Many people view the debate over gay marriage as a conflict between religious liberty and the rights of gays. And this is true, if one rejects the principle of individual rights. Rights pertain to freedom of action—the freedom to act without coercion. When coercion is banned from human affairs, the interactions between individuals are based…
In October 2012, 15-year old Malala Yousufzai was shot in the head by a Taliban assassin. The reason? Malala challenged Taliban rule through her blog. CNN reports: “Where in the Quran does it say that girls should not be educated?” she asked last year. “I have the right to play. I have the right to…
On Monday, the Republican Party issued a report addressing how it can improve its performance in national elections. (I don’t care to read the 100 page report and am relying on CNN for this post.) According to Republican National Committee (RNC) Chairman Reince Priebus, “It all goes back to what our moms used to tell…
On Monday, Rush Limbaugh stated that supporters of gay marriage are misapplying or incorrectly defining freedom. However, at no point in his monologue did Rush provide us with a definition. The closest he came was to state that freedom requires virtue, morality and “proper constraints and restraints.” “Constraints and restraints” means limitations and restrictions. Rush…
On Monday, Rush Limbaugh stated that supporters of gay marriage are misapplying or incorrectly defining freedom. However, at no point in his monologue did Rush provide us with a definition. The closest he came was to state that freedom requires virtue, morality and “proper constraints and restraints.” “Constraints and restraints” means limitations and restrictions. Rush…
On a number of occasions, Rush Limbaugh has spoken of the “invisible hand” described by Adam Smith. It is not out of benevolence, Rush has said, that your grocer sells you food. It is the grocer’s self-interest—his desire to earn a profit—that motivates him. But, Rush has quickly added, self-interest is not the same as…
On a number of occasions, Rush Limbaugh has spoken of the “invisible hand” described by Adam Smith. It is not out of benevolence, Rush has said, that your grocer sells you food. It is the grocer’s self-interest—his desire to earn a profit—that motivates him. But, Rush has quickly added, self-interest is not the same as…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on December 26, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. It is often claimed that capitalism leads to all sorts of ills, such as racism and cartels (or monopolies). As with most attacks on capitalism, these claims attempt to blame capitalism for the consequences of government intervention into the…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on November 18, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. On Sunday the Chronicle ran an article that illustrates, at least in part, a practical benefit of freedom. The development of Internet television is creating concern among broadcasters and cable companies, who fear that they will lose viewers. Prior…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on November 9, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. It is commonly argued that without public education the poor would have few, if any educational opportunities. Without public education, those born into poverty would have little opportunity to escape, and the poor would remain poor generation after generation….
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on October 28, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. We are often told that government must provide certain vital services, such as education, roads, and mail delivery. If such services were left in the hands of private companies, service would be poor or nonexistent. But history provides a…
This was originally posted on Live Oaks on October 11, 2010. Comments have not been migrated. An OpEd in Sunday’s Chronicle tells us that we must protect kids from bullying. Citing a growing number of suicides by bullied teenagers, Kathleen Sebelius, Secretary of Health and Human Services, and Arne Duncan, Secretary of Education, write: The…