an email to Congressman John Linder, urging him to support an end to the war on drugs and the legalization of marijuana in California. I believe that move will do much to make both Californians and Mexicans safer. Predictably, our masters in Washington are more concerned with maintaining power than actually allowing people to freely make choices for themselves. The response, which should come as no surprise to any libertarian:
Dear Mr. Wicks:
Thank you for contacting me to express your concerns regarding the recent drug-related violence in Mexico. I appreciate hearing from you, and I share your concerns.
In 2007, former President George W. Bush announced the Merida Initiative proposal, a coordinated effort between the United States, Mexico, and the countries of Central America to combat the threats of drug trafficking. President Obama recently stated that in 2009, under the Merida Initiative, $700 million would be invested to support Mexico’s law enforcement and judicial personnel in the war on drugs. This money will be spent in part on training personnel, equipment for counternarcotics forces, and information sharing. Additionally, to increase border security the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is tripling intelligence analysts and increasing the number of canine units operating along the Southwest border, as well as increasing Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) staff in Mexico.
Our drug policy must be a comprehensive one, and we must continue to put pressure on producers throughout the Americas to ensure that they cannot sell their product in the United States or ship across our borders with impunity. We also have an obligation to assist foreign governments with their efforts to stop the crime and violence associated with the drug trade, a trade primarily focused on meeting American demand for illicit drugs. I believe that we must dedicate ourselves to winning the war on drugs and I will support legislation that attacks this serious threat to America’s health and national security on every front.
Again, thank you for contacting me. If I can be of further assistance in the future, please do not hesitate to call on me.
Sincerely,
John Linder
Member of Congress
Even people of fairly limited intelligence (i.e., congressmen) can see the clear line connecting the war on drugs to drug violence. It is well past time to stop assuming the drug warriors actually care at all about our lives. They care about their own power, and the power of the state on which they depend. If thousands must die and millions must be imprisoned, that’s just a cost of doing state business.
A Politician’s Response on the War on Drugs Read Post »
Of all the arguments favoring the coordination and control of the healthcare industry by the central planning agency of the state, the healthcare-is-a-human-right argument seems to be the most convincing one, even to those who may favor a free market approach to the problem of coordination of scarce health resources. How can we as a society possibly deny healthcare to someone in need? Shouldn’t the state assume that task?
Gabriel E. Vidal is the chief operating officer of a hospital system in the United States. He has a BA in politics, philosophy, and economics and an MBA in finance.
Read the Full Article by Gabriel E. Vidal
Afterwards, discuss it below.
Article: Healthcare Is Not a Human Right Read Post »
Some time ago, having just gotten rid of a car, I figured it best to turn in my plates and get that magnanimous refund from NY State for the registration fee on my erstwhile means of transportation. Being somewhat “unplugged” from the typical goings-on at the Department of Motor Vehicles, I decided to drop by on a Friday afternoon, the last Friday afternoon of the month to be exact. A mistake. A BIG mistake.
You see, on the last day of the month, there apparently is a big rush to get things done at the DMV. Well, there’s a big rush for the customers. The people working at the DMV frankly didn’t seem all that rushed. And that’s from whence the question that titles this essay emanates. First, let’s recap my visit.
Arrival: 1415 hours (That’s 2:15pm for those who are military-time-challenged.)
Obtaining of Ticket: 1455 hours (That’s 40 minutes later.)
Visit with Cashier: 1525 hours (That’s 30 minutes after that.)
Departure: 1530 hours (That’s 5 minutes later still.)
Yes, it took me 75 minutes (1 hour and 15 minutes) to accomplish a 5-minute task at the DMV. For those unfamiliar with this incredibly demeaning scenario, allow me to explain some of the subtleties. When one arrives at the DMV, at least in my county, he is met with a line that leads to an “information counter.” This is where they tell you where you need to go next, what forms you have to fill out before you get there, and where they also—in a stroke of bureaucratic genius—give you a ticket with a number on it. This number corresponds to an electronic display that provides a sort of visual presentation of the “Next!” one hears at the barber shop. On the ticket is the number for which you should look, and an estimate of how long you’ll be waiting. You may then go to any one of the fine church-style pews to sit and wait. Hopefully, you brought a book.
In essence then, one has waited in a line that is not hidden to wait in a line that is hidden.
The punch line: All of this is an improvement—a vast improvement—over what used to happen at the DMV. I’m not saying it was bad. It was worse than bad. If one was smart, he showed up with a lunch box, or at least a snack. Standing on line for an hour or so on an empty stomach is tough! Plus, once one got to the counter, he was faced with a person who himself was pissed off to be there. A disgruntled worker meeting a disgruntled customer does not a recipe for statist happiness make.
Here’s what I’m trying to figure out: If I had a choice of vendors for this service, would it still be so terribly inefficient and, frankly, crappy? I don’t think it requires a degree in, or even an understanding of, Austrian Economics to emphatically declare, “No.”
Cross-Posted at the LRCBlog.
Does Going to the DMV Hurt Worse than a Root Canal, or Is It Just Me? Read Post »
