Peace in Our Time, Sort Of

I'm a pessimist by nature, but when the New Year dawns, I like to step out of character and look for the bright side. So here's this column's little ray of sunshine for 2011. Bask in it while you can -- we'll soon return to our regularly scheduled programming of unrelenting cynicism and negativity. "These are dangerous times," politicians keep telling us. That's the basis for uberhawk John Bolton's bid for the 2012 GOP presidential nomination. The combative former U.N. ambassador reminds us "of what a tough and dangerous world this is," Ari Fleischer told the Politico recently. So dangerous, apparently, that some conservatives think only a man with a serious mustache can face up to it.

The thing is, though, these aren't particularly dangerous times. "Today we are probably living in the most peaceful moment of our species' time on earth," cognitive scientist Steven Pinker notes.

My 2011 Trip

Hey Patriots! Hope your New Year is off to a good start! I am multitasking my head off to prepare for a trip around the country of indefinite length and scope starting next week. I'll be headed for Colorado first where I'll investigate medical cannabis laws and their effects; then I'll be flying out to Washington DC for the month of February to attend CPAC and ISFLC; and after that I'll move north to New Hampshire to spend March hanging with members of the Free State Project and learning more about it. I'm not positive what's next after that, but I've got a general inkling, and it might involve venturing overseas to learn a little more about the broader world around us and relay everything I see to you readers here at The Humble Libertarian ! Wish me luck and keep your eye out for updates as I travel. Peace, Wes Wes Messamore , Editor in Chief, T H L Articles | Author's Page

I've Been an Outspoken Critic of Censoring Conservatives, But I'm Not Leaving Patreon Over Sargon of Akkad's Ridiculous Remarks

By: Wes Messamore The Humble Libertarian Photo: Gage Skidmore

Occupy Mordor or Destroy the Ring?

There has been mixed responses to Occupy Wall Street by libertarians. Some see the movement as a positive, while others see them as little more than lazy hipsters. But libertarians must be sensitive to why people feel the way they do about issues. The occupiers point out a legitimate concern that "the 1%" control vastly more power and wealth than "the 99%", and corporations have accumulated more power and privilege than is healthy for an open society. Some other concerns and demands are absurd, but the heart of the matter is on track. The question is why has this happened? While many on the left are quick to blame a nebulous thing called "greed", or lack of regulation, the matter is more complicated than that. This calls for a Lord of the Rings metaphor. Let's say that Sauron, the big cheese bad guy of Lord of the Rings, is the corporate hegemony. The 1%. Most people in Middle Earth agree that this is a problem, but there are a few differ...

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