Libertarian News (11/23/09)

Joe Kennedy running for Massachusetts Senator
I.T. professional Joe Kennedy (no relation to the American political family) is running to fill the vacant seat from Massachusetts left by the deceased Ted Kennedy.

Libertarian Reactions to Closing Guantanamo
Obama's decision to close the Guantanamo Bay detention center received mixed responses from notable libertarians. Libertarian Party candidate Bob Barr and the founder of Americans for Tax Reform, Grover Norquist came out in favor of Obama's move. And along with these two, American Conservative Union founder David Kean wrote a letter asking other conservatives to quit scaremongering about this issue. Meanwhile, 2010 US Senate candidate Rand Paul touched off a firestorm of controversy among his libertarian grassroots Internet base by strongly opposing Obama's decision.

Can the Libertarian and Green Party Work Together?
"I'm happy for us Libertarians to work with Greens on issues where we agree. I'm happy for Greens to be better civil libertarians, I'm happy for Libertarians to more green, and I'm happy for both to promote electoral reform, ballot access, and decentralizing government. But I'm against libertarian-leaning voters casting their vote in a way that announces they want less economic liberty or less personal liberty... [Full Article]"

What libertarians are looking for
"On November 10th, the Rainy Day Patriots (the group organized in conjunction with Birmingham Tea Parties) and Campaign for Liberty hosted a gubernatorial debate in Springville, Alabama... During the debate, Robert Bentley, Tim James and Bill Johnson all presented themselves as fiscal conservatives. However, one of these candidates decisively won the straw poll following the debate... [Full Article]"

Why Libertarianism Fails
This libertarian feels impotent against the entrenched wealth redistribution mindset. My response: Don't worry, sir! Populism is actually giving our side a boost at present (e.g. the Tea Parties among other things) as the government's redistribution seems to be steeply regressive these days. And with the resurgence of interest in libertarian thought, we may very well inspire an entire generation of "anti-redistributionists."

Was Dostoyevsky a libertarian?
"Dostoyevsky, like Huxley, sees that universal happiness is not the answer to the dilemma of human existence. He sees that the desire to systematically distribute 'happiness' throughout humanity is just as morally flawed as it is bound to fail. Most importantly, Dostoyevsky understands that despite however much one may claim to 'love' mankind (as an abstraction), that doesn’t mean he loves his fellow human beings on an individual basis (i.e. love his 'neighbor'). [Full Article]"

Libertarian calendar girls launch fundraiser
"LOLA, the Ladies of Liberty Alliance, have launched a fundraising effort to get their organization off the ground and into full pursuit of their primary goal, as stated on their website: 'Conspiring to attract libertarian women into the movement one activist at a time.' [Full Article]"

Barack Obama Tattoos

With Barack Obama's approval ratings still at a solid 62%, I became suddenly curious to know how popular the 44th U.S. President really is. Are people so enamoured with President Obama that I could do a quick Google search and turn up some photos of people with permanent tattoos of Obama inked into their very skin? Oh yeah. It's that bad. Below are ten examples of Barack Obama tattoos (some decent, some pretty awful). PS: As a control, I decided to Google "bush tattoos." I found only two examples in the first couple pages, and they were decidedly anti-Bush. I also learned to never, ever Google "bush tattoos" again. Seriously. Don't. There are some gross tattoos out there. In the interests of full disclosure, I must admit that I am not a fan of President Obama . But I've got to say that the tattoos above aren't nearly as bad as this: Editor's note: The pictures are linked to their respective sources. To view the source pages, simply click ...

Legal Marijuana On The Michigan Ballot for 2018

A Michigan ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana received enough valid signatures to qualify for a vote in November. When the required number of ballot signatures was certified by the State Board of Canvassers, the 4-0 decision of the board was met by cheers from supporters of the initiative who were present, the Detroit Free Press reports . Rick Thompson, a board member of the Michigan National Organization for the Reform of Marijuana Laws (NORML), put this ballot initiative in perspective as a matter of the State of Michigan safeguarding its own sovereignty and protecting its own citizens from an intrusive federal policy: "The people of Michigan deserve this. They earned it. We've faced many trials and tribulations. We've had so many stop and go signs from the federal government. That's why states have to take the reins on the issue and really be the crucibles of democracy that they've always been intended to be." Indeed the last time ...

What I did on the ten year anniversary of 9-11

During my brief trip to Korea, on the ten year anniversary of 9-11, I did exactly what the terrorists didn't want me to do: I lived without anxiety. I lived without regrets. I lived without fear. I let nothing intimidate me. I let my soul be still. I laughed with my friends. I tried something new. I marveled at nature. I sang at the top of my lungs... badly. My heart was at ease, because I spent all day knowing that for me, this day and every one that preceded it for the last decade was not about the terrorists, but about loving my life, the world I live it in, and the people with whom I am so lucky to share this world. The best memorial I could offer for so many thousands murdered ten years ago, was to ignore their murderers, live without terror in my heart, and in its place let blossom joy. This post is dedicated to you, chingu . Wes Messamore , Editor in Chief, T H L Articles | Author's Page

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